Every Mac I’ve bought in the past 20 years has been via Apple’s refurbished section of their online store. Full warranty, current or recent gen models, good discounts.
+1 for the refurb store. Usually at least a couple of hundred bucks off for an effectively brand new unit in normal packaging with a full warranty.
Apple has just recently transitioned to an entirely new CPU architecture and they did that because the old architecture was starting to get pretty shit especially for gaming.
So unfortunately I don't recommend buying anything too old. You want an "M1" as a bare minimum and preferably with 16GB of RAM. It probably won't be as cheap as you were hoping, since the M1 is a fairly recent model. Anything older is a waste of money in my opinion.
Apple has two laptop lines, "Pro" and "Air". Both will run WOW perfectly fine (if they have an M1 or newer). The Air is going to be cheaper unless you find a really good deal on a secondhand Pro.
As for where to find them - I'd start with Facebook Marketplace.
There are anti-theft features built into all Apple products. The seller will need to unlock the laptop before selling it to you. DO NOT buy anything from Apple that hasn't been unlocked. Aside from potentially being stolen, the lock cannot be bypassed. You'll end up with a computer you cannot use.
The seller needs to follow these steps: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201065 and as a buyer you need to make sure they have been followed.
To add to this and clarify:
While there are ways to remove activation lock, it is either with the method you posted, or by providing Apple with a copy/scan/etc of the original (i.e., the one that matches Apple’s records) purchase receipt, that must also clearly show the device’s serial number.
I bought AirPods Max from Amazon used and they were still tied to the previous owner.
Even though I send receipts and everything to Apple, they said they cannot remove the connection to the previous owner’s account.
Just to keep this in mind, what you said might not work every time.
Did you provide Apple with the receipt you got from Amazon when you purchased them? Or did the original owner provide you a copy of the receipt when they purchased them?
Because before Apple will remove activation lock they would want to see a copy of the second.
Apple doesn’t give a shit about the receipt that shows you purchased second-hand, they only care about the receipt that matches their records of where the device was originally sold.
Noted and thank you good tips
Does it need to be a laptop? The M1 Mac minis can be found for pretty cheap. This particular deal is dead, but I’ve seen it or similar a few times now. Something like that would let you get their new silicon without breaking the bank.
Swappa
not sure where you live, so shipping might be different in other area but for the US this is a good site
Amazon currently has new 13” MacBook Airs for $749. With 8GB of ram though.
owc macsales besides what others suggested.
I have now made some good experiences with sites like rebuy.de. Refurbished devices with up to 3 years of warranty.
At this point I would try to swing an M1 air if you can. My guess is that there's going to be a significant difference in longevity as they transition to only supporting their own hardware.
After reading everyone's comments yeah I'm thinking the M1 Air.
Best buy has pretty decent open box deals
Also, if you buy from apple online you can go through the education store and they don't ask for student ID verification
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