Good Deal? - Open box 23" ACD for $669

[Flash SWT]

Hey gang, I just stumbled across an open box / display model 23" Apple Cinema Display at my local brick-n-mortar store. It is tagged at $749 but they said they could go as low as $669. They say it was only used as a display for about a month and has been sitting unplugged for a while. Obviously there is no way to verify any of that however. Cosmetically it looks to be in decent shape, some smudges on the screen but I'd bring a LCD wipe on it to make sure they all come off before final decision.

I have a 23" ACD at work and like it. I'm not happy about the glossy-only on the new 24" LED from Apple and as such have been looking at other options (Dell 2408WFP or HP LP2475w) for the Mac Pro and going to buy shortly. If Apple still offered a 23-24" in matte I'd just go with it.

What do y'all think, is $669 a good deal? If not, what would you consider the price where it would be?

Can I add AppleCare to this display even though it is open box? If so how much would it be and can I buy it someplace other than straight from Apple and how do you register it?

Thanks for any and all thoughts.

 

[steve2112]

Well, the Apple refurb store has that monitor for $749, so the $669 is a decent savings over that price. If possible, I would ask to see it plugged up and working before making a decision. If it is in good shape, I wouldn't have a problem buying it. AppleCare actually kicks in from the date of purchase, so if they haven't registered it as being purchased by anyone, you should get the full term on it.

This is actually how I came to own my PowerBook 17". I was in CompUSA after the Intels first came out. I was checking out all the Intel machines, and talking to the in-store Mac expert. I kind of grumbled about the prices, and he mentioned he had a PPC model that had been a display model that he had taken down and reloaded himself. I was hesitant about getting a display model, since they usually get abused, but when he pulled it out of the box, it was pristine. It turns out it had only been on display a couple of months before the Intel rollout. He had pulled it down, reloaded it, boxed it up and put it on the shelf. I got a nice discount, plus they were having some kind of "red tag" sale giving an additional 25% red tagged items. I jokingly asked if I could get the red tag discount as well, and he agreed. With all the discounts applied, I got the 17" PB for about half price.

 

[Flash SWT]

Thanks Steve. Do you (or anyone) know what the 23" ACD was selling for brand new when it was discontinued? On that note I'm sure there is a website that tracks that stuff, original prices and price drops on Apple hardware over the years I just can't find it.

I've got a 15" MBP w/ DVI I can take up there and plug the ACD into and give it a thorough run to make sure everything looks OK.

So I can just buy the "AppleCare Protection Plan for Apple Display" for $87 from Apple, register this display and be good to go, assuming it hasn't been registered before? What happens if it has been, any idea?

 

[Big Boss Man]

$669 for an old 23" ACD does not sound like a good deal. You can get something comparable for half that.

 

[steve2112]

The refurb in the Apple store says "save $150", so it looks like the original price was $899. As far as AppleCare, that is about what you would need to do. If they are an authorized reseller, you may be able to get it at the store. The AppleCare on my PB is counted from when I bought it. I bought it in Aug. 06, and that is when the AppleCare runs out. I can only base my opinion on what happened with my case. Who knows, CompUSA may have been doing some strange things. (And we see where that got them)

 

[drew0020]

Not sure if this is a good deal either!

 

[Flash SWT]

Found that historical price list I knew I saw on another thread earlier. I'll actually bookmark it this time:
http://www.designedinca.com/peripherals/displays/cinema/jun2004/23inch/

I guess my thinking is that if the 23" ACD was still offered new I'd buy it. I have one at work and like it, plus third party makes me a little nervous. I've been reading about problems with the HP model, not sharp and colors being way off out of the box, etc. I guess going with an ACD just seems like it will be less hassle. Again if Apple just offered the new 24" with a matte option this thred wouldn't exist.

On the floor model, at $669 plus $87 for AppleCare puts it slightly over the refurbished price of $749 with AppleCare included (bought alongside a Mac Pro with AppleCare) so that makes it a no brainer if they won't come down on price any. I'd probably have to get them down at least another $100 to make it worth the risk of dealing with a "floor model" vs. a factory refurbished unit from Apple.

Big Boss Man, what comparable monitors would you recommend? The closest I've found is the HP LP2475w which has an H-IPS panel.

Thanks again for the opinions guys.

 

[Big Boss Man]

Sorry, I don't have any specific monitors to recommend. I have the new 24" LED ACD and I'm happy with it but you already said it is not for you. I routinely see 24" monitors on Newegg for well under $400. Maybe check the reviews over there. I believe a lot of the actual LCD displays are from the same supplier so there is not much of a difference.