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Do you have any recommendations on what to look for and how to avoid laptops with issues? I have a family member who is going to college and insistent on getting an Apple laptop. This will be her only machine and so my concern is that if anything happens, she won't have a fall back, while when I buy laptops for myself I'm fine taking a gamble as I have other options.

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I suggest that you buy on eBay and filter by "New", which is what I did with mine. I verified that it was unused by going to Apple > About This Mac > System Report. Then select "Power" and look for the "Cycle Count" under "Battery information". This will tell you how many times the battery has been recharged. It should be a very low number. I think mine was 0 or 1 when I bought it. eBay is also pretty good about returns if anything is wrong with the laptop. Good luck!

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