CarolF5

Q: What is a good refurbished Apple notebook to get?

Greetings;

 

I already have had an Apple Mini and so am just a little familiar with the Apple system. I would like to see if an Apple notebook would be for me-but, I do not want to spend alot of money right now just to find out if it is-or not.

 

So, what I would like to know is what refurbished notebook would I look into and what about the ram and memory? What size would give it enough power to not drag, etc...

 

I am looking into the older models in refurbished as they are not as expensive and would be able to give me an idea of if I would like to move up in the Apple world after being a windows person for so long.

 

I am open to ideas and thoughts of what size machine to look for, etc...

 

Thank you,

 

Carol

Posted on Jun 21, 2016 4:59 PM

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Q: What is a good refurbished Apple notebook to get?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Jun 21, 2016 5:17 PM in response to CarolF5
    Level 9 (55,682 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 21, 2016 5:17 PM in response to CarolF5

    Hi Carol, here are the MacBooks that are upgradeable to OS 10.11.

     

    • MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or newer)
    • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or newer), (15-inch, Mid / Late 2007 or newer), (17-inch, Late 2007 or newer)
    • MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)

     

    Although Apple states 2GB RAM as a minimum, 4-8 GB is more realistic.

    As far as the size, it's the size you are most comfortable with. What's important are the specs, RAM and Hard Drive size.

  • by jndupuis1,

    jndupuis1 jndupuis1 Jun 21, 2016 6:06 PM in response to CarolF5
    Level 2 (470 points)
    Jun 21, 2016 6:06 PM in response to CarolF5

    Hi Carol!

    I think Apple Refurbishment is the way to go. Apple treats there Macs like brand new with new accessories. Plain shipping box instead of the fancy retail box. Here is the link to Apple Refurbishment. Same 90 warranty with 1 yr Apple Care. Priced less but I bought my MacBool Pro from Apple Refurb and I opened to new Mac. There are models to choose from upon availability. 

    http://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

    Hope you find what you like!

     

    Cheers!!

  • by ManSinha,

    ManSinha ManSinha Jun 21, 2016 6:09 PM in response to CarolF5
    Level 6 (10,250 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 21, 2016 6:09 PM in response to CarolF5

    It also depends on what you intend to do with the device - if you plan to travel with it - then an Air or if you plan to primarily use it at home and work then a Pro for the greater power and potential 15" screen may be something to think about

  • by alex7375,

    alex7375 alex7375 Jun 21, 2016 6:25 PM in response to CarolF5
    Level 2 (210 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 21, 2016 6:25 PM in response to CarolF5

    I purchased a Refurbished MacBook Pro Mid-2012, 13-inch,  Non-retina for $500

    I did an upgrade with a  500gb. Samsung Evo 850 SSD and 16gb. Crucial Memory for $200

     

    My total cost was $700.

     

    My Macbook performs great now. I have it loaded with apps and dual boot via boot camp.

    I am running El Capitan and MS-Windows-10-Pro.

    I have it loaded with apps like MS-Office, Adobe CS6 suite, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, iMovie, Garageband, and Many Video and Music creation apps.

    The upgraded Macbook performs great. It can render 4K video just fine and Music creation works perfect too.

    It can play Videos, Blu-ray movies and 4K movies just fine.

     

    Both operating systems run perfect on the Macbook Pro wth the upgrades.

     

    Right now you can find the Macbook Pro 13-inch, Mid-2012 Edition,  Model # MD101LL/A for cheap.

     

     

    Refurbished:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VQR7MVQ/ref=s9_simh_gw_g147_i1_r?ie=UTF8&fp l=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&p…

     

     

    Used:

    https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MD101LL-13-3-Inch-Laptop/dp/B0074703CM/ref= sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1466558289&sr=8-12&k…

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Jun 21, 2016 8:46 PM in response to CarolF5
    Level 8 (39,004 points)
    Jun 21, 2016 8:46 PM in response to CarolF5

    You haven't told us how you plan to use this machine.

     

    I wonder if you've considered an iPad ... might it meet your needs?  It is less expensive than a Mac, yet has much (but not all) of the capability.

     

    If an iPad works for you, you would have the advantage of being able to purchase today's technology for less expense.  As you pose a question about a refurbished Mac, it sounds like you may end up settling for an older machine.

     

    Anyway, if you're open to considering an iPad, start here:

    https://www.apple.com/ipad/

  • by alarmas,

    alarmas alarmas Jun 22, 2016 3:29 AM in response to CarolF5
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 22, 2016 3:29 AM in response to CarolF5

    As others have said, it depends on what you plan to do with it...

     

    I would never go lower than 4GB RAM though. How about buying a new one, try it for a few days and return it in case it isn't what you expected? Chances are you are not going to want to give it back anyway .