01-16-2013, 12:39 PM
Magic,
My first thought is to say, "Don't put any money into the Macbook. It's already cost you some and throwing in a new logic board into such an old machine is definitely not cost effective." But, they are offering you a flat rate repair of $288 + tax. That's not a bad deal as long as it _includes_ parts. If it _doesn't_ include parts, then repairing the machine isn't cost effective.
You might be able to part out the old machine, combine it with the money you'd've spent repairing said machine and use the combined amount to buy another used Mac. But, used Macbooks of similar vintage from a reputable online store are in the $400 to $500+ range. So, after doing that, you'll end up with a Mac of similar vintage to the one you just parted out. Doesn't make sense to me to follow that course of action. you may as well just repair the old machine and be done with it.
Something else to consider... Macs make great Windows machines. It's easy enough to run Windows via Parallels or Fusion. Not sure how this would do for gaming but it's doable for general purpose computing. Or, windows can be installed in an external and run natively. End result, a dual purpose machine. I'm not a fan of this only because of the limited specs of the Mac. If your son really wants a PC, he'd be better off with a new PC notebook.
$400 to $500 also gets you a brand-new PC notebook of basic capabilities for a teenager. It'll be noticeably more capable than the old Macbook. $500 to $1000 gets you a surprisingly capable PC notebook. It's a matter of what kind of deal you can find when you actually buy the machine. And, there are always deals on PC notebooks. Check out to see what kind of deals are available.
If money is an issue and that $288 includes parts, repair the old Mac. It'll be the best bang for the buck if you want to stay with a Mac. Another option is tell your son you'll give him the money you'd've used towards the cost of repairs and he can either repair the old Mac or use that money with some of his own to purchase a PC.
Nearly forgot... If he ends up with a Windows machine, don't forget the cost of software. The machine will ship with a basic productivity package but not necessarily anything useful and/or capable of opening docs produced on his old machine. (I'm assuming if you part out the old machine, you'll find a way to retrieve data off the old drive).
Something else to think about... If he uses the cash to buy a Windows box, you can still part out the old machine. Think in terms of selling chassis, display, etc. Keep the old drive and toss it into an enclosure and use it for backups.
Robert
My first thought is to say, "Don't put any money into the Macbook. It's already cost you some and throwing in a new logic board into such an old machine is definitely not cost effective." But, they are offering you a flat rate repair of $288 + tax. That's not a bad deal as long as it _includes_ parts. If it _doesn't_ include parts, then repairing the machine isn't cost effective.
You might be able to part out the old machine, combine it with the money you'd've spent repairing said machine and use the combined amount to buy another used Mac. But, used Macbooks of similar vintage from a reputable online store are in the $400 to $500+ range. So, after doing that, you'll end up with a Mac of similar vintage to the one you just parted out. Doesn't make sense to me to follow that course of action. you may as well just repair the old machine and be done with it.
Something else to consider... Macs make great Windows machines. It's easy enough to run Windows via Parallels or Fusion. Not sure how this would do for gaming but it's doable for general purpose computing. Or, windows can be installed in an external and run natively. End result, a dual purpose machine. I'm not a fan of this only because of the limited specs of the Mac. If your son really wants a PC, he'd be better off with a new PC notebook.
$400 to $500 also gets you a brand-new PC notebook of basic capabilities for a teenager. It'll be noticeably more capable than the old Macbook. $500 to $1000 gets you a surprisingly capable PC notebook. It's a matter of what kind of deal you can find when you actually buy the machine. And, there are always deals on PC notebooks. Check out
If money is an issue and that $288 includes parts, repair the old Mac. It'll be the best bang for the buck if you want to stay with a Mac. Another option is tell your son you'll give him the money you'd've used towards the cost of repairs and he can either repair the old Mac or use that money with some of his own to purchase a PC.
Nearly forgot... If he ends up with a Windows machine, don't forget the cost of software. The machine will ship with a basic productivity package but not necessarily anything useful and/or capable of opening docs produced on his old machine. (I'm assuming if you part out the old machine, you'll find a way to retrieve data off the old drive).
Something else to think about... If he uses the cash to buy a Windows box, you can still part out the old machine. Think in terms of selling chassis, display, etc. Keep the old drive and toss it into an enclosure and use it for backups.
Robert