Looking for a cheap Macbook or Mac Mini That Will Run X Code

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I'm squeezing the budget as low as possible on a project, and I'm going to need a Mac.

I have to get one that will run X Code for programming, and support an external monitor. From a performance perspective, I'd really like to see 2015 or later.

The battery can be dead. I don't care, so long as it still works off the AC adapter. Cosmetics are not important. The screen should work, but scratches aren't a problem. An External monitor will be used for programming.

It just needs to be reliable, have a fully functional keyboard, functional ports, functional on AC power, and not a dog. It needs to be compatible with MacOS High Sierra, but preferably with Mojave to use the latest functionality.

If you've got something, give me the specs and I can check if it'll do what I need.

Price? I want dirt cheap. In a perfect world, it would be less than $400, but this world isn't always perfect.

That said, I don't give a shit about dents, scratches (so long as the screen is functional across all pixels (stuck pixels are fine), the battery, or anything similar.

Just reply here if you've got something you can let go cheap. I'd rather buy here than Craigslist, but I do need one soon.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

robertf

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2006
4,781
356
-
FYI Xcode absolutely sucks on old hardware. If I didnt have a pile of crap mac mini Id probably use a cloud VM for development
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
FYI Xcode absolutely sucks on old hardware. If I didnt have a pile of crap mac mini Id probably use a cloud VM for development

I don't want any Apple product any more than I want another hole in my head, but I'm stuck.

You're certainly correct, but we're just going to use it with what we've already developed to enable Apple functionality.

The way we're doing this, the best way forward is with the genuine article. In the end it won't matter, but I've got this process extremely streamlined, partially to make a point in the industry. The most convenient and cost-effective solution to continue that success is an Apple product.

We're porting there first because it just makes sense. It's more efficient to move from Apple to Android and UWP than the other way around.

I wouldn't trust the dev rig I've slapped together from repaired spare parts for any more than it's doing now.

We don't need too much horsepower because of the efficiency whip I've cracked, unless the environment itself is molasses without it. The next time I point out a single byte that isn't required will probably get my teeth knocked out. :rofl:

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Just scored a deal. That's good. Sooner is better.

It won't be the fastest in the world, but it'll work.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Where did you get it from?

I got it from Ebay, because buyers are gods now, but I'm going to have to return it. I thought it was a 2015, but it's not. Click-bait title. I would have had more time to get past that if there hadn't have been only one left, with about a million people watching it.

Still. He knew what he was doing when he put 2015 in the title, and failed to clarify in the listing.

The machine was accurately updated, though. 1TB hybrid drive, a new battery, an AC adapter, and all. If it did what I want, I'd have left him alone. Since it doesn't, he's getting nailed for click-bait.

Haven't bothered to check the actual year, but I'd sell it for what I paid if someone's in need of a machine that seems to top out at El Capitan. It's still a good deal, but just not for what I need. $410 or so by the time shipping was tacked on.

Of course, sooner or later he's going to have to take the return, so if someone wants it, now's the time. I got a one year seller-backed warranty, but I doubt it's transferrable.

So, I'm still looking. At this point, I may as well get something that will run Mojave. If someone has one for less than $500, let me know.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Spin up a MacOS VM. Hypervisor patches here: https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/files/

It's better for us to actually use the genuine hardware, unfortunately.

There are numerous reasons. Believe me, if I could avoid it, I would. Most people would avoid it even in this scenario, but the results of their development would be (as things usually are) less than ideal.

We don't do "less than ideal". We deal exclusively in perfection. :cool:

Cheers,

Kennith
 

JUKE179r

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2016
761
95
Suffolkshire, UK
Nothing says less than ideal like a second hand mac ;)
Last month I bought a dead 13" MacBook Pro 8,1 for $80 from a coworker.
Found the power cord to be bad so I spent another $20 for a new power cord and powered up the MBP.
Now I have an fully operational $500 MBP with a hard drive full of the guy's home porn videos of his wife.
 
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