[SOLVED] Refurbished Mac : Which one to choose?

[mikeworld]

Due to budget constraints and since it is my first MacBook (shifting from Windows based laptops), I am thinking of buying a refurbished MacBook Air. For some reason, I like to looks of Air over Pro. I trust the vendor and have been referred to him by a few people. I am based in Toronto (Canada) and the vendor is local. My knowledge about Mac computers is quite elementary.

I am somewhat a heavy user of laptops and the proposed one would be the primary (and only) laptop. On an average my weekly usage is around 90-100 hours. My preferences are primarily processing speed, ease of use, light weight, portability, durability (to last long), rugged system (to be able to handle tough handling that happens sometimes), and aesthetics. Budget is a factor as well, and would like to balance cost with the preferences indicated.

Among the systems below, are the configurations (processor, graphic system operating system etc.) too old?
Do the prices sound reasonable?
Please suggest which ones would be preferred. I have converted the price from CDN to US$ for the ease of comparison. Do let me know, if I should add some more details about these to facilitate comparison and I would get those from the vendor.

My work is mainly on internet, MS-Office suite (word, excel, powerpoint), audio and video recording, converting word documents to pdf, screen sharing, and using a drawing tablet over a whiteboard.

I have the following options:

(1) Apple MacBook Air “Core i7″ 1.7GHz 13.3”
Price: US$775
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 120GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave

(2) Apple MacBook Air “Core i7” 2.2GHz 13.3″(2015)
Price: US$1015
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 250GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave

(3) Apple MacBook Air “Core i5″ 1.6Ghz 13” (Early 2015)
Price: US$750
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 120GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 1.6GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with latest macOS 10.14 Mojave


I might consider MacBook Pro, if the options below are considerably better than the options above:

(1) Apple MacBook Pro “Core i7″ 2.9GHz 13” inch 2015
Price: US$750
Memory: 8GB 1333 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 120GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 graphics processor
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.15 Catalina

(2) MacBook Pro Intel Core i7 2.66GHz 15.4 inch Matte Display
Price: US$600
Memory: 8GB RAM
Storage: New 240GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 & NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
Networking: 2 x USB 2.0, DDR3 1333 MHz Memory
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet
Built-in Bluetooth 4.0
1 x Thunderbolt Port
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.13 High Sierra

(3) Apple MacBook Pro “Core i7″ 2.7GHz 13” inch
Price: US$600
Memory: 8GB 1333 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: New 240GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave

(4) Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch “Core i5” 2.0 Late-2016
Price: US$975
Memory: 8GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 SDRA
Storage: 250GB Flash Storage
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 540 graphics
2.0GHz Intel Core i5 Processor
Two Thunderbolt 2 Ports)
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.15 Catalina

(5) Apple MacBook Pro “Core i7″ 3.0GHz 13.3”
Price: US$1090
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 250GB Flash Storage
integrated Intel Iris 5200 Pro graphics processor
3.0GHz Intel Core i7 Processor
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave


Just as a benchmark, I am also providing the details of refurbished laptops from Apple Store in Canada, these are covered by 1-year limited warranty and 15-days return policy by Apple. Also, Apple Care can be purchased on these.

(1) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display and True Tone technology - Silver
Originally released July 2019
Price: US$925
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
128GB PCIe-based SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel UHD Graphics 617

(2) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display - Silver
Price: US$1010
Originally released October 2018
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
256GB PCIe-based SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel UHD Graphics 617

(3) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina display - Silver
Price: US$1150
Originally released June 2017
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
256GB PCIe-based onboard SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

(4) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Retina display - Silver
Price: US$1080
Originally released July 2019
Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
128GB SSD1
720p FaceTime HD camera
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645

Thanks for your time!

 

[Alabalcho]

For work purposes, I'd always go with Pro. Air's are mostly for "consumption", and not for serious work. Even keyboard is better on Pro than on Air.

I did not saw what versions these Intel CPUs are (i7 has like eight generations), and "late 1015" would mean little to someone who is not neck-deep into Apple stuff.

If you go with Pro, I'd check what upgrade-ability these laptops have, and make my choice accordingly.

 

[mikeworld]

It helps, Alabalcho. Would keep these in mind.

To forum moderator, please don't mark the thread as "solved" and don't close it, so that I could ask any follow up questions/seek opinions.

 

[LordVile]

Due to budget constraints and since it is my first MacBook (shifting from Windows based laptops), I am thinking of buying a refurbished MacBook Air. For some reason, I like to looks of Air over Pro. I trust the vendor and have been referred to him by a few people. I am based in Toronto (Canada) and the vendor is local. My knowledge about Mac computers is quite elementary.

I am somewhat a heavy user of laptops and the proposed one would be the primary (and only) laptop. On an average my weekly usage is around 90-100 hours. My preferences are primarily processing speed, ease of use, light weight, portability, durability (to last long), rugged system (to be able to handle tough handling that happens sometimes), and aesthetics. Budget is a factor as well, and would like to balance cost with the preferences indicated.

Among the systems below, are the configurations (processor, graphic system operating system etc.) too old?
Do the prices sound reasonable?
Please suggest which ones would be preferred. I have converted the price from CDN to US$ for the ease of comparison. Do let me know, if I should add some more details about these to facilitate comparison and I would get those from the vendor.

My work is mainly on internet, MS-Office suite (word, excel, powerpoint), audio and video recording, converting word documents to pdf, screen sharing, and using a drawing tablet over a whiteboard.

I have the following options:

(1) Apple MacBook Air “Core i7″ 1.7GHz 13.3”
Price: US$775
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 120GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave

(2) Apple MacBook Air “Core i7” 2.2GHz 13.3″(2015)
Price: US$1015
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 250GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave

(3) Apple MacBook Air “Core i5″ 1.6Ghz 13” (Early 2015)
Price: US$750
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 120GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 1.6GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with latest macOS 10.14 Mojave


I might consider MacBook Pro, if the options below are considerably better than the options above:

(1) Apple MacBook Pro “Core i7″ 2.9GHz 13” inch 2015
Price: US$750
Memory: 8GB 1333 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 120GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 graphics processor
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.15 Catalina

(2) MacBook Pro Intel Core i7 2.66GHz 15.4 inch Matte Display
Price: US$600
Memory: 8GB RAM
Storage: New 240GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 & NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
Networking: 2 x USB 2.0, DDR3 1333 MHz Memory
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet
Built-in Bluetooth 4.0
1 x Thunderbolt Port
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.13 High Sierra

(3) Apple MacBook Pro “Core i7″ 2.7GHz 13” inch
Price: US$600
Memory: 8GB 1333 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: New 240GB Solid State Drive
Processor: 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Processor
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave

(4) Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch “Core i5” 2.0 Late-2016
Price: US$975
Memory: 8GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 SDRA
Storage: 250GB Flash Storage
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 540 graphics
2.0GHz Intel Core i5 Processor
Two Thunderbolt 2 Ports)
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.15 Catalina

(5) Apple MacBook Pro “Core i7″ 3.0GHz 13.3”
Price: US$1090
Memory: 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 250GB Flash Storage
integrated Intel Iris 5200 Pro graphics processor
3.0GHz Intel Core i7 Processor
Pre-Loaded/Licensed Software: Pre-loaded with macOS 10.14 Mojave


Just as a benchmark, I am also providing the details of refurbished laptops from Apple Store in Canada, these are covered by 1-year limited warranty and 15-days return policy by Apple. Also, Apple Care can be purchased on these.

(1) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display and True Tone technology - Silver
Originally released July 2019
Price: US$925
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
128GB PCIe-based SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel UHD Graphics 617

(2) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display - Silver
Price: US$1010
Originally released October 2018
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
256GB PCIe-based SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel UHD Graphics 617

(3) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina display - Silver
Price: US$1150
Originally released June 2017
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
256GB PCIe-based onboard SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

(4) Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Retina display - Silver
Price: US$1080
Originally released July 2019
Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
128GB SSD1
720p FaceTime HD camera
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645

Thanks for your time!

Wouldn’t go for the older airs the screen isn’t great. The newer ones only come in dual core so they’re not much good. Would take a 2015 pro over a later one because of the keyboard (personally like the butterfly but they’re not reliable).

 

[mkaafy]

Are you still deciding to choose?

I won't get any of 2016 models since they have the first and the worst generation of butterfly keyboards.

120GB or 128GB SSD is limiting. 256GB will cost more, but worth it.

Haven't bought any refurbished MacBook, but they don't seem to be significantly cheaper.

1333 MHz RAM is slow! Better not consider them.

The first and second category are all used, right? Aren't they too overpriced?

 

[lga1156_ftw]

These models are least risky to get problems later on, read few comments for the models :

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFIVZYevfGU