How do I make sure the Macbook I may purchase is good to go?

May 14, 2010 7:51 AM

I am looking to purchase a used Macbook Pro on Craigslist. What should I be on the look out for to ensure a proper and honest transaction? Are there certain parts I need to look at? Obviously I will boot up the laptop, but beyond that what should I be testing?
posted by helios410 to Shopping (7 answers total)

I bought a used Macbook Pro, but from a shop that specializess in Mac repair. If you are buying it locally, you could take it to such a shop and have them check it out. They won't do it for free of course, but it would be a hedge against the $1000+ you'll be spending. Or call them and ask them if their are free diagnostics available.
posted by allelopath at 8:03 AM on May 14, 2010

Use the restore CD or a OS X CD to do a hardware diagnostic. Click the Apple, select About This Mac, click get more info and glance through that section. Make sure the wireless and wired networking works.
posted by Silvertree at 8:04 AM on May 14, 2010

Why not buy a new one and get financing from Apple? The cost difference over three or so years is much less than you think, and you get a fully working, guaranteed product.
posted by teedee2000 at 8:11 AM on May 14, 2010 [3 favorites]

I would also look into refurbished from apple....you get free shipping and it is unusually fast...I've tried dealing with craigslist people and it is a nightmare in terms of getting a good price for a current computer.
posted by The1andonly at 9:06 AM on May 14, 2010

Not clear how far back you are looking -- are you looking only at "unibody" MBPs, or older "titanium" MBP's? If you are looking at the latter, the main considerations are a) fan noise and b) how much RAM will be supported.

Fan noise in older MBPs:
Some/many of the titanium MBP had issues with fan noise, or develop fan noise issues as they age. If you are looking at one of these, I'd suggest starting it up and letting it idle for a while, preferably with several applications open, or open Safari and open a number of tabs and windows, run several YouTube clips simultaneously, etc.

RAM limitations in older MBPs:
Although Apple listed these computers as only supporting 3 or 4 GB of RAM, some of the older MBPs will actually support 6GB or 8GB of RAM, which makes a huge difference in performance, etc. For example, I have a MacBookPro4,1 (aka, "early Spring 2008"), and while it officially supports 4GB of RAM, I am able to run 6GB with no issues.

The EveryMac.com spec guide can be a real help in determining what you are looking at and what you can expect it to support.

Be patient and thorough. Good luck!
posted by mosk at 10:23 AM on May 14, 2010

Or I would suggest getting a new one on ebay. Here's is my explanation on how to do this.
posted by special-k at 10:47 AM on May 14, 2010

Consider only complete systems - computer, charger, and install disk(s). That helps weed out hot ones. Ask for the owner's bill of sale / sales receipt or a copy of it. If you can find one that's under a year old, it will still qualify for AppleCare if you choose to go that route. In any case, calling Apple and inquiring about the machine by serial number couldn't hurt.
posted by TruncatedTiller at 1:16 PM on May 14, 2010