If your MacBook has been slowing you down and you are in dire need of an upgrade, good news: Apple Stores in the US are now accepting trade-ins of Mac machines.

Apple has been accepting trade-ins of iPhones and iPads, and will now accept trade-ins of MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, 12-inch MacBook, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, and Mac mini. Simply bring the Mac you want to trade in to an Apple Store or send it to Apple using a prepaid trade-in kit or shipping label

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Once Apple has the Mac in hand, they will assess the amount of credit you will receive to purchase a new Apple product. In the case of the now-defunct 12-inch MacBook, the maximum trade-in credit is $480. However, if you have a more expensive machine like a MacBook Pro or iMac Pro, you can get credits of up to $1,760 and $3,850, respectively. The credits come in the form of gift cards or immediate credits that can be used at Apple Stores.

If Apple determines that your trade-in device has no value, it will be recycled; Apple is praised for doing this "for free," because we would be very surprised if people would pay Apple to get rid of their old devices, seems a bit odd to emphasize this.

There are a few caveats in the small print that deserve attention. First, the value is based entirely on the condition, age, and configuration of your trade-in device. Second, trade-in values vary between online and in-store trade-ins, but Apple does not reveal the amounts.

Third, in-store trade-ins require a government-issued photo ID. And Apple noted that such information may need to be kept by local law. Interestingly, no proof of purchase is required, which may be a boon to technology thieves.

Finally, you are "solely responsible for deleting all data," including all sensitive and personal data, from the device before it ships. Apple is not responsible for any lost data. However, they will guide you on how to back up and erase all data from the device you wish to trade in.

Overall, this seems like an appropriate way to get some money off your next Apple product purchase, but one might say that such a trade-in process for Mac machines was long overdue.