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need laptop for mostly FaceTime, Photos, Facebook use

J

jk73

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 19, 2012
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A friend has had an MBP since early 2011 and it's finally dying. She mostly uses her computer for FaceTime, Photos, and Facebook. Looking for advice here — new or used/refurb? MacBook or MacBook Air? (MBP seems like overkill.)

I have a late-2016 MBP with Touch Bar and my usage pattern is a lot different than hers. Thanks very much.
 
Pretty much anything will run that load, I should think. I suggest that she might want to start at a retail store, if at all possible, and decide whether she wants a retina screen or if she's OK with the Air; and whether she wants the retina Macbook portability or a MBP sized screen, and if the latter, whether she wants 13 or 15 inch. Other than ensuring that there's enough storage to hold her stuff, I doubt that any of the performance specs are going to matter much for her usage.

Refurb / used would certainly be an option unless she decides she wants shiny new and is willing to pay for it. (Nothing wrong with that, but it should be done with eyes open!)
 
Thanks. I'm basically in charge of the purchase since she's not tech-savvy at all. I've never shopped for anything other than a new MBP, so I'm wondering where the values might be in terms of MBA, MB, refurb, etc.
 
I'd recommend checking the used market.

Should be able to save quite a bit and get a decent machine that's a few years old. Maybe a 2013 or 2014 MacBook Pro for Retina display and SSD and should be good for years to come.
 
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If she's completely not tech savvy, I would avoid used, stick with new-with-warranty. A reburb would be good because it's at a discount, but still has full Apple warranty. Literally any Mac Apple is currently selling refurbished would be sufficient for what you say she wants to use it for.

I would say that for pure "futureproofing" and full macOS experience, I'd recommend a refurbished MacBook. Retina display looks great, has "port of the future" USB-C, and PCIe storage guaranteed. Plus, the cheapest refurb MacBook is only $40 more expensive than the cheapest refurb MacBook Air.

If she's a clumsy type, or paranoid about warranties, add AppleCare+.
 
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jk73 said:
Thanks. I'm basically in charge of the purchase since she's not tech-savvy at all. I've never shopped for anything other than a new MBP, so I'm wondering where the values might be in terms of MBA, MB, refurb, etc.
Click to expand...

The reason I suggested hands-on is that her most important choices have nothing to do with tech, or being tech-savvy. They are pure ergonomics. Is the 12 inch screen too small? Is an Air screen OK, or does she really like the retina? Those are things that can be answered by a buyer without needing to know the slightest thing about gigabytes or boost clock.
 
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jk73 said:
A friend has had an MBP since early 2011 and it's finally dying. She mostly uses her computer for FaceTime, Photos, and Facebook. Looking for advice here — new or used/refurb? MacBook or MacBook Air? (MBP seems like overkill.)

I have a late-2016 MBP with Touch Bar and my usage pattern is a lot different than hers. Thanks very much.
Click to expand...

Sounds like she may not even need a MacBook. An iPad + Keyboard would do just fine, maybe a large-capacity one to store photos *or* an iCloud subscription to go beyond the free 5GB tier..
 
I see the MacBook, MacBook Air, and iPad Pro all meeting her requirements. What size is needed, and what the budget is could make one better than the others.

If she wants a nice screen, the iPad Pro and MacBook are the two options.

If pricing is an issue, the MacBook Air 128 GB model can often be found for $750 or less.

If pricing is an issue and significant storage is desired, the 2016 MacBook with 256 and 512 storage options can currently be found for killer sales from Best Buy. With that said, the 2017 MacBook has what I consider to be a vastly improved keyboard and a much faster CPU.
 
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Thanks for all of the feedback. She definitely wants a laptop instead of an iPad, and she needs at least 256 GB of HD space. I'll check out the refurb and BestBuy deals mentioned above.
[doublepost=1505255303][/doublepost]Oops, I forgot to mention that she prefers a Spanish keyboard. Apple's refurb site doesn't list any Spanish keyboards being available. Anyone know if that can be requested? Thanks again.
 
jk73 said:
A friend has had an MBP since early 2011 and it's finally dying. She mostly uses her computer for FaceTime, Photos, and Facebook. Looking for advice here — new or used/refurb? MacBook or MacBook Air? (MBP seems like overkill.)

I have a late-2016 MBP with Touch Bar and my usage pattern is a lot different than hers. Thanks very much.
Click to expand...

All you "need" is an iPad Pro
 
tobefirst said:
I skimmed so sorry if I missed this, but if FaceTime is one of the main uses, I’d stay away from the MB. The camera is terrible. Do MBPs or MBAs have better cameras?
Click to expand...

Right now, she has an MBP from early 2011. A 2016 or 2017 MB's FaceTime camera almost has to be an upgrade over that, right?
[doublepost=1505266161][/doublepost]
Cheffy Dave said:
All you "need" is an iPad Pro
Click to expand...

She's famous for losing things, so an iPad is probably almost too portable for her. The laptop she mostly keeps at home and uses around the house (thankfully).
[doublepost=1505266228][/doublepost]
MRrainer said:
Budget?
Click to expand...

Shooting for $1,200 or below. It looks like I can get her an MB with a 512 GB HD for around that price from Best Buy, but now the comment above about the camera has me thinking twice about it.
 
jk73 said:
Right now, she has an MBP from early 2011. A 2016 or 2017 MB's FaceTime camera almost has to be an upgrade over that, right?
Click to expand...
According to my brief research (sorry — on my phone), the 2011 MBP had a 720p cam vs. the 480p cam in both the 16 and 17 MB.
[doublepost=1505267078][/doublepost]The camera in the MB is truly awful. Trust me.
 
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tobefirst said:
According to my brief research (sorry — on my phone), the 2011 MBP had a 720p cam vs. the 480p cam in both the 16 and 17 MB.
[doublepost=1505267078][/doublepost]The camera in the MB is truly awful. Trust me.
Click to expand...

Good grief, that's terrible. I didn't think it was possible for a 2017 MB to be worse than a 2011 MBP in any respect.

Do others here second this? My friend is a big FaceTime user.

How do the current MBAs fare in this respect? Thanks.
 
jk73 said:
Good grief, that's terrible. I didn't think it was possible for a 2017 MB to be worse than a 2011 MBP in any respect.

Do others here second this? My friend is a big FaceTime user.

How do the current MBAs fare in this respect? Thanks.
Click to expand...


720p
Is it really so important how you look in a Facetime call?
The MB has a vastly superior display.
You look into that display all the time.

Think of your eyes (or rather, your friend's eyes).
 
MRrainer said:
720p
Is it really so important how you look in a Facetime call?
The MB has a vastly superior display.
You look into that display all the time.

Think of your eyes (or rather, your friend's eyes).
Click to expand...

Thanks. So in a choice between an MB and an MBA, from the screen perspective, the MB wins by far?
 
jk73 said:
Thanks. So in a choice between an MB and an MBA, from the screen perspective, the MB wins by far?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. The retina screen is lovely. The Air screen is perfectly usable, sort of, in the same way that a 5 year old hard-driven minivan is usable; but once you work in front of a good retina display for a while, it's hard to go back to an older tech, lower-res screen. (unless there are massive compensating differences, like being 32 inches diagonal, or being almost free, but the MBA doesn't possess any real advantage except for price and maybe a better camera.)
 
Okay, thanks very much. I need to make a decision tomorrow. Leaning toward a refurb MB with a Spanish keyboard (if they can find me one); otherwise, I'll order a new one.

If anyone knows any other options for finding an MB with a Spanish keyboard (refurb or new), please post. Doesn't seem like the major non-Apple retailers stock them. Thanks.
 
Thanks again to everyone for the feedback. Ended up going $150 over budget for a late-2016 13" retina MBP with a 256 GB HD with the desired Spanish keyboard. Now she'll have both the nicer screen and the better FaceTime camera.
 
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jk73 said:
Thanks. I'm basically in charge of the purchase since she's not tech-savvy at all. I've never shopped for anything other than a new MBP, so I'm wondering where the values might be in terms of MBA, MB, refurb, etc.
Click to expand...

I'd go with a refurb MacBook. It's way better than the Air.
 
smallcoffee said:
I'd go with a refurb MacBook. It's way better than the Air.
Click to expand...

I ruled out the Air after comments here, but I couldn't find a refurb MB with a Spanish keyboard and Apple says they don't ever sell them in their refurb section. I found a new, discounted MBP with a Spanish keyboard at Amazon and went with that.
 
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