Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Macbook pro with broken usb ports worth it?

P

PatrikL

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 3, 2008
30
0
Hi! i've been offered to buy a used macbook pro 15" unibody 2,8ghz, 4gb ram etc. for $825

The only thing is that he has probably fried the usb ports when he connected a scanner and something happend.
None of the usb ports work but everything else works lika a charm.
My though was either is someone can solder a new usbpower chip to the logicboard from a defective one.
Or I'll just buy a Expresscard with usb ports on it.

Do you think its worth it?

//BR
Patrik
 
$700!!!
not bad, if its still under warranty take it to apple to be fixed.
if its outside of warranty it would require a logic board replacement....easy $1000
 
iSpoody 1243 said:
$700!!!
not bad, if its still under warranty take it to apple to be fixed.
if its outside of warranty it would require a logic board replacement....easy $1000
Click to expand...

Its outside warranty =/ so maybe it isnt worth it then.
Trying to talk into myself that i dont use the usb ports so much but :)

My hope was to buy it and then try to solve the problem (i'm hoping that it isnt a fried motherboard) but probably it is

//P
 
PatrikL said:
Its outside warranty =/ so maybe it isnt worth it then.
Trying to talk into myself that i dont use the usb ports so much but :)

My hope was to buy it and then try to solve the problem (i'm hoping that it isnt a fried motherboard) but probably it is

//P
Click to expand...

Don't waste your money. Something else will come along.
 
If everything else is in good shape, it's not a bad deal. especially if it still has the Expresscard. I probably wouldn't get it if it was my only computer though.
 
If you think this is like replacing the two ICs on an SSL J9000 mixing console when the compressor doesn't work on a channel, you are going to be in for a terrible surprise.

Buy it but don't expect the USB to be a simple fix.
 
I had miss calculated the price of the macbook it is $825. (I'm from sweden so the prices is a little diffrent here)
A new macbook of the same model cost ca $1563 used.

So what do you think? i need to decide today.
//P
 
I would say "no."

Think about it... $825. That's just shy of the price of a brand new Macbook, with WORKING USB ports.

Now, obviously, other solutions exist: firewire, express card... but sooooo many devices and situations rely on USB. Obviously, you'd have to live with it---you would get used to it.

But that $825 (a healthy sum of money) is $825 that WON'T be going to a better computer. One that actually has working USB ports.

You can find a refurbished 13" MBP for $929. A refurbished Macbook would be LESS than $825.

Also, what happens when something ELSE on this computer goes wrong. When it's out of warranty. And you can't use it anymore. Now you've wasted $825 on a computer that might not be able to be repaired, AND was handicapped the whole time you had it!

Just save up and buy a new machine. Or, use that $825 to buy a refurb. That actually works. With an actual warranty.
 
The 15" 2.8GHz model is the top-end configuration; it's a good deal, but that depends on whether or not your can weather through without any USB ports. You could buy it and take it in, have the ports checked; sometimes it's just bad grounding.
 
PatrikL said:
Its outside warranty =/ so maybe it isnt worth it then.
Trying to talk into myself that i dont use the usb ports so much but :)

My hope was to buy it and then try to solve the problem (i'm hoping that it isnt a fried motherboard) but probably it is

//P
Click to expand...

If it's outside warranty or if it has been tampered with, DO NOT bother. It's not worth it. It's just too crippled and too risky.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back