Somebody who works with me has been using a 2014 MacBook that we got donated in 2022. He’s kept it alive through battery replacements and all sorts of maintenance since then, but it’s on its last legs and won’t stay alive for more than a couple of minutes anymore.
We don’t have much money.
He wants to stay in the Apple ecosystem, which I understand. I’m pretty much tied into it myself. So we don’t want to get him an inexpensive Windows laptop.
We don’t have much money.
Are there any reliable sources in the U.S. for buying a used-but-in-good-shape MacBook with minimally reasonable specs (e.g. a reasonable SSD, a reasonable amount of RAM, etc.) at a low price?
I should mention, we don’t have much money.
Recommendations are highly appreciated. In fact, if a TidBits reader is interested in selling their old MacBook and getting more than the Apple trade-in value for it, feel free to message me.
What others have suggested are first rate: Apple refurbs, OWC, Craigslist, etc. For sure, I’d check those first.
But also, look for things that are a couple years old wherever you find them. They’re going to be vastly better than that 2014 MacBook—making for a happy user—and because they’re “old” the sellers (mesmerized by the latest-is-best) are going to go lower than you would expect.
If you can find the money , I would only buy a silicon processor laptop. M1, M2, etc.
I have purchased a few used apple computers over the years from eBay without problems, they have a number of apple silicon laptops in the, buy it now, $500 - $600 range. Look for a seller that has a very good rating, also I think that eBay protects the buyer if there are any problems not resoved with the seller.
While I’ve bought a couple of Mac mini from OWC and they were great, if you want a new MacBook Air, Walmart sells the M1 and they now have it on deal for $499.
My only quibble with some of the online deals is that the really cheap deals seem to be for machines with 8 GB RAM. That’s enough for routine email, web browsing, and other basic tasks, but I’d try to get 16 GB for anything requiring a bit more capability.
I had an excellent experience a year ago with https://www.backmarket.com when we needed to quickly replace my wife’s MacBook Air. Good prices on refurbished computers, easy to use website and ordering process, fast delivery, and same thing for a trade-in if you want to do that too.
I know this borders on sacrilege on an Apple-focused website but I think it could make sense to consider a different path than buying a years-out-of-date Mac.
I’m assuming the “friend” wants to spend US$500 or less, doesn’t do tasks that need lots of memory or processing power, is not a tinkerer or computer hobbyist, is not experienced in troubleshooting, and wants a machine that will be usable for many more years.
If my assumptions are mostly correct, a Mac that is unable to receive macOS updates and unable to run current software will frustrate its owner more than it delights her/him. In addition to common problems (say, I can’t watch this video), “weird” or “confusing” problems will happen (for example, expired security certificates and browser incompatibility with current website coding).
So two options to think about are:
A Chromebook. Google promises ten years of support for each Chromebook release. That’s three more years than Apple’s “obsolete” policy.
Install ChromeOS Flex on a cheap, old Mac. This is a way to get a current OS and software onto a computer Apple doesn’t support anymore.
In any case, I agree OWC/macsales.com is a good place to buy used hardware. It is a long-established business, has a lot of Mac expertise, and has the ability to provide a warranty. But, again, an obsolete computer can be a gigantic hassle for somebody who doesn’t love figuring out how to get old stuff to work.
I’ve had great luck with OWC over the years. I bought a 2018 Mac Mini from them and a slew of other Mac stuff. If I was looking for a laptop and could not afford a new one, I would look there or Facebook marketplace. The only reason I would choose marketplace over craigslist is because you can look at sellers reviews and other items they have for sale or have sold, and if you’re really lucky you may even know them. While I have done a lot of business on craigslist it is really a free-for-all
I don’t think you mentioned what they’re using this for. Do you think they could get by with an iPad and keyboard? A brand new iPad from Apple is $349
Thanks for all the useful suggestions and comments!
One of the members here has generously offered to give my co-worker his unused 2015 MacBook, which is one year newer than the one that is failing, and has sufficient RAM and and a 256 GB SSD, and should be fine for his needs for now. But I will definitely look at that OWC/macsales.com site for future needs. It looks like a very useful service.
In reply to some comments and questions:
His needs don’t require great power. It is all email, editing, and a lot of using the Terminal app to connect to servers and check and make sure things are running. So a lot of RAM or CPU power isn’t needed. He had been getting along ok on the 2014 model he had.
As for using a non-Apple OS, like Chromebook, he really strongly said he wants to stick with the Apple ecosystem. I can understand that. I myself have a MBP (2021 M1), iPad Pro (also from 2021), and an iPhone 13 Pro and like the way things sync together, how copy/paste works between devices, etc.
As for using an iPad instead of a MacBook, while I do think technically that would be possible, like if he installs Termius for Linux terminal sessions, it would be awkward. He’s used to working on a Mac, the way the Finder works, and the apps he uses for email, etc. While I think the iPad and MaOS are getting closer to each other - especially with the latest iPadOS release - it would still be more cumbersome than just sticking with MacOS for now.
So thank you everybody for your suggestions and comments. I learned a lot! And I think we have a solution for now.
Whoever donated their unused MacBook deserves some recognition. Thank you for your generosity!
@doug2
Now, I have a suggestion for the recipient of the Mac. If he is:
Using a Mac on Apple’s obsolete list;
Mixing personal and professional uses; and
Accessing servers, cloud services, and databases as part of job responsbilities, then
I think it is very important for him to set up a separate macOS user account on the MacBook, preferably without Administrator privileges, for doing anything work-related. Using an OS that has not received security updates for years and logging into computers, databases, networks, and websites with mission-critical or sensitive information can lead to a lot of very bad things happening. Reducing the potential of the work user account to pick up malware, leak information, or get compromised in some way is essential here.
Obviously, I don’t know anything about the organization involved in all this. But I’m surprised it allows outdated and insecure hardware to access its network remotely.
, I would only buy a silicon processor laptop. M1, M2, etc.