MacBooks are quite popular in the digital market throughout the world despite the availability of operating systems like Windows.
It is also worth noting that despite being in demand, MacBooks are a considerable investment and not affordable for every person. So, many people opt for second-hand Macs to fulfill their need for this Apple product.
If you are planning to buy a previously used MacBook, you need to be careful about damages and other features that might affect your Mac journey. Here are some of the things to keep in mind while buying a used MacBook.
While buying a used Mac, firstly, you need to look for any physical damage in the body of the MacBook, like visible scratches or cracks on the body. Secondly, you need to check the screws. Loose screws can lead to the fact that the MacBook has undergone servicing from a non-authorized service center. Thirdly, you have to check if there are any bends on the screen or the body.
Lastly, you need to check for the screen hinges so that they are tight and hard. These are some of the damages you should check for before buying a second-hand MacBook. If you find minimal scratches on it, you can bargain the price of the product.
Many sellers claim their Macs to be in new condition, which can be accurate, but the computer might not be new at all. You can look for the age of the machine you are buying. To do so, you need to go to the Apple menu in the upper left corner of Mac’s screen. Then, click on About This Mac, and you will find the age of the Mac there.
If macOS is not there in the Mac, you can see the age of the device by using its serial number. This way, you can know the model number and age of the Mac you might buy. This information is needed because an outdated Mac is no longer helpful in working on it regularly.
A working MacBook can be dysfunctional because of its poor display condition. You need to look for defective pixels present in the MacBook display you are going to buy. To check it, you need to go to a checking program for dead pixels, filling the computer screen with the proper color.
For an alternative, you can try opening a monochrome background, and if any pixels are damaged, you shall be able to see small dots in place of those. If there are groups of such broken pixels, you should try not to buy that MacBook as it might negatively affect the work you do on the computer.
You can run a test to check the working capacity of the keyboard. You need to open the computer and type each character to see if it appears on the screen. If it does, you need to check next for all the functional keys and caps lock keys. If they work fine, too, the keyboard is appropriately functioning.
As an alternative, you can try using the Keyboard Viewer. You need to go to the menu Languages and select the option Show Keyboard Viewer. After this, every key you press is visible on the keyboard-like window visible on your screen.
Before buying a second-hand MacBook, you need to ensure it works appropriately, opens up, and goes to the desktop window. Boot it by starting the Mac, and if it boots on its own and leads you to the desktop screen, it is a good sign that the Mac you are buying is working correctly. If there is no macOS installed, you can boot it using your bootable drive.
You have to press down the Option key, and once you see the Mac start opening, you need to go for the external drive for the startup. This way, you can make sure your new macOS shall work by booting it before buying.
It is recommended to find out what the laptop’s hard drive state is like. There might be only a few gigabytes of free storage left, which is causing poor performance. If so, keep in mind that there are more than a few ways to deal with the storage problems, meaning that you can eliminate this issue on yourself to boost the overall MacBook performance.
MacBooks are well known for their excellent battery performance. Hence, you need to check for Mac’s battery you might buy not to drain out quickly. To check the battery condition of the Mac, you can click on the Apple logo on the left upper corner of the screen. Then, you have to go to the Option key and press it for some time. A drop-up menu shall appear, where you need to select the option System Information.
Next, you need to open the Power option from the left sidebar visible. You can now see the section on Health Information. The option of Cycle count and the option Condition might help you diagnose the MacBook’s battery’s condition. This way, you can check the battery’s health on your own.
