Mac laptops can be very expensive, but the Macbook Pro 2012 (13") can be found on eBay via a reputable seller for $500 or less.
The benefit of this laptop is that it is upgradable. It only has 4GB of RAM, but upgrading to 8GB of RAM is very easy to do (just make sure it is dual-channel RAM: a.k.a. use 2 4GB sticks). I believe you can go up to 16GB, but it’s a point of diminished returns. The optical drive can also be replaced with a solid state drive (SSD). You will need a special screwdriver and a tray for the drive, but both are inexpensive on eBay. You can transfer Mac OSX and the programs from your HDD to your HDD (and still have your HDD for storing music/movies/etc. These upgrades will add $100-150 to the cost, but it’s still the best value of any Apple laptop.
The processor is very good. It’s performs well for browsing, office apps, Photoshop, music production and 1080p video editing. For most of what you will be using this laptop for, you won’t notice any difference in processing power from more expensive laptops. The later Macbook Pro models have focused on display/speakers/aesthetics, but haven’t significantly improved in computing. Light gaming is viable (it runs Skyrim on lowest settings) but it’s not a computer for modern high-end games.
The build quality is excellent, though the top may scratch a little bit. Even if it’s not as light as today’s Macbooks, it’s still more compact and portable than most laptops. The keyboard (with backlighting) is excellent and feel great. The trackpad has multi-touch and is very responsive. These factors all play a part in creating an excellent user experience. It also has a variety ports unlike current Macbooks. The battery life is decent. It can last the better part of the day if used conservatively, but can go down to low percentages within a few hours if you’re running a lot of tasks on high brightness. The biggest downside is the dated display. At only 800p resolution, there’s not a lot of virtual deskspace, DAW’s for music production are very cluttered and it’s not my go-to device for streaming movies. It’s bright enough for indoor use, but not for outdoor use in daylight.
Mostly, I use this laptop for browsing, office apps, Youtube, Skype, etc. but I enjoy the added security of being able to use Logic Pro, Photoshop and Final Cut without any problems.
8/10