OT: advice on buying a used Mac.

[slowpoke]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

What kind of nonsense post is this, the OP is not looking to purchase a candy bar? Do you purchase your technical tools based on casual chitter-chatter, most reasonably intelligent individuals rely on concise specifications.

Somehow I think you are smart enough to not go looking to purchase something as simple as a handlebar based on the description of handlebar as metal, you would investigate to discern if it was Ti, Al or steel and an investment in a computer is no different.

No one makes the distinction because you yourself said Apple no longer ships computers with spinning disk drives.

Concidentally the post just above yours also mentioned HD instead of SSD.

And for the record, that screenshot I included was from a Macbook equipped with an SSD. So you should be railing against Tim Apple.

[RWL2222]

One more thing...using an ipad as a second monitor for a MacBook with sidecar is a game changer--works like magic. The starter iPad 9th gen is $200 on sale at uncle jeffy's. (But you need a fairly recent laptop.)

FWIW, My last two macs lasted 10+ years--so I'd spring for new, or an Apple refurb (and steer clear of ebay).

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

What kind of nonsense post is this, the OP is not looking to purchase a candy bar? Do you purchase your technical tools based on casual chitter-chatter, most reasonably intelligent individuals rely on concise specifications.

Apple hasn't had spinning disk HDDs in their laptops for many years. So, it's a distinction without a difference for this discussion.

[benb]

I have had a lot of Macbooks, mostly through work, and mostly the loaded up "Pro" ones.

Right now I have a M1 MBP w/16GB RAM + 1TB SSD from 2020 (personal), I have an M2 iPad, and from work I have a 16" M3 Pro w/36GB RAM and 1TB SSD.

You have gotten good advice here. If your use is really limited I might have supported you in buying the $350 Intel one from Walmart. That was a really really low price.

There is not a huge savings on the 8GB/512GB Airs when you buy the restored directly from Apple. You're talking $150-250 saved versus a brand new one, but you will have a very seamless experience there.

I think I would rather have an M1 w/16GB than a M2 w/8GB. However the 16GB memory is much less important with any of the Apple chips than it was with the Intel chips. The Apple chips do a better job with memory management.

The main thing you are getting with the Apple chips vs the Intel ones is the software support timeline, the much greater battery life, and the much lower heat production. Things like photo and video editing will be very fast with the free tools on any Apple chipped Macbook.

It has only been a few months since went from an Intel i9 to the M3 Pro at work... the Intel i9 16" MBP was an absolute space heater. My work is pretty compute intensive compared to personal use. The i9 would run the fan almost 8 hours every day and it would get too hot to leave it on your lap.

I have never heard the fan come on in my M1 MBP owning it since 2020 and I have never seen the fan come on for the M3 Pro either... the M3 Pro is at least 4x faster for my work stuff and the battery life is off the charts. It saves me several hours of time some days and I can actually do any of my work tasks for a full 8 hours just on the battery, which is absolutely bonkers for what I do. The Intel machine could barely go 2 hours doing some of my work tasks.

100% I agree the Air is the way to go for personal use. That just wasn't known in 2020 when I got my M1 Pro.

FWIW even an iPad Air + keyboard can serve very well for personal use at this point. I just took my iPad on vacation and processed all my digital SLR photos on it. Saved me about 1.5lbs in my backpack. I did some spreadsheet work to pay bills on it as well. That's a little bit of an annoyance as I don't have the keyboard case but in terms of software the iPad is light years better than it was 5 years ago, and the USB-C ports on the iPads are transformational, you can just plug the same dock you'd use with a Macbook into the iPad and all kinds of things you would expect to work actually work now.

You only even need a notebook computer at all if you are a) Doing a whole lot of something that is really computationally expensive b) Doing a lot of really keyboard/mouse intensive stuff to the point it's really important c) writing software


The refurb prices are really tough. If you bought an M1 Air with 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD they have that available but it's $1250 and the brand new price for an M2 with the same config is $1400. Very tough to get a good deal IMO.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Apple hasn't had spinning disk HDDs in their laptops for many years. So, it's a distinction without a difference for this discussion.

Originally Posted by slowpoke

No one makes the distinction because you yourself said Apple no longer ships computers with spinning disk drives.

Concidentally the post just above yours also mentioned HD instead of SSD.

And for the record, that screenshot I included was from a Macbook equipped with an SSD. So you should be railing against Tim Apple.

Both of you must have not read the entire discussion, or simply lack comprehension, the OP was considering purchasing a used Apple device.

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Both of you must have not read the entire discussion, or simply lack comprehension, the OP was considering purchasing a used Apple device.

Dude, Apple hasn’t put spinning disk HDDs in the MBA since 2009. We all recommended a model new enough that a spinning disk HDD wasn’t available, so… I still don’t know *** you’re going on about.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Dude, Apple hasn’t put spinning disk HDDs in the MBA since 2009. We all recommended a model new enough that a spinning disk HDD wasn’t available, so… I still don’t know *** you’re going on about.

Haha! Used does not equal new, if you don't know how to communicate or understand a HD does not equal SSD, can't help you!

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Haha! Used does not equal new, if you don't know how to communicate or understand a HD does not equal SSD, can't help you!

Your continued condescending attitude is noted. Infraction awarded. Knock it off.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Your continued condescending attitude is noted. Infraction awarded. Knock it off.

Go **** yourself!

[slowpoke]

I guess nitpicking over acronyms has become the new rim vs disc debate.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Go **** yourself!

really?

[old fat man]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Go **** yourself!

Imagine getting so worked up over how people refer to a HD v SSD that you're anger reaches this type of level? Maybe someone pissed in m_sasso's coffee this weekend because I sure hope they're not constantly this wound up. That'd be a pretty miserable life.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by old fat man

Imagine getting so worked up over how people refer to a HD v SSD that you're anger reaches this type of level? Maybe someone pissed in m_sasso's coffee this weekend because I sure hope they're not constantly this wound up. That'd be a pretty miserable life.

yep. I dont know anything about hard drives, I only stepped into this thread because I received a few reports that m_sasso's remarks were "less than friendly". I called him out on it, and this is the response I get? He sent me a similarly worded response via PM.

I hope that outburst made him feel better, it's earned him some time to cool off. That's obviously not the atmosphere we like to keep here.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled OT post content...

[skiezo]

The only thing I have to add in the MBA does not have an internal cooling fan and the MBP models do have an internal cooling fan.
My wife had a M2 MBA and when editing dance vids it could get warm. Her M3 MBP has stayed cool when doing editing/mixing of vids with music.
Just something to think about.

[Mr. Pink]

I haven't read the entire thread, but, my two cents, as a Mac user since the early 90s and also a Photoshop user, buy the latest model, because sooner than you think, you won't be able to load the latest Mac OS if your chips are out of date, and, therefore, you won't be able to run Photoshop or some other complex software packages. Look at the Mac Minis as a great value, or the Mac Studio if you want to spend more.