Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

leaning towards imac, or a macbook, and should i buy new or refurbished

T

texasgirl2010

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 10, 2010
1
0
i currently own a samsung netbook that i use for internet mainly and other stuff since my gateway laptop is not running like it should. I have been looking at mac's for a year now and really think i would like it better than a windows pc. i need advice between a imac 21' or a macbook and also if i should buy it brand new or a refurbished??
i use my computers so far for school work(leaning toward a desktop for that)
i've neva been big on luggin a computer around with college books...(use netbook for that so far and thats rare)
i use internet, youtube videos and maybe oneday upload my own youtube vids, i wld like to play around with pics and editing.
i do like be able to sit where i want with a laptop and not be at dest cuz that where the compt. is but i am unsure of which way to go but most likey leaning towards a desktop
and
need advice if its better to buy mac new or refurb. through apple store
 
I made an account on here just to answer this. GET A REFURBISHED!! I was really kind of wary about getting one because I was scared it would come scuffed or with dead pixels... but I got my MBP 13" in the mail today and it came out looking GORGEOUS. I've been on it all day transferring stuff over from my crappy PC.

I paid for the base 13" model that came out this year. I remembered reading on a forum that sometimes people get lucky and their computers come with upgrades. I checked and... my MBP came with a 500GB hard drive instead of the 250GB one I ordered!! I was really happy to see I was one of the lucky ones! But really, you can't tell a difference from new and refurb.
 
starstruck said:
I made an account on here just to answer this. GET A REFURBISHED!! I was really kind of wary about getting one because I was scared it would come scuffed or with dead pixels... but I got my MBP 13" in the mail today and it came out looking GORGEOUS. I've been on it all day transferring stuff over from my crappy PC.

I paid for the base 13" model that came out this year. I remembered reading on a forum that sometimes people get lucky and their computers come with upgrades. I checked and... my MBP came with a 500GB hard drive instead of the 250GB one I ordered!! I was really happy to see I was one of the lucky ones! But really, you can't tell a difference from new and refurb.
Click to expand...



Here's a little factoid that Apple doesn't tell you. One of my neighbors is way up in the Apple Store world... I don't want to get him in trouble so I won't say exactly where... but let's just say it's very high up on the food chain. Anyway... he told me that if the computer comes in a brown cardboard box that it is actually a refurb... however... if it comes in the original box that a new machine would come in... it's actually brand new and never been used.
 
Both the iMac and Macbooks are great. I've had a 13" white macbook I bought new, and there was nothing it couldn't accomplish. I've also had a 12" iBook that I bought refurbished. The refurb-ed iBook was a wonderful computer and it was CHEAP! I was skeptical about buying a refurb, but I was more than satisfied. Now I'm using an eMac I bought used, and its a great computer as well.

Go with the Macbook if you want portability, go with the iMac if you want "stability". Remember a laptop that is moving around a lot on a daily basis is going to be prone to drink spills, dropping, dirt, etc. But either one you choose, desktop or laptop, I would recommend buying refurbished. New macs are expensive, and the older ones work just as well. They're just as good as new, and at half the price. Make sure you get an intel mac, and buy it from an authorized reseller. Here in TN, we have MacAuthority reseller, a great store where I got the iBook refurb. Hope this helps.
 
My refurbished MacBook Pro was PERFECT! There was not one scratch, dent, or anything else wrong with it. BUY REFURBISHED!!!:)
 
I've bought 4 refurbs and they've all been perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to buy more. As long as what you want is available, it's the way to go.

As far as iMac vs MacBook, you are better off with the iMac if you don't need the portability.
 
DesterWallaboo said:
Here's a little factoid that Apple doesn't tell you. One of my neighbors is way up in the Apple Store world... I don't want to get him in trouble so I won't say exactly where... but let's just say it's very high up on the food chain. Anyway... he told me that if the computer comes in a brown cardboard box that it is actually a refurb... however... if it comes in the original box that a new machine would come in... it's actually brand new and never been used.
Click to expand...

Not quite sure I understand.

Even new macbooks & macbook pros ship inside a brown box.
Most of Apple's refurbs these days that I have purchased are in white boxes with just hte computer & standard accessories.

Honestly...though, go with Refurb save your money, you get the same 1 year std warranty and applecare extended warranty options.

You really cant go wrong with refurbs.
 
Another vote for a refurb.

As far as the iMac or MacBook goes, envision how you will use it. If you like to sit at a desk and work, I'd get the iMac - the screen and simplicity of setup and lack of cords is hard to beat. If you'd like to work in different places get the MacBook. You can always add an external monitor, although it's not as clean a setup.
 
Refurbs are best

They've all been checked out by Apple technicians -- unlike most new units delivered straight from the factory.


Have a refurb i7 2.8GHz -- couldn't be happier.
 
Refurb +1 and buy a MBP

Personally, I would buy a Macbook pro 15" if you can stretch that far. Buy refurb to save loads of money.
Also, look to get a kb/mouse and screen for a desk and the very excellent Wedge dock which will transform how you work!!!

That way you have the best of all worlds. A very excellent and powerful laptop that becomes a desktop with a bigger screen when you want to do photo/video editing (you'll soon realise that you need the extra space).

Just my opinion but hope it helps.
Barny
 
texasgirl2010 said:
need advice if its better to buy mac new or refurb. through apple store
Click to expand...

Refurbished is exactly the same quality and exactly the same warranty as brand new. Sometimes you are lucky and get more than you paid for with refurbished; say you buy an iMac that comes normally with 4 GB and someone ordered one with 8 GB and returned it and you get that computer as a refurbished one, then Apple won't remove the 8 GB RAM and won't bother putting it on their website separately.

Thing to watch out for: They also sell brand new older models as refurbished when a new model comes out. Check the description exactly. When they say "x% off", that is x% off what the item was sold for when it was on sale, not x% off what would be a fair price today.
 
I just ordered my second refurbed machine. Hope it comes with extra upgrades like some of you received.

I chatted with Apple support before I purchased the Macbook Pro and they told me that the outer case and battery are replaced in addition to anything found needing repair during the inspection.
 
Here's a fun story, I've bought several refurbs over the years, never had a single issue with any of them. My iMac G5 even came with more RAM than the spec, similar to other posts above. I've always highly recommended them to everyone.

So recently the iMac started shutting down intermittantly (logic board issue most likely) and Apple's extended logic board warranty ended in Dec '08. So I ordered a refurb. 21.5" iMac, received it a few days later. I then ran the setup assistant and migrated all of the user accounts, apps, settings, and files/folders from the old machine (4 hours). Then when it went to the registration page, it was unable to send it to Apple.

I figured just a random glitch, maybe on their end. So I rebooted, and it had no wifi. The old iMac sitting right next to it was pulling down perfect signal. Re-booted and it was working fine. Then after it went to sleep and woke up, it dropped again. When it dropped, it was also dropping the ability to see my neighbors' networks that were within range so it definitely wasn't a problem with my network.

So I figure ok, maybe something went wrong during the migration, maybe some PPC driver/extension ported over that is screwing up Airport, so I repaired permissions (it found a few issues related to Airport). No change. Then I re-formatted and did a clean 10.6 install. It ran fine for the first couple re-boots, then started dropping again. Definitely something going on with the hardware. My guess is the reason the thing was returned in the first place was because of an Airport problem, and the tech probably ran it and it QCed fine since it's an intermittent issue.

So I called them up, they sent me a return label, and I decided to just buy a new one (coincidentally, the new models had just been released so at least I could justify spending the extra $200). I go to the local :apple: store and bring home a new one, open it up, plug it in, push the power button, and hear the start-up chime - and the screen stays black. :mad:

So I pack it back up, drive back to the store, they swap it for another one. 3rd time's a charm I guess, new one seems to be working flawlessly. Moral of the story, You've got about the same chance of getting a good one either way so good luck! ;)
 
I have purchased a refurb 27" and a 15" this year. Both fantastic. Never had any problems with their refurbs. Unless you need the latest features or specs, save the money; get the refurb.
 
Just noticed that my i5 refurb 15" MBP that just arrived this week has the high resolution screen. I didnt order that one. Got a free upgrade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back