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noob question? sorry

I

israel849

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 3, 2016
3
0
which macbook year is the best soo far? really interested in getting one. the use would be overall school,web surf, etc.. a lil gaming. thanks for the replies fellow board members
i found this on craigslist maybe posting here i can get a lot more info

https://ventura.craigslist.org/sys/5552236195.html please thanks again
 
Are you buying wine, or a computer? What if someone said, "2005 was the best?" You'd still have to consider whether that machine could run the apps and version of OS X you need. You have to buy the computer that can do the work you need it to do. Year is far less important than capability.

That said, that 2011 in the ad can run the latest version of OS X, if you need to. It has a decent amount of RAM, a capable processor, decent-sized HDD... It would likely serve you well for a few years. But don't ask me if the price is good or bad - I have no idea.

Someone else might say, "You really should replace that HDD with an SSD." It's not a bad suggestion - the difference in performance between computers with SSD/Flash storage and conventional HDDs is substantial. But whether you do it right away, or wait until the HDD fails, is up to you. Just be sure to make backups in the meantime!
 
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I would not touch a 15" 2011 MBP with a 10 foot pole given the problems with the dGPU. I think from the pictures that one may be a 13" model, but it doesn't say.

Personally I think 700 dollars for a 5 year old computer is a bit high. I was going to sell my retina MBP for about 900 to 1,000 last year (I changed my mind) and the 2011 has less ram, and does not have the retina screen. I think you can do better and get a newer computer. Check out Apple's refurbs they sell warrantied "new-ish" computers at a nice discount.
 
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Yep, it looks like it's the 13".

Even with an SSD & 8GB RAM, no way that's worth $700. It's only a dual-core i7. As Maflynn pointed out, nobody would contemplate even paying that for the 15" quad-core due to the dGPU option.
 
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Secondhand Apple hardware prices are pretty ridiculous. Personally, i take a much more conservative valuation on computer hardware in general - similar to value for tax purposes.

Depreciate the value over 5 years to zero. 2.5 years old = roughly half price, if that.

i.e., a 5 year old computer is worth pretty much close to zero dollars. Paying 700 for one is nuts.

You don't want to buy someone else problems, there's a reason it is for sale.

If its working and a 13" 2011 model i'd pay a couple of hundred for it, no more, and even that is being generous IMHO.

Others here will probably disagree, but machines that old really are past their best before date in terms of battery, external connectivity (no HDMI, no USB3 for example) and well out of warranty. There's a very real risk it will break and if you paid 700 bucks for it you're left with a very expensive door-stop.


edit:
Don't get me wrong, I'm not just going to throw a 5 year old machine in the bin if i bought it new and it still works. But i'm certainly not going to buy a 5 year old machine for any sort of real money, either.
 
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Oh yeah.

For the cost of that ancient 13" Macbook Pro you could likely get a refurb or 1-2 year old Macbook Air that will outperform it in all respects (well, except for viewing angle on the Pro's LCD, but....). Whilst being lighter, newer, maybe even able to get Applecare warranty on it...
 
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That ad is definitely for a 13", the 15" has speaker grilles next to the keyboard.
 
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