Buying a used Macbook. Advice sought.

[whitecadillac]

I need a laptop to compliment my Imac. There seems to be some pretty good deals around on used Macbooks. Apart from the obvious of turning it on, checking out the display and making sure the drive works are there any other things I should do?

And yes, "stay away from the idea" is something I am open to hearing too.

Thanks.

[Rattle&Hum]

Get the battery details (how well does it hold a charge, etc). If its a couple years old it may have been part of Apple's battery recall program (overheating, etc). Really, that's standard procedure when buying a used laptop.

[claudel]

Get one that still has time left on the AppleCare.

[guitartech]

I need a laptop to compliment my Imac. There seems to be some pretty good deals around on used Macbooks. Apart from the obvious of turning it on, checking out the display and making sure the drive works are there any other things I should do?

And yes, "stay away from the idea" is something I am open to hearing too.

Thanks.

I've bought quite a few used mac laptops over the years. I also usually buy refurbs to save a little money and they have the same warranty. Like Rattle&Hum said, the battery is one of the the things to look at. Also, if you get to spend enough time with it look for the fan running more than normal. This can indicate motherboard issues which adds up to $$. Like anything else bought used, Caveat Emptor :)

[Papajuice]

Check the refurbs on Apples site, have seen a few for only a few more dollars than used.

[hippiebob]

+1 on Refurbished models on Apple's web store.

[whitecadillac]

Thanks for all the advice.

[TwoGeez]

Never buy a used laptop unless you're buying it from a reputable dealer.

[Flying Panda]

http://www.dealmac.com

Bargains can be found there.