Refurbished iMacs

[skibob1027]

Has anyone bought, or know of someone else's experience with buying, a refurbished Apple from the Apple's Online Store? I am currently a Windows user and want to buy a Mac, but wouldn't mind going a bit cheaper on my first one (which I hope to be a 20" Intel iMac). There aren't any Intel iMacs in the refurb store as of yet, but I was hoping to get some feedback on the overall experience so I can be prepared when they arrive.

Thanks!

 

[mkrishnan]

I bought a used one from a forum member here, but just for what it's worth, there is often a fair delay before you see a unit on the refurb store. They just now, in the last week or two, started having iMac G5 Rev. C (iSight) models available. They weren't available a month ago when I bought my Rev. B. So it might be a while.

I'll let someone else chime in who's actually bought what you're looking for through the refurb store, but in general, the experience seems to be really positive. Some of the refurbs are BTO models with upgrades. So sometimes you even get more than you paid for (members have said they got additional RAM, bigger HD's, etc).

 

[AstrosFan]

I think the refurbs are a GREAT way to get a solid computer at a good discount.
If you have access to either an education or government discount, then the prices are similar, so you're better off going with those so you don't have to wait. However, if you don't, then buying a refurb is the way to go, IMHO.
At minimum, you get the same solid computer with an identical warranty, and you can buy AppleCare if you desire.
The only downside is that you can't BTO up front, but as mkrishnan said, many people have received refurbs that were clearly BTO.
I am recommending the intel iMac to some friends of mine, and I told them the same thing - if they're in no rush, then keep checking the Apple refurb store & buy them when they hit there.

Good luck!

 

[danny_w]

I bought an 17" Rev B iMac G5 back in December for my son who was going to be home for a few weeks (he has a 20" Rev B iMac G5 at school) and it has been great so far. It was also a very good deal at the time ($849 for a regularly $1299 machine) with the same warranty as a new machine. The only difference is that you can't order BTO options, and it comes in a brown box instead of the retail box.

 

[mkrishnan]

The only downside is that you can't BTO up front, but as mkrishnan said, many people have received refurbs that were clearly BTO.

Yeah... just to clarify, with the iMac series, as well as many of the other recent Apple offerings, this became less and less of an issue over time. Going back to the first gen. of iBook G4s and iMac G5s, this was a huge issue to me, because Airport Extreme and Bluetooth were not standard, and BT cannot easily be added internally after the fact. Starting with the rev. B iMac and.. I think ... C or D for the iBook, this stopped being an issue, because they became standard. If the OP is shopping for a 20" iMac Core Duo, this should be a non-issue, because there's hardly anything that's optional.

 

[metronycguy]

i noticed you need to take their alleged discounts with a huge grain of salt.
they fail to factor in the recent price drops of the G5 iMacs.
i was just looking the refurbs prices, not enough discount to make it worthwhile

 

[mkrishnan]

i noticed you need to take their alleged discounts with a huge grain of salt.

Alleged discounts with a huge grain of salt? The prices of the new models are right there on the website. Who is pulling the wool over your eyes? Buy what you want to.

 

[PlaceofDis]

i just bought a refurbed rev. B iMac G5.

no problems here. and it was a great deal too.

 

[metronycguy]

they use the price that the machine sold at when it was bought new not what it sells for now for instance
Refurbished iMac G5 20-inch 2.1GHz SuperDrive
512MB memory (533MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
250GB Serial ATA hard drive
ATI Radeon X600 XT (128MB DDR video memory)
Front Row with Apple Remote
Built-in iSight camera
Learn More
• Save 24% off the original price
Original price: $1,699.00
Your price: $1,299.00

go to the mac store today and brand new today it sells for $1,499.00 brand new today, not 1699
so the you don't save 24%

 

[PlaceofDis]

they use the price that the machine sold at when it was bought new not what it sells for now for instance
Refurbished iMac G5 20-inch 2.1GHz SuperDrive
512MB memory (533MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
250GB Serial ATA hard drive
ATI Radeon X600 XT (128MB DDR video memory)
Front Row with Apple Remote
Built-in iSight camera
Learn More
• Save 24% off the original price
Original price: $1,699.00
Your price: $1,299.00

go to the mac store today and brand new today it sells for $1,499.00 brand new today, not 1699
so the you don't save 24%

thats the current price. not the orginal. they aren't claiming it to be the current running price, but rather offer comparisons agains what it was originally sold at.

 

[skibob1027]

Awesome. I'll hang out with my crappy old PC for awhile until some refurbished Intel iMacs show up in the Refurb store. I am eligible for an education discount - so when they show up refurb I'll compare prices. I get $100 off the base price w/the education discount, plus a little off each BTO option that I put down. Thanks for the input - seems like no one has had a bad experience with the refurb store!

 

[teerexx52]

Friend of mine bought one last week. He is very very happy with it

 

[metronycguy]

shady

thats the current price. not the orginal. they aren't claiming it to be the current running price, but rather offer comparisons agains what it was originally sold at.

well they are being shady, since if i bought that computer today the savings is more around 14% not 24% , it wasn't refurbished and for sale than.

the product is good , their advertising is shady, hopefully they will lower the price and sell it for what they advertise 24% saving