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Should I buy a MacBook Pro refurb?

J

Jb07

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 31, 2011
433
1
Dallas
So I've decided to finally buy a! MacBook Pro, I can't wait for a new one to come out.:p I found a really nice 15" MacBook Pro w/anti-glare and an SSD. (!) So would you guys recommend getting this refurb instead of a new one?

Its an Early 2011 model, 2.2 GHz i7. It is $1, 899. Is it a good deal? Thanks!
 
I've bought a handful of refurbished Mac's, including my latest 13" MacBook Pro off the Apple store and when it arrived it looked just like a brand new product. The only way people could even tell it was refurbished was by the plain white box it shipped in. I saved close to $200 over a brand new Pro, and have the same warranty. I'm a refurb buyer for life.
 
Considering a new one would cost $2,199.00 (assuming lowest size SSD) I would say certainly say go for the refurb. You save $300 and get a computer that is identical except the box it comes in. Too many people are afraid of refurbs because they think they're broken or something but nothing can be further from the truth. You get the same warranty, a product that works like new, and save yourself some money. Great deal if you ask me.
 
ryannel2003 said:
I've bought a handful of refurbished Mac's, including my latest 13" MacBook Pro off the Apple store and when it arrived it looked just like a brand new product. The only way people could even tell it was refurbished was by the plain white box it shipped in. I saved close to $200 over a brand new Pro, and have the same warranty. I'm a refurb buyer for life.
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I completely agree. I bought an MBP 13" refurb and don't regret it one bit. Looks brand new :)
 
AcesHigh87 said:
Considering a new one would cost $2,199.00 (assuming lowest size SSD) I would say certainly say go for the refurb. You save $300 and get a computer that is identical except the box it comes in. Too many people are afraid of refurbs because they think they're broken or something but nothing can be further from the truth. You get the same warranty, a product that works like new, and save yourself some money. Great deal if you ask me.
Click to expand...

I went to the website and configured the same computer and it came out to $2,449! (It has the 1gb Radeon Graphics). Thanks for the help!
 
Jb07 said:
I went to the website and configured the same computer and it came out to $2,449! (It has the 1gb Radeon Graphics). Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

Ah, I didn't realize it also had that add on. Even more reason to buy a refurb. Same computer for nearly $700 less. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Jump on it before it's gone.
 
it's not a HiRes or SSD but the two "Blowout!" 15" are the Early 2011 2.0 6490 256mb & 2.2 6750 1GB. I got my eye on them because they dropped another $50 today and over 1,000 in stock each, I may push the button soon @MacMall....
 

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Refurbs from the Apple online store are great! They replace everything except the guts, like the logic board, RAM, etc. and everything else like the top case is brand new.
 
vincent.m said:
Refurbs from the Apple online store are great! They replace everything except the guts, like the logic board, RAM, etc. and everything else like the top case is brand new.
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In most cases there shouldn't be anything replaced.

If there is an "early 2011" MBP available refurbished, then it is most likely one that was never sold to a customer, so it is actually brand new. Apple does that every time a new model is released and they stop selling the old one.

Another source for "refurbished" Macs is Macs that were purchased and then returned to the store for any reason. If it was returned just because the buyer changed their mind, then obviously it has to be checked carefully at Apple, but there shouldn't be any need to change anything. You save some money because you don't get a MBP that was brand new, but one that was unpacked and returned to the store.

The only case when Apple would do actual work on the Mac is when someone buys a Mac, it breaks, is returned to the store and replaced. Then obviously anything damaged gets replaced and again everything is checked carefully.
 
I concur with gnasher729 - only what needs to be fixed is fixed.

One thing to be aware of regarding pricing:

If they list a "You Save" amount and percentage, along with the original price, the original price is from when that particular model was new, not what an equivalent new Mac would cost now.

In the case of the 2.0GHz MBP 15 mentioned, and shown in the pic above, $1799 is what the 2.0GHz model originally cost.

However, currently $1799 gets you a 2.2GHz model. So, clearly even a new 2.0 model isn't worth $1799. Probably more like $1599.

So, $1499 for a refurb 2.0 is not bad, but it's certainly not a "great" deal (not a bad deal either - even the 2.0 2011 model is a big improvement over previous years).

In summary - whenever looking at refurb prices at the Apple Store, don't put too much stock in the "You Save" amounts, and compare the price against what you'd get in a current model if you want to know how good a deal you're getting.
 
I would definitively go for the refurbished one. It looks brand new and you save cash. No one can tell it is refurbished at it works like a brand new mac.
 
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