March 6, 2025 – by Budget Tech Explorer

Look, we’ve all been there – scrolling through deals, desperately wanting a MacBook but not willing to sell a kidney to afford one. So when I spotted this 2019 MacBook Pro 13.3″ for just $424.97 (down from $1,499!) on the New York Post deals section, I almost broke my finger clicking “buy” so fast. But then the doubt crept in… Refurbished? A 2019 model in 2025? Was I making a massive mistake?

Well, it’s been 3 weeks now living with this “vintage” Mac, and I’ve got THOUGHTS. Spoiler alert: they’re mostly good ones! But this definitely isn’t for everyone…

The Great Refurbishment Gamble

First off, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – buying refurbished. I was nervous af about this. Would it arrive looking like it had been dragged behind a car? Would it die after 2 days? The listing promised “fully tested and restored to excellent condition,” but we all know how those promises sometimes go.

When the package arrived, I literally recorded myself opening it… just in case I needed evidence for a return lol. But surprise! It looked… almost new??? There was ONE tiny ding on the bottom corner that I had to search for to even notice. The screen was pristine, keyboard showed barely any wear, and it came in packaging that looked pretty official.

The battery health showed 89% capacity, which honestly exceeded my expectations for a 6-year-old laptop. It came with the original charger (a bit yellowed but working perfectly) and even had that satisfying plastic peel on the bottom. Small joys, people!

2019 Hardware in a 2025 World – How Bad Is It?

Let’s be real – this isn’t cutting edge tech anymore. This model has the 8th-gen Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. In 2019, this was solid mid-range. In 2025? It’s definitely showing its age.

BUT – and this is a big but – it handles daily tasks WAY better than you’d expect. My typical workday includes:

• Chrome with like 10-12 tabs open
• Spotify running
• Slack and Discord open simultaneously
• Word/Excel/Google Docs
• Occasional Zoom calls

And guess what? It handles all that just fine! Sure, it gets warm (more on that in a bit), and there’s the occasional beachball if I push it too hard, but for basic productivity? Totally serviceable.

Where you WILL notice limitations:

• Video editing? Forget about it. I tried to edit a 5-min 4K clip in iMovie and thought the fans were gonna launch the laptop into orbit
• Modern gaming? Lol nope. Minecraft runs ok though!
• Photoshop/Lightroom? Works for basic edits but gets laggy with complex files
• Multiple external monitors? It supports one just fine, two makes it struggle

The Infamous Butterfly Keyboard… It’s Actually Fine?

So this model has the notorious butterfly keyboard that Apple eventually abandoned. I’d read horror stories about keys failing if you so much as breathed on them wrong, so I was prepared for the worst.

Well, 3 weeks in, and… it’s actually fine? The keys are definitely shallow and take some getting used to, but I’m typing this entire review on it and my fingers aren’t crying. The tactile feedback is satisfying in a weird way. Kinda like typing on a really fancy calculator?

I DO keep a can of compressed air nearby because I’m paranoid about crumbs, and I’m definitely more careful eating around this laptop than any computer I’ve ever owned. Is that ideal? No. But for the price savings, I can deal with being a little extra careful.

The trackpad, btw, is still AMAZING. This is where even older MacBooks destroy most new Windows laptops. It’s big, responsive, and the haptic feedback feels incredibly natural. Apple nailed this years ago and it shows.

Heat and Noise – The Most 2019 Things About It

If there’s one thing that REALLY dates this laptop, it’s the thermals. This bad boy gets HOT. Like, uncomfortably warm if you’re actually using it on your lap for more than an hour. The fans also kick in pretty frequently during video calls or when opening particularly heavy websites.

The fan noise isn’t terrible – more of a whoosh than a whine – but it’s definitely noticeable in a quiet room. My partner has commented on it a few times while we’re watching TV and I’m browsing on the couch.

Battery life is… existant? I get about 4-5 hours of real-world use, which pales in comparison to the new M-series Macs that seemingly run on actual magic. But compared to my previous Windows laptop that would die if you looked at it wrong after 2 hours, I’ll take it!

macOS Compatibility – The Real MVP

Here’s the BIGGEST reason this purchase makes sense in 2025 – Apple’s software support is ridiculous. This 2019 model is running the latest version of macOS with ZERO issues. All the new features work smoothly, security updates arrive promptly, and I haven’t encountered any compatibility problems with modern apps.

Try running the latest Windows on a 6-year-old PC laptop… go ahead, I’ll wait while your computer explodes.

Apple says this model should receive macOS updates for at least another 2 years, which means I’m getting a machine that’s still very much supported despite its age. That’s crazy value for $425!

Ports Situation – Vintage Has Its Perks

Remember when laptops used to have useful ports built-in? Pepperidge Farm remembers, and so does this 2019 MacBook Pro! You get:

• 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C)
• A headphone jack (revolutionary, I know)

Ok so it’s not LOADED with ports, but compared to some newer laptops that give you USB-C and NOTHING ELSE, it’s refreshing to not need dongles for basic headphones. I did buy a USB-C hub for $25 that gives me HDMI, USB-A, and SD card access, which has worked perfectly.

The Screen – Still Gorgeous After All These Years

The Retina display on this thing is beautiful, even by 2025 standards. Colors are vibrant, text is super crisp, and brightness is more than adequate for indoor use. Max brightness tops out around 500 nits, which is fine for most situations except direct sunlight.

It lacks some of the fancier features of newer displays (no ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, no mini-LED), but for everyday use, I genuinely don’t miss those things. Netflix looks great, photos pop, and my eyes don’t strain after long work sessions.

The bezels definitely date it though – they’re noticeably thicker than modern laptops. But once you’re focused on the content, you completely forget about them.

Storage – The Only Real Bottleneck

If there’s one spec I wish I could change, it’s the storage. 256GB fills up FAST in 2025. I’ve already had to move some of my larger files to an external drive, and I’m constantly playing storage management tetris.

The SSD itself is still speedy though! Boot times are quick, apps launch without much delay, and file transfers are respectable. It’s just the capacity that’s limiting.

Protip: If you’re considering a similar deal, factor in the cost of cloud storage or an external drive. I grabbed a 1TB portable SSD for $65 on sale, and that’s been a lifesaver.

Who Should Buy This (and who DEFINITELY shouldn’t)

This refurbished MacBook Pro is PERFECT for:

• College students on a tight budget
• Writers, bloggers, and basic productivity users
• First-time Mac users who want to try the ecosystem without committing big $$
• People who need a reliable secondary machine
• Anyone who primarily uses web-based applications

Do NOT buy this if:

• You need to edit video regularly
• You’re a photographer working with large RAW files
• You’re a gamer (but why are you looking at Macs anyway?)
• You absolutely need all-day battery life
• You can’t stand fan noise
• You’re clumsy with food/drinks near electronics (butterfly keyboard, remember?)

The Value Proposition – Is 71% Off Worth It?

Let’s do some quick math. A new M4 MacBook Air costs $999. This refurbished 2019 Pro was $424.97. That’s a difference of about $575.

What can’t this do that the new one can? Video editing, heavy multitasking, all-day battery, completely silent operation. Is that worth the extra $575 to you? For many people, especially students or casual users, probably not!

I figure I’ll get at least 2-3 more years out of this machine for my needs. That breaks down to about $12-18 per month. For a computer that lets me do my job, stream content, and browse without issues, that’s a steal in my book.

Final Thoughts – No Regrets (mostly)

Three weeks in, and I’m actually shocked at how satisfied I am with this purchase. Yes, it’s older tech. Yes, it runs hot. Yes, I have mild anxiety about crumbs near the keyboard. But it WORKS, it looks great, and it didn’t break the bank.

The $424.97 price tag for a genuine Apple experience feels like I’ve somehow gamed the system. While everyone else is debating which kidney to sell for the latest and greatest, I’m over here with a perfectly functional MacBook Pro that handles 90% of what most people need.

Would I recommend this exact deal? If you have similar needs and expectations to mine, absolutely. Just be realistic about what you’re getting – this is a 2019 machine trying its best in 2025. It’s not cutting edge, but it’s far from obsolete.

For the budget-conscious who still want that Apple experience, taking a chance on premium refurbished gear might be the best tech decision you make this year. Just maybe keep that compressed air handy… juuuust in case.

Rating: 8/10 – An incredible value with predictable compromises

P.S. If anyone from Apple is reading this – I still hate the butterfly keyboard design, but I’m learning to live with it. Please never bring it back though, k thanks.