Laptop’s dead - new laptop or s/h MacBook Pro?

gusman2x

My windows laptop has given up the ghost. Was intermittently not getting past the POST and is now not firing up at all. I will give it to someone at work to have a look at, but I’ve been thinking it was on borrowed time anyway. 

So, do I go for a new Windows laptop, and if so what spec? Or do I get a s/h MBpro, and again, what gen, and spec?

I run ableton 10, and generally have 20+ tracks per project. 

Don’t really need the computer for anything else (current one isn’t even online, as I fear updates and driver conflicts). 

I’m a bit of a Luddite, so advice is greatly appreciated. 

skitzigol

Any of the MB Pros will allow you to use GarageBand (comes free) or upgrade to Logic. TBH, as a hobby studio and a Luddite, you can’t go wrong with GarageBand... but it depends on the style of music you make. If you want fancy synths, samples etc, you are going to need more power and something that can handle the power-hungry modern plug-ins. If you just want to use a laptop and DAW as a multi-track for recording guitars, vocals etc, then an older model will suffice. Think of your ideal end goal and work backwards.