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Would you buy an older Macbook?

K

kettlecorn

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 21, 2011
284
0
Looking at getting a used laptop and thinking about a white Macbook cause of the pricing. How many of you would buy an older Macbook? Is it worth it or is it too outdated to even spend $300-400 on?

I can get a white 2010 macbook with the 320m graphics for $500 give or take $25.. maybe $525. Anything before that, like a 2008 model drops significantly in price. I could get one of those for $300 if I'm lucky, maybe $350+ average. A 2008 model 13" white macbook with the x3100 graphics, 2.1 or 2.4ghz Core 2 Duo processors. I'm not sure if it's worth it. The price is enticing and less steep than buying a newer macbook pro 2008+ models for $600 or more.

Looking for a laptop that can do it all except gaming really, mulittask, web browse, long battery life, etc. and I'm not familiar with the older gen macbooks. Should I shell out the $500 for the 2010 model?
 
I bought the early 2009 model on eBay, and it was around $400. However, if I were you, (if the 2010 MacBook you're referring to is in very good condition) I would take it because it has everything you are looking for (even a 10 hour battery at best :D), and it may very well be worth more than $500. Here are the specs...
 
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If you can get any of those models for a reasonable/cheap price, provided that they are in good physical and operational condition, I'd say any one would be a good deal, especially for what you need (browsing and battery life).

Just about a month ago, I purchased a used refurbished mid-2006 white MacBook - the first ones that came out - and it works wonderfully for my needs, which are basically the same as yours. Of course, it's much older and less powerful than the models you're looking at, but it still can handle modern Internet usage (even YouTube works nearly flawlessly), listening to music or IMing without a sweat. Those newer models would work even better, so I don't think you'd have any problem with any one of those models. :cool:

The 2010 model - being the newest of the ones you're looking at - would be the best choice in terms of longevity, but as I just mentioned, you don't really need the newest out there to handle typical tasks - a good thing to know if you want to save money. I don't regret the purchase of my '06 MB at all. It's in excellent - near mint - condition, and it serves me well and I'm sure it will for several years to come. :D
 
Cool thanks, makes me feel better about it. I think the 2010 will be the best bet in terms of battery life and future proofing.
 
I'd say avoid any with the crappy integrated graphics. If you can get a 2010 for $500 go for it, with $200 in upgrades you have a pretty good machine that should last a decent amount of time.
 
If cash permits, there are some really good deals on larger MBP's....The 17" being a prime example....I know it's heavy, but I'm lucky enough to have an 8 month old top spec. And I'm holding on to it....The RMBP is no doubt a marvel of technology, but I need the real-estate the 17" provides.
 
Macman45 said:
If cash permits, there are some really good deals on larger MBP's....The 17" being a prime example....I know it's heavy, but I'm lucky enough to have an 8 month old top spec. And I'm holding on to it....The RMBP is no doubt a marvel of technology, but I need the real-estate the 17" provides.
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Yeah the 17" is way to big for me, I cannot possibly imagine using that on my lap on the couch. Is the battery life on the 17" really as long as the 15"? Seems like it would die after 2 hours.

I had a 15" for a brief period of time long time ago and that was still too big for me. I have a desktop at the moment so I think a 13" would be fine for my needs.


2010 it is. Honestly that jump from 2010 to 2011 wasn't all that impressive if you ask me. The 09 to 2010 was a bigger jump though.
 
InuNacho said:
I'd say avoid any with the crappy integrated graphics.
Click to expand...

Im sad to say it but the 320m is an integrated chip.

kettlecorn said:
Honestly that jump from 2010 to 2011 wasn't all that impressive if you ask me. The 09 to 2010 was a bigger jump though.
Click to expand...

Humm im not so sure, the core i series of processors are much more of a leap in the 2011 from 2010 (the core i5 is much faster than a C2D) and thunderbolt came along (if you care about fast I/O). The 2009 to 2010 was just a better graphics chip the 320m compared to a 9400m and a slight bump in clock speed. The 320m is on the same level as the Intel HD3000 for normal use but the 320m supports OpenGL where as the HD3000 doesn't. Also if you look on geekbench the score for the base 2012 mpb 13 is twice the 2010 model. The intel HD4000 is comparable if not faster than a 9600m GT decitated graphics chip used a couple of years ago in the 15 inch.

(Just a quick note no white MacBooks were made after 2010 so 2011 and 2012 is all about the mbp 13 inch)
 
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chibiterasu said:
Im sad to say it but the 320m is an integrated chip.



Humm im not so sure, the core i series of processors are much more of a leap in the 2011 from 2010 (the core i5 is much faster than a C2D) and thunderbolt came along (if you care about fast I/O). The 2009 to 2010 was just a better graphics chip the 320m compared to a 9400m and a slight bump in clock speed. The 320m is on the same level as the Intel HD3000 for normal use but the 320m supports OpenGL where as the HD3000 doesn't. Also if you look on geekbench the score for the base 2012 mpb 13 is twice the 2010 model. The intel HD4000 is comparable if not faster than a 9600m GT decitated graphics chip used a couple of years ago in the 15 inch.

(Just a quick note no white MacBooks were made after 2010 so 2011 and 2012 is all about the mbp 13 inch)
Click to expand...



This is true. In my past experience though I never really thought the 2011 MBPs i had were very impressive. For some reason the battery life was shorter and it seemed to consume more power than the 2010. Maybe at least for what I did which is a lot of videos and youtube, etc.

But the 2011 MBP was faster.
 
Yes I had a 2010 MacBook but I got a free upgrade from apple to a 2012 because of the small cracks on the back of the screen and apple replaced the screen 4 times. But yes the 2010 had great battery life and things like YouTube use flash which does eat battery life so guess the C2D used less power than a sandy bridge core i5 but I'm not sure, obviously ivy bridge probally has the best power saving.
 
I have a 2007 macbook and it works just fine. I wouldnt get it if your going to do really intensive stuff on it though, i almost burnt a hole in the bottom of mine hosting a minecraft server.:p
 
Would you buy a macbook or macbook pro if it had some broken parts on it? By broken I mean the webcam doesn't work, one of the usb drives/ports don't work and battery health is like 70%? Or I guess a better question is, how much would you pay for a macbook or aluminum macbook pro 2010 version for something in that condition?
 
I just bought a 09 white book allready upgraded to the fullest this past Saturday .. I must say that I am very happy with it... And I'm coming from a dell ... Works perfect for what I need it for.. I have had every iPhone since the first gen but this is my first MacBook .. I'm in love..:D
 
The 3 white 2009 (early, mid, late)models are all descent, and so is the 2010. If it has the 9400m or 320m it is worth it. IMO the older ones suck, any flash content or CPU intensive program will make the fan become to loud. I'm sure the older ones can do basic stuff very well but the noise kills me.
 
cfedu said:
IMO the older ones suck, any flash content or CPU intensive program will make the fan become to loud. I'm sure the older ones can do basic stuff very well but the noise kills me.
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That's a very good point; my MacBook does produce quite a bit of noise from the fan when I do stuff like YouTube. Personal opinions may vary, but as for me, it doesn't really bother me enough to complain about it, and I can certainly drown it out easily by listening to music if I wanted to.
 
cfedu said:
The 3 white 2009 (early, mid, late)models are all descent, and so is the 2010. If it has the 9400m or 320m it is worth it. IMO the older ones suck, any flash content or CPU intensive program will make the fan become to loud. I'm sure the older ones can do basic stuff very well but the noise kills me.
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Thanks I just bought a 2010 in excellent condition. White macbook that is. There was a 2010 MBP but it had problems with the logic board. Only $400 but I didnt want to end up with another $400 bill for a new logic board if it went out.


I'm actually glad I didn't go with the older 2008 and before models cause like you said, the fan would have driven me crazy. I watch everything on youtube in HD and sometimes I'd like to hook up an external and watch it higher resolution so probably a good thing I went with the 320m.
 
YES. If it would suit my needs.

First of all, any old MacBook can be blazingly fast with the right components.

I have recently bought and re-sold many MacBooks (MacBook 2,1 - MacBook 5,2) to many people whose budget was around €200-350.

If your needs are like the general consumer (mail, internet, Facebook, word-processing etc.), any old MacBook will suit you.

Here's what I do:

1. I buy an old MacBook for cheap (it can either be with a broken HD or cracked topcase etc.). They go for cheap since the owner thinks they are worthless. Mostly around 150-225 euro's.

2. I get the topcase replacement via Apple. Most MacBooks still qualify for it.

3. Install 4GB RAM + SSD (OCZ Agility 3 60GB ~ 65 EU or 120Gb ~ 90 EU).

4. Install Lion w/ MS Office 2011.

The Machine looks as new and functions blazingly fast.

It will amaze you how quick and capable they can be. Everything opens in a matter of seconds. Heavy 1080P .mkv files work superb via Plex and YouTube always runs perfect in HD.

So, yes I would buy an older MacBook.

It's just that my personality does not let me and I personally always want the newest available, despite my basic needs.

All those people are very happy with their cheap MacBook that runs very very fast and faster than any other new MacBook Pro (without SSD) in basic tasks.


Mininum requirements:

- A Late 2006 machine (MacBook 2,1) as the minimum requirement. They are the first with an Core 2 Duo processor. This will let you run the latest software Lion.
- 2GB (if you also use an SSD). Ideal: 4GB RAM
- SSD (makes it very fast)

SSD are the cure. They make it all happen.
 
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iDutchman said:
First of all, any old MacBook can be blazingly fast with the right components.

I have recently bought and re-sold many MacBooks (MacBook 2,1 - MacBook 5,2) to many people whose budget was around €200-350.

If your needs are like the general consumer (mail, internet, Facebook, word-processing etc.), any old MacBook will suit you.

Here's what I do:

1. I buy an old MacBook for cheap (it can either be with a broken HD or cracked topcase etc.). They go for cheap since the owner thinks they are worthless. Mostly around 150-225 euro's.

2. I get the topcase replacement via Apple. Most MacBooks still qualify for it.

3. Install 4GB RAM + SSD (OCZ Agility 3 60GB ~ 65 EU or 120Gb ~ 90 EU).

4. Install Lion w/ MS Office 2011.

The Machine looks as new and functions blazingly fast.

It will amaze how quick and capable they can be. Everything opens in a matter of seconds. Heavy 1080P .mkv files work superb via Plex and YouTube always runs perfect in HD.

So, yes I would buy an older MacBook.

It's just that my personality does not let me and I personally always want the newest available, despite my basic needs.

All those people are very happy with their cheap MacBook that runs very very fast and faster than any other new MacBook Pro (without SSD) in basic tasks.


Mininum requirements:

- A Late 2006 machine (MacBook 2,1) as the minimum requirement. They are the first with an Core 2 Duo processor. This will let you run the latest software Lion.
- 2GB (if you also use an SSD). Ideal: 4GB RAM
- SSD (makes it very fast)

SSD are the cure. They make it all happen.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea.
How much does that top case replacement cost you from Apple? Anything before 2011 probably doesn't have warranty anymore.
 
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