I recently purchased a 15" MBPr refurbished from the Apple store. I know when I was trying to decide what to buy I appreciated threads from new users detailing their experience so I wanted to make a little thread here in hopes that it helps someone else out.
As I mentioned, I bought this refurbished to save some money. It came what appeared as brand new. Could not find the smallest little scratch anywhere on the machine. Also noteworthy... This is my first Apple computer. Actually my first Apple product besides one of the original iPods. I've been a PC guy but I couldn't deny the fact that Apple made the best laptops so I when the time came I decided to invest in one.
The Decision: I had a hell of a time deciding between 13" and 15" and ultimately what made my decision was the hard drive space. 128gb is just too small, and I wasn't going to pay what would've been basically the same price as a 15" and sacrifice all the added performance just for a slightly smaller computer. I have a powerful desktop at home, so I probably would've preferred the smaller size just because it will go everywhere with me, but the 15" is by no means too big, and was worth the extra $400 TO ME for double the hard drive space, double the processing cores, and dedicated GPU.
Impressions: I've read lots of threads which complaints about performance, and I am happy to say that I have experienced none of these. Granted, I've only had this computer for less than a week but I can't find a single complaint. Everything is fast, screen is beautiful, and I'm loving the gestures. I haven't had the chance to really put it through the ringer yet but thus far its been pretty much perfect.
Complaints: I don't have really any complaints in regards to the actual computer thus far, EXCEPT that I can't change the behavior of the computer when I close the lid. But as I said, being a PC guy I don't have anything invested in the Apple ecosystem (And will continue to avoid it unless it directly benefits my MacBook), so when I had to log in with my Apple ID and enter a credit card number for the App Store just to download a system update I was a little baffled. On top of that, the App store said my credit card information didn't match the banks records, which it absolutely did. Fortunately, I had a second card that worked fine.
So to those on the fence about making the purchase, I would highly recommend it. I don't see much point in waiting until the next iteration because I don't personally believe it will be a very significant upgrade, at least for the 15". The 13" will likely be a little more on par (and will hopefully come standard with 256gb) with its next release, but unless you HAVE to have the smaller package, jump on the 15". You can always sell it for probably near what a 13" will cost when they are released next if you desire the smaller package.
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Also picked up this sleeve: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H...-for-macbook-pro-with-retina-display?fnode=50
Fits great, very snug with more padding than I actually expected. The zippers can come into contact with the laptop as you put it in the sleeve, but as long as your at least somewhat careful I don't see it as an issue.
As I mentioned, I bought this refurbished to save some money. It came what appeared as brand new. Could not find the smallest little scratch anywhere on the machine. Also noteworthy... This is my first Apple computer. Actually my first Apple product besides one of the original iPods. I've been a PC guy but I couldn't deny the fact that Apple made the best laptops so I when the time came I decided to invest in one.
The Decision: I had a hell of a time deciding between 13" and 15" and ultimately what made my decision was the hard drive space. 128gb is just too small, and I wasn't going to pay what would've been basically the same price as a 15" and sacrifice all the added performance just for a slightly smaller computer. I have a powerful desktop at home, so I probably would've preferred the smaller size just because it will go everywhere with me, but the 15" is by no means too big, and was worth the extra $400 TO ME for double the hard drive space, double the processing cores, and dedicated GPU.
Impressions: I've read lots of threads which complaints about performance, and I am happy to say that I have experienced none of these. Granted, I've only had this computer for less than a week but I can't find a single complaint. Everything is fast, screen is beautiful, and I'm loving the gestures. I haven't had the chance to really put it through the ringer yet but thus far its been pretty much perfect.
Complaints: I don't have really any complaints in regards to the actual computer thus far, EXCEPT that I can't change the behavior of the computer when I close the lid. But as I said, being a PC guy I don't have anything invested in the Apple ecosystem (And will continue to avoid it unless it directly benefits my MacBook), so when I had to log in with my Apple ID and enter a credit card number for the App Store just to download a system update I was a little baffled. On top of that, the App store said my credit card information didn't match the banks records, which it absolutely did. Fortunately, I had a second card that worked fine.
So to those on the fence about making the purchase, I would highly recommend it. I don't see much point in waiting until the next iteration because I don't personally believe it will be a very significant upgrade, at least for the 15". The 13" will likely be a little more on par (and will hopefully come standard with 256gb) with its next release, but unless you HAVE to have the smaller package, jump on the 15". You can always sell it for probably near what a 13" will cost when they are released next if you desire the smaller package.
----------
Also picked up this sleeve: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H...-for-macbook-pro-with-retina-display?fnode=50
Fits great, very snug with more padding than I actually expected. The zippers can come into contact with the laptop as you put it in the sleeve, but as long as your at least somewhat careful I don't see it as an issue.