DON'T buy these 6 used MacBooks in 2024...

[@kirishima638]

You’re wrong about the 2015-17 MBAs. They’re solid, rugged ultra portable computers with upgradable SSDs, MagSafe, good keyboards, glass trackpads, decent CPUs and I personally like the bezels because they help avoid getting fingerprints on the screen. While they’re technically only speed bumps over the the 2013/14 models, they officially support later operating systems. The only real downside is the non-retina screen but it never really bothered me, even when switching to a retina model at work.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

I think it’s a matter of opinion, really. The glass trackpads are nice, but had been around for a long time prior. Apple had also moved onto Force Touch trackpads by then, which I found a lot nicer, and should’ve been on them. The SSDs are non-standard which meant until recently they were a PRICEY upgrade/replacement. The CPUs are decent for word processing and office tasks I’d say, but were beginning to show their age from 2015 onwards. I do massively advocate the use of older hardware, though, and I’m glad you saw the good in those older MacBooks. I use a 2012 MacBook Pro unibody, so it’s not as if my list is something to swear by lol.

[@kirishima638]

@@montaguebarnabasltd I still use my 2013 MBA daily. With OpenCore I can run the latest OS. But I’m not using it for gaming or video editing so the ancient i7 CPU and 8gb of RAM is more than sufficient. Computers have basically gotten so good that’s there’s no longer a need to upgrade regularly. I do worry that most of the newer Arm machines will become e-waste once their non-replaceable SSDs give out.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@@kirishima638 definitely a valid concern. I’m sort of waiting to see how long the Intel machines can last without software updates etc. Yeah the older airs are absolutely useable. I guess they’re just far from my first pick if buying new these days.

[@7hx89]

MacBook is a great design, sans tech capabilities. Best for content consumption, esp with an integrated workflow with an iOS device. Just avoid 2015. 2013 Mba i7/8/512 is super cost effective. At less than $100 you can run Ventura (best) or even Sonoma (better without widgets) smoothly as a daily driver, along with an iPhone/iPad. Only downside is slightly grainy screen if you’re so used to a Retina display. Yes I have got more than a dozen vintage macs.

[@7hx89]

opps I thought we were discussing MacBook rather than MacBook Air 2015-17. I am a proud user of 2 MacBook 12 retina. They are great portable laptops for casual uses. As for Mba 2015-17, Apple regrettably did not update much power from 2013 even 2012 MBAs, making the older ones more attractive. Of course if the price for later years are equally cheap or even cheaper, there is no reason for not getting the newer one. 2012/13 MBAs can be had for less than $100 I believe. Even 2010 MBAs with a 2g ram + SSD can still be usable for almost free. It’s all about use case and cost-benefit.

[@thekiska6254]

It seems I’m very lucky as my MBP 2011 is still alive and with no graphics issues. I find Your channel warm and cosy. I hope it will grow

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Hopefully no issues until the day you’re finished using it! Thanks for watching :) your comment means a lot!

[@lenshibo]

If you can, id recommend getting istats menu and changing the fan curve settings to be alot more aggressive to cooling. Mines a bit louder now but stays alot cooler so its less likely to burn itself to death. Still love it alot and find plenty of uses for it but the fact the gpu is so volitle does scare me

[@lenm2857]

I had two of the 2011 15", both developed bad graphics chips....

[@audiosignalpro]

Is your MBP 2011 a 13 inch model? I don't think those had the problematic graphics chip.

[@lenm2857]

@@audiosignalpro Yeah, the 13" 2011 was bulletproof (just had the HD3000 graphics built into the i5 CPU).

[@user-iz9ix8ru8d]

2014 was my first MBP and Apple product. It was weird because for almost the next decade, it seemed like Apple kept making the worse decisions when it came to their laptops. Thank god for the Apple silicon lines! Recently upgraded to M1 MBP 14” and loving it!

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Woo! Yeah the spotlight has definitely shifted off Intel. Soon enough I’ll be making vids on these newer MacBooks.

[@trashtronics1700]

Make me feel old first apple anything I've had is iPhone 4s

[@tyrek78]

I bought a 2017 MacBook Air from my friend for $2.50, since he thought it was broken. All it needed was an OS reinstall. It had the upgraded i7, 8gb of ram, and 512 GB SSD. I used it for about 2 months, and it was a great computer, except for the screen and the occasional overheating. Traded it in to Best Buy for $300, and bought an M1 MacBook Air. Sad I can't use Windows though.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Jesus that is an absolute steal. Great story!

[@intenseBoy]

It's not a great deal but a great example that your friend trusts you. Now either you can keep a good friend or you sold a relationship for few 100 dollars

[@corey7219]

You can still trade them in? Wow!

[@intensifiedhipster]

Heavily disagree on two of the points: 1. 2016 and later MacBook Pros were much much better than their predecessors. The jump from Haswell/Broadwell to Skylake was immense. Universal Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports are a godsend; these ports are still relevant today, unlike useless array of USB-As, Thunderbolt 2s and outdated HDMI 1.4 of previous models. Also, these support USB charging, including from power banks and monitors and dock stations. Then came the 2018 model with quad-core CPU, updated Thunderbolt controller, almost-fixed keyboard and almost-fixed screen flex cable. I'd still happily daily drive it if I had one. 3. While 2015 MacBooks 12" indeed were not great, 2016 model shipped with much more potent Skylake Core m chips. It was day and night difference. Pretty useful even today. I still dream of picking up Rose Gold Early 2017 model for collection... BTW, I do find this channel interesting, as a person who used to flip Mac computer during student days, and who is still slightly connected to the local Apple dealing scene. Cheers for the video!

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Thank you for watching. Fair about the 2016 and later pros, but as I mentioned, price is a big issue. Their repairability is next to zero, but even worse is the cost of replacement parts. The quad core > 2018 models are certainly more worth having for their power, but in a world where Intel is soon to be phased out of MacOS, it can’t be a good idea to drop the significant price most people ask on one of these. I’ve come to realise ports are a matter of preference most of the time. I STILL own more USB-A accessories than USB-C, and o think a lot of people are the same, especially with HDMI vs. Thunderbolt 3 ETC. Again, I see your point about the later 12” MacBooks, but stand by mine, really. If you look at benchmark performance they’re still far behind what almost all other macs of the time were capable of. Battery power is likely to let you down, as well as that keyboard. Also, not being able to use accessories while your mac is charging is quite a design oversight lol.

[@7hx89]

MacBook 2012 Retina is simply an Art piece by John Ive. Def a collector item. Yes avoid the 2015 paperweight.

[@RobertKulmanis]

Hey man looks like you really have an experience with macs and was wondering could you give some insight I ordered a 2017 12in Mac online for a very good price only to realise that the 2018-2019 mbp were nearly the same price from the refurbished website I ordered it from also I’m not a heavy user by any means but should I return the 12in once it arrives after seeing how it is to get the Pro or should I stick with the portability champ

[@Riccardo_Mori]

@@montaguebarnabasltd I agree with you. Those MacBooks may be interesting from a performance standpoint, but the money one has to spend to replace a faulty butterfly keyboard is truly off-putting, and this detail alone makes them not worthy of consideration. And that includes the 12-inch retina MacBooks. And those butterfly keyboards _will_ fail at one point or another. So, unless someone gives you one of these MacBooks for free, avoid them. Cheers! //Rick

[@Strangeuseoftime]

Going to keep my 2012 unibody going as long as I can 🤞🤞🤞

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Besta luck

[@thegr8rambino]

the mid 2015 macbook pro 15 inch was the best imo, just ordered another one after giving away my first one to my cousin a few years ago

[@afn-bd2ro]

I like my 2015 macbook pro 15 inch more than my m1 macbook pro 14 inch.

[@mattym6749]

​@@afn-bd2ro I've got an M2 and still prefer the 2015 a1398 ...they're solid.

[@raymondm.3748]

I think 2015-2017 MacBook Airs are worth considering. Despite their dated displays and large bezels, they seem to perform well with 8GB RAM and an i7 CPU. These models also offer upgradable SSDs and replaceable batteries. I think people should Avoid the 11" models (smaller batteries) and those with 4GB RAM. The software support is still decent, making them a practical choice. I'm currently using a 2015 MacBook Air with 8GB RAM and an i7 CPU for Photoshop and Illustrator and seems to run fine for the most part. However, If your budget allows, you should definitely get one of the 2015 Pros as those have a more appealing design and are a compelling option. In reality though, this is just my opinion and I could be wrong, I just think these are still quite useful in todays age, Quick note: I don't intend to turn this into an essay or throw shade. I agree with you on avoiding the 12-inch MacBook. Two years ago, I was trying to escape from using bulky laptops with stripped screws and DDR2 memory, and then I saw the 12 inch MacBook. But the overheating issues due to the absence of a fan made me reconsider. The MacBook Air quickly became my preferred choice. I have no idea what was going through apples mind when they made that.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Your comment is perhaps the most self aware and also insightful I’ve come across. Means a lot! The 2015 (or even 2013) to 2017 Airs are absolutely decent these days. I always found them problematic for my line of work, since editing often requires a decent GPU. I hope my videos don’t come across as too biased based on that. Harder to find, the i7 2015s are very capable! The MacBook 12” is the topic of my next video! Lots to discuss there, yeah.

[@raymondm.3748]

​@@montaguebarnabasltd Its definitely, difficult to sound nice on the internet being we aren't face to face. We are all human and its only natural to be passionate about what devices we use to recommend to others so no problem!

[@raymondm.3748]

@uebarnabasltdI must admit though, Knowing what I know now though, I would likely have opted for a MacBook Pro 2015. The main reason I chose an older MacBook Air was due to budget, which limited me to a Chromebook. Despite Chromebooks featuring more modern ports like USB-C and longer battery life, they often come with slower Intel Celeron CPUs. An older MacBook Air at a similar price, though less energy-efficient, offered more satisfactory performance (at least for what my workflow calls for). But anywho, If I had an additional $100, I could have invested in a much more superior MacBook Pro from 2015. However, the used market was different then. P.S: Greetings from the U.S.A!🇺🇸🦅

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@@raymondm.3748 despite the differences in performance and calibre of parts, buying an older machine is also a good way to keep another plasticky pile of junk out of the landfill for another few years. Doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things thanks to the horrible ways the biggest companies foil our efforts. Still. Air or Pro, good to use the Intels while we can! Always glad to find out where people are watching from! Thanks again for watching

[@raymondm.3748]

@@montaguebarnabasltd No problem, might I also add to your comment, If apple really does care about the environment, wouldn't they have more software support for older Intel Macs? Af course, they wouldn't won't admit it.

[@clicks59]

Thanks for the video. Good information. I Just bought a mid 2015 15" MBP for mobile audio recording. 2.8ghz, 16gb, 1tb SSD. It easily competes with my 2017 2.9ghz and it has more ports. My audio interface has a Thunderbolt connection so it was a perfect match. The best part was the price...$100.00. The previous owner thought it had a hardware issue. Turns out the problem was a software issue. Easy fix and it now works flawlessly.

[@arrongalbraith6583]

Hey I would like to say well done, something practical to watch just found you the other day enjoying your videos keep it up. One thing that you don't see to often on KZbin is what else you can do with your older Mac's like try retro gaming on them what recommended software to try and other hacks just some ideas. I have two 2011 MBP 15" and have had them for many years now. I change the termal paste every two years or so and turned up the fan rate to keep the GPU cool, and have not had a problem with them, I also recently installed Windows 11 on them and boy do they run well. Maybe I'm lucky i don't know?? I know that one day they will fail but for now why go out and buy new when they work perfectly well, browsing the internet, watching KZbin and receiving emails, isn't that what most of us do, anyway thanks very much!!

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Thanks for a nice comment! Yeah sounds sensible to repaste and adjust the fans. Hoping you don’t have problems in the future 👍 I’d like to a video on the 2011 17”, but they’re just scarily unreliable I think.

[@ahmedelakrab]

Just keep uploading man. Great content. You're bound to become big.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Man that means a hell of a lot. I will do. Thank you.

[@ap20017]

Still using a MBP 2014 and MBA 2014... Rocks!! upgrade ram and SSDs, and OCL Ventura and Sonoma working great... Next year I'm getting an M2 or M3 ...

[@danielanton74]

I stil have mbp 13 mid 2012 a work just fine 12 years old !

[@corey7219]

2011 13 inch macbook pro (rescued from a dump. Upgraded to a 500gb 860 evo ssd and 16 gigs of ddr3 ram that I had laying around) and 2015 macbook air user (i7, 1tb samsung 970 evo+ ssd). What underrated and solid machines. The Air had problems related to the original ssd (bad trace, which couldn't be repaired), and the battery couldn't be powered for more than 10 minutes off a charger. Free upgrades on the macbook pro, $160 worth of upgrades on the macbook air

[@JasonBoon02]

If you can get a 2015 or 2017 MacBook Air for under 200 bucks I would argue it's still not a bad deal. In fact, the 2017 models came with 8GB of RAM standard and it really boosts the performance on these MacBooks. Sure, it was also available as an option on the previous model years but most people didn't opt for that and finding one now that has that option either is incredibly rare to find or when you do find one the seller knows what they have and charges an premium for it. Then again, I might be biased since I own both a 2014 and 2017 MacBook Air.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Yeah true. If you’re not using em for something hardcore I can imagine those will last a few years yet.

[@7hx89]

2013 8G i7 Mba cost at less than $100 with equal tech/OS capabilities.

[@JasonBoon02]

@@7hx89 maybe in the US but not in Europe as far as I know.

[@hubertmendel4587]

I got the 2011 15” for free, installed Opencore legacy patcher and runs good.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Well, wish you the best for a smooth running next few years

[@Guff93]

I’m glad to see you hit over 1k subscribers

[@bosschungles]

Macbook Pro 15 inch late 2013 with 16Gb of RAM is by far THE BEST deal you can possibly get on a Macbook imo, i gotmine for £170 2 years ago and it's still the best Laptop I've ever owned for music production and the LCD is stunning. I see them for £130 now and my god I'd buy it all over again.. The CPU power is still surprisingly good

[@Joanne_Mahlmeister]

I am running a 2013 15" Retina Macbook Pro that I purchased new in 2013. It has a 2.7 ghz i7 cpu and 16GB ram. I upgraded the SSD and have it patched up to the latest Ventura OS. Aside from a few slow downs here and there, it is still serving me well. I keep thinking I should upgrade to a newer Intel model, but honestly I see no benefit to do so. My next upgrade will be Apple silicon, but that may not happen for quite some time.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Sounds like you’ve got the right idea.

[@AyrisX86]

If you still have your 2011 MacBook Pro, you can patch out the AMD GPU with a few NVRAM commands. It isn't perfect, but it does boot up properly and stuff

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Worth knowing. Very true.

[@danch5802]

Subscribed :) great production quality and interesting content without too much clickbait

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Much much appreciated. Thanks for the comment!

[@CoolStuffZone]

Can't believe you mentioned the MacBook Pro 2012, when it's considered "The Goat" of all Apple laptops in most Mac circles I've dealt with. I'm using one today, and quite happy with it. The performance is still impressive, and the weight is about the same as an aluminum MacBook Pro. Most importantly, it was the last year Apple offered a matte screen option, before just recently coming out with their nano texture screens. Not sure how they compare to traditional matte screens, but from pictures, they look promising :)

[@mosesajagbe494]

Will you recommend the 2015 MacBook Pro for web development and photo editing?

[@CarlosStorms]

15” Late 2013 to 2015 is the one to have for cheap. Running OCLP is great and they offer decent performance. The 2015 13” is also fine. They seem to be dropping in price as well. From 2015 to 2019 there isn’t much to get. The 2020 Intel is actually good, but better get an M1 for about the same money

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Absolutely agree. Yeah unfortunately there’s not much point getting newer Intel models.

[@austinrojas88]

Very useful and informative review. Thanks for posting!

[@amysbees6686]

Good stuff! Keep it up, please; Subscribed

[@dannyvanlaarhoven]

Still rocking my fully specced 2015 15" macbook pro.

[@Kassy_K]

is 2019 macbook pro core i9 in 32go ram and 16” good?

[@makaveli559m]

I have a 2015 MacBook and a 2015 MacBook Pro 13 and a 2012 MacBook Pro 13.

[@jacobtarpinian06]

How's the mac 2015 13's performace

[@makaveli559m]

@@jacobtarpinian06 it was pretty good I got rid of it and got a 2017 MacBook Pro non touch bar.

[@TescoRoadman]

I really want to buy a 2016/17 12 inch because I just want something for web browsing/youtube/discord etc but I’m worried about a couple of things The SSD’s nuking themselves, heard way too many horror stories about these models, and the keyboard issues. And the longevity of the software itself. How long will apps remain supported for? Since it isn’t officially supported anymore. Can you use a tool to install later versions of Mac OS to extend app support? One more concern I have is the battery. Now it won’t be a huge issue since it will be a laptop I keep and use at home, but I don’t wanna buy one with a rubbish battery because I’ve heard the servicing costs from Apple to get a replacement are absolutely absurd What would you recommend I do? I am also looking at the M1 air, which I know is the superior laptop, no questions, however I’d have to save a little longer for it as they’re still about 400-500 quid And the 2016’s are about half the price but are obviously 8 years old now at this point

[@tberger950]

I used to have the MacBook Pro 2011, unfortunately didn’t last very long. Wish your channel had been around back then, thank you for your vids!

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

I remember you!!

[@emrecanseker9467]

How about a video on which old MacBook to buy in 2023? I'm looking for something cheap and reliable for my so who will be using it for basic web browsing, could use a recommendation.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Absolutely! My next video will be a list of which to buy lol. Spoiler: it’s gonna be a 2015 MacBook Pro if you’re on a budget, or an M1 MacBook Air if you can go above £400/$550

[@ahmedelakrab]

I was given a macbook air 2017 with 128gb ssd, 8gb ram in order to try it before buying it. It absolutely struggled with 4k 24fps video playback in vlc, it was unwatchable : screen tear, lag... The asking price was about 370 or 380$. Should I say no?

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Honestly that’s a no in my eyes. I sold one during covid for $340, and that was 3 years ago. Best of luck finding the right machine though

[@ahmedelakrab]

@@montaguebarnabasltd Thank you for your help.

[@quicksite]

Thankyou!

[@corsinivideos]

This reminds just how many absolute dogs*it laptops apple has actually put out. The 2016-2019 fiasco was just straight up ridiculous.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Yeah they got away with some pretty bad stuff in the past

[@7hx89]

Keyboard, ssd wear, no user upgrade and limited ports. Expensive. They are ok if can be had for 1/10 original MSRP.

[@ZhuJo99]

That era was a dark time of Apple laptops and seems like Apple doesn't want to repeat that. Apple Silicon machines are absolutely top notch and M1 Air is best value one can get these days

[@RobertKulmanis]

I would love the 2018-2019 mbp especially cuz I found a place that sells them from around 200-300€ and they would fit my use case perfectly I need something that has fast web browsing and good content viewing and this would be perfect especially cuz all my devices are always on low power mode and 45% brightness soo I’m not a power hungry person I just need a goood daily driver should I do it my university is giving out 2012 macs for rental soo I need a opinion soo I don’t end up with one of those 😭

[@WayneKerr69420]

I replaced my Intel i3 MacBook Air with a 2017 MacBook Pro with an Intel i7 (without touch bar). Its perfect for normal tasks and I do like the keyboard on it.

[@musicofnote1]

Love my 2015 MacBook Air 2.2Ghz that has working as my back-up and trip laptop until now. Now that MakeMusic killed it's flagship notation program Finale, I bought a 2015 15" 2.8GHz Quad Core MacBook Pro as my primary notation computer, because it'y maxed out with monterey, so Apple's OS update won't nuke Finale. The MacBook Air will be my back-up to that 2015 MacBook Pro. For everything else, I'm fine with my 2023 M2 15" MacBook Air..

[@johnmarchant160]

Good video, BUT you're missing a graphics issue MacBook. That's the 10,1 MacBook Pro (aka the Mid 2012 Retina and Early 2013 Retina MBP). The power management chip on their GT 650M dedicated GPU is known to desolder itself if under heavy load, requiring board-level repair. While not as common as the 2011 15" graphics issue, it still is an issue for MacBook buyers to be aware of. I have used a 2012 15" Unibody for a while, and love it, the heft doesn't bother me. But the early 2013 Retina I used for a few months had the graphics card die

[@lenm2857]

I've fixed a couple of the Early 2013 models. It's a well known problem, but at least it's fixable.

[@IdkLol-e9b]

Is it worth to buy Apple MacBook Core Intel Core M5 1.2 GHZ 12" (Mid-2017) SSD 512GB rn? I'll use it for college and studying? I might get it for around 350 bucks so idk thats why I'm asking

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

That’s among the most powerful 12” models they made, so will definitely be useable for that. If you can allocate 400-450, though, you’ll get between 3 and 5 times the performance with an M1 air. You have to see it to believe how significant a difference that is, so take my word for it, the extra money is worth it.

[@IdkLol-e9b]

@@montaguebarnabasltd understandable! I really appreciate it. :D

[@7hx89]

Battery may not last for over 4 hours - unless you replace with a new one for a few bucks - for your remote/roaming type of work. Plus the price can be better starting at $200. Mba 2020 m1 is more suitable for you for maybe $500.

[@jhayescover2723]

Very informative! +1 New Subscriber! 😊

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Thanks man!

[@erlangga1990]

the main question after the video, which macbook should we buy?

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

I think I should do a follow up video lol. I would recommend the 2015 MacBook Pro 15” if you’re on a smaller budget. If you can afford an M1 MacBook Air, go for that, as it’s going to last you a good few years.

[@erlangga1990]

@@montaguebarnabasltd yeap. really looking forward to hear your thoughts for this. because in Malaysia, the price 2015 MBP roughly about the same price as MBA M1.

[@cathrynm]

The Esc key on the touchbar was miserable.

[@FlowCreators]

I see you mention the 2019 13" in macbook pro does that mean, that the 16" that actually has a dedicated graphics card is still a decent purchase since it's not mentioned?

[@ldope3904]

it was overpriced mmid, not gonna be supported for next MacOS... shame cuz I got a fully decked out MBP 16in 2019 that lost over half it's value in a year

[@FlowCreators]

@@ldope3904 I ended up grabbing a fully decked out 32GB ram 1TB With the second AMD card 2019 Macbook on FB marketplace for 800. So It's a highly functional macbook that I'm happy with but yeah It's too bad it's not the new chip type but I'm quite pleased. I still work on my windoes workstation during the day I just needed a portable device.

[@hhhh3682]

Literally just got a macbook pro from late 2016 for about £135 which (i hope) will last me for small tasks and some small creative tasks (basically going to be used for digital camera storage but anyways) i do hope it lasts for maybe 2 more years but for the pricepoint i dont really mind it

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

That’s a bargain, to be fair!

[@mookett]

Hi im after a macbook pro cant afford a M1 and im after a big screen so looking at 16 inch 2019 model but some have i7 some i9 ive heard about overheating and fan noise the laptop sits on sofa arm rest and only gets used for general internet and streaming i know nothing about i7 and i9 chips your advice would be helpful thanks

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Hey, thanks for watching. I wouldn’t recommend going for one of the 2019s. The 2015 15” is a much better alternative. Go for a 2.5Ghz i7 model. If you’re dead set on a 2019 - the 2.6ghz i7 will probably suit you better as it overheats slightly less.

[@mookett]

@@montaguebarnabasltd Thanks for the reply would you say then a m1 is a lot better machine im in no rush plenty of time to save up a bit more thanks

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@@mookett the M1 is without a doubt twice as good as any of the Intel MacBooks. Wait a few weeks or months until you can get a 15” M2 Air, and you’ll have a laptop that will last at least 5-10 years.

[@mookett]

@@montaguebarnabasltd Thank you for the advice as far as im aware the mb air has no fans inside so runs silent when in use this laptop sits on the sofa arm rest do you think overheating will be a problem for a fanless machine its used mostly for internet browsing and streaming thanks Andy

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@@mookett you won’t have a problem with heat on the M1 Air. It’s hard to believe just how cool these run!

[@macfarrell]

still use my old MBP 2012 13" daily, has an ssd and 16Gb of ram now and is way quicker than my mates 2016 MBA in all uses.

[@RoffGaming]

The mid 2012 15 inch is an Absolut Tank i love that think i have no Problems, and i buy these think for 20 Euros. with an i7 2,3GH, 16GB RAM, 1,25TB SSD. This think is a Screamer (that was Steve Jobs says) i use it in 2024 and i upgradet it to Monterey and this think is nice.

[@mlthmp]

Been thinking about a 2020 MBA with the quad core i3. May have been a '19 but think it was 20

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

I don’t want to sound harsh here, but I don’t see a single advantage to buying one of those over the M1 of the same year. If you have a reason for it though, all the best, and I’m sure it’s the right Mac for you!

[@mlthmp]

@montaguebarnabasltd not harsh at all! And I totally understand where you're coming from. For me it's because it's the first MacBook I ever really wanted when it was new. I've owned a couple older MBPs over the years but never cared to buy a new one. That last Intel MBA though I really wanted lol. Not going to pay more than 350 to 400ish though. Even if I have to wait until Apple (officially) drops OS support for Intel.

[@tyrek78]

@@mlthmp the i3 is a painfully slow dual core, i recommend finding one with the quad core i5 or i7 if you really want intel, or go to a macbook pro where all models have quad cores or better

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

4:10 The great flip chip plague...

[@PeterEmery]

On the day of its release, I bought a 2 GHz quad-core i7 2011 15" MacBook Pro, upgraded over time to 12 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD (I was using less than 25% of the storage of the original 500 GB HDD). In July of 2017, I was contemplating upgrading to 16 GB RAM when it made the decision for me by failing in the AMD graphics department. So it was replaced by a 2017 4k iMac that's still going strong in a friend's home.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

That's a pretty long lifespan for a 2011 model, honestly.

[@Batgame_1]

But which Macs do you recommend then?

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

If you’re buying Intel, get a 2015 MacBook Pro 15”. I’ve several videos on them, and I’d totally recommend. If you can afford it, though, better to get an M1 MacBook Air. They’re about £500/$600 rn, which is great value as they’ll last years and years to come, most likely. I guess I should do a follow up video lol.

[@laurencejohnson4106]

A useful guide.👍

[@ColinsCity]

I think the 2012 macbook with optical drive is still a good option for people who want to import CDs/burn CDs and watch DVDs, i'm not the type of person that carries a laptop with me so their weight never bothers me, i want to get one to dual boot windows 10 to replace my windows laptop because that thing is just getting worse with every windows 10 update, it hasn't been right since 2021 and i keep seeing videos on youtube of even the 2009 macbook lineups running better on windows 10 than my native windows laptop lol

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Fair point! I didn’t look at the disc reader angle. Yeah I recommend dual booting. It’s brilliant in that you only need one device to run almost any app or OS!

[@ColinsCity]

@@montaguebarnabasltd most people have moved on from CD/DVD drives but i actually need one, i haven't fully decided if i will go for a 2012 or 2010 17" macbook, i don't need the fastest speeds because i have the 2015 macbook which works perfectly for what i want, i find it to be 100 times faster than my windows laptop and i'm not exaggerating, everytime i have to use the windows laptop it drains 2-3 unnecessary hours out of my life for a 30 minute task

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@ColinsCity cant recommend the 2012 15” enough. It’ll see you through for a few years yet despite its age. The 2010 line has been known to be a bit unreliable, so potentially a bit less appealing. Yeah I think MacOS on the whole is just lighter than windows, helping older computers seem a lot faster!

[@ColinsCity]

@@montaguebarnabasltd I did a quick spec comparison, the 2009 macbook pro's have double the processor size and speed of my windows laptop and whenever i see the 2009/2010 macbooks running windows 10 it's always so much faster, i think 8GB ram and SSDs help with that too. I would mostly use the second macbook as a windows device for the windows only softwares that i need to use

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

⁠@@ColinsCityAh, well there you go. I think Apple missed a trick not advertising their bootcamp utility more. Having the best of both worlds in OSes is highly underrated!

[@EvilTurkeySlices]

Personally I wouldn't get a 2012 retina, they are worse in many ways than the 2012 unibody(despite the obvious upgradabilty) They run hotter, boost lower, and run louder. Not to mention the high res screen being harder to drive than the lower res one. If you want a retina, get a 2013-2015 model.

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Tbh, if your looking to pickup a 10+ year old macbook because of the upgradability and you plan on using it for non-legacy applications: Why not look at it's PC contemporaries? I mean, many early 2010's laptops still had upgradability in mind, and there's always linux sitting in the corner. It's very likely to be cheaper too, because, well, who wants a 10+ year old windows laptop? (me)

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Honestly for me there’s a lot of reasons the older windows laptops are unappealing. They’re loud, by this point a lot of the plastic parts on them will have broken, and since there are so many brands and models, they’re harder to service. Not to mention the designs are often pretty objectively ugly, especially compared to most MacBooks. Also, who doesn’t want the best of Windows, MacOS and Linux on a MacBook? Oh and lastly there’s stuff like airdrop and handoff which is Apple only. For example I use airdrop to transfer all my videos to my editing rig. I could use OneDrive or whatever on a windows machine, but it would probably double the transfer time.

[@TescoRoadman]

Because they run windows lmao and MacBook design is sleek and nice

[@RyDawg96]

Cause people want macOS as well as the fact that Windows laptops are notorious for being made of cheap plastic that likely has a few cracks in it by now.

[@michaelwright2986]

I've just started running Linux on the upgradable MacBooks, and I prefer them to Thinkpads, which is practically a heretical statement. T420 still has *that* keyboard, but the Mac keyboards are very nice in a different style. Thinkpads have user interchangeable batteries (like, without a screwdriver), but a unibody MBA is just so slim and beautifully built. Dell Latitudes are also old machines I like, and are properly made and upgradable, so there are practical alternatives; and if you want to run Windows, 10 goes fine on them and isn't too bad for Microsoft, whereas with a Mac you are by now well behind with OS versions. But all these old machines are fine for what most of us do for most of the time, maybe with a bit more RAM and certainly with an SSD, but you'll never get them to be good for editing video, so there are limits. I don't know about price where you are; I'm in Auckland, NZ, and Thinkpads and Latitudes are about the same price as MacBooks. I don't really think any other Windows laptops from that era stand comparison with the MacBooks. OK, HP Elitebooks, but I haven't had good luck with HP.

[@HeyyAlx]

Just bought a 2016 MacBook Pro 13 inch before doing an research as an impulse buy 😬

[@douglas_edward]

My wife bought the 2011 MBP 15" new. Probably her favorite computer ever until the graphics failed and it went in for recycling. What a disappointment! By now she'd have moved on to something Retina, but I'd still be using it. You have a great channel and deserve to be paid for your efforts. SUBSCRIBE, FOLKS!

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

That is unlucky… Thanks for watching, and for the lovely comment!

[@paullegrand1678]

The video I needed. I want to buy the MacBook Pro 2019 16" this year (in 2024).

[@0RichieRichh07]

you got it or not?

[@Kassy_K]

update?

[@shaunbradford638]

I say buy them people use open core legacy patcher save money

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Oh I agree that old macs are worth buying, it’s just that these models are probably equally worth avoiding due to pitfalls I mentioned in the vid

[@PeterEmery]

I made a serious mistake in 2018 by buying a 2017 13-in "Escape Key" MacBook "Pro." It replaced a liquid-damaged maximum-spec 2014 11-in MacBook Air previously used by an Apple executive. It had a 512 GB SSD, 1.7 GHz dual-core i7 and 8 GB RAM. The previous year I'd upgraded to a 4k iMac and there was no way my next laptop wasn't going to have a retina screen. The 2017 MBP has to be the worst Mac I've ever owned, and I have a collection of almost 20 working Macs of various ages. In hindsight, I'd have been better served getting an older used 13-in Pro. I now use an M1 Mac Mini and a 15-in M3 MacBook Air, both with 512 B SSDs and 16 GB memory.

[@chasedbymoney]

the best one still until now is a 2015 MBP 15 inch with 2,8Ghz core i7 .. no debating this tho for me

[@torpidfella293]

Is it okay for entry level coding and programming? I’m getting one under 250$. Is it slow in 2024? It’s 2.5ghz with 1 tb 16gb 2 gb graphics

[@torpidfella293]

Is it okay for entry level coding and programming? I’m getting one under 250$. Is it slow in 2024? It’s 2.5ghz with 1 tb 16gb 2 gb graphics

[@chasedbymoney]

@@torpidfella293 its good, take one of them

[@Notjobincome]

dont forget about the swollen battery issues

[@reygm3639]

2012 -2024 MacBook Pro 15 “ screen went black after software update I already tried everything to fix it But no luck I Even connected it to a different monitor screen but it didn’t work 😢 I’m guessing apple is killing old Mac s on purpose for you to buy a new one 😠

[@stevens1041]

The 2015 Macbook Air was basically unusable. It would thermal throttle going on real estate websites. The body would feel red hot after working for an hour.

[@TescoRoadman]

Back when I was in college nearly a decade ago they had those MacBook airs that we could borrow from the college. I had a shitty windows laptop so it was quite the upgrade But damn did they get hot lmao you’re not lying. Doing basic stuff as well

[@gemini-mg6sc]

The non touch/touch bar MacBook Pros from 2016-2019 were the worst MacBook Pros ever made. They had so many problems, ranging form Flexgate, where the screen would completely give out, to the crappy butterfly keyboard, which led to a class-action settlement. Oh lets not forget, Apple completely got rid of the Magsafe port, SD card slot and hdmi port in favor of two/three thunderbolt three ports on these models. If you want to use a hdmi or sd card, you had to carry dongles or use a usb-c hub. Funny enough, Apple brought back these options with the introduction of the 14” and 16” M-series MacBook Pros.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Indeed

[@GiveHimGlory89]

So what do I get?

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

I guess I should do a follow up video lol. The laptop I recommend right now is a base M1 Air from 2020. That’s a bit pricey, so something cheaper would be a 2015 15” MacBook Pro. I’ve got a couple of videos on that, and would highly recommend it.

[@GiveHimGlory89]

@@montaguebarnabasltd thanks for the reply. Do you recommend the 2016 16 inch i7 MacBook Pro MVVJ2LL/A?

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@@GiveHimGlory89 that’s a 2019 model, no? Honestly if you’re going to buy an Intel machine, I’d suggest getting a 2015 15”.

[@weelebaseknowles4410]

2015 for 155 bucks isn’t a bad deal 2015 with 8gb of ram at a good price isn’t a bad deal if under 200$ and a good battery

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Yeah you’re not wrong, assuming you’re talking about the MacBook Air? I just feel like there’s no reason not to aim for a pro at that price point.

[@weelebaseknowles4410]

@@montaguebarnabasltd at 150$ to 200$ mostly to people who want a 13in there isn’t much difference between a 2015 13in MacBook Pro and air and if u want it small u can save a Buck and if u make sure it has 8gbs of ram and airs have better battery life for basic tasks

[@youngscoping7696]

the Macbook Air should be ALL of the versions before M1 2020, it's slow, overheat and the butterfly keyboard is terrible (except the 2020 model)

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Valid I would say. Just got an M1 air and it’s blowing my video production speed out of the park

[@robertogarcia35]

The 2015 MacBook Pro is still highly regarded, but it is no longer the best option in 2023 due to advancements in Apple silicon and newer models offering better performance at a similar or lower price. Apple will no longer support security updates for the 2015 MacBook Pro by fall 2024

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Yeah performance-wise the M1s blow the 2015 away. A lot of people just can’t afford them yet though.

[@junaidriazriaz]

2019 pro 16 inch best macbook ever

[@Kassy_K]

how much ram? core i7 or i9 ???

[@NopalDev]

any macbook del 2016 al 2019 ya valio madre xd

[@alfredomegelo3573]

I had the mistake buying used a mid 2017 13 Macbook Pro: ok it's got 8gb RAM, 256 ssd, Intel Core I5 7360U for 230 euros (with SERVICE BATTERY....) Ok at the beginning could be resonable. But i realize after how complicate is to replace the battery by myself.... And fora replace battery the average price for the service is about 250-300 euros.... Another issue: it heats up a lot!! And during a normal KZbin video!! I understand unde heavy video editing but these tempereatures just watching KZbin? Oh i forgot: the keyboard is terrible. And im not agree for Macbook Air 2017: i had one from November 2022 to January 2024, bought used for 240 euro: for mobile office use and similar is perfect, for heavy use of course not. I regret for selling it

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

Bummer. Sorry to hear. Perhaps a thermal repaste? Yeah I suppose the 2017 is a matter of use case.

[@alfredomegelo3573]

@@montaguebarnabasltd I found a private lab for replace the battery (less than 100 euros for an original one with less 100 cycles). Now the temperature are ok. Maybe they also repaste end clean fans from dust.

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

@@alfredomegelo3573 yipppeee! Sounds good.

[@demigod0212]

i got a 2015 macbook i can see it is not the best in 2024 but i got it for 150 so im ok

[@dylanlindsay1993]

guy in video: 2015-17 macbook air is trash me: i bought a 2010 imac in 2024 n put macos montery on it! bite me! i don give a crap!

[@sheenaQuarto83]

Well I am getting a new M1 MacBook Air for $700 bucks

[@jaimembjesus]

Interessting video. Here, grab a subscribe and good luck with the channel. :)

[@montaguebarnabasltd]

That means a lot, thanks very much!

[@c.p.9556]

Moral of story? Dont buy Macbooks?

[@markd8469]

Yes I’ll just stick with my Acer Netbook

[@Lostinthemoors]

so avoid pretty much all MacBooks aside from the M1 models.

[@ІстинаПоряд]

Unibody MBP Mid 2012 (13 & 15-inch) are one of the best MBP ever! This guys are problem-free and can be upgraded. They received many of the benefits of the Retina generation by remaining in the Unibody form-factor. A good option would be a 15-inch one with a matte display (with higher resolution: 1680x1050). So that's why I don't agree with you. Cuz this is a device that can be recommended to users for whom the Retina display is not important.