Understand
Buying a used MacBook Pro instead of paying Apple to fix a broken display
Overview
After breaking the display on a 16-inch MacBook Pro and receiving an expensive repair quote from Apple, the author bought a used first-generation Apple Silicon MacBook Pro 14-inch with 32GB of RAM on Craigslist for $1,000 Canadian. The alternative device solved memory workflow limitations despite having a smaller screen, lower gaming performance, and older I/O limitations compared to newer models.
Key points
- Apple quoted approximately $1,200 Canadian to repair a broken 16-inch MacBook Pro display.
- The author bought a used 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip and 32GB of RAM on Craigslist for $1,000 Canadian.
- The 32GB of RAM improved Premiere Pro video editing workflows compared to the previous base 16GB model, despite rendering slightly slower.
- The M1 Pro laptop showed noticeable performance drops in gaming and Cinebench tests compared to an M2 Pro model.
- The 14-inch screen felt too small for mobile workstation tasks, and the HDMI port only supported 4K at 60Hz.