Refurbished Macbook, is it worth it?

angloargie wrote:

Not for myself, but a friend who wishes to move from a Windows laptop . He has been looking at sites such as Back Market and Music Magpie that offer a year's warranty but is aiming at the lower end, so one example would be a 2017 model with a 256gb SSD storage capacity, 8GB of RAM and the latest OS compatibility.

Other sources to consider would be OWC & Apple refurbished notebooks. Just to be sure, we are talking about a MacBook, and not either a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air here ... correct? If so, just be aware that the 2017 MacBook used what was called "butterfly" keys. These were not generally "well received" by users, and Apple changed back to an earlier design with their other models. Just wanted you to be aware of this.

Ref: Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro - Apple Support

Although 8 GB of RAM may be sufficient, 256 GB of storage may not be ... but will be dependent on what your friend intends to do with this notebook.

I guess the one area that might be a concern is the fact it has a now discontinued i5 Intel Core processor, and i assume at some point, and I don't know when that will be ,Apple will stop supporting those.

Apple support model basically comes in three versions: Supported, Vintage, & Obsolete. Apple devices become "Vintage" from 5-7 years after they are last produced. After that, they become "Obsolete." Vintage support level is best effort for parts & labor. There is basically no support for Obsolete.

Ref: Getting a service for your Apple product after its warranty has expired - Apple Support

Another thing, he has all his date stored in an external HDD. Would I be correct in assuming that Migration Assistant would be sufficient to transfer all his data?

That would be correct if that data was from a Time Machine backup if using Migration Assistant to restore it. Again, the other thing to consider is the size of that internal storage device compared to this external HDD.

I wouldn't recommend it. The 2 prior versions, 2015 and 2016, are listed as unsupported and can not run the current macOS version. The SSD is too small and cannot be upgraded. It's one step away from end-of-life.

So, unless the price, something you didn't provide, is very low, I wouldn't recommend it.

angloargie wrote:

Is Time Machine not an Apple app?

Yes, it is and comes, by default, with macOS.

He has a Microsoft ( Acer) computer, from which he has copied all his data onto an external HDD. Will Migration Assistant work in this case?

Yes, he can use Migration Assistant to transfer his PC's data.

Ref:

• Transfer your data to your new MacBook Air - Apple Support
• Move your data from a Windows PC to a Mac - Apple Support

You're very welcome! I hope he enjoys his "new" MacBook Air.