MAC Notebook Question

[silkworm]

I recently heard that the MAC Notebook- or one of the MAC's - is going to be discontinued. Does anyone know if this is true and if it is true, would I be able to buy RAM if I purchase a used MAC notebook? Do people outside of Marin County read these posts? I feel I am missing more than half of this community posting under Marin. Thanks. Gena

[Barry]

I recently heard that the MAC Notebook- or one of the MAC's - is going to be discontinued. Does anyone know if this is true and if it is true, would I be able to buy RAM if I purchase a used MAC notebook?

Apple recently updated their MacBook Air line and they did a fabulous job with them. I highly recommend them! I think that line will be around for a long time. If you need a larger screen then plug in an external monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Even if they were to discontinue it, or the MacBook Pro's, you would still be able to get memory from Apple and 3rd party suppliers for many years. I just checked the apple store and they are still selling memory for the first MacBook Pro from 2007.

[pexpert6]

... I wanted to ask your advice/opinion on buying used MAC - and the one that has been discontinued: will I be able to buy RAM for it? ...

See Barry's response. I suggest you research the specs for your computer, which should also tell you specific technical info about what RAM to get. There's several sources for RAM, online or in the Bay Area. BUT since you don't appear to be very technically savvy, you'd probably be better off taking your 'puter to someone who services a Mac, pay them to do it for you, right.

... I just got a used desktop MAC from Craig's list and was quite fortunate to get this good one. Cost is a concern. I don't see any with 4 MB (is that the right initials?) as my instructor said to get. This notebook (?) would be a backup for the one I'd primarily use at home....

Re: buying used computers...
I no longer buy used electronics from an unknown source (Craigslist or eBay). Just too damn much that can go wrong (as I've learned), some of which may not be readily apparent. Instead, I intend to buy it from a known source, like one that repairs/refurbishes that brand, along with some sort of warranty.

As to your specific question, without knowing a specific model & configuration, there's no way to answer your question. Educate yourself before you go buying complex items, or go to a truly trusted expert who can guide you to the right solution for YOU.

Finally, you need to keep in mind that modern computers are VERY complex pieces of equipment. That means any number of things can go wrong, beginning in about 5 years. Hard drives *will* fail, as will optical drives that get much use, & displays can, too. (Laptops are even more prone to failure, since they likely get rough treatment compared to a desktop that simply sits on a desk.) What you save on an old computer you can easily double or triple with repairs, especially since you're not technically savvy, not to mention the potential time you lose with a non-working computer, & valuable lost data.

All that being said, again, go to a trusted source, get a newer computer (finding the manufacture date or date range is easy enough) if you can't afford a new computer. If you have the money for a desktop & a laptop, spend your money wisely, or just focus on ONE, & take very good care of it (& your data). With backups on hand, you can always resort to someone else's computer to access, modify, print or email.

Good luck,
Ric