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Cheap Apple Laptop for year abroad

P

pdxappl

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 4, 2005
6
0
I'm going abroad this next school year to a country where it is risky to take expensive electronics such as my new MB Pro. I would like to have a computer to use Word, watch DVD's, and maybe use the internet. Can anyone recommend somewhere to buy a cheap used Apple laptop that has these functions. I was thinking maybe a few year old ibook. I'd be willing to spend up to $150.

Thanks for your help.
 
you can check ebay to see what they have, but in that price range it'll be hard to get something decent.
 
I suggest you get a cheap portable DVD player - you can live with a 7 inch screen for one year. They're small and inexpensive. Then you're more likely to find an older laptop that won't break your budget, if Word and maybe Internet browsing are your main needs.
 
SpaceMagic said:
I too would have to recommend a PC. For a start, they're not attractive so they wont be as much of a target.
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I would also consider this ... and keep in mind if it does get stolen, the thief is going to inherent whatever little quirks exist in that windows laptop.
 
SpaceMagic said:
You could go a little more expensive and just take out travel insurance.
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Many insurances won't cover things that happen in what the company deems "unstable areas", and you'd have to do a serious back-up before you left (because insurance won't get your files back ;) ).
 
What will you be doing with the mbp?

If it's going to be sitting rotting away for a year you should sell it and bank the cash to get whatever's current next year. You could also divert a tiny bit of that cash to improve your spend for a cheap replacement in the interim if you wanted.

I'd suggest a pc lappie too as your needs are very limited (even XP should be able to handle it), but remember to lock it down with AV and anti-spyware before you connect to d'internet :eek:.
 
definitely pay attention to whether the machine has a DVD player as opposed to just the CD reader....older Macs often didn't

as others have said, it's going to be tough to find something in that price range. A five year old ibook could worth more than that just to salvage for parts
 
I'm going to Argentina. While the country is safer than most Latin American countries it still has its share of crime. I guess I was thinking that old ibooks would be cheaper because I remember hearing about a school district selling off ibooks for $50 each.
 
If you are going to leave behind your MBP for a whole year why not just sell it during the interim? It is not like that thing is going to appreciate in value while you are gone...
 
generik said:
If you are going to leave behind your MBP for a whole year why not just sell it during the interim? It is not like that thing is going to appreciate in value while you are gone...
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I agree. Sell it now (preferably before WWDC). Get a cheap laptop. Come back, sell that, and get yourself a new top of the line laptop in a year. With some luck you'll lose very little.
 
argentina has the highest literacy rate in all of South America, it think they're pretty nice and most ppl there won't steal. i would go at least $225 and see what i could get at that range
 
CanadaRAM said:
That was a once-in-a-lifetime fiasco that will never be repeated. Also not DVD machines.
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Didn't some of the old iBook 500s have a combo drive or were they cdrom only? Someone on MR has one right now for 300.00 btw.
 
j26 said:
What will you be doing with the mbp?

If it's going to be sitting rotting away for a year you should sell it and bank the cash to get whatever's current next year. You could also divert a tiny bit of that cash to improve your spend for a cheap replacement in the interim if you wanted.

I'd suggest a pc lappie too as your needs are very limited (even XP should be able to handle it), but remember to lock it down with AV and anti-spyware before you connect to d'internet :eek:.
Click to expand...

What he said. :)

Which country are you going to?
 
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