Top Reasons to Buy a 2014 MacBook Pro in 2023

My Experience with MacBook Pro 2014

I bought my 13-inch 2014 MacBook Pro back in November 2015 and I love to work on this beautiful Machine even today. I would like to share about the things that I really enjoy in 2014 MacBook Pro and areas where it lags currently or may lag in future. In the meantime I’ve upgraded 2 windows laptops due to performance issues which explains the longevity of MacBooks compared to its competition.

When I bought this MacBook back in early 2015, I got the variant with intel Core i5 2.8 Ghz dual core processor which comes with 8GB RAM and 500GB Solid State Drive. Glad I got a larger storage option as I’m downloading lot of content and the storage really fills fast. Considering the memory usage of today’s applications 8GB RAM is average but still get most of your tasks done without major hiccups.

As most of my work involves typing and carrying my MacBook around, this light weight MacBook Pro is very helpful. It’s back panel can be removed to upgrade the SSD but you have to be careful in selecting the right model. RAM is soldered to the motherboard so there is no easy way to upgrade it. Apple may move this particular model to its vintage sections in a couple of years. So, if you plan to keep this machine for a longer period, get your battery upgrades within the next year or so.

Features that I love about 2014 MacBook Pro

This MacBook is very compact with its 13 inch Retina display. It has a sharp and color accurate high resolution screen. Glowing Apple Logo on top of the lid is my favorite out of all MacBooks till date. Unfortunately, Apple stopped the glowing logo’s since 2016. Keyboards in 2013/2014/2015 MacBook models are a breeze to use and you’ll love typing in this keyboard. Butterfly style keyboards from 2016 models had lot of issues and I read that most of those issues were fixed in recent models.

This 2014 MacBook has a lot of ports like USB 3.0 ports, thunderbolt, HDMI port and even a card reader. Card Reader is very helpful if you’re using cameras for photography. Not many TVs have USB-C or thunderbolt ports to connect your MacBook so HDMI is handy even in 2022. MagSafe 2 is another great feature of this model as it prevents accidental drops of your MacBook in many occasions.

Areas where this 2014 MacBook Pro lags

My Machine has a dual core i5 processor which is very average in 2022 where newer laptops comes with hexacore processors. Video processing is one area where you can feel the slowness of this machine. It still get things done but processing takes a little longer. Battery life has been average and its expected after years of use. Screen has a noticeable bezels when comparing to bezel less displays in newer machines.

2013 – 2015 MacBook Pro models have a weird stagnate issue where the display coating wears off and shows spots on the display. My machine was replaced as part of Apple’s repair program couple of years ago but you can expect it in most machines. Newer MacOS versions slowing this down with its heavy UI improvements. Currently I’m running MacOS BigSur on this device without any issues.

Final Thoughts on 2014 MacBook Pro

Should you Buy a 2014 MacBook Pro in 2022? Yes its still a very good device if you’re an average user who uses MacBook for viewing content, browsing, for school or a little bit of photo/video editing. I would say it would easily serve you for 3-4 years and considering the price point of used devices it’s worthy. Share your thoughts and comments about your MacBook stories.

Note: 2014 MacBook Pro 13″ model has been moved to Apple’s vintage collection so apple may not support all of its repair options. Apple’s service page says they can still check and offer repairs based on the availability.