Help buying a second-hand Mac?

Question

I'm looking to buy a second-hand Mac, probably through eBay. I have been a PC user for years and have never really used a Mac before. Rather than drop a thousand pound on a brand new Mac I would like to try out a second-hand one to see how I get on with it and run it beside my PC. Basically it's going to be used for exploring what a Mac can do. I'm interesting in very basic video editing, browsing the web and the normal.

So can anyone provide me with some guidance on what I should be looking for? I was thinking of a desktop but would go for a laptop if it would be better, I want something reasonably fast and under £300. If anyone can give me an idea on what to look for in the way of model numbers, or what to avoid. And what spec would be best I'd be very grateful!

Thanks!

Answer 1

If you buy a Mac that's within five or so years old, it should have the OS X operating system loaded, in which case, you'll get the bundled software such as iMovie (and iDVD if it has a DVD writer) that will give you basic video editing.

The cheapest Mac will be a Mac Mini, which is a tiny box that you need to connect to your own screen & keyboard, but at least it'll show you the basics. A G% iMac with built-in screen would be nice :-) I don't know if you'll find anything second-hand with the latest dual-core Intel processors, so you'll probably have to settle for the G5 processor or even the older G4. Look for a minimum of 1GB of RAM (although it's easy to add more yourself except for the Mac Mini). Obviously, look for a CD or DVD writer if you need one. The current OS X system is 10.5, but 10.4 or 10.3 are also ok - make sure you also get the install disks.

Answer 2

Buy a NEW mac. Theyre pretty cheap. Otherwise, if u really want an old one, get any random mac. Theyre al pretty good. MINIMUM:

-1GB RAM

-GRAPHICS CARD IS SEPERATE

-80GB HDD

THis is just some amateur advice. Hopefully, I helped u.