“I’m looking to save some money by buying a used Macbook Pro. I found a couple of used Macbook’s only a few months old but how do I know what condition they’re in? What should I look for when buying a used Macbook?”
Get the serial number to see if it’s still under warranty and if it is for how long. Go here with your serial number https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do
How to find the serial number on the Macbook Pro.
Check for bumps and dents the metal casing is pretty soft so if it was dropped you should be able to see signs. Apple does not cover dropped laptops if its under warranty.
Run the Apple Hardware Test. Macbooks come with the Apple Hardware Test on the Applications Install Disc 2, here are instructions on how to run the test http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509.
Did they do any upgrades themselves? If they put in a larger hard drive or added more RAM into the laptop your warranty may be at risk if they did a sloppy job.
Boot into the operating system and look closely at the screen for any damages, also listen for any kind of abnormal noises.
Make sure you get the original OS install disk. You need this to reinstall the operating system.
Run a DVD movie to test the DVD drive.
If it’s got a burner try burning a disc.
Check out Apple’s Refurbished Macbooks. You can get a used Macbook from Apple which comes with a limited 1 year warranty and you can also get the extended Apple Protection Plan.
That’s all I can think of right now, if anyone else have more tips please post it in the comments. Thanks.