My “computer” since 2013 has been a 15" MacBook Pro, which at the time was about the highest performance machine you could buy. Quad-core i7, 16GB RAM, “only” 256GB SSD but I believe strongly in keeping large amounts of data - my photos, videos, and backups - on multiple external SSD drives. The display was (and still is) absolutely crystal clear, and more than enough screen-space for the work I do.
I have been an Apple computer fan since the 80’s, based on quality and intuitiveness of the UI and as a result, the apps themselves.
So I when my 2013 MBP started to have issues, I limped along. Battery I replaced twice, not unexpected on a machine this old. $40 and less than 30 minutes. Then the speakers quit - likely the amplifier as they both started to have issues at the same time. Finally, the keyboard. The case is rigid but there must be some flex which has affected the circuitry - it’s been used daily for all those years.
I decided at this point in my life, I could “get by” on a 13" Air, the cheapest option that would meet my needs, but even that was out of reach. I looked around on Craigslist and Failbook Marketplace and found many used options. We have a major college here nearby with what I assume are a lot of students who had mommy and daddy buy them a nice new laptop for school, but rarely used it and just want some cash. There are a few people selling quite a number of these, so I assume they are snapping them up from departing students.
So, I got a 2019 Macbook Pro 16" for $400! It’s like new, has 2.5x performance according to benchmarks (6-core i7), double the storage (500GB), a better display and keyboard, much larger trackpad, and it’s actually smaller and lighter than the 15" I had as the screen bezel is much narrower, and technology had improved to where the Pro is barely any thicker than the air. The sound is amazing - not just because I was using a good quality BT speaker for some time now. It’s way better than that, and the “surround” stereo effect is amazing. Battery life is about double. I have read that Apple released this model to build the best laptop they could at the time, and I believe it. Add to all that the touch-bar which I quickly came to love, and touch-key to unlock (fingerprint). Winner winner chicken dinner.
The only drawback is the switch to all USB-C, but I can live with that, and therefore the loss of the mag-safe charging connection but, again, easy to live with as a breakaway magnetic USB-C connector was just a few bucks.
