Advice on buying Used/New Macbook Pro

I'm giving some serious thought to buying a macbook pro unibody and I'm trying to decide on whether to buy a near-perfect used machine as opposed to a new one. I'm after a 13" and have no interest in anything larger... actually wish there was a netbook-sized mackbook. And truth be known, if the iPad had a iSight camera built in, I would probably be heading down that pad. The macbook will mainly be used around the house and occasionally at wi-fi enabled off-site locations. We're also eligible for a educational discount, so if I buy new... that comes into play.
If I buy used, I would have to see the machine in person locally, watch it run, use it... and know that it's hopefully still eligible for AppleCare if ownership is transferred? I'd also want the original sales receipt and I might like to opt for one on one because even though I've had my iMac for over a year... I'm still learning.
Having only owned a couple of IBM ThinkPads and a WinBook way back when... I was just curious about whether the mackbooks are reliable and sturdy (my ThinkPad has a titanium frame), and whether its worth it to score a great deal on a gently used one that is loaded with more memory and/or larger HDD and possibly a bunch of apps or spend the same for a base model?

"... whether its worth it to score a great deal on a gently used one that is loaded with more memory and/or larger HDD and possibly a bunch of apps or spend the same for a base model? "
1. What do you feel is a great deal and where have you seen one?
2. Anyone who sells you a machine with third party apps needs to give you the original disks or you are both in violation of SLA's. Keep that in mind.
3. If you buy a used machine and the owner touts it has Applecare you need to make sure he/she purchased the AppleCare from Apple or AASP. Otherwise it's not transferable to you.

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Should I buy a new Macbook Pro 13 inch or Macbook Air 13 inch?

Hi,
I was wondering if I should buy the new Macbook pro 13 inch, or keep my old 2010 1.4 C2D Macbook Air. I am not satisfied with the tiny 64GB SSD that my current Macbook Air has, because just a few weeks after I had done a clean reinstall of OSX Lion, the whole disk almost filled up. The one thing I do like about the Macbook Air, however is the speed of the SSD. Its really quick, and it boots in under 20 seconds. The Air didn't have many performance issues (other than overheating like crazy after playing a few graphics-intensive games).
If I were to buy a new Mac, my price range would be from $1200-$1500. I plan to use Garageband/iMovie frequently for making Youtube videos/school projects, and store a large music library. I also plan to do some moderate gaming and run Windows 7 in Bootcamp/Parallels. I don't plan to take it around much, but I don't want to have to weigh down my backpack in case I have to. My two options now would be the new Macbook Pro 13 inch or the new Macbook Air 13 inch. Could anyone give me a suggestion of which computer to buy?
Thanks!

I went through this same thing when I purchased my first Mac 3 days ago, also between the 13 inch MBA and MBP. I ended up deicding with the 13inch MBP, here's why:
1. More hard drive space, yes it may not be an SSD but more space is more space. I have also heard about people taking out the disc drive and adding an SSD in its place, so there would be an option.
2. The disc drive, I rarely do use it but just in case it's there and easier than carrying around an external.
3. Upgradability, I plan on keeping this Mac for a while because I spent so much on it. On a MBP I can upgrade the internal parts such as the hard drive and RAM. On a MBA everything is soldered together so what you buy is what you stick with.
4. Ethernet port, this is one that could be gotten around by an adapter but I still took it into consideration. Not everywhere has wifi yet including my work where every computer is hard wired.
5. Bootcamp, as well I plan to run Windows 7 on mine and Windows 7 takes a good amount of space so this is another spot where the larger hard drive of the MBP comes in handy. You could always have an external hard drive and run Windows 7 off of that on an Air but then you would have to have it always plugged in when you wanted to run Windows 7.
About me, I am a student so I had a lot to think about and read a lot of reviews online before I decided on my MBP but I am glad I decided on this over an Air. It may be a few pounds heavier also but in the long run for me I think the Pro will be better, I do plan on adding more RAM in the future as software becomes more memory intensive. With you're pricerange being 1200-1500 the 13inch MBP with the i7 processor may be one to look at. From Apple with their student discount, if you are one, you get $100 of plus a $100 giftcard. At BestBuy (where I got mine) the price of the i7 13inch MBP is 1,424.99 and if you're a student you get $100 off but no giftcard. I got the i5 13inch MBP because I don't need an i7.
In the end it all comes down to what works for you, but I hope I was able to help you some.

Questions about buying a new MacBook pro with SSD

Hello, I am about to buy a new MacBook pro. I'm going to get the 13 inch 2.8 dual core i7. I want a solid state drive also. I was going back and forth between the 128 gig or the 256 but I will probably get the 256. My computer will ship with lion but i am so confused about the TRIM support. Does lion take care of this? Dop I have to do anything like run a command or program to take care of TRIM? Also, are solid states reliable? Should I get apple care? ( i really don't want to. Lol)

I suggest you buy the notebook with the standard drive and the standard RAM, if you were thinking about upgrading the RAM.
You can replace the original drive with a SSD at a lower cost then what Apple charges You can also buy RAM for a MUCH lower price.
TRIM:
Lion only supports TRIM natively when used with a Apple SSD. BUT, REALLY BUT, You can enable TRIM support yourself on the SSD you install. I have a SSD in my MBP that I installed and I have enabled TRIM support on it.
Are SSDs reliable? As far as I can tell Yes they are. I have one in my Win 7 desktop PC for the last 9 months, No Problems. I have a SSD installed in my Dell Win 7 Notebook for the last 1.5 months, No Problems. I have a SSD installed in my MBP for the last month+, No problems. There are reports of SSDs failing but there are also report of standard hard drive failing all the time.
I used Intel 320 series SSDs in my 2 Windows PCs and a Kingston V200 SSD in my MBP. I switched to the Kingston because of the price and it runs on the higher SATA III bus speed, 6GB, where as the Intel 320 series only run at the 3GB speed, SATA II.

I want to buy a new macbook pro 2012, can i sell my old macbook and put some more money to buy the new one???

I want to buy a new macbook pro 2012 with retina display, can i sell my old macbook and add some more money to buy the new one???
Is there any deal like this?

Apple has a rebuy and recycle program, but you won't get much for your old MBP from that program. Your best bet is to just sell it yourself (I used eBay) and use the money you get to buy your new computer.
Good luck,
Clinton

Buying a new MacBook Pro 17". Question about waranty?

Hi everyone:
I'm buying a new MacBook Pro 17", and I was wondering what waranty does it come with? Or, do I need to buy any special coverage from them? I'm new to Macs, so please bear with me... How reliable are they?

From the Tech Specs page for the MacBook Pro:
Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple support or call 800-823-2775.
Macs can be pretty reliable. If yours will be used for critical purposes you may want to get the AppleCare extended warranty. I do, but I can tax deduct it for business purposes. The warranty does not cover accidents so if you want to cover those, get an insurance policy or extend your current homeowner's or renter's insurance to do so or try Safeware.

Buying a new Macbook Pro. Deciding b/w this add on: 2.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 vs. 2.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7? Is it worth the extra $250?

Buying a new Macbook Pro. Deciding b/w this add on:
2.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 vs.
2.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7?
Is it worth the extra $250?
What's the big difference? Thanks.

Upgrade RAM yourself through macsales.com for $60. Use the remaining $140 of Apple's mmeory price and upgrade for $150 to hi-res (1680x1050) and anti-glare. I never regretted that upgrade on mine.
My humble opinion.
Sorry ... I just did the math and that puts you $10 out of pocket ...

Buying a new MAcBook Pro - How do i move files and office for Mac

I am buying a new MacBook Pro and have a license for my office for Mac 2008. Can I re-install into the new computer or do i need to buy a new license? Also, how do i move all my itunes, photos, and files from one to the other!

Use TDM for transferring files, drag libraries into folders (iTunes Library into iTunes Folder for example). The Firewire cable will need to be a 6 to 9 pin, or an adapter.
If you're giving up the pB, De-authorize it for iTunes.
Don't do applications between G4 and Intel machines, better to reinstall.
Uninstall Office and use your key on the new Machine. Run Office update.
Connecting Your PowerBook to Another Computer Using FireWire Target Disk Mode.
If you want to transfer files between your PowerBook and another FireWire-equipped
Macintosh computer, or you have a problem that prevents your computer from starting
up, you can use FireWire Target Disk Mode to connect to another computer. When you
start up your computer in FireWire Target Disk Mode, the other computer can access
your PowerBook as if it were an external hard disk.
Note: When using FireWire Target Disk Mode, it’s a good idea to connect your power
adapter to the PowerBook.
To connect your PowerBook to another computer in FireWire Target Disk Mode:
1 Make sure that your PowerBook is shut down.
2 Use a FireWire cable to connect your PowerBook to another FireWire-equipped
computer.
3 Start up your PowerBook and immediately hold down the T key.
Your PowerBook display shows the FireWire logo. The other computer’s display shows
the PowerBook internal hard disk icon. You can now drag and drop files between the
computers.
4 When you finish transferring files, drag the PowerBook hard disk icon to the Trash.
5 Press the power button (®) on the PowerBook to shut it down, and then disconnect
the FireWire cable.
Joe

Hello, I am interested in buying a new Macbook Pro but want to run Adobe CS package. Which computer do you recommend?

Hello, I am interested in buying a new Macbook Pro but want to run the latest Adobe CS package. Which computer do you recommend for best speed and perfromance?

Depending on the software you'll use - I doubt you'll be an expert on After Effects and use Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver like a pro (you may be an exception) - I have a 13" Macbook Pro simply because the 15" lacks the portability of the smaller size - the Retina 15" is alot lighter and if you can afford it - go for it!
I bought the Macbook Pro and replaced the 4GB of RAM with 8GB of RAM and replaced the HDD with an m4 SSD from Crucial. The SSD really makes a difference in app start up speeds, loading times and bootup speeds. The RAM ensures apps operate smoothly and everything is snappy. Since getting an SSD, I would say the performance of Photoshop and Illustrator is vastly improved. I can have both open whilst surfing the web, checking my email and even using Dreamweaver every once in a while. Multitasking is great.
To conclude, depedning on your price range, buying a £999 Macbook Pro and swapping the HDD for an SSD and the 4GB of RAm to 8GB, will ensure better performance than both 15" Models. However, buying a 15" Model and maxing out the specs, would beat the performance of a maxed out 13".
I have a 13" and it runs faster than it was when I first purchased it last year. Photoshop opens in 2/3 seconds and performance is great.
Hope this helps.
P.S. If you have the money, get the 15" Retina. If not, max out the 13" if you still want portability. Otherwise, get the 15" and max that out if you feel performance is poor.
The reason I say Retina, is because the maxed ram and SSD is already installed and saves alot of hassle aswell as the slimmer design and lighter weight.

I want to buy a new Macbook pro 15 2.3Ghz which is currently on OS mountain lion. Can I upgrade it to OS Maverciks when it is released?

I want to buy a new Macbook pro 15 2.3Ghz which is currently on OS mountain lion. Can I upgrade it to OS Maverciks when it is released?

I realized I still had this as an open question, so I thought I would follow up. By calling around, I was able to locate a Macbook Pro that still had ILife 09, so I bought that.
But then I found out I could actually continue on with Ilife 08, but just wiping the new computer and reinstalling the first disc (system) but not the second one (ilife). So then when I used a Time Machine backup from my old computer to migrate to the new one, it simply continued on with O8. This made me even happier as I really was trying to avoid Faces in iPhoto 09.
Thank you for the input (I did read it back when you posted it; I just did not realize I needed to "close" the question.)

I want to buy a new Macbook pro 15", but I don't like Lion, I want Leopard installed, is there any issues with drivers or any other I should be aware of?

I want to buy a new Macbook pro 15", but I don't like Lion, I want Leopard installed, is there any issues with drivers or any other I should be aware of?

Hello, I've tried Lion from the day they released to last week I got my computer formated and with leopard again, on my iMac 24" from early 2009 2.9 Ghz core 2 duo, and I have installed 8 Gb of memory, and i have some complains about it, there are some cosmetic issues but mostly I'm concerned about issues bellow the hood, as I'm a stock trader and I depend completly from my computer's performance, let me explain:
Superficial issues:
1. They took off "spaces" and I liked it.
2. I dont use the magic mouse, I need a more accurate mouse for my charts, and it seems they built the entire OS assuming you would use the magic mouse for gestures, scroll, etc to try to mimic in some way the Ipad and Iphone functions, but what if you arent using it like me?
3. I never used that little rocket icon that makes all your apps appear and that could be one of the "improvements on Lion", at first sight it looks nice and slick, but if you try to use it and make it part of your daily use, you would find it is useless, it is a pain to try to arrange it the way you like it, so I rather use the spotlight to search for my apps, its faster.
Now the MOST important, 'performance':
1. It completly suffocate my computers hardware Leopard much more lighter, beggining from the start up that taked almost 1/3 or twice the time, and I think Lion has some bugs bellow the hood, i was doing my normal stuff, some apps running and everything, and suddenly I started to feel the computer a little slow, safari taking forever to open the pages for example, and I opened the activity monitor to see what was going on, and it was there, I was using 4 or 5 gb from my memory, and CPU making insane peaks, and Im using 2.46 gb as im writing it doing exactly the same stuff, (but Im happily using Leopard now), and it wasnt once, as i told before, I used lion since the day they released it and happened several times until it drove me nutts. But leopard not problem in that regard at all, Never.
hope this helps, and hope some apple guys read that because lion resulted in a big disappointment for me.

I need to buy a new macbook pro/i am from OR, but i am in PA now/when i asked about that i found the tax will be around 100$/there is some one said to me that if i have the ID state of OR i would be able to buy it by the samr price/is it true ?

i need to buy a new macbook pro/i am from OR, but i am in PA now/when i asked about that i found the tax will be around 100$/there is some one said to me that if i have the ID state of OR i would be able to buy it by the samr price/is it true ?

Goods delivered to you for personal or business use (not for resale) in Pennsylvania are subject to Pennsylvania state sales tax.
If you are exempt from Pennsylvania state sales tax, or are a Not-for-profit corporation and have a DBA certificate in Pennsylvania, you may be able to buy tax-free. I doubt this.
If you have the goods delivered to your address in Oregon, and there is no state sales tax in Oregon, you would not have to pay state sales tax.
Since Apple does business in all 50 states, they are also obligated to charge you sales tax (for the state where the goods are delivered) when you buy from the Apple Online store.

I'm looking to buy a new Macbook Pro, and have questions about the Applecare extended warranty?

I'm looking to buy a new Macbook Pro, and have questions about the Applecare extended warranty? I want to know if the 3 year extended warranty covers what damage. Like water damage, accidental damage, lost or stolen macbook, manufactory defects, or any other kind of damage, maybe be even cosmetic damage. Can anyone help me?

If you are talking about features of the MBP itself, as long as you are not looking at the Retina models, then the memory you can upgrade yourself for a lot less than Apple charges, and that does not affect the warranty as Apple considers memory a user permitted upgrade. Great sources are Crucial and OWC, both are Mac specialists and have on-line videos on how to do the install.
If the 15" is what you are looking at, a good upgrade is the 7200 rpm hard drive, gives a little better performance over the standard 5400 rpm drive.
The Hi Res screen is good if you do a lot of graphics work.
Comparing the 13" amd 15" you will notice the 15" has a second, discrete graphic processor...helps when you get into heavy duty videos, games, graphics...but keep in mind that kicking in the second processor uses a lot of power and will run the battery down faster.
If you are looking at the Retina models, then keep in mind there are no post-purchase upgrade options...you have to buy with everything you want at the start.
Just some thoughts.

If I buy a new macbook pro...

hello to everyone... I'll start saying that I'll buy my first mac finally after all these years looking for one (kind of difficult living in Perú.. a MBP that costs $2000 in USA, costs $2800 in Perú, so looking for someone to travel and buy it is kind of hard).
As I was saying.. I'm planning to buy a new Macbook Pro (the one launched on February 2008) and I want to know if I will have these problems that I've read in this forum:
- keyboard unable to use or failing a lot (lots of people had it after some upgrade).
- sleep mode failing.. some people had this too, the computer can't wake from sleep mode.
has anyone had any problem with the new macbook pro's??
thanks for answering!

- keyboard unable to use or failing a lot (lots of people had it after some upgrade).
The much maligned upgrade is a misnomer, it was really an software/firmware update and it only applied to previous releases of the MBP. The Feb'08 MBP does not need such an update.
- sleep mode failing.. some people had this too, the computer can't wake from sleep mode.
Same thing, this is mostly present in older MBP's.
has anyone had any problem with the new macbook pro's??
Like any new and complex piece of equipment, there are bound to be lemons in the mix. And some "problems" are more like undocumented or ill conceived design decisions. For example, the infamous keyboard problem, where certain keys don't respond at first try. In my case, the Caps Lock key takes a wee bit longer to respond than the rest of the keys. This seems to be a design "feature" and not a bad key switch: since many people complained that they were having typing errors cause the Caps Lock caught inadvertently, apparently they added a little delay so you wouldn't accidentally brush against the key. However, for a trained touch typist, this is a major PITA cause it breaks your typing rythmn, something the designer (probably not being a typist) completely overlooked.
So you moan and complain loudly in the appropiate places (Feedback or Applecare) and hopefully the company will eventually listen and issue an update. These forums are not the appropiate venue except for blowing off steam, since few if any decision-making Apple employees come here.

After buying a new Macbook pro and opening an iTunes Match account most of my music is grayed out on my Mac and iPhone. I have not turned on iTunes match on my iPad and all my music is fine. How do I get my music back????

After buying a new Macbook pro and opening an iTunes Match account most of my music is grayed out on my Mac and iPhone. I have not turned on iTunes match on my iPad and all my music is fine. How do I get my music back????

The most efficacious way to get your music and other personal data onto your new Mac is to restore it from the backup you made of your old computer. Once that is done you can re-enable iTM on the new Mac and your iPhone.

I currently run the Design and Web Premium CS6 on a first generation MacBook Air and want to buy a new MacBook Pro. How do I know whether I can install my Adobe programs onto the new computer? Because I know there is some kind of limit.

I currently run the Design and Web Premium CS6 on a first generation MacBook Air and want to buy a new MacBook Pro. How do I know whether I can install my Adobe programs onto the new computer? Because I know there is some kind of limit.
Also, I had to install the software twice on my same computer before because I had to reboot the computer. I don't know if this affects the limit.

You are allowed to have two activated installations so there should not be a problem having working installations on the two machines. If by chance you have somehow tied up two activations for the one machine you can have Adobe support help resolve that thru chat.
Serial number and activation chat support (non-CC)
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/service1.html ( http://adobe.ly/1aYjbSC )

Advice on buying Used/New Macbook Pro

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