I’ve been using Macs regularly since I got a 27” iMac back in 2006.

I’ve had a few Mac Minis, and both them and the old white iMacs could be opened up (with a little effort) and upgraded.

Newer stuff is much harder to crack open, although I’m told MBPs can be upgraded without much trouble by removing their bottom (with the right screwdriver).

Personally, I like to buy equipment that’s slightly behind the leading edge, preferably refurbished, or “nearly new”.

All MBPs seem tocome now with: quad-core i7, 16GB RAM, and SSDs.

The variations are: CPU speed, SSD size, and GPU.

Here’s a tip: you’re going to find the best deals on Apple stuff between Christmas and around the 5th or so of January on eBay.

College kids who’ve gotten something the previous semester on a student discount suddenly have to leave school, or they need to sell their machine to help pay for school, or something.

Look for a machine with a “bottom-end” (today) CPU (eg., 2.6GHz i7), 1TB SSD, and a “bottom-end” GPU, with AppleCare.

The MSRP on MBPs like this online or at the Apple Store will be around $3400. If you’re patient, it’s extremly likely you’ll be able to find one on eBay during this time for $2k give or take a couple hundred, because these folks just want to pay off the balance they owe after a semester of use.

You can also keep your eye on the Apple Refurbished store online.

https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

In this case, get a machine that was released 12-18 months ago. You get a full warranty, you can buy AppleCare, and it’s 15-25% off the original price.

Just because someone doesn’t think they need a laptop for its portability is no reason to avoid them. I keep my 15” MBP sitting on my desk closed most of the time. I have it connected to a 55” 4k monitor, and I use an Apple keyboard, Apple trackpad, and a Logitech USB mouse with it.

Even if money were no object, I’d be hardpressed to think of a better setup. Maybe a Mac Pro. But I like being able to unplug my MBP and take it with me any time I might want it.

BTW, regarding Mac hardware, the biggest two factors in price when it comes to their machines is: SSD size and CPU speed.

On the refurb store, 13” MBPs start at $829 with a spinning HD, and those with SSDs start at $1100. The top-of-the-line 15” is $3569. So there’s a model for almost any budget!

-David Schwartz

On Nov 29, 2017, at 8:43 PM, Mark Phillips <mark@phillipsmarketing.biz> wrote:

It is time to upgrade my daughter's 2009 Macbook Pro. She does not need the portability of a laptop as she uses her iPad for that. He home use is not that demanding, except that she loves to edit her diving and vacation movies. She could use a Mac mini, as she has a 23" monitor, apple keyboard, and apple mouse. However, I am not sure there is enough RAM and horsepower in a Mac mini, so I have been looking at iMacs as well. 

My assumptions are she needs at least 16 GB of RAM and a quad core i7 for serious video editing (around an hour of 1080p 60 Hz. video when rendered). Which puts us up around $1400+. Are my assumptions correct, or off base? What should we be looking at?

She was a Linux user when she was younger, but then they grow up, go to college, get a job, get married, and think they know everything....;) (she ditched Linux in college)

Thanks!

Mark

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