So, I want a Mavericks-compatible laptop...

[Wowfunhappy]

...and I'm looking for recommendations.

I'm not sure which direction to go in. I need something fairly powerful (relative to 2013), so it can still be used comfortably in 2020 and beyond. On the other hand, I greatly value portability in laptops, preferring the Macbook Air line in the past—so I'm not sure what direction to go here.

I was originally hoping to go the Hackintosh route, which is something I have a lot of experience in (on desktops). But, well, I forgot how *bad* Windows laptops are. I bought an HP Elitebook Revolve 810 on eBay, because it's quite powerful, and unlike any Mac it can convert into a tablet! (Yes, with a fully working touchscreen, on OS X!) But, the trackpad is terrible, the microphone is unusable awful, and the speakers are too quiet... PCs always manage to screw up on the details.

So I'm back to looking at real Macs. Should I just go with a 2013 Air or should I try a 13-inch Pro? And, any tips on finding a fully-upgraded model in good condition?

 

[BrianBaughn]

I suppose most here would say it depends on what you want to do with it.

Everymac.com has the information of which laptops will run Mavericks.

https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks will show you comparative benchmarks for all Macs.

A site like macofalltrades.com is a decent place to look for used Macs. You can at least use it as a pricing guide.

 

[CooperBox]

Can we assume that you require Mavericks because you have software which is limited to OS 10.9?
You're probably aware that either a 2013 MBAir or a 13-inch MBPro will run the latest release OS 10.15.
If it were me I'd certainly choose a 2012 13-inch MBPro (non Retina) over the Air and 2013 MBPro. Why? All the components—including RAM and SSD are proprietary on the MBAir, and the RAM cannot be upgraded, so most models found on the market are stuck with the original 4GB. The 2013 13" MBPro has a proprietary storage drive connector which is not directly compatible with common M2 drives without a special adapter. Plus I believe the RAM cannot be upgraded.
Fwiw, I have a 2012 13" MBPro in daily use, with a Samsung 500 GB SSD and upgraded RAM running Mojave. A marvellous machine (which would also fly under OS 10.9 'Mavericks'). No way I'd change it for a 2013 Air or MBProRet.

If you are fixed on a cheaper, excellent Mac laptop just to run Mavericks, check out the mid 2010, white 2.4GHz MacBook A1342 which is totally upgradeable and will natively run High Sierra - if required. This particular model MacBook7,1 (not to be confused with the earlier MacBook6,1 which has the same A1342 model number) is very under-estimated. I have one which I've added a 250Gb SSD and upgraded 8GB RAM, also patched to run Mojave. Runs superbly, and yes it's only a Core2Duo which is more than enough for most bureaucratic and internet uses today as it runs the latest web browsers.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Can we assume that you require Mavericks because you have software which is limited to OS 10.9?

I want to use Mavericks because it will make me happy. I prefer the visuals and how the OS generally works. I did this downgrade with my desktop in March and it has been great.

If it were me I'd certainly choose a 2012 13-inch MBPro (non Retina) over the Air and 2013 MBPro. Why? All the components—including RAM and SSD are proprietary on the MBAir, and the RAM cannot be upgraded, so most models found on the market are stuck with the original 4GB. The 2013 13" MBPro has a proprietary storage drive connector which is not directly compatible with common M2 drives without a special adapter. Plus I believe the RAM cannot be upgraded.

Thanks! My big concern with the 2012 models is they have pre-Haswell processors; Haswell appears to have done absolute wonders for battery life. That matters a lot; I already have a desktop, so this machine won't spend much time near a power outlet.

 

[R2FX]

best option for laptop is 15” MacBook Pro 2.8GHz mid 2014 w GT750m (have one so can tell)

surprisingly comparable iMac from that era is not that much faster and has no retina screen

decent option is Mac mini 2012 w Kepler GPU in TB2 eGPU... tested it but had to start using Win10 on it due to WfH situation

I tried Mavericks w my Mac Pro too but I’m getting weird flickering on right side of my 4K panel (full heigh, some 30-50 pixels wide)... lowering resolution helped, but I wanted 4K and didn’t find satisfying solution (GPUs are D700 and machine has still one year or Apple care but nothing was found in local service center).


OT
Last thing on these machines is to upgrade SSD from factory version to 2015 (SSUBX) or later but pricier (SSPOLARIS)... should double the speed on these 2013-14 Macs and should still work w Mavericks

glad to see some others are still clinging to Mavericks - I absolutely love this OS version and infrequently use it on late 2008 17” MacBook Pro w hi-res screen - pure bliss....everything that came afterwards was a butchery in design, legibility and functionality

 

[Wowfunhappy]

best option for laptop is 15” MacBook Pro 2.8GHz mid 2014 w GT750m (have one so can tell)

Thank you! Is it substantially better than the 13" model? I just want something small. I'm used to an (even smaller) 11" Macbook Air.

I've actually been really leaning towards just getting a 2014 11" MBA, it's what I'm used to and I like that model. I'm just concerned about the longevity if I hold onto this for the next decade or so...

 

[R2FX]

15” is most powerful albeit not smallest, if you don’t care about quad CPU, screen size, 2xTB2 ports and 16GB RAM & 1TB SSD then Air (either version) is better option than 13” MBP ( big HW failure rate in my friend’s circle & what I gathered online plus you’ll avoid anti glare coating coming off down the line)