Second hand tips

[Mr_Spencer]

One of my sons has asked me to go with him tomorrow night to look at a G5 iMac advertised in the local paper. We both know a fair bit about Macs but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to look for in a second hand Mac, any way of spotting problems, etc.

 

[sgould]

Seller should have the DVD install disc that came with it. You could run a hardward test by booting from it. Also use Disk Utility and do a hard disc Verify/Repair. And check all the keys on the keyboard work. Running the hardware test will check the DVD/CD drive.

Check for missing pixels. Check that the wifi works and that the USB/Firewire/Ethernet sockets work. Take some leads with you and something to plug into them.

 

[Giaguara]

When buying, ask for original receipt or proof of purchase.
Make a written paper with the seller when buying or selling, what is sold and when and for what price and what condition and what is included.
If it comes with AppleCare etc, call AppleCare to check the history of the serial number (with the owner), if it has had any repairs, warranty extensions, anything unusual etc.

Test with some applications, see how fast or slow everything seems to run, how well the Mac is maintained etc.