Any advice on buying a 2nd hand MacBook?

[monte]

£1000 sounds about right ed!

[monte]

Can anyone confirm which MacBook Airs had the backlit Keyboard?

I've got a grand burning a hole in my pocket now, but I want to get the right one!

I really have fallen in love with the "Air" but I'd like the model that was out just before the new I5 and I7 processors... The core 2duo's.
The new ones are too expensive still for the 4GB RAM and the bigger SSD.

I'm a bit scared about such a big purchase on eBay, but I've seen quite a few go for £800 for the spec I want... which is,

13.3" Screen
2.13GHz Intel Core 2duo
4GB RAM
256GB SSD

I know the new ones have the backlit keyboard but I'm not sure about its predecessor....(the one I have my eye on, with the spec listed above)

Does anyone know?
And if you have any other advice on the "Air" or buying on eBay I'd really appreciate it.

[sam]

Don't mean to sound like a tit...... but isn't it worth saving the money and buying it direct through Apple and getting the support and warranty with such an expensive purchase?

[monte]

Well possibly, but at
£1400 new from apple with 1 yr warranty
 vs
£800 for a nearly new with sometimes 6mths or even 2yrs+warranty

I can't justify new 

[no golf clubs at all]

^^^ we got ours in USA and brought it back, think it worked out about £1050 ish for the 4gb 13"air 

If you/ anyone you know is heading over....

[monte]

Can anyone tell me the difference between US version MacBook Airs and UK ones?

Is the whole keyboard different or is it just the £ and the $ sign?

I can save £250 buying a new US one.

Has anyone else got the US version? Any pitfalls?

[RedRobin]

^
AFAIK they are the same. You just select which language in the Mac OS software for which the keyboard types. The keyboard hardware should have both £ and $ keys <--- exactly like how this was typed.

When my daughter was learning Japanese she could switch languages on her MacBook Pro to and fro and I can do the same on my iMac. English is called "British" on the Mac OS.

[Hendo]

Get someone to get one from duty free if you know anyone travelling soon?

I use my Macbook for the things you described, it's used every day, it's on all the time and I have had no problems.  I bough the 13" £999 Macbook pro in November last year and the only thing I've done is upgrade the RAM to 8GB which cost me £44 from curial direct.

Don't bother looking at the £1500 versions you won't need them.  Way I see it spend £1000 brand new or the extra for the "15 version and if you sell it in a years time it'll have only lost 20% of it's value.

Rich

[monte]

^^^^thanks to you both  ^^^^

RR..... That's great nws! I'm getting more impressed each day.

Hendo..... Wise words mate. It's too easy to keep up-in your budget more n more every time u look at higher specs. Before u know it u have spent ££££'s

Thanks again guys

Gonna order one today I hope 

[no golf clubs at all]

US MacBook air 13" keyboard. sorry the pic isn't better, there is no Eu symbol on the keys, £ is accessed by SHIFT 3, other than that I don't know the differences. Pretty sure a Eu symbol is there somewhere but not printed on the actual keys.




Sorry that picture is bollox, let me try a better one shortly, but in absence of an improved version hope this helps.

Hope this is better....

[RedRobin]

.
To see characters from another language on your keyboard:

- Choose Show Keyboard Viewer from the Input menu in the menu bar (looks like a flag or character).

- Choose the input source for the language you want to type in from the Input menu.

- The Keyboard Viewer shows the keyboard layout for that language.

- Type the key on your keyboard that corresponds to the character you want to enter.

HTH 

[monte]

Man it's frustrating.
I have the cash, but when it comes to spending over a grand on ebay, I get worried. I been on the fence so long that I actually feel  like the fence.
I know I should buy new from the Apple store or Argos/comet/currys etc, but trying to get any sort of deal on a £1400 MacBook Air is hard to find.

I can get £40 worth of nectar points if I buy through nectar-currys (triple points- 6pts for every £1)
£26 clubcard points at tesco direct
£65 from Apple Store.....If I can prove Im gonna buy it 4college/Uni
^^^(any1 know of a way round this...I'm no student)

Does anyone know of any other deals on the MacBook Air?

[RedRobin]

£65 from Apple Store.....If I can prove Im gonna buy it 4college/Uni
^^^(any1 know of a way round this...I'm no student)

Does anyone know of any other deals on the MacBook Air?

....You have to show both your Student ID Card and your official Uni/College email address. It's quite rightly strict. Apple's edu discount is only about 10% and you still have to pay the wretched vat. Surely you're not scratching around just to save £26-£65. Buying warranty is far more important. Personally I would never buy from the likes of Currys and Tesco - A friend of mine used to work in sales at Curry's and he strongly advises against regarding longterm warranty.

[rich83]

I might have mine for sale soon.

15.4"
2.4ghz C2D
4gb ram
200gb
superdrive

Needs a new battery and a new superdrive and its got a few war wounds but it works fine! 

[RedRobin]

^
You getting another Mac, Rich?

Or is it to fund the bigger brakes and suspension you now need after your remap?