I think I got a bargain!

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Hi guys, one of my main posts on here was the iPad only experiment which was going well. I did have some inclinations and notions to get a desktop or laptop in support of the iPad, but managed to stick to a ‘I don’t need it’ mentality.

That was, until I saw this brand new on UK retailer Curry’s website: a 2017 MacBook Pro 13" in silver with 256GB SSD for £899.

It was too good to pass up on!

I don’t have the money sitting about sally to to have kept the iPad as I’m saving for a house deposit, but I got £450 for the iPad Air 3. That’s not bad considering I got it with student discount, including reduced Apple Care and a pair of free headphones which knocked a further chunk off the price, for 6 months use I got a good deal and so did the eBay buyer who was kind enough to send a message of thanks due to it being like new.

First impressions, it’s nice to be back. Definitely not as portable, definitely not as good for eBooks or magazines, definitely not as robust for everyday knocks. But I’ve started using my iPhone XR for reading and making use of it more in between.

The beautiful display (so rich and bright for outdoors), the built in keyboard has proven to be handy over carrying multiple peripherals, that Mac trackpad - the best in the world undoubtably. The speakers are insane. And using it at the desk with monitor is slightly better to iPad. I found that I didn’t get much done in the iPad at a cafe or on the beach, only when I sat down at the desk and for that, the Mac is proving to be worthwhile.

Do you guys think I got a good deal?

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Seems nice, and a good price. I’m UK-based too (Birmingham). Might take a virtual stroll over to Curry’s website and see what other bargains there are. Good luck with saving up for the house.

Ian

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That sounds like a great purchase, yes the tech is a little bit dated, however my late 2016 is still a perfect laptop for everything I need.

My only issue would be the keyboard, just be a little bit careful eating near it and keep a can of compressed air handy. Apple has a keyboard repair program, so if you have problems you’ll be covered for a while.

I’m lucky to have a 2019 MacBook Pro that work issued me, so between that and my iPad Pro My experience lines up with yours. They are indeed different devices for different situations. Having both is a luxury, however in the wfh / iso times it is nice to be able to seperate work/study (MacBook) from leisure (more iPad) time.

Enjoy your MacBook Pro! Oh and make sure that you get a set app subscription, if only for bettertouchtool, istat menus and clean my Mac (you’ll find 256GB of storage will fill up, the space finder is a great way to quickly find what is hogging space), not to mention the seemingly 100s of apps that come with the subscription.

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