What's the most RELIABLE MacBook Pro ever?

Question

Hi, my MacBook Early 2008 died last week.
The displays were flickering. I had connected an external Monitor "NEC PA 241  W".
At restart it got frozen during booting. Till switching-on the keyboad backlight it works fine, but then nothing.
The service told the logic board is brocken. It was already replaced due to the known graphic card issue. The new replacement cost should be born by me.
So I was looking for an other used MacBook. I nearly bought an late 2008 MacBook Pro.
But here is also a problem with flickering displays (see this threat over 84 pages https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1807105?start=1245&tstart=0 ).
Now I nearly lost my confidence in the Apple engineers. Is it only good design and marketing?
Who do have the overview and could recommend a rearly RELIABLE  MacBook Version ( to be used with a second monitor attached).
Thanks
Rolf

Answer 1

Using Mac's for 24 years, I can say the quality has dropped a bit since the Intel switch.
In fact now with my new $4000 17" MacBook Pro I don't use the keyboard, trackpad at all, hardly use the Sueprdrive and keep the flat surface covered by the packaging.
People think I'm crazy until I show them a 2007 machine, only 4 years old.
The keys are a bit weak (but I hit them rather hard so) and the Superdrive had to be replaced, the trackpad button got all scratched form just thumb use (how I don't have a clue)
So my $900 value machine is too ugly to sell at a good price, so it's used for experimental purposes.
I was hoping when I bought it I would get a lot more life out of it than 4 years. It's still a powerful machine, just ugly now.
Perhaps I could send it in and get the keyboard replaced and the whole case colorized.