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 running Apple Silicon Chips (M1,M2,M3,M4, etc) is good for minimal to intermediate designers who are looking for a budget yet powerful Macbook!
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 Pro or Max Apple Silicon 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.
Apple changed their iMac lineup with an 24-inch iMac running Apple Silicon Processor, which has much more power than the previous iMac lineups running on Intel 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 to repurpose. We know the ins and outs of how can a machine go wrong. Hence we are compiling 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 if the Mac is Locked By Apple ID
As mentioned above, together with Apple’s Efforts focusing on Privacy & Security of Apple Users, previous generations of Macbook (manufactured from Macbook Air 2018 and Macbook Pro 2018 onwards) are secured by T2 Security Chip. Which simply means each Macbooks are tied to an Apple ID. Just like iPhones and iPads, after resetting the device, we are required to enter the same Apple ID that we used to sign in with to re-activate the device in order to gain access to the device, otherwise, the Macbook is rendered unusable.
How To Check If The Macbook Is Locked By Apple ID?
For Macbook Air and Macbook Pro running on Apple Silicon Processors (M1,M2,M3,M4,etc):-
- Shut Down The Macbook
- Start Up The Macbook
- Immediately Press and hold on to the Power Button button for 10 seconds.
(Follow the instructions on screen where it says “Continue holding to load into recovery”) - Once the screen shows “Loading ….”, you can release your fingers.
(You may not get it in one attempt but you can try it the second time) - Connect the device to Wifi and you should see the outcome. You do not want to see the screen as below. RETURN TO THE SELLER IF YOU RECEIVE THE MAC WHICH IS LOCKED.
For Macbook Air and Macbook Pro running on Intel Processors:-
- Shut Down The Macbook
- Start Up The Macbook
- Immediately Press and hold on to the CMD + R button (this will lead you to the recovery mode)
- Connect the device to Wifi and let it load
- Once you are loaded, you will be presented with Activate Mac screen. (You will want to make sure that the machine that you’re buying does not go to this screen)
#3 : 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 #4 : 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. You can see if the display has been water damaged, having any lines from the mono-colored backgrounds clearly. Truth don’t lie.
Need a Screen Replacement for your current Macbook, contact us
Check Point #5 : Check the Functionality Of the Mac
I bet you don’t want to buy a machine where you still have to spend some money to fix up 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 #6 : 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, touch ID and touch bar (if any)
Check Point #7 : 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 #8 : 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 tricky if we are not familiar with it 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.
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!
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