I am on my 4th refurb over the last 4 years and each one has looked brand new except for the box. Some have even come with higher specs than advertised, especially the 27" I7. You also get a years warranty plus you can get AppleCare anytime during the first year and extend the warranty an additional two years. As far as I am concerned it is the only way to go. Also, in the event it has any scratches or defects at all, you can return it to Apple within 14 days for your money back or another one. One of mine came with an ethernet card that occasionally wouldn't work, I simply returned the computer to my local Apple Store, got my money back and ordered another one. You can't go wrong in my opinion.