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My latest crazy idea: am I wrong?

D

dantracht

Cancelled
Original poster
Sep 19, 2013
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Am I completely off my rocker for considering doing this?

Selling: Late 2015 retina 5K 27" iMac, 3.2Ghz i5, 1TB HDD, upgraded to 32gb ram and a Late 2013 15" Macbook Pro, 2.3Ghz i7, 512GB SSD and 16GB ram together for $1400, and picking up a 2017 maxed out 6 core i7 15” MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD in mint condition for $1300.

The SATA HDD in the iMac is showing its age and I’m concerned about the MBP not being supported much longer than another year.

Thank you!
 
All depends on your needs and what you're using it for. If you're struggling from lack of power, the extra two cores will certainly help. If I were in your position, I'd look into getting the HDD in the iMac replaced with an SSD and call it a day.

I run a 2015 15 inch MBP (2.8 i7, 16gb Ram & 1tb SSD) and have zero complaints in terms of performance (essentially the same as yours). I plug it into a desktop setup, run Ableton, Photoshop and Lightroom with no hiccups whatsoever.

Once a mac is declared obsolete, you normally won't see anything change aside from software updates so it's not a big deal. I was running Yosemite up until last year and I could care less about the photo app icon getting rounded edges or something.

I didn't upgrade to Catalina this year, and it seems I may have dodged a bullet. All I see is complaints. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
Nbd1790 said:
All depends on your needs and what you're using it for. If you're struggling from lack of power, the extra two cores will certainly help. If I were in your position, I'd look into getting the HDD in the iMac replaced with an SSD and call it a day.

I run a 2015 15 inch MBP (2.8 i7, 16gb Ram & 1tb SSD) and have zero complaints in terms of performance (essentially the same as yours). I plug it into a desktop setup, run Ableton, Photoshop and Lightroom with no hiccups whatsoever.

Once a mac is declared obsolete, you normally won't see anything change aside from software updates so it's not a big deal. I was running Yosemite up until last year and I could care less about the photo app icon getting rounded edges or something.

I didn't upgrade to Catalina this year, and it seems I may have dodged a bullet. All I see is complaints. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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You make valid points, thank you. Our MBP's are very close, aren't they, and it runs SO well, it's what's holding me back. I know it will get Big Sur, and I wouldn't be surprised if it got one more year beyond that.
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Namara said:
You may have problems with the butterfly keyboard though, and that 4-year program runs from the date the Mac was first sold, not when you buy it regardless of its mint condition.
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True, which means, at best, I'd have one more year of support on that keyboard.
 
dantracht said:
True, which means, at best, I'd have one more year of support on that keyboard.
Click to expand...
Again, it depends on the date of the first retail sale. If this 2017 MBP's was first sold in 2018, you may have longer. I'd ask for a copy of the original sales receipt.
 
Namara said:
Again, it depends on the date of the first retail sale. If this 2017 MBP's was first sold in 2018, you may have longer. I'd ask for a copy of the original sales receipt.
Click to expand...
An alternative suggestion:

Microcenter has a refurbished 2019 15.4" i7 on sale for $1399. Thoughts on that?
 
dantracht said:
An alternative suggestion:

Microcenter has a refurbished 2019 15.4" i7 on sale for $1399. Thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
Still you'd have to deal with the butterfly keyboard. I don't know how Microcenter refurbs work as far as the keyboard replacement program. It might take a call or chat with Apple Support to find out.

Is it the 15.4" size that's your priority or is it the i7? For a little more, $1499, from Best Buy you can get a new--with the new scissor keyboard--MBP 13" i5/8/512. Or an i5/16/512 for $1599 on sale from $1799; Amazon has this deal too.

I think you should stay away from the butterfly keyboards in general. I get that you want the deal to be a wash for the $1400 from selling your current machines, but I think you might regret selling them if you end up with keyboard issues.
 
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Namara said:
Still you'd have to deal with the butterfly keyboard. I don't know how Microcenter refurbs work as far as the keyboard replacement program. It might take a call or chat with Apple Support to find out.

Is it the 15.4" size that's your priority or is it the i7? For a little more, $1499, from Best Buy you can get a new--with the new scissor keyboard--MBP 13" i5/8/512. Or an i5/16/512 for $1599 on sale from $1799; Amazon has this deal too.

I think you should stay away from the butterfly keyboards in general. I get that you want the deal to be a wash for the $1400 from selling your current machines, but I think you might regret selling them if you end up with keyboard issues.
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Just finished a chat with apple support. This 15" macbook pro WILL be covered by the keyboard repair program for at least the next 3 years.

I did end up selling both devices for $1500 last night, very happy about that.

I am leaning heavily towards getting the 15" 2019 refurb. I prefer the larger screen size for what I need.
 
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"picking up a 2017 maxed out 6 core i7 15” MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD in mint condition for $1300."

MAJOR MISTAKE !!!!

A 2017 MacBook Pro has the flawed "butterfly" keyboard that is VERY prone to failure.
There are/were so many failure that Apple extends the factory warranty on the keyboard to four years from original purchase.

That sounds good, but...
... IF the keyboard has a failure once the extended warranty expires, the owner must pay for the repair. And it's NOT cheap -- about $750 even for just a single key. That's because the entire top case of the laptop must be replaced, even for only one key!

DO NOT go through with this!

Same with the 2019 15" you mentioned in reply 6.
Butterfly keyboard.

To sum things up:
DO NOT BUY any of these:
- 2016 MacBook Pro (all)
- 2017 MacBook Pro (all)
- 2018 MacBook Pro (all)
- 2019 MacBook Pro (13" and 15")

DO buy:
- 2019 MacBook Pro 16"
- 2020 MacBook Pro 13"
Both of these have the new (actually, old-design) scissors keyboard that won't fail.

Consider yourself now as having been "duly warned" about this issue.
 
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Fishrrman said:
"picking up a 2017 maxed out 6 core i7 15” MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD in mint condition for $1300."

MAJOR MISTAKE !!!!

A 2017 MacBook Pro has the flawed "butterfly" keyboard that is VERY prone to failure.
There are/were so many failure that Apple extends the factory warranty on the keyboard to four years from original purchase.

That sounds good, but...
... IF the keyboard has a failure once the extended warranty expires, the owner must pay for the repair. And it's NOT cheap -- about $750 even for just a single key. That's because the entire top case of the laptop must be replaced, even for only one key!

DO NOT go through with this!

Same with the 2019 15" you mentioned in reply 6.
Butterfly keyboard.

To sum things up:
DO NOT BUY any of these:
- 2016 MacBook Pro (all)
- 2017 MacBook Pro (all)
- 2018 MacBook Pro (all)
- 2019 MacBook Pro (13" and 15")

DO buy:
- 2019 MacBook Pro 16"
- 2020 MacBook Pro 13"
Both of these have the new (actually, old-design) scissors keyboard that won't fail.

Consider yourself now as having been "duly warned" about this issue.
Click to expand...
Much appreciate your advice and "tough love" about this whole thing, and I took it to heart.

I am pleased to report a happy ending to this saga, as I am the proud owner of a 16" macbook pro! I was all set to grab the 2019 15" refurb at microcenter when an opportunity to snag a 16" macbook pro presented itself, and I went for it, and for a very very good price too!

Needless to say, I am thrilled, happy, and mere hours into using it, it's an amazing device, even for the base model. It's silver, so it looks a heck of a lot like my 2013 15" to make it a very natural evolution to the present day.

So, to sum up, here's what I've managed to do over the past few weeks: a major consolidation of my aging Macs into three very good Macbooks:

- In late July: I sold a 2014 Mac Mini that was connected to the main family room TV and NEVER being used as it was just not comfortable using it from a couch or a chair and we had no use for it at all, plus a 2017 nTB MBP 13" that I inherited from a former boss after it's SSD died (the old folder with the question mark thing) and he didn't want to bother with it. I replaced the SSD with a $50 SSD off ebay and sold it. Cute little device, but.....that keyboard....not to mention constant fan noise. Every time I tried to type on it, my girlfriend would put on her headphones. Those proceeds went to a 2020 MBA that I am typing this whole diatribe on. Great little device and my "weekend warrior."

-This week: sold the above two items for the 16" MBP and I couldn't be happier. I miss the 5K and the screen size of the iMac, but it was an SATA HDD and not up to the task of my workload, which is from home 4 days/week now and from now on. I adored the late 2013 MBP, no MBP was better built than that era, but I was concerned about it losing MacOS support after Big Sur, not to mention it's pending adding to the obsolete list. I figured now was the time to sell it while I could.

All in all, very happy. Still also have a 2015 13" MBP that is rock-solid, and my GF uses it when she works from home 2-3 days per week.

Thanks everyone SO MUCH for your advice, help, and for listening to me ramble!

D
 
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