No.1 Guide For Buying Second-Hand Macbook With True Facts From Mac Repair Expert
Switching from a Windows to a Macbook? Looking to buying second-hand Macbook or iMac in good condition with a decent price tag? Then buying a refurbished Mac with a warranty and technical support sounds like the best option. Alternatively, you can save extra money by purchasing a used Mac.
It is always safe to buy something that you are aware of rather than something that you buy blindly. Hence, it is recommended to have a hard drive pre-installed with MacOS to test out the machine’s functionality and also the condition of the MacBook or iMac that you have eyed-on. On newer Macbooks, you can’t boot it with an external device anymore as newer Macbooks are secured with T2 Security Chip. Buying Second-Hand Macbook or Refurbish Macbooks are a little more risky than before now.
[UPDATED] If you’re interested in Buying A New Macbook, you can also checkout our guide here
Are you a graphic designer, photographer, video editor, music producer, music composer, business owner, or freelancer? What do you intend to use for answers this question best.
If you are a business owner, freelancer, office person, do not perform graphic related work much, mostly word processing, documentation, your job requires you to travel quite often, web browsing, lightweight video editing (i.e. Adobe Lightroom), The Apple MacBook Air is your best fit. New secret, the new Macbook Air M1 is good for minimal to intermediate designers who are looking for a budget yet powerful Macbook too!
If you are a graphic designer, photographer, video editor, music producer, music composer, etc, and you perform graphic related work, it is obvious that you demand a MacBook with gives you more power, with the M2 Pro or M2 Pro Max processor, it is a plus point to go for it, as they are more performance driven and energy efficient. The Apple MacBook Pro is your favourable choice.
NOTE : M2 is good but with the launch of M2 Pro and M2 Pro Max ARM-based processors, the M1 processor has become an intermediate processor. It is powerful and a good machine to own but if you are more performance-driven kind, you may take the M2 Pro and M2 Pro Max into consideration. (Don’t forget your wallet is driven away as well.)
Apple added the redesigned iMac 24-inch to their M1 Processor lineups, which has much more power than the previous iMac lineups but at a much more affordable price tag. One thing that we know is that it produces more power, generates less heat and is more energy efficient, of course, we must not miss out on the striking outlook which Apple took a big leap, bringing us to a rainbow world with the new 7 colourway. If you are looking to create your work from a home workstation, with an aesthetically pleasing, powerful yet affordable machine, the brand new iMac 24-inch is definitely your go to.
If you have an old functioning Macbook or iMac, you can now turn that old Macbook and iMac into a Chromebook, which it can then regain a few more years of service for you. Read here on How To turn your Macbook into a Chromebook
Below is a 7-Point Guideline to Guide You When You Are Buying Second-Hand Macbook:-
From a Macbook Repair, iMac Repair, iPhone Repair, iPad Repair Specialist, we are also constantly buying second-hand Macbooks, iMacs for parts and also resell purposes. We know the ins and outs of how can a machine go wrong. Hence we are compilling this guide for buying a refurbish macbook so that it can reduce your risk of buying a faulty macbook.
Check Point #1 : Check the Age Of the Mac
It is important to know the model and year of the Mac that you are buying. You have two (2) ways to perform the verification, which is by checking the system information.
Instruction for Way #1 : Move your mouse to the top left corner, you will see an Apple Logo (). click on it and select “About This Mac”. You will be able to see the details of the Mac there. This solution works for all apple computers.
Instruction for Way #2 : Get the serial number of the machine. For Macbook, Macbook Air and Macbook Pro, the serial number is located at the bottom of the Macbook whereas for iMacs, it is located underneath the iMac stand. For Mac Mini, the serial number is located at the bottom of the Mac Mini.
Once you have gotten the serial number, you can check the specifications of the Apple device that you’re buying through Apple’s Serial Number Checker or Ultimate Mac Lookup by EveryMac. You will be able to get the specifications of the Mac, such as model, year, type of processor, type of display, etc.
Check Point #2 : Check the Physical Condition Of the Mac
This is quite straight-forward. This is one of the easiest things to look out for. You don’t want to buy a Macbook with scratches and dents everywhere. Check around the top cover, bottom cover, the sizes, and edges for any dents or scratches. It depends on your luck. You may get a perfect-condition Mac with no scratches and dents. However, you may also have to tolerate a bit of scratches or dents sometimes.
Check Point #3 : Check the Display Condition
Spot “dead” pixels on the display. Use pictures with a mono-color background (red, green, blue, white). Simply open these images on the used Mac. If any pixels are damaged, you’ll notice small spots on the display.
Need a Screen Replacement for your current Macbook, contact us
Check Point #4 : Check the Functionality Of the Mac
I bet you don’t want to buy a machine where you still have to do CPR for the machine, yes? You could also try booting up the machine to see if it boots up, you could also try running some programs such as the browser, playing around the system to see if there is any slowdowns. If the machine does not have any MacOS, you can pull out your hard drive with MacOS pre-installed and load it from your hard drive. Make sure it finishes loading until the desktop background.
RECOMMENDED : If you have an old functioning Macbook or iMac, you can now turn that old Macbook and iMac into a Chromebook, which it can then regain a few more years of service for you. Read here on How To turn your Macbook into a Chromebook
Check Point #5 : Check the Peripherals Of the Mac
After booting up the Mac, you may want to test the functions of the peripherals, such as the trackpad, every single key on the keyboard, speakers, and touch bar (if any)
Check Point #6 : Check All Ports On the Mac
There are many ports on a Macbook, iMac, or Mac Mini computer. Either USB ports, HDMI ports, Thunderbolt ports, or Type C Ports, use any device that are available to test if the ports work because if these ports fail working, you will have to fork out a hefty amount of money to fix them!
Check Point #7 : Check The Battery
Macbooks are known for their battery performance. You want to make sure that your battery is in good condition before bringing it home and start marching with it. There are two things to check on the Macbook Battery.
i) Click on the Battery Icon, see if there are any warning message appear such as (Service Now, Replace Soon, Replace Now)
ii) Click the “Apple Logo” > select “About This Mac” > select “System report“. Next, select “Power” section on the left sidebar menu.
Best Buying Second-Hand Macbook Guide : Final thoughts…
Buying second-hand Macbook, iMac or any electronic devices are risky and the decision must be well considered along with the cost of maintenance for the devices as electronic devices has lifespan and the condition cannot be easily assessed.
Also, be sure to buy used macs from trusted sellers only. We recently had a customer who encountered a shop whereby he bought an iMac 21.5″ 2017 at market rate, which he was very happy about. However, there are certain criteria written on the invoice saying that “no third party installation is allowed” and the macOS cannot be upgraded. It is stucked at MacOS High Sierra.
A general rule of thumb, do not hesitate to find out the origin of the device you are buying to avoid any mishaps. If possible, get a friend to tag along to make sure the purchase goes smoothly without issues in future.
We’ve reached the final point and we hope that all the above check points will help you buy a second-hand Macbook at an affordable rate! We hope your new toy service you well!
Know someone who is buying a used Mac? Feel free to share this post with your friends and help them get through the headaches or fear of buying second-hand Macbooks or iMacs.
Need help servicing your Macs? Or Upgrading Your Macs? Visit our Service Page for the list of services we offer, or simply fill in the Service Request Form with the details required. Our team will be in contact with you within 24 hours.
We will be launching a new store which is to provide you with good-reconditioned Macs. Stay tuned.