MacBook for storing music and for operating Engine OS for DJ Controller

Run away from the 2019 laptop. The 2016-2020 Intel Macs with USB-C ports are nothing but trouble with all sorts of design & manufacturing flaws. Plus they are the past for Apple and many third party software developers.

You must be very careful when purchasing a used Mac these days. You need to make sure you are purchasing it from a reputable seller who has properly prepared it for sale by following these Apple instructions:

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

Even if the seller has done all those steps, I would still strongly suggest you perform your own clean install of macOS by starting at Step #6 in those directions to erase & reinstall macOS. Doing so may reveal whether a previous owner is still managing the used Mac. If the previous owner is still managing the laptop, then there is nothing you can do about it...the laptop is not under your full control. This forum is full of posts where users were scammed by the sellers so it is best to stick with a seller that is known to properly prepare their used Macs and has a great return policy if you are dissatisfied.

You should check to see if Apple is selling any refurbished M-series laptops (you get an Apple warranty I believe). Another possibility is whether OWC has any used M-series Macs available.

Another danger of buying a used Mac is if you end up having it locked where you cannot unlock it. If that happens, then you will be out of luck because you won't have the necessary proof of purchase to have Apple unlock it for you (a official refurb direct from Apple is the only one that would give you that peace of mind).

What does that third party hardware & software have for recommended system requirements? How much memory and how much storage space is needed for everything? How much storage space do you need for your music files? You cannot upgrade the memory or internal storage of any of these Macs so make sure you get a computer that has sufficient memory & storage for today and for at least 5 years. You can add external storage if more storage is needed if you don't mind carrying around & connecting the external drive.

Depending on how much internal storage you need....have you considered a new M2 MBAir direct from Apple which is selling for $1,000US (MBAir 13" M2 with 16GB of memory and 256GB SSD)...not sure how that actually converts for your region though.

If you personally know the seller, then that M1 may be fine as long as they follow the instructions in the Apple article I linked. Again, just make sure the third party hardware & software you want to use are fully compatible and the system meets or exceeds the recommended requirements for those items.

I have now looking at an Amazon refurbished 2024 MacBook Air M2, 16gb RAM with 256GB SSD.

Be very careful about that.

The only source of refurbished Macs is Apple's Certified Refurbished product page. There are no others.

Amazon adds to the confusion because Amazon has always had their own "Amazon Refurbished" products ranging from open box to cosmetically damaged to partially operational and everything in between. Those products are completely unrelated to those sold on Apple's Certified Refurbished page, which are always indistinguishable from new, carry the same AppleCare warranty, etc.

Used Apple products sold on Amazon are always labeled "Renewed" which is just another word for used. Those used Macs can certainly wind up on the "Amazon Refurbished" list. None of them are likely to be eligible for AppleCare.

Caveat emptor.

Before you buy a used Mac I strongly suggest reading The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying a Used iPad/iPhone - Apple Community. The same broad principles apply to buying used Macs. Of course Amazon will always refund your money in accordance with their policies, but what if you find out a Mac was activation locked long after you purchase it? It's happened.

PauloB105 wrote:

Hey all, I am looking to purchase my first MacBook Pro, it will mainly be used for storing music and for operating Engine OS for my DJ Controller and maybe in the future run Ableton music SW

what would be the best option for me out of these two:

•2019 MacBook Pro i9 with 32gb RAM

•2020 MacBook Air M1 with 16gb RAM

I have been offered either for circa £600

any other recommendations would be welcome?

Cheers

These are both somewhat dated and in today's standards, somewhat underpowered. The 2019 MacBook Pro i9 was a fast machine in its day but it's the older Intel architecture and has long been eclipsed by newer models.

The 2020 MacBook Air is a lower end model, but it is a Silicon device at least. It also has less memory (16 GB vs. 32 GB). I am guessing this is the better choice but maybe not by a big margin.

You "have been offered" these used Macs? By whom, be wary of private sellers. People tend to be getting rid of older computers for a reason, you don't want someone else's problems. Some problems are intermittent and only show up sometime later, or once in a while, oddities like overheating, computer unexpectedly shutting down, kernel panics ... These are very hard to track down. Laptops are especially prone, they are portable and tend to get "banged up" more than desktops. There are many posts in Apple Discussions from people with problems with used Macs. I would recommend only a source like OWC or Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP, these are independent shops certified by Apple) if the used Mac is certified in some way (OWC and Apple do this) and comes with a warranty. The seller has to prepare the Mac properly for sale, which means completely erasing/formating and installing a new latest and clean MacOS so Setup Assistant can be run on first boot up.

I have a 2019 Macbook Pro i9, it's what I am using now. It has worked well for me, but I am thinking of replacing it soon, I would never buy one to use now, going forward. It's a nearly 6 year old model, that is very much past its prime, and some new MacOS features won't work with it like they do with Silicon Macs.

A brand new MacBook Air can be purchased for under $1000. Perhaps the best buy today is the brand new Mac Mini, for under $600. I think these are better approaches than a 5 or 6 year old used laptop.

varjak paw wrote:

There are also refurbished M2 MacBook Air models in the UK Apple Store for just over £900, so that would be another option.

That sounds like far better an option than either listed by the original poster.

I have to second Grant's caution regarding other "refurbished" (Amazon calls them "renewed"). Amazon will include a warranty if you pay another $150-$250 on devices like this. I would also wonder why is a 2024 Mac laptop needing to be "renewed" and sold as used? I mean, 2024 just ended. What was wrong with this computer that it was returned so quickly?

Based on what I know, I don't buy used computers, but if I did, it would only be from Apple and OWC (and Apple Authorized Service Providers) and only with a solid warranty. If the price from Amazon "renewed" was super low, that would make me suspicious also.

There are also refurbished M2 MacBook Air models in the UK Apple Store for just over £900, so that would be another option.

"Apple refurbished" sold in the Apple refurbished store are PRISTINE. They have been completely re-tested and returned to showroom condition, including a new battery. They ARE eligible for Apple standard Warranty and AppleCare PLUS (available at extra cost, but highly recommended for laptop computers with a GLASS display)

The downsides: a Plain brown box instead of the Apple pictures on the box. And if Dead-On-Arrival, they must go back to the Refurbished Store, they can NOT be exchanged for new at the Apple Store.

NB>> What is sold on any other site as "Refurbished" is NOT the same, and generally has no standard definition. Buyer Beware!