Selling PB... what to do (specific questions, yes I used "search" function!)

[diehldun]

I did a search on MR, and couldn't find a previous thread to completely answer my questions, so I hope you all won't be annoyed or mind me asking the following:

I am selling my PB, moving to a MBP. I have transferred all my files (photos, music, documents, etc.) already, and I plan to sell my PB to my neighbor.


1. This is my first time, so I'm really unfamiliar with what to do. I know there is an option called "zeroing data" and "system erase and restore". What do you recommend doing? I've consulted Apple Support's website and browed through some MR threads here, but I'm really clueless and am confused as to what to do. FYI, I have FileVault activated on my account right now, but I have transferred everything already to my new computer.

2. The PB originally came with Jaguar (10.2), and I've upgraded to Panther, and then Tiger. Will the PB automatically revert to Jaguar, and will I/she lose the updated iLife/iWork '06 that I installed a while ago? How about Microsoft Office v.X? Will I loose that license too?

3. If #2 is true, can I re-use the CDs, or are the licenses one-time-use only and permanently used up?

4. Kind of off-topic, but ball-parking, how much would a pristine 17" PB 1.33 Ghz w/ 1.5 GB RAM roughly fetch for? I was browsing eBay, and some of the Buy-It-Now prices were very different from each other. I am selling it to our neighbor/mom's old friend, and I think none of us know what price to sell it for. All I know is that I paid over $3000 for it almost 4 years ago, and it's worth far far less today!

5. Any other suggestions?!?


As you can tell, I've never sold a computer before, so this is all new for me. I would have kept using my almost 4-year old PB, but I'm heading off to college this fall, and need the size of the 15". Thanks a bunch, I really appreciate it!

 

[matticus008]

1. It just depends what you're comfortable with. A low-level format makes people feel better about personal data on the drive, so if you have the time to let it go for several hours and do some zeroing-out, it can't hurt. Just erasing and reinstalling the drive would be fine, though. It's tremendously rare that someone bothers to see what they can recover (and has the right equipment) from a blank drive just for the hell of it. Make sure that you do format the drive though--you don't want to take any chances with FileVault.

2. You'll need to restore the computer with the original discs and software, generally. If and only if you give the buyer the original discs (as well as destroying any backup copies you may have made), you can include Tiger and iLife '06 with the computer if you choose to. You may also use these to do a fresh install instead of the Jaguar disc. You cannot use Tiger or iLife '06 yourself on any of your computers if you sell the licensed discs to your neighbor. If you're keeping Office for your new computer, it cannot be on the PB.

There's no reason to give the neighbor Panther, unless you're keeping the Tiger license for yourself--she doesn't need every intermediate step.

3. You can use the licenses on one computer. Whether that's a computer you own or whether it's the computer you're selling is up to you.

4. With iLife and Tiger included, I'd say about $800, best case, if it's in perfect condition with original packaging.

5. Always remember that when selling something cherished, it will be worth more to you than it is actually worth. Look at the closed eBay auctions, and realized that you'll probably get less than that in a person-to-person sale (but you'll avoid the eBay fees). Your computer, though it works fine, is a bit of a dinosaur, and unless someone absolutely needs the large display, a new or refurbished MacBook easily outperforms what you've got (and comes with a warranty). So bear that in mind when considering offers.

 

[diehldun]

1. It just depends what you're comfortable with. A low-level format makes people feel better about personal data on the drive, so if you have the time to let it go for several hours and do some zeroing-out, it can't hurt. Just erasing and reinstalling the drive would be fine, though. It's tremendously rare that someone bothers to see what they can recover (and has the right equipment) from a blank drive just for the hell of it. Make sure that you do format the drive though--you don't want to take any chances with FileVault.

Thanks, matticus008! So I need to basically just insert the Tiger "Install DVD" onto my old PB, and select "erase" option? That doesn't sound too hard! And should I delete my FileVault-protected account before I do that? (I guess I'm a little confused as to what you mean by "format the drive").

 

[matticus008]

Just choosing the "Erase and Install" option is fine.

Formatting a drive refers to the process of making it usable from a blank factory state. It erases the data and creates the file structure on the drive. Writing zeroes is a formatting process that overwrites the entire surface of the drive. (Normal formatting just tells the drive that the space is blank, but the actual disk still contains all the original 0 and 1 sequences that were on it--they're overwritten as space is needed. The reason they're just marked as "blank" sectors without actually resetting them all to "0" is to save time--it takes hours to write zeroes.)