Use the Budget Mac tool to grasp OSX concepts.
Use the Budget Mac tool to grasp OSX concepts.
They remain somewhat expensive on eBay, yet I've noticed several solid offers locally in the last year or so, and I’ve spoken to a few folks who purchased them for under $300. Clearly that isn’t a certainty OP could secure one for that price, but it’s still a really good machine. If they were open to paying a bit more than $300, it would be an excellent option. I lean more toward older Mac minis. I recently bought two 2012 models from eBay for $115 each. Both are quad-core i7 processors, and one even came pre-installed with 16GB of RAM.
It discussed upcoming versions of macOS. The next release after Monterey is Monterey Ah, and it raises uncertainty about whether we can be certain. Only one macOS has been released since WWDC with Big Sur, hinting that macOS 13 might not include X86-64 support.
It's impossible to predict how long Apple will back their Intel Macs. New Intel-powered models came out as recently as late 2020, so a quick turnaround seems unlikely.
Consider reviewing Apple's compatibility guide at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212551; https://swappa.com/buy/macbooks for pricing insights. Explore eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace to find better deals—Swappa tends to have verified listings, though prices can vary. Checking iFixit for upgrade possibilities on older Macs is also a useful step. For non-gaming or low-demand work, your 2017 MacBook Pro runs smoothly on Monterey, so you don’t need a high-end machine unless you’re doing intensive tasks.