Buying a second hand iMac?

[dj9928]

I have always been a PC user, never owned a mac, but have decided the time has come to switch over. I have been looking at 21"iMac I know very little about them to be honest, Is there anything I should avoid? Any common faults I should be aware of etc?

 

[macs4nw]

I have always been a PC user, never owned a mac, but have decided the time has come to switch over. I have been looking at 21"iMac I know very little about them to be honest, Is there anything I should avoid? Any common faults I should be aware of etc?

Personally, I've never had any problems, quality-wise, with any Macs I've bought, new or refurb. Also Apple's warranty is amongst the best in the industry. I wish there was something I could warn you about, but at the moment I'm coming up blank, other than: If you buy from a stranger, tread lightly and do your due diligence.

For the best possible deals on 'good as new' equipment (with full warranty), check out the refurb store.

 

[rkaufmann87]

I have always been a PC user, never owned a mac, but have decided the time has come to switch over. I have been looking at 21"iMac I know very little about them to be honest, Is there anything I should avoid? Any common faults I should be aware of etc?

Buying any used computer is always iffy at best and I wouldn't advise it for a users first Mac. Obviously you are attempting to save money, in that case Apple has a refurbished program that they sell via they're on-line store. You can save hundreds on current or very recent models, they come with a full warranty and are eligible for AppleCare and identical to new.

 

[Jasmynp]

I have always been a PC user, never owned a mac, but have decided the time has come to switch over. I have been looking at 21"iMac I know very little about them to be honest, Is there anything I should avoid? Any common faults I should be aware of etc?

I have a refurbished imac and it works perfectly. Got it from the apple site

 

[Fishrrman]

Suggestion:
I realize this is the "iMac side" of the forums, but as a "switcher", have you considered the Mac Mini, as well?

You can keep your present display, keyboard, mouse if you wish.

You didn't specify a price range, but the 2.3ghz i7 Mini is a very nice little "box". Perhaps its only weakness is on the graphics side -- it probably wouldn't satisfy you if you're a gamer. But the HD4000 graphics on mine have never choked when running non-gaming stuff...

 

[thedeske]

I have always been a PC user, never owned a mac, but have decided the time has come to switch over. I have been looking at 21"iMac I know very little about them to be honest, Is there anything I should avoid? Any common faults I should be aware of etc?

iMac resale is really strong. It's possible to get a good one if you know how to shop. That said, a refurb is normally so close to used in price, it makes sense to save a little and get what is basically a new machine with warranty.
Apple sells current and 1-2 year older refurbs and they go fast.

 

[Altis]

The prices for second-hand Apple computers is so high that you aren't really saving any money, you're just paying slightly less and getting slightly less (warranty, newer tech).

Just my $0.02 worth. Also, opening up a BNIB Apple computer is nice too. 😱