Have 2 old MacBook pros, sell for mac mini?

[mrzeve]

Hi all,

I have the following MacBook pros:
MBP 13inch early 2015, 8gb ram, 2.7ghz dual core intel core i5, 256gb storage. two of the keys on the keyboard dont work and would need an entire top replacement to get this fixed apparently. i use it plugged into a cinema display as a driver in my office.

i also have a 15 inch, mid 2012 map with a 2.6ghz quad core intel core i7, 8gb ram, and a SSD that i installed. this used to be plugged into a screen at the office, but frankly i found it too slow to use. i could always keep this incase i hire someone in the office and need them to get them set up [again would be plugged into a monitor]. the battery is shot on it.

im just looking for better performance as my work driver (will be plugged into a monitor 95% of the time). i could probably scrap these for about $600 total to apple as a trade. but frankly, i am clueless on how these computers perform in comparison to something like the mac mini or even a base level iMac. ive had the base iMacs before but the not SSD destroyed performance and was useless.

what would you do?

 

[Erehy Dobon]

My personal preference is to never keep unused old technology hardware sitting around gathering dust. It's not a bottle of fine wine.

I need less clutter in my life -- not more.

 

[CooperBox]

Well......there are definitely two trains of thought, and I beg to differ slightly from the previous post.

My personal preference with old technology is that depending on the model of Mac, they can be grand simply just on display, and even better if booted up occasionally to breath some temporary life back into them in order to provide pleasure.
I adore my G4 iMacs - have one of each model on display, and a 1997 20th Anniversary Mac (TAM), all used very occasionally which are always a joy to use. Same with my early powerbooks, and early and later 17" MBPros.

Regarding the original post referring to the mid 2012 15" MBP with a 2.6ghz core i7, these were truly one of - if not the best of the last fully upgradeable laptops, and a great performer if suitably upgraded and set-up correctly. This post is in fact coming from the very same model (MacBookPro10,1) with 8Gb RAM and 500Gb Crucial SSD, running a clean install of Mojave, and for all my non high-intensive uses, it's a truly great, rapid performer!
I can only suggest that if anyone has one equipped with an SSD and it's still a poor performer that it could be due to one or more of the following reasons:
i) A lesser make of SSD being installed. (A Samsung, Crucial or Transcend should all be very reliable).
ii) The most recent OS not being a 'clean-install', but installed over previous versions - which is not recommended for the best possible performance.
iii) SSD trim has not been activated.

Now onto the early 2015 MBP 13" (MBPRet12,1) referred to. This imho is definitely not a model to be recommended. In fact with a repairability score of 1/10 (along with a number of other later MBP models) these are potentially throw-aways when an important fault developes.
In short I'd advise the OP to sell the 13" as quick as possible, but to keep the 15" and attempt to breath some new life and performance back into it.

I smiled at the comment of some of these unused, old technology hardware Macs being unlike a bottle of fine wine.
Living in France and being a very modest collector of fine wines, believe me, some of my older Macs certainly give as much pleasure as a fine cru classé Bordeaux Pomerol or Médoc.