Is this a decent MacBook Pro?

It will only be used for basics.  Not gaming or anything fancy schmancy.

http://www.1sale.com/products/apple-macbook-pro-computer-intel-core-i5-13-3-display-4gb-memory-md101lla-3/

It's four years old and might not have the ability to take more RAM but if you use it lightly, it might be fine. Gazelle is selling it even cheaper here.

Thanks, Tom.  Looks like the Gazelle one is a refurb, no?

Tom_Reingold said:

It's four years old and might not have the ability to take more RAM but if you use it lightly, it might be fine. Gazelle is selling it even cheaper here.

jeffl said:

Thanks, Tom.  Looks like the Gazelle one is a refurb, no?

Yes, so if the other is new, you might as well go with that. Mind you, old batteries don't hold charges so well, even if they haven't been used since they were made.

Next question:  Is this one better?  It's newer (2015) with a slower processor but it's an Air, so it's much lighter.  If all that it will be used for is word processing and the internet, is the Air good enough?

"Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long."

Yes, it will be good for a period of time, probably shorter than something with more power and capacity. It may be a good choice for you, especially if the thinness and lightness are of value.

Thanks again, Tom.  Might just stick with the Pro. 

IMHO, $799 is way to much money for a 4 year old laptop, with only 12800x800 resolution and non SSD storage. Looking at the apple website I would rather pony up a bit more money and get a 13 inch air, or if you want to stay under $800, get a convertible or 2in1 windows laptop with the latest core i5, a full HD touchscreen and SSD storage. Websurfing on the couch with a touchscreen beats the pants of any old clamshell laptop. 

jeffl said:

Thanks again, Tom.  Might just stick with the Pro. 

Either is a good choice for the obvious different reasons. These machines last a good long time even though when they cease being useful, we bemoan how short they last. As I may have mentioned, my work-issued computer is a 2014 Macbook Pro. It continues to amaze me with its performance and reliability. And I often use both Thunderbolt ports at once, so that has been useful. The Air has only one.

Hmmm.  Now I'm wavering.  Thanks, guys.  Maybe the Air.  Maybe the Pro.  I think I'll go with the 2015 vs the 2012. 

Yes, as much as I like the better value of most used things, I don't see it in computers.

Neither are used.  One is just old!

Tom_Reingold said:

Yes, as much as I like the better value of most used things, I don't see it in computers.

I spent several months agonizing over used MacBooks. I finally went with a refurbished mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro 2.6GHz, 8GB, 128GB SSD, Retina display for $979 from Apple. It hit the sweet spot for me of being old enough to save quite a bit of money but new enough that it will still provide many years of service. The alternative was a new MacBook Air for almost the exact same price ($949), but the Pro, with the more powerful processor, seemed to offer a longer useful life, and size/weight were not an issue. It just arrived last week, and it is so much more portable than the clunky old Toshiba laptop it replaced. I don't regret not getting the Air.

One thing I noticed in my spreadsheet is that if gazelle and Apple Refurbished have the exact same machine, it will have the same price. I felt better about buying it from Apple. 

You can drive yourself nuts trying to settle on something. Good luck!

Okay, crew, two more options:

http://www.1sale.com/products/apple-12-macbook-intel-core-m-1-1ghz-8gb-ram-256gb-flash-early-2015-gold/

Or I just go to the Apple Store in the mall and buy an Air and be done with it!

I have no experience with the new MacBook, so I can't tell you how it compares to the Air. My understanding is that the Core M processor (which is in the MacBook) is not as fast as the Core i7 processors (in the Air), but I don't know a whole lot about that kind of stuff.

Having said all that, if you DO decide on an Air, I personally wouldn't buy a new one at the Apple Store. I'd go for this Apple-certified refurb:

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/G0RJ1LL/A/refurbished-133-inch-macbook-air-22ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i7

It's essentially the $1200-level Air for $1150.

Once you've paid whatever price you pay, you're not going to bemoan the amount of money you spent, but if you get something that doesn't work well, you will regret it. If you want to be sure you'll love the machine, buy new. If you are sure the refurb or old machine will satisfy you, buy that.

Not to be argumentative --because in the big picture I agree with Tom-- but to be completely clear, the refurb I linked to is the current model Air, and it comes with exactly the same warranty as new.

Thanks for clarifying. In that case, how can you go wrong?