Advice for used MacBook Pro?

[jeffincltnc]

I was starting this in response to the thread on end of year purchases as I was interested in picking up a previously owned/used MacBook Pro for Mainstage.  I figured I would be happy with a 2018 or 2019 for a couple of years for my needs, but now I am wondering if it's worth it in my budget to go for an M1 chip version.

 

Basically, I see it as something like this for my needs and budget to pick from --

 

Late 2018 15" MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM, 1 TB hard drive and probably i7 2.6 Ghz Intel CPU

Late 2019 15" MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 512 GB hard drive and probably an i9 2.9 Ghz Intel CPU

Late 2020 13" MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 256 GB hard drive and Apple M1 chip

 

The 15" intel ones have 4 USB-C Thunderbolt Ports (1 for Power, 1 for external drive, 1 to my MOTU or Apollo interface and one for MIDI in from a keyboard -- so a place for everything).   The 13" 2020 only has two ports but should not be an issue with a splitter for my needs.  But there is a difference in the number of ports.

 

Which of these would you vote for to run Mainstage/Logic for basic use?  (Assuming they are all in excellent cosmetic condition -- perfect screen and controls, no noticeable chips or dents, but a little scuff mark on the outside here or there not a big deal for me).  I can get any one of these all within a range of about $100 of each other.   On my current drive I have Logic ProX, Mainstage, Arturia V-Collection, Universal Audio and a fair amount of Native Instruments stuff installed, along with a couple video editing applications, small utilities (file conversion, Nord downloads, etc.).    I have a couple good external USB-C SSD drives for all of my Kontakt libraries, other orchestral, piano large samples and another one for project files that eventually get archived to the cloud or deleted.   I think 1TB is good, 512 can work for me, 256 feels a little light, but it's factored into the price.   Size of the monitor not as important, but I'm used to the 15", not that big of a deal.  So.. I'm considering if I'm better off with a newer architecture and CPU vs. more RAM to keep stuff open, I suppose, and overall reliability/longevity.

[Reezekeys]

I think any of these machines would do fine for "Mainstage/Logic for basic use", but the M1 will probably have a longer life and may actually outperform the other machines out of the gate. This might be a factor for future purchases because who knows what music software devs will be coming up with? There may be software coming that requires an M-chip. If you like to squeeze the most life out of a computer (like me), choosing one with an M-chip seems obvious to me. Having said this, seeing what I can do on my machine (the lowest-spec'd late-2013 MacBook Pro), you'd probably be more than OK with any of those machines. Too bad about that smallish SSD in the M1 MBP, though if dedicated to music (which you are, according to your post) I could make it work.

[ElmerJFudd]

If you’re plan is to go with an Intel model get the newest one you can afford with at least 16gb of RAM and 512gb storage.  

 

So I’d get the:  Late 2019 15" MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 512 GB hard drive and probably an i9 2.9 Ghz Intel CPU

 

Don’t pay anywhere near for it what you would an Apple Silicon machine.  Once the Mac Pro goes Apple Silicon the countdown for support from Apple and developers begins. 
 

 

[nursers]

The M1 chip is transformative as far as performance, would highly recommend going post-Intel if you can afford it...

[RABid]

M1 Air with 16MB and 512GB is going for $750 on the used market. That is 1/2 of what I paid for a new one 11 months ago. I think that would be better than the options you listed, if you can deal with the 13" screen. You will need a dock.

 

Wow. Got a message about the price. When I got my MacBook Pro a couple weeks ago I started to put mine up for sale. Saw that they were selling for $750 and decided I would rather give it to my great nephew rather than sell it for half of what I paid 11 months ago. Looking now, price has gone up a couple hundred and not as many available. Might be worth it to wait and see if they come back down. They were as cheap as $700 with the average being $750. Must have been a Christmas rush. This was with 3 upgrades over the base model: M1 Pro chip, 16gb memory and 512gb SSD.

[analogika]

Those Intels are prone to overheating, and unless you’re running huge orchestral sample libraries, opting for the 2018 on basis of the RAM alone makes no sense. 
 

The M1 is going to smoke the other two before breakfast and then go for a run. 
 

The 256 GB SSD is going to be annoying, but if those three are your options, there really is no contest. 

[CyberGene]

57 minutes ago, analogika said:

The M1 is going to smoke the other two before breakfast and then go for a run. 

I can attest to that. Up until recently my company laptop was a maxed out top of the line MacBook Pro 15” with Intel CPU from 2017. Then when the MacBook Air M1 was announced I purchased for myself the base one. It literally blew the Pro out of the water. I could compile and build our entire heavy Java project on the Air two times faster and it didn’t even get hot whereas the Pro would become a stove with the fan spinning like mad. The M1 was also a beast for audio, capable of running 30+ U-he Diva instances in divine mode without a glitch. I could’ve kept it if I didn’t need more SSD and more memory, so I replaced it with an Air M2 recently. BTW, our company upgraded my laptop to a MacBook Pro 16” with M1 Pro and that’s a beast!

[Tusker]

Agree with all regarding the M1. Don’t stint on a USB-C hub or similar for all the things you might wish to plug-in. Especially true if you are using unusual musical connections or SSDs. 

[ElmerJFudd]

16 hours ago, RABid said:

M1 Air with 16MB and 512GB is going for $750 on the used market. That is 1/2 of what I paid for a new one 11 months ago. I think that would be better than the options you listed, if you can deal with the 13" screen. You will need a dock.

 

Wow. Got a message about the price. When I got my MacBook Pro a couple weeks ago I started to put mine up for sale. Saw that they were selling for $750 and decided I would rather give it to my great nephew rather than sell it for half of what I paid 11 months ago. Looking now, price has gone up a couple hundred and not as many available. Might be worth it to wait and see if they come back down. They were as cheap as $700 with the average being $750. Must have been a Christmas rush. This was with 3 upgrades over the base model: M1 Pro chip, 16gb memory and 512gb SSD.

That’s really only because there are already M2 MacBook Airs in 8/8 and 8/10 core configs.  There are a ton of them available as refurb for about $14-1500 w/ 16/512.  Time waits for no man.  

[KuruPrionz]

M1, slowly but surely all the software companies are updating to Apple Silicon. 

At some point in the foreseeable future, Intel Macs will be legacy machines. 

I bought a Mac Mini last year, got one with the M1 and 512k ssd, Apple Refurbished. orders of magnitude faster than my 2014 MacBook Pro. 

[Stokely]

My impression--not based on experience mind you--is that an entry level M1 is going to outperform or at least equal an older flagship MBP.  Even if it's "only" equal, you'd get better battery life and a cheaper price (I'd guess) with a brand new machine vs a used MBP.   

Good point on the software and Silicon--if you have a particular set of plugins or apps you want to use, you'd want to make sure they were ok running native.

Some companies rapidly updated to Silicon, others are taking years.

This is a personal preference, but I'd also check into when Apple changed the MBP keyboards from the "butterfly".  I have my wife's 2016 MBP and its keyboard is atrocious, with two keys that have gone out.   Not a problem as it's home use only and I use an external mouse and keyboard.   My wife's newer MBP is a beefy brick (good IMO, it means they stopped fixating on "thin at all costs") that has a much better keyboard and no crappy led strip in place of buttons.  My laptop is so thin it's actually hard to pick up or lift the damn lid, it's ridiculous.  I like to say it's made for noodly-armed spreadsheet users

[Docbop]

I would say check out the Apple Refurbished computers I've been buying them for a LONG time and never disappointed. The refurbished can help you get a new Mac at a little savings and AppleCare for a safety net.    I'm not a fan of buy computer gear used from places like eBay and CL because there is too much that can be wrong and you have zero recourse.   Buying refurbished from Apple gives me peace of mind. 

 

 

[Tusker]

13 hours ago, Docbop said:

I would say check out the Apple Refurbished computers I've been buying them for a LONG time and never disappointed. The refurbished can help you get a new Mac at a little savings and AppleCare for a safety net.

+1 Same experience here. With the kids and their needs I am happy to save a few shekels. No problems, only good service and a computer which has been quality checked more than most.

[cphollis]

Any M1 Apple (used or not) will last longer and give you fewer headaches than any Intel Apple.  Used/reconditioned/etc. is fine, as it's just hardware.

 

I use a few older Intel Macs as inexpensive controllers: lighting, recording, patch control -- that sort of thing.  They run $300-$400, and I'm kind of partial to the 2016 Macbook Pro with its old-school USB ports.  Depending on model/year/config, some of these units are almost indestructible.

 

When they break, I throw them away.  Activities like audio mixdown, video recording and editing, etc. really benefit from the M1.

[AnotherScott]

On 12/27/2022 at 7:22 PM, jeffinpghpa said:

Late 2018 15" MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM, 1 TB hard drive and probably i7 2.6 Ghz Intel CPU

Late 2019 15" MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 512 GB hard drive and probably an i9 2.9 Ghz Intel CPU

Late 2020 13" MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 256 GB hard drive and Apple M1 chip

everymac.com is a good site for comparisons... you could select those three models on their comparison page, and see differences in key specs and benchmarks.

[MPN21]

On 12/27/2022 at 4:22 PM, jeffinpghpa said:

I was starting this in response to the thread on end of year purchases as I was interested in picking up a previously owned/used MacBook Pro for Mainstage...

Yesterday, I accompanied a musician friend to a pawn shop.  While he was looking at guitars,  I saw quite a few Mac notebooks.  One of them is an MBP M1, 8 Ram, 512 SSD for $500.  It's in like new condition.    l almost picked it up right there, but as I get older, I noticed that I am looking for reasons to not buy instead of the other way around.   For instance,  I've read enough reasons (for me) in the current Motion Sound thread to not buy a KS610.   Anyway, I already have two MBPs.  They are old, but play all the plugins just fine in Gig Performer.   Besides, Windows machines are my main tools.  Gig Performer runs very well on my Windows machines also.     If the M1 machine had 16gb ram, I might have picked it up just to have an M1 machine, but not being able to upgrade the SSD and Ram, I was able to say no, but now this thread.... LOL.    

[ElmerJFudd]

1 hour ago, MPN21 said:

Yesterday, I accompanied a musician friend to a pawn shop.  While he was looking at guitars,  I saw quite a few Mac notebooks.  One of them is an MBP M1, 8 Ram, 512 SSD for $500.  It's in like new condition.    l almost picked it up right there, but as I get older, I noticed that I am looking for reasons to not buy instead of the other way around.   For instance,  I've read enough reasons (for me) in the current Motion Sound thread to not buy a KS610.   Anyway, I already have two MBPs.  They are old, but play all the plugins just fine in Gig Performer.   Besides, Windows machines are my main tools.  Gig Performer runs very well on my Windows machines also.     If the M1 machine had 16gb ram, I might have picked it up just to have an M1 machine, but not being able to upgrade the SSD and Ram, I was able to say no, but now this thread.... LOL.    

If you aren’t short on resources to run the plugins you already enjoy, you’re all set until your MBPs need repair (at some point it’s not worth dumping money into old computers,  even if just replacing the battery).   However, if you’ve reached about a decade of use and your MBP is no longer supported, short on resources and doesn’t run your desired plugins well if at all, it’s nice to see that Apple Silicon is actually a significant step up from say… pre 2013 Intel models.  

[jeffincltnc]

I found a nice deal for me on Swappa and just went ahead with the newer style 14" MBP/16GB/512GB M1 Pro which is a standard configuration in the big box sellers like Best Buy and B&H.  I didn't realize it but the M1 Pro is actually more productive than the M2 by a little... but ok, wasn't that big of an issue either way.  I bought Apple Silicon.

 

As usual, I spent a bit more over my budget but will keep it longer.  This spec was on sale for 20% off at Best Buy as their holiday deal, but I found a mint condition one on Swappa for about 10% less that only has 37 power cycles on it and 2.5 years remaining and transferring of an added Apple Care warranty, which I don't normally buy, but in this case I figured I can't go wrong with a used/mint with the Apple Care added for 10% below the sale price of the holiday special.... anyway, it feels like a win to me. :-)

[ElmerJFudd]

2 hours ago, jeffinpghpa said:

I found a nice deal for me on Swappa and just went ahead with the newer style 14" MBP/16GB/512GB M1 Pro which is a standard configuration in the big box sellers like Best Buy and B&H.  I didn't realize it but the M1 Pro is actually more productive than the M2 by a little... but ok, wasn't that big of an issue either way.  I bought Apple Silicon.

 

As usual, I spent a bit more over my budget but will keep it longer.  This spec was on sale for 20% off at Best Buy as their holiday deal, but I found a mint condition one on Swappa for about 10% less that only has 37 power cycles on it and 2.5 years remaining and transferring of an added Apple Care warranty, which I don't normally buy, but in this case I figured I can't go wrong with a used/mint with the Apple Care added for 10% below the sale price of the holiday special.... anyway, it feels like a win to me. 🙂

Congrats.  That’s a killer machine and will be with you for many years. 

[Fleer]

Call me crazy, but my MacBook Pro late 2012 is still running smoothly like olive oil. You can get these for not much more than a c-note. 
And I’m saying this even though I’ve got a M1Max MacBook Pro with 64GB of RAM and a 4TB internal ssd. 
Still those late 2012 ones rock. Got two myself. 

[OB Dave]

I'm a big fan of the 2015 MBPs. These are the high water mark for Intel Macs for me. They still have lots of ports and the SD Card reader, MagSafe, no butterfly keyboard, and no touch bar. I have a 15 and a 13. Still running Mojave on those because I still have Adobe CS6. 

 

My main machine these days is a 16" M1Max MacBook Pro, also with 64GB of RAM but a 2TB SSD. To perfectly honest, I overbought. Most of the time its clamshelled driving two 32" LG monitors. I should have gone with a 14 and maybe less RAM, but oh well. It's heavy but when I do travel that 16" display is pretty gorgeous. I tend to get at least a decade out of my Macs so I'm sure this one will serve me well for a long time. 

 

To answer OPs question, I would look into a current Air or MBP with at least 1 TB of SSD. RAM oddly doesn't seem as crucial with these machines, they seem to use it quite efficiently. You might also see what's available at the refurbished Mac page. You can save a few hundred bucks and still get an as-new machine with the full Apple warranty, and eligible for AppleCare+.  I would not trust the refurbished machines Amazon sells. 

 

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac

[jeffincltnc]

Thanks!  I picked up a 2021 model year 14" MBP with the M1 Pro Chip, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD with only 37 power cycles and Apple Care coverage until May 2025.  It's the current production model and was a better deal than the 20% new-in-box discount at Best Buy for the holiday specials given it was mint condition and had the longer warranty period, so I grabbed it off of a Swappa seller.  All good to go here!  If there's anything funky going on with it I have several years of Apple Care coverage on it and I think I made the right decision not to buy another Intel based Mac going forward from this point on.   I could have saved a few more bucks with the 13" version or Mac Book Air, but I do use those USB-C ports for external drives, audio interface connections and MIDI device inputs so it's nice to have 4 vs. 2 and not need more dongles and add-ons hanging off of a laptop for me.

 

If the 16GB RAM is a bottleneck for me on Mainstage vs. not having 32GB I'll find out soon enough and can still sell it without taking a major drowning, but I think it will be fine.