Newbie with 13" MBP questions

I'll start with admitting complete ignorance of all things Apple. I have several friends and customers who have been bugging me to set their Macbooks up for navigation so I have need of a Macbook to analyze the available GPS (turn by turn maybe) software for OS X. As a Toughbook owner (too many to count) I'm not used to expensive laptops which seem to shed portions of their outer casings as a matter of course, so I'm leaning towards a Macbook Pro or at least one of the uni-body units. The question is; is this logic board failure a tempest in a teapot, or do the 2008 and later 13" Macbooks have a serious problem with reliability. I will be buying a used machine so Apple Care is not an option. I will not be using the computer for anything but software evaluation so I don't need the latest bells and whistles, but I would like to buy something which will hold it's value so I can resell it when I'm done with my research, and I really can't bring myself to spend much money for a machine with "the usual cracks and missing pieces to be expected from a 5 year old computer". I came here to the "Dark Side" hoping to find the kind of really smart people we have giving advice over on the Toughbook Forum. Thanks in advance for your advice.
CAP

 

As long as the machine does not have the GeForce 8600M GT GPU, you'll be fine. You can buy an older system (AMD Radeon X1600 IIRC) or a newer one (GeForce 9400M), but avoid the 8600 at all costs. Even if the logic board has been replaced, it will fail again and you'll be out probably more money than it cost to buy in the first place.

 

Thank you, just what I was looking for.
CAP

 

running units in a vibration environment tend to fail pretty fast. one of my contract employers tried deploying them in vehicles with very little success. PM me if you want to discuss further Capt.

 

I believe Routebuddy is the only OSX native application left that is semi current, Route 66 was good back in 2004-2007

Home - RouteBuddy - Modern Digital Map software for Windows, Mac OS X and iOS

 

I'll be trying that along with MacGPS Pro Mac OS X Navigation Software - MacTopos™ 4 USA among others when my MB467LL/A arrives. I guess I'll also try Bootcamp and perhaps the 3rd party stuff like Parallels. Thanks for the help, maybe I'll post some results here when I get a handle on what's going on. Hopefully the boys from Panasonic won't catch me over here
CAP

 

Cap your secret is safe with me. I have been known to frequent the Panny forum behind the scenes and know how out of control they can get , but it would be nice if you can keep up posted as there is no question its the panny crowd are the GPS and WWAN professionals.

as for me I never had good luck with MacGPS Pro. too many beachballs of doom and random forgetting to update position from the NMEA stream.

and right off topic but if there is a good deal on a CF-18 / early mark CF19 with touch or digitizer I can use another one in a month or so for one of the daughters.