So, you want to start making YouTube videos just like your favorite idols, whether it’s tech, tutorials, blogs. But you don’t have the top tech gear, laptop, camera, or dog to go with your videos. One of the most important parts to piece your content together is your laptop. So, here’s a review on what to look for when buying a used MacBook Pro.
Maybe you can’t afford the state-of-art MacBook but you still need a decent laptop to get to your editing endeavors. Well, luckily there’s a huge secondhand market out there to choose from. But why a MacBook? Well, the easy answer is because even the older MacBooks can handle the most graphic intense applications. Also, for $15 you can pick up the iMovie app which is a really good video editing software to start. Plus, the way MacBooks are designed and built, you can usually get a good 3 years on a secondhand purchase.
So let’s get to what you should look for when shopping for a MacBook on Craigslist. First off you want to make sure that you’re getting at a very least the Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and probably somewhere near 320GB of hard drive space. Make sure not to get a MacBook Air or a Retina MacBook because you won’t be able to upgrade the RAM or hard drive. At some point you may want to swap out for a Solid State Drive.
Upgrading your hard drive will be a game changer. Your MacBook will become significantly faster while navigating around your OS. Which is really nice because it makes for uploading videos much faster and smooth as well. Upgrading your RAM would make your multitasking much easier as well.
After purchasing your used MacBook make sure you do the following:
- Clean Everything. Use wipes to clean all of the surfaces, especially around the keyboard to kill all germs.
- Use An Air Duster (canned electronic cleaner air): Blow out all dust inside the computer, under the motherboard, around the fans and vents, and around the keyboard. Your processor will love you for doing this.
- Fresh Install: Whatever you do, do a fresh install and download the very latest operating system for you laptop (as of this writing that’s macOS Sierra Version 10.12.2). Take the time and research what is your latest OS for your laptop.
- Upgrade If Possible: If you have the extra money it’s always a good idea to get a Solid State Drive of 250GB or more.
So if you’re just starting to get into the Mac world getting a used one or a refurbished one is not a bad idea. However, if you are willing to save up for a new one, that too would be a great investment for you. If you take care of your Mac, it will certainly take care of you. Macs are considered to be one the very best, if not the best at being a reliable tool. And if the most unfortunate happens and your MacBook will break don’t worry. You can easily sell defective MacBook rather than repair it.
