To buy or not to buy - that is the question

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Level 1

8 points

To buy or not to buy - that is the question

I'm not new to the world of Apple products, but I am new to owning a Mac.

I'm looking at buying a 2010 MacBook Pro. Is this a wise choice? Or is the machine already so old that it will soon be obsolete and unsupported by Apple?

The ones I'm looking at are the 13" MacBook Pro with 500gb Hard drive and the duo 2 core processor and the 17" MacBook Pro with 500 gb hard drive and i5 processor.

Should I get one over the other? Or look for something newer.

I Would like to note that I'm looking at certified preowned computers with warranties and they're 50% less than retail.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Posted on Dec 21, 2015 9:37 AM

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Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Dec 21, 2015 9:50 AM in response to Froggies1058

I'm running on a late 2010 iMac right now with no complaints. I probably will upgrade within a couple of years, since there is new technology and I'm not sure how long further upgrades to my system will be supported. Of course the 17" is heavier to lug around. The MacBook Pro also came in the i5 15", which would be a good middle ground.

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Answer 2

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Dec 23, 2015 11:35 AM in response to Froggies1058

Purchasing a second hand computer has many inherent risks, especially when the seller and the purchaser are far apart,

First ascertain the value of the Mac by examining the SOLD prices on ebay for comparable models.

Make certain that you have return privileges for the Mac so that you can inspect it for any faults and flaws. Bring it to an Apple store and have a technician run their tests on the unit, Check the display with care to see if there are dead pixels or some that are always on. Check the DVD drive.

As far as your two choices are concerned, the 17 " unit gets my nod. The display is essentiall HD quality and the GPU and the CPU are superior than what the 13" offers. The 13" MBP can accept up to 16 GB RAM and the 17" is limited to 8 GB RAM. Both can have SSDs installed in them but will have SATA2 connectivity.

I do have a 17" 2010 MBP and it still is quite able to run any application that I require. It may not be as fast as the current crop of MBPs, but it is definitely functional.

Ciao.

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Answer 3

Dec 21, 2015 1:00 PM in response to Froggies1058

IMHO, they are too old unless you are getting a real good deal and you can live with running older programs.

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Answer 4

Froggies1058 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 23, 2015 11:40 AM in response to Froggies1058

Thanks for the input everyone!

I still haven't made my final choice, but your opinions have helped me tremendously.

Does anyone have an advise about the 2015 MacBook Pro 13" non retina display?

I Would like to note that a CD drive is very important to me, so the models lacking the CD drive aren't really an option for me.

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Answer 5

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Dec 23, 2015 11:53 AM in response to Froggies1058

Froggies1058 wrote:

Does anyone have an advise about the 2015 MacBook Pro 13" non retina display?

I Would like to note that a CD drive is very important to me, so the models lacking the CD drive aren't really an option for me.

Be advised that it is the same MBP that was introduced in 2012 with no changes. There is nothing inherently wrong with that but it is slightly older technology that the current retina models.

Ciao.

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