Looking to buy a mac for girlfriend

[The Tired Technician]

So I have a total of about 200 bucks to play with when it comes to buying a machine. My girlfriend isn't really a gamer at all, and she doesn't do anything even remotely close to intensive. I just want to get her something that functions with her iPhone and she can be happy with. If need be I have a 720p old 22 inch TV with an HDMI port on it for her to use as a display. And I have a cheap Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse for her to use as well. I just need the machine for a maximum of 200 US bucks. I'm a PC guy looking to buy a mac, so help on any ignorance I have would be appreciated. I guess so long as its constructive and not just being an ass. Thanks.

[SorryBella]

1 minute ago, The_iDOLmAster said:

So I have a total of about 200 bucks to play with when it comes to buying a machine.

Youre going to really only looking at deprecated intel macbook air at that price bracket, or newer broken ones that you gonna need around 150$ in parts and tools. Either way, youre going to be screwed once rosetta 2 is deprecated and apps stops being updated for intel macs.

[GDRRiley]

nothing in that price range as a mac, even older mac minis are more

maybe a Mackbook air at 400$

[Arika]

Completely depends on the used market in your area, $200 isn't a lot of money. Going by US ebay, you're not really going to get something newer than a 2012 macbook, maybe 2013 if you're lucky or a 2014ish or older mac mini.

 

Unfortunately when it comes to the used market and machines that old, it's hard to recommend any specific models to lookout for since it depends on how it's been treated by it's previous owner.

[The Tired Technician]

8 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

Youre going to really only looking at deprecated intel macbook air at that price bracket, or newer broken ones that you gonna need around 150$ in parts and tools. Either way, youre going to be screwed once rosetta 2 is deprecated and apps stops being updated for intel macs.

I thought Apple had already discontinued support for the older stuff. Which I was willing to buy, as long as it worked. But youre saying Apple will just straight up make it unusable in the future?

[BondiBlue]

2 minutes ago, The_iDOLmAster said:

But youre saying Apple will just straight up make it unusable in the future?

Apple is already a full year into the transition away from Intel CPUs. Developers won't keep releasing programs for Intel systems forever, just like during the PowerPC transition. That's not to mention the fact that the oldest MacBook Pro that is supported is only from 2015, and same for the Air. 

 

$200 is simply not enough to buy a Mac that will last several years with proper software support. Basically anything you can buy for that amount of money will be incompatible with macOS Monterey. 

[The Tired Technician]

8 minutes ago, BondiBlue said:

Apple is already a full year into the transition away from Intel CPUs. Developers won't keep releasing programs for Intel systems forever, just like during the PowerPC transition. That's not to mention the fact that the oldest MacBook Pro that is supported is only from 2015, and same for the Air. 

 

$200 is simply not enough to buy a Mac that will last several years with proper software support. Basically anything you can buy for that amount of money will be incompatible with macOS Monterey. 

Alright, thanks for the information. I guess i'll just give her something else for birthday. And maybe do the mac thing for Christmas. Thanks again.