What to Check Before Buying a Used Mac?

[CRAZYBUBBA]

I'm buying a mac locally and want to know what i can check to make sure everything is okay.

Here is the list I have so far:

1. Run the apple hardware test
2. Confirm that the specs are as advertised
3. Import songs from a CD
4. Play a dvd movie


Anything else?

 

[ab2650]

What type of Mac would directly affect how I was to test it.

For instance, a Alu. iMac I would stress the 3D and see if I could get it to freeze. I would check idle temperatures on older revision Macbook and MBPs as well as battery life (cycles, health). Check for dead pixels. Screen Yellowing. Random Reboots... Basically a laundry list of every complaint that people have had on the forums for a specific model.

Check SMART data on hard drives. Maybe a memory test, but I'm not sure of a tool for that*.

* I've never run the Apple Hardware Test. It's possible these are covered in it.

 

[mankar4]

make sure boot times are reasonable and you can account for all missing HD space.