What to do with old Macbooks, should I get a new one?

[Jro29]

I currently have a 2012 Retina MacBook. It had 16 GB of RAM and I added a 2 TB hard drive a couple of years ago. I found it to not be as portable as I would have liked so it mostly stayed on my desk. That means the battery is still at 90 percent of new and it’s in great shape. It was a shared machine between me and my wife. I do standard work stuff as well as editing RAW files about once or twice a month when I go on photo shoots. I work with data sets occasionally and my computer still works well.
I also have the 12 inch MacBook from 2015. I got it for portability. I wanted something to take on short trips and around town, etc.
I find the computer a bit underpowered for my use. I now use an iPad when I travel.
My wife is tried of sharing the computer and wants her own. She does web browsing and MS office tasks.

So here’s my question. The current MBP fits my needs but is 7 years old. Am I missing anything by not having a more current model? Would I benefit from getting the new 16 inch machine?
If I do this, what should I do with old machines? I’m planning on selling one if I get a new one. Which one should I sell and which should I give to my wife? The portability doesn’t matter to her. Trying to figure which one I’ll get the most value for when I sell.
Or should I just give her the MacBook, keep the MBP and keep using it until it dies? I fully realize some of this may be driven by my desire for a new machine I might not need.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

thanks.

 

[matram]

If you really want the 16” go for it.

My wife loved here MacBook. So giving her the MB and waiting for the 2012 to break down sounds like a sensible plan. But we do not always have to be sensible.

 

[alphaod]

If you are fine with your current computers, don't waste money on getting a new one. A 7 year old computer won't terrific resale value.

The 12" MacBook will be perfect for web browsing and MS Office tasks, but my personal concern is that the screen is smaller that I'd like, since it sounds like you've got a 12" MacBook and a 13" MacBook?

The current 16" will be tons more powerful than anything you already have, though it won't be very portable compared to the 12" and 13" MacBook, and definitely much heavier than an iPad. If you already don't like lugging around a 13" MacBook, you won't enjoy carrying the 16" which if you end up just keeping at home and tethered, it'd be a waste, you'd better off investing in a desktop like an iMac, or even a comparable Windows machine.

If your budget allows it and you will be using your laptop on the go, then the 16" will be terrific. If you do get the 16" MacBook Pro, everyone wants more portability, it'd better to sell the older 13" and give your wife the 12" MacBook.

 

[Music42]

If you are fine with your current computers, don't waste money on getting a new one. A 7 year old computer won't terrific resale value.

The 12" MacBook will be perfect for web browsing and MS Office tasks, but my personal concern is that the screen is smaller that I'd like, since it sounds like you've got a 12" MacBook and a 13" MacBook?

The current 16" will be tons more powerful than anything you already have, though it won't be very portable compared to the 12" and 13" MacBook, and definitely much heavier than an iPad. If you already don't like lugging around a 13" MacBook, you won't enjoy carrying the 16" which if you end up just keeping at home and tethered, it'd be a waste, you'd better off investing in a desktop like an iMac, or even a comparable Windows machine.

If your budget allows it and you will be using your laptop on the go, then the 16" will be terrific. If you do get the 16" MacBook Pro, everyone wants more portability, it'd better to sell the older 13" and give your wife the 12" MacBook.

I gave my wife my old MacBook Pro 15" with 16 gig ram (2015) and bought the new MacBook Pro 16" with 1T hard drive and 32 gig ram. The new MacBook Pro is amazing! The screen size is perfect, and the speaker system in this new Mac is outstanding! The new keyboard works like a charm and the extra ram and HD space is a must. Love it, best Mac ever.

 

[Jro29]

I don’t have a 13 inch. I have a 15 inch MBP 2012 and a 2015 12 inch MacBook.

If you are fine with your current computers, don't waste money on getting a new one. A 7 year old computer won't terrific resale value.

The 12" MacBook will be perfect for web browsing and MS Office tasks, but my personal concern is that the screen is smaller that I'd like, since it sounds like you've got a 12" MacBook and a 13" MacBook?

The current 16" will be tons more powerful than anything you already have, though it won't be very portable compared to the 12" and 13" MacBook, and definitely much heavier than an iPad. If you already don't like lugging around a 13" MacBook, you won't enjoy carrying the 16" which if you end up just keeping at home and tethered, it'd be a waste, you'd better off investing in a desktop like an iMac, or even a comparable Windows machine.

If your budget allows it and you will be using your laptop on the go, then the 16" will be terrific. If you do get the 16" MacBook Pro, everyone wants more portability, it'd better to sell the older 13" and give your wife the 12" MacBook.

 

[alphaod]

I don’t have a 13 inch. I have a 15 inch MBP 2012 and a 2015 12 inch MacBook.

Okay, traditionally the MacBook has been a 13" model as you didn't write "Pro" I made an assumption.

In that case, if you were looking to upgrade, I would sell the 12" MacBook and give your wife the 15" MacBook Pro, otherwise, just keep what you have; there is no reason to waste your money.

 

[PROFESS0R]

I normally pass my old computers down to my children or grandchildren. They are always in good shape, especially for light duty computing. With respect to my wife and I, her needs are completely different than mine. I just purchased a new MacBook Air for her (in gold) with upgraded memory and SSD. She absolutely loves it.

With respect to iPhones, I always get the new one and my wife gets my old one. First, she doesn’t care what phone she has, and second, she is so prone to dropping it, that she would prefer the old phone. It has worked thus far for us.

Joe