Whether we like it or not, technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and teams that once had cutting-edge technology no longer have it. The case of Macs, regardless of whether they are iMac, MacBook or any other type, are no exception.
It is true that the technology used by Apple in them allows them to be very long-lived and even usable when they are obsolete, but if in your case you have a more modern equipment and do not know what to do with your old Mac, you should know that you have many open possibilities.
‘Chuck’ with him
If you are a little computer literate, you will surely like to experiment with your old Mac. On the internet you can find numerous tutorials on how to disassemble these computers, change components even if they cannot, and even install a version of the operating system that, in theory, does not should be able to receive.
There are things as crazy as the possibility of installing Linux, something that we do not know if it will be useful in your case, but that is certainly very interesting. Of course, you must be clear that it really is a team that you no longer use and that what you are going to do with it is something that you know how to do or that you at least have enough mastery to face it.
Use it as a second computer
If your Mac continues to work, despite being old and doing everything more slowly, you can use it as a second computer for some occasions. If you require various programs and applications in your work, having this second equipment also operative can come in handy.
Obviously it will not execute the actions with the same fluidity as your current device, nor will it be useful in many cases for some complex operations, but simple tasks will work wonderfully. It could even serve you at any given time to watch series or movies, despite the fact that the screen may be of a lower category than the most current ones.
We also recommend putting an SSD disk if possible, since going from a mechanical disk to this one you can give a whole new life to the equipment and you will notice that everything goes much faster.
Reserve it for emergencies
Something fundamental to keep in mind if you work daily with a computer is to be able to have an alternative to it in case it fails. It is obvious that we should not buy second equipment just for this function of acting in emergencies, but if you already have it, it could be useful in cases where you have to take the new one to repair and you are going to be without work equipment for a while. Although for that the old Mac must continue to work well, despite the fact that it has to be in old versions of the operating system.
Give away or sell your old Mac
If your Mac is not old enough and can still be a good core computer, you probably know someone who might be interested. If you also have a certain appreciation for that person, surely you would be very happy if you gave it to them, since after all, one does not receive a Mac every day, even though it is not the most modern.
If you are not interested in that option, you can also get money for it if you go to stores or applications for the sale of second-hand products. The price you should put is already your decision based on the state of the team and its age, but try to be as objective as possible and be honest with those who are interested.
What you should always do before parting with your Mac, regardless of how you are going to do it, is to format it completely so that the information you have stored in it is not visible to the person who acquires it. For this you must follow the following steps, although previously we recommend having saved those files that you consider important and you do not want to lose.
- Sign out of all Apple services you have on your Mac (iCloud, iTunes, App Store, etc.).
- Delete the Mac from your device list. You can do it from another Apple computer or from the iCloud website.
- Restart your Mac and when the screen turns back on hold down the CMD + R keys. This will open the safe mode of the Mac.
- Wait for a window with four options to appear and select “Disk Utility”.
- Now in the top bar, go to View> Show all devices in the menu bar .
- Now select the disk you want to erase in the left column, in this case the one with the OS X or macOS operating system.
- Click on the ” Delete ” button at the top of the window.
- Fill in the following fields:
- Name: write what you want to call the disk.
- Format: Choose between “AFPS” or “Mac OS Plus (with registration)”. It is recommended to choose the format that appears selected by default.
- Scheme: If this option appears, choose “GUID Partition Map”.
- Press “Delete” again.
Once this is done you will have to wait for the restoration process to finish and you will have left the Mac fully ready for someone else to configure it from scratch with their data and files.
Create your own Apple museum
This option is perhaps the least functional, but the one that could add a high sentimental value to the product. If you are a fan of Apple in particular or of technology in general, you could keep your Mac on a shelf or any other place where you can accompany the products that pass through your life and that you do not want to discard. If you also keep the original boxes or any other accessory, you will give it even more value. The obstacle of this option is in the end the space, since in the end they could be things that occupy too much and are subtracting you from other things.
If it’s broken
If your Mac is broken and you’re not convinced by the option of creating your museum, you can still give the equipment a useful life. In the second-hand parts market, you may still get some money for components or for the entire equipment. The amount you receive in return is probably not much, but that is always better than nothing. If you are not convinced by this possibility or you do not find options for it, you can recycle it in a clean point or take it to Apple so that they are the ones in charge of taking it to one of these places.