Sometimes these pixels are located in areas that you’ll barely notice, and other times they’re in the middle of the screen where you’re looking 90% of the time. The older the display, the more likely you’ll have stuck or dead pixels. Nobody likes dead pixels, but many displays suffer from them in time. Apple Does the Display Have Dead Pixels or Other Problems? Most MacBooks released in the last five or so years will only have USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports, so keep this in mind if you want to bring a flash drive or USB cable for this purpose. Desktop models like the Mac mini may need to be hooked up via HDMI so make sure that the display output works as expected. Obvious damage to ports should ring alarm bells, and if you can you should test these ports. On a MacBook replacing the trackpad can often be very difficult without replacing other much more expensive components inside the machine. Older trackpads with physical moving parts are more prone to issues than the newer “ Force Touch” models which simulate the “click” using haptics. While Apple will repair any problems for free, you should still draw any issues to the seller’s attention since this will affect the value of the machine.ĭon’t forget to test trackpads and mice too. This is especially important on MacBooks made between 20, which used Apple’s dreaded “Butterfly” keyboard for which there is an official service program now in place. If you’re buying a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, ensure that it registers touch inputs and shows contextual controls for whatever app you’re using. Make sure all of the keys work, including the power button and fingerprint sensor if present. If you’re buying a MacBook or desktop Mac that includes peripherals, test the keyboard fully and make sure everything feels and behaves as it should.

Apple Silicon ARM Macs: Which Should You Buy? Are the Keyboard and Trackpad in Good Order?

A Mac with an Apple Silicon processor should remain cool and quiet even under a medium load. This is something you’ll have to “feel out” by hand, but it stands to reason that a MacBook shouldn’t be too hot to touch or blaring the fans while idle or under very little load.īe aware that older Intel Macs may run much hotter than newer Apple Silicon models with an M1 or similar processor. Excessive heat can be caused by dust build-up inside of the machine and if you’re happy to clean a MacBook out for yourself then you may want to take the risk.

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