Need Help Buying a Mac

[Babalooie]

My windows xp computer is on its last leg. I lost Photoshop yesterday and can't reload it.

I'm pretty fed up with the whole PC thing but need something to access the internet.

Been looking at "refurbished" macs on the bay and they all look the same.

Can/would someone help me pick an inexpensive reburb'd Mac? I'm on a limited budjet so I really can't get anything over $300 or $400 at the most.

All my life, I exposed myself to MICROSOFT/DOS/WINDOWS based computers. The APPLE terminology has me confused.

I can't tell a good apple from a bad apple

All positive input is welcome.

Thanks,

Joe Z.

 

[straightshooter1]

Stop! I sent you a PM that will, I think, get you the assistance you want.

Bob

 

[Autococker07]

Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone


Check out MacRumors.... this page in particular is very helpful, as it tracks the upgrades, so that you don't buy one and have a major upgrade hit a month later.....


If price is an issue, there are some sites (don't know the links specifically) that will instruct you in building a clone computer..... the problem with a clone is that you must have specified hardware for OS ten to work..... it will not be cheap, and you will need to be comfortable with building and loading the software... this can be a chore...

Will an Ipad work for you? the cheaper (I Pad 2) models are regularly on sale in Wal Mart/Sams for $300.... that is a great option for surfing and internet use......

getting into a full Mac is going to be pricey, and you want to use due diligence in buying used... apple is just like windows in that they move on after 3-4 years and the computers slowly become unable to get the newest updates.... not nearly as fast as a windows box though.

 

[Lou_NC]

My advice is that if you're looking for a "desktop" machine vs. a laptop, get yourself the entry model Mac Mini. It's a lot of machine for the money. I would buy new, you'll have a warranty and it will be "future-proof" for many years.

Yes, you'll need to add a keyboard, mouse, and display, but I know from personal experience that you can use any PC mouse and display. I bought a used Mac keyboard when I bought my Mac Mini in 2009, so I'm not sure they'll run with a PC keyboard. (My guess is that they will but without the "special" Mac key functions enabled).

Lou

 

[Bkreutz]

You need to get a tax stamp first.

This is what you're talking about, isn't it??

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Regular price for a new Mac mini is $599.
BestBuy $559 on sale.
Apple sells recent production refurbished for $509.

You'll drop another $100 on Apple keyboard and Magic Mouse. Apple keyboard isn;t needed but the Magic Mouse is a must have, IMO. Heck, the Magic Mouse is worth the price of a Mac by itself.

I suppose you could find something for $300 but it will be outdated and I think you'd be better off with a $300 PC. Used Macs aren't given away for pennies like PCs are. MacAuthoriuty had a used 2009 27'' iMac like mine for sale at $999. Applecare was included and all that... but still... used Macs ain't cheap.

With a budget of $300... unless you find someone giving a newer Mac away I'd stick with a PC.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

I own several different Macintosh computers, all bought used and all less than $300. My most recent purchase was a 2008 Mac Mini for $45. How? Well I learned a long time ago that most of the universities/colleges around here upgrade their computer labs almost every 2 yrs. The state of NC has more universities than probably any other state, what luck. They sell everything at surplus sales or by auction. Find out when they are getting rid of surplus, when they are open, and show up with at least $100. The Windows machines you can get there for a lot less.

My other piece of advice is to make sure you buy Intel Macs. The generation before was powered by PowerPC processors which visually on the outside look just like a lot of the modern one’s today. But the thing is that software is becoming hard to find for PowerPC and most browsers today are built for Intel.

 

[dcxplant]

Mac mini's are apt of computer for the money.

A funny thing about Macs is they perform much better than their paper specifications look like they should; they punch above their weight iow.

If you already have a Bluetooth keyboard mouse and a monitor, nothing to buy but the Mac mini. Excellent performance for the money.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

As said, unless you NEED a laptop, buy a Mac Mini and call it a day. Any USB keyboard and mouse will work with it, as will any monitor with a VGA, DVI, or HDMI input provided that you have the correct dongle.

Apple currently has a refurbished late 2012 Mac Mini for $509. This is a factory refurbished unit, and carries all the same warranties and other benefits buying new. Even though it's a little outside your stated budget, that's what I'd try for.

The current MacMinis also don't have an optical drive. If you need this, Apple will sell you an excellent quality external one, or you can probably save a few bucks on any generic USB external drive.

Older generation MacMinis will still work well(just stick to Intel and not PowerPC), and I frequently see them in your price range on Craigslist. Many of them DO have a built-in optical drive.

I'm going to have to disagree with Chattanooga Phil on the Magic Mouse. I had one, and returned it as I didn't care for it. I much prefer the corded Mighty Mouse, although most of the time when I use a mouse I grab any plain generic 2-button(or 3 button and a scroll wheel) Windows mouse, all of which generally work fine.

Apple has made very few mice that I have truly fallen in love with, although the Pro Mouse is probably close.

I love the older Apple USB keyboards, and often find them at flea markets or elsewhere for a few bucks each. The current generation Apple keyboards-especially the wireless one-are a bit too "minimalist" for me, but that's more of a matter of taste.

By the way, someone else mentioned avoiding PowerPC Macs. In general, I think this is good advice. I have a Powermac G5 as my desktop computer now(the last and best of the PowerPC Macs). It's still pleasantly fast and quite useable, but I wouldn't want to have to depend on it as my only computer.

 

[rjinaz85308]

+ Mac mini. Dont use Apple mouse


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Squarebutt]

We've had several new and refurbed Macs over the years, and the refurbs seem to last longer than the new ones. The refurbs from the Apple site are guaranteed the same as the new ones, and you can buy Applecare, the extended warranty for them.

 

[dcxplant]

As a note; AppleCare is more than an extended warranty.

If you any issues or questions, just call and they will help. It's like a warranty and a help line rolled into one. If you need help with anything about your Mac, just call.

 

[CCantu357]

I too have been looking at the Mac Mini. Went from Droid to iPhone and fell in love with the simple reliability of the Apple system. What sort of monitor is best for use with the Mac Mini?

 

[Lou_NC]

I too have been looking at the Mac Mini. Went from Droid to iPhone and fell in love with the simple reliability of the Apple system. What sort of monitor is best for use with the Mac Mini?

I don't think there is any one "best" monitor, really. I just bought one of these on the recommendation of a friend and I like it a lot.
(ASUS VX-238H-W). It's even white to "match" the mac.
Newegg.com - ASUS VX238H-W White 23" 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 80,000,000:1 Built-in Speakers
It also has built in speakers, which sound a little tinny to my ear, but I think they're better than having bulky speakers on my desktop (for my purposes anyway).

The only other feature that the iMacs and Macbooks offer that this setup won't have is a webcam built-in. But that's a cheap thing to add to your setup if you need it for applications such as Skype.

Lou

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

I'm not really a computer guy but I do love my Macs. I'm on my second one.
I've got both at the Mac store in Monterey. I just go in, tell them what I need and buy the one I can afford. The Mac store is always very helpful

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

I too have been looking at the Mac Mini. Went from Droid to iPhone and fell in love with the simple reliability of the Apple system. What sort of monitor is best for use with the Mac Mini?

Depending on how much you want to spend, probably(subjectively) the "best" is the Apple Thunderbolt display. It's a beautiful, big 27" screen and with one cable plugged into the computer gives you USB, Firewire, Ethernet, other ports on the back of it(although I don't think having these is as big of deal when using it with a desktop as they are when using it with a laptop). There are a lot of great monitors out there for less than the $1000 asking price, however.

In the more "normal" realm of monitors, the cost difference between a 21" or 23" monitor and a 27" monitor of similar quality isn't that great, so I'd suggest going ahead and getting the largest you have room for and/or want for your use.

I tend to like LED backlights. They give better contrast and dynamic range than fluorescent backlights, and also in my experience maintain their color over the life of the monitor better than a fluorescent backlight. Most all of the computer monitors I see for sale these days are LED.

In general, I don't think that you can go wrong with any name brand LED monitor. Newegg has a bunch of 23" monitors in the $150 ballpark, and a bunch of 27" in the $200-225 range.