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00:00Over the past year, I've made a few recommendations on my channel for people not to purchase a
00:08MacBook, either for pricing, or thermal issues, or keyboard issues, and if you're someone
00:13who can swing either way, like you can get a Windows laptop and be happy, or a MacBook
00:18right now and be happy, I'd still recommend for you to get a Windows device instead of
00:22a MacBook.
00:23But if you are someone who requires a MacBook, either for work or school, or you just really
00:29want a MacBook right now, then that's what this video is for.
00:34It's kind of like a guide to make a purchase decision for the 2019 lineup of MacBooks.
00:40Now as for the reason why I'm doing this now, like why I'm making this video now, it's for
00:45two reasons.
00:46Number one, at this point of the year, we've seen all the laptops that they have to offer,
00:50so with the exception of the 12-inch MacBook, it's unlikely that they'll update any of these
00:54for the rest of the year.
00:56And the second reason is that Apple's refurb store now has stock of all the devices I would
01:00recommend.
01:01Earlier on this year, some of the devices were still missing, but at this point in time,
01:05they're all available, and the reason why I recommend the refurb option instead of the
01:08brand new stuff is that you're just getting a way better value.
01:11You still get AppleCare, you still get their warranty, you get their return policy, you
01:15get new batteries and components that can wear out, so it's a much better value than
01:19buying new.
01:20So I'm going to start this video off with the 13-inch MacBook Air.
01:24This is a device that goes for just over $1,000 in the refurb store.
01:28If you need more storage, it's $1,200, but this is unfortunately the least expensive
01:32of the MacBook options in the store right now.
01:35Now, it's a two-core CPU, it's not super powerful, I think most people will be able to use this
01:39as their kind of everyday machine.
01:41If you need something that's more capable, like if you plan on doing photo or video editing,
01:45you might have to look at one of the more powerful options, but for a lot of people,
01:49this is a good fit, even if you're a developer, like, I think a lot of development can be
01:53done on just the two-core CPU.
01:55Now when this thing launched, it was not available in the refurb store, so it was priced around
01:59$250, $300 more than it is right now, and at the time, it was difficult to recommend
02:04this because you could get the base model 13-inch device for a little bit cheaper.
02:08But at this point, because it is available in the refurb store, I think it's a good option.
02:12If you want something a little bit smaller and lighter, there is the 12-inch MacBook.
02:17It's a device that came out in 2017, like the last time they refreshed it was two years
02:21ago, so it's a little bit dated, but it is a kind of unique device in how thin and light
02:25it is while still having a very usable full-size keyboard.
02:29The one issue I have with it is the single port.
02:31If you ever want to plug anything into that computer, you have to unplug the power and
02:35then plug up your adapter or dongle or whatever it is.
02:38Point being, it's an inconvenience that you just have to live with if you want that reduction
02:43in weight.
02:44It starts at around $1,100, and if you don't have a particularly heavy workflow, if like
02:49the majority of the stuff you do is just typing documents, then it's viable, but really
02:54its main advantage is that it's super small.
02:56Okay, last two, we have the two MacBooks.
02:58We have the 13-inch and the 15-inch.
03:00Now, these devices used to run two and four-core CPUs.
03:05So in 2016 and 2017, two-core CPUs, four-core CPUs for the 13 and 15-inch model.
03:11And then in 2018, they had four-core CPUs and six-core CPUs.
03:17In that year, the 2018 model is the sweet spot, and you can save around $400 or $500
03:22if you get the 2018 models in the refurb store.
03:24But you only want to consider these kind of pro models if your workflow can actually benefit
03:29from core count.
03:30And a lot of people just don't recognize whether or not it can.
03:34Like, if you're doing development, then yeah, if you're doing video and some photo editing,
03:38yeah, you can benefit from higher core count.
03:40But for everyone else, like if you're just typing stuff, doing emails, and just doing
03:45regular computer work, then I wouldn't really recommend these because you're paying more
03:49for them, they're bigger, they're heavier, and really the only advantage that these have
03:53over the 13-inch MacBook Air or even the 12-inch MacBook is just core count.
03:58Okay, so that's basically the current laptop lineup.
04:01I will mention this device, the iPad Pro.
04:06Because of the new iPad OS, this is now a much more viable alternative to laptops than
04:11it has been in the past.
04:13It's not perfect, it's never going to be perfect, but I think it's easier to recommend now than
04:18it has been in the past if you want to use this as a laptop alternative.
04:22There's still a lot of disadvantages to it, like the file system is limited still, and
04:26if you're looking for a particular app that you need for work, there's a good chance it
04:29won't exist for iPad OS.
04:31And they're not particularly cheap, right?
04:32These are quite expensive systems.
04:34But if you're that person that really wants to try this, it is more viable now than it
04:38has been in the past.
04:40So that's the current lineup.
04:41I also want to talk about a couple of other things.
04:44The first is kind of an alternate purchasing route to a MacBook, and that is to purchase
04:48their really old stuff, or the 2014-2015 era MacBooks.
04:54Now, I think there are a lot of people that remembered the 2014 and 2015 MacBooks as having
05:00like the best of everything, like they were upgradable, they were repairable, they had
05:05very reliable keyboards.
05:06The thing is, if you're buying those devices now, in 2019, they are quite old.
05:12They're like four, maybe five years old at this point, and you'd have to buy them used
05:15on eBay or Craigslist at this point.
05:18They're a lot cheaper, so if you're on a really tight budget, it makes sense, and also if
05:21you're just someone that needs something for iOS development, it also makes sense because
05:24it's so inexpensive.
05:26But for the average user, because of the age of those machines, you're going to have to
05:30replace stuff.
05:31Like, at the very least, the battery is going to have to be swapped out relatively soon.
05:34Those things have like a thousand cycle lifespan, and they're not super easy or cheap to replace.
05:39I think just for most people that are interested in getting into that MacBook ecosystem, the
05:44newer like refurb models are just a safer option right now than the cheaper, like much
05:50older units, just because of how old those units are getting.
05:53Okay, there's one last thing I want to kind of leave you with, just kind of food for thought.
05:56Traditionally, one of the characteristics that MacBooks have had is really good resale
06:02value.
06:03As I mentioned earlier, the resale market of the 2014, 2015 models is quite active,
06:08but with the 2016 and onwards devices, because these are so difficult and expensive, and
06:15in some cases impossible to repair or upgrade, the resale value of these might be affected
06:20by that.
06:21Because if someone buys one of these secondhand and the RAM or the drive goes down, it's not
06:26like a $100 or $200 replacement of that component, it's the replacement of the entire motherboard.
06:31It's expensive.
06:32It's like seven, eight hundred bucks at the base, so that's what we have here with Apple's
06:36current laptop lineup, but if you really want one, well, now you know.
06:40Okay, hope you guys enjoyed this video, thumbs if you liked it, subs if you loved it.
06:43See you guys next time.