Want to buy a Macbook pro 15" Retina Mid 2015..Need advices.

[p.pan]

Thanks guys,

I am in France actually and the price are more up for this kind of computer....
Let me know if you have some good link in US to be able to buy a Macbook pro.

Thanks.

First of all 1300 EUR for 2015 MacBook Pro is quite a lot. If no. 2 it is in mint condition and 1 TB SSD - I will take it for 1100 EUR if vendor is willing to negotiate.
No 1 will struggle with your application. If you are earning money with this gig 500 EUR is not much.

If you are aiming >1300 EUR - My suggestion would be to get 2017 version (e.g. i7 3.1 GHz, 16GB, 1 TB SSD, Radeon 560). You can find this config in 1500 EUR territory. Best buy would be those after Apple battery/keyboard replacement programme. Much newer internals, faster SSD and optimized support for large screens (even in multiple). Sleek body, and CPU/GPU still good enough not to melt the chassis (like in 2018-2019 versions).

My background for this opinion:
I own this 2017 config for almost 3 years (with 512 GB SSD). Owned 2013-2015 MBPros as well. Recently tried 2019 16” and sent it back because of heat, increased footprint and bulk. Just do not need that much PRO for my needs. At the moment 2017 is a sweet spot. I enjoy TB3 and keyboard and switched entirely to USB-C format and/or wireless/cloud. I do mostly low-scale dev in Data Science, modeling + CFD - ML, R and Python. No music/video/photo production. Sold iMac 27 and depend solely on this laptop for job 24/7. Love working on laptop only but connect to 27” screen at work office.

Thanks Lobo,
I like the idea of the 2017 macbook pro you write...
But in France the price are more high unfortunately....
Can you recomend some american web site where they can send me the macbook??
Thanks a lot for your time.

 

[pshufd]

Thanks guys,

I am in France actually and the price are more up for this kind of computer....
Let me know if you have some good link in US to be able to buy a Macbook pro.

Thanks.


Thanks Lobo,
I like the idea of the 2017 macbook pro you write...
But in France the price are more high unfortunately....
Can you recomend some american web site where they can send me the macbook??
Thanks a lot for your time.

There are risks buying overseas and you have to watch out for scams.

I just go on Craigslist as there are local models for sale. We meet up in a Starbucks or similar; I check out the system and hand over the cash if I'm happy. Harder to do via mailorder unless it's a reputable firm and even harder overseas. There may be import taxes too.

 

[pshufd]

I just found this locally. Maxed out 2015 for $1,200. I would have bought this before the 16 came out.

 

[lobo1978]

Can you recomend some american web site where they can send me the macbook??

Swappa - if seller agrees to send it overseas. Quite risky operation considering the price difference between US and Europe. US is much more saturated with MacBooks than Europe + little sales tax comparing to >20% VAT in Europe. If I were you I will look/hunt for private offer on your French local eBay/Craigslist counterpart. People are switching to 16” leaving 2015 15” behind.

 

[pshufd]

Swappa - if seller agrees to send it overseas. Quite risky operation considering the price difference between US and Europe. US is much more saturated with MacBooks than Europe + little sales tax comparing to >20% VAT in Europe. If I were you I will look/hunt for private offer on your French local eBay/Craigslist counterpart. People are switching to 16” leaving 2015 15” behind.

Yeah. Prices dropped quite a bit after the 16 was released. I can just go on Craigslist and there are usually a few for sale in Boston. Best way is to go local as you save quite a bit. Stores have overhead which they factor into the price. You might also look into refurbish places. These are places that get systems from businesses that turn them over after three years. They usually check them out to make sure that they work. I don't really think that they actually do anything outside of cleaning them and installing a clean operating system. These places usually don't advertise as they run on low margins. So you find them word of mouth. It's often some non-descript office building or warehouse. You get buzzed in and you see computers all over the place - on tables, shelves and all over the floor.