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I bought a refurb mac. I have some questions.

appleguy123

appleguy123

macrumors 604
Original poster
Apr 1, 2009
6,873
2,589
15 minutes in the future
Ok i have been looking for my first mac for a while and finally decided to buy the refurbished 17" macBook Pro. you can find the one i bought here I have a few questions about about what is included in the refurb macs and the quality of the products.
First of all, have any of you guys with refurb macs got additional software like final cut or aperture. Secondly, how many scratches or dings did yours have?
 
appleguy123 said:
Ok i have been looking for my first mac for a while and finally decided to buy the refurbished 17" macBook Pro. you can find the one i bought here I have a few questions about about what is included in the refurb macs and the quality of the products.
First of all, have any of you guys with refurb macs got additional software like final cut or aperture. Secondly, how many scratches or dings did yours have?
Click to expand...

You will not get any additional software other than iLife '09, and Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.7. You may, meanwhile get an unexpected RAM, CPU, or HDD upgrade. The unit will be very well refurbished and will almost definitely not have any scratches or dings, in fact it is less likely to have dings than a BNIB one. The only difference is price, free upgrade possibility (hardware) and it comes in a brown cardboard box, but still well packed. By the way, that is one nice computer you ordered. :)
 
If you mean extra software that came with the computer, then no. You won't get anything extra since it is a refurb. The machine has been wiped clean.

As for scratches or dings, while it is possible none that I've ever gotten has had any. Always looked brand spankin new except for the packaging (which obviously doesn't matter anyhow).
 
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It won't have any scratches or dings and will look brand new. Similarly there will be no extra software and a clean install of Leopard. It'll come in a plain cardboard box, but aside from that it'll be like buying new, except obviously it's not.
 
My imac was refurb, and it was a great choice.

Refubs come completely formatted with OS X meaning that you will not find any additional software that doesn't come with a new mac.

Also, I have heard tales of a few cosmetic defects, but generally refurbs look brand new.

Plus, if your refurb comes w/any defect that you don't like you can always return/exchange it w/in 14 days of the initial purchase date, no questions asked.
 
Pixellated said:
You will not get any additional software other than iLife '09, and Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.7. You may, meanwhile get an unexpected RAM, CPU, or HDD upgrade. The unit will be very well refurbished and will almost definitely not have any scratches or dings, in fact it is less likely to have dings than a BNIB one.
Click to expand...

Okay are you sure about the software thing? Becccause i spoke to an apple chat agent and they said that software that was preinstalled via cto was still included in the machine. also there is this paragraph on all of apples refurbished listings. "Note: Other software may or may not be included (pre-installed or on CD's/DVD's) with refurbished products, subject to availability."
So i am so confused can anyone who has got additional software let me know?


did anyone get one in bad condition? and if so describe it
 
appleguy123 said:
did anyone get one in bad condition? and if so describe it
Click to expand...

Mine arrived with a undetected battery and a lid that stayed open - no big deal though as I sent it back and got another one without any issues.

You are definitely not supposed to expect dings/scratches or any other issues - it should for all practical purposes be like new.
 
Got the real answer!

Ok i found the answer to my question here here is what it says for you lazy posters :) includes the operating software originally shipped with the unit and the custom software offered with that system. See each products "Learn More" for more details.
 
My last few macs were refurbs and they were in perfect con. and the only issue I had with an apple refurb was an iPod. Also no dents or marks. It was fine, I am always going to buy my macs this way now!
 
When you buy a refurb, they replace all the outer casings to make them brand new again. It is, for the most part, a brand new computer. The packaging is different, but you still get the one year warranty. Refurbs are great.
 
My trusty first generation iPod touch was a refurbished model, it is still going strong today. It came brand new looking with a shiny back plate, and no scratches on the touch.
 
appleguy123 said:
Is the battery new? and if not how many cycles were on yours?
Click to expand...

i bought my first refurbished macbook air about a month ago and i don't think i can ever justify buying a new one again. i love things new, but with the cost savings and the condition of apple's refurbished items are really good value.

anything that was installed on your model when it came out will be installed on the refurbished unit. any subsequent software refreshes will NOT be included. case in point, the rev. a macbook air did not come with ilife 09 installed and despite the fact that rev. b macbook airs now have them installed, mine did not come with it. i think it's fair.

cosmetically, my refurbished unit is perfect. it looks new, feels new, don't know what they did to it but the battery clock read 1 as well. maybe i was lucky?

the refurbished comes in a slightly dodgy brown box but the surprise awaits inside. it comes with black foam that holds the laptop quite well. i'd say it holds it better than the paper padding they use now part of the "green apple" movement. i use the black foam now as part of my bag and voila. i've got a laptop bag!
 
appleguy123 said:
Ok i found the answer to my question here here is what it says for you lazy posters :) includes the operating software originally shipped with the unit and the custom software offered with that system. See each products "Learn More" for more details.
Click to expand...

That means iLife. Apple doesn't preinstall additionally purchased software, so there's no chance that you'll get any free software when you purchase a refurb.
 
You won't receive any additional software except iLife '09. No dings or scratches usually, but once in awhile some user posts about a small nick he/she got. And usually you can exchange it for another.
 
boston44 said:
When you buy a refurb, they replace all the outer casings to make them brand new again. It is, for the most part, a brand new computer. The packaging is different, but you still get the one year warranty. Refurbs are great.
Click to expand...

No they do not. They do with the iPods but not with the macs. I have bought 3 refurbs in the past and all three had either scratches or dings.

Refurb 1. PowerMac had one of the footings badly dented and would not stand up straight without something proping it up. Sold to a friend at the price I paid as I couldn't put up with it.

Refurb 2. BlackBook had lots of scratches on the case and well worn trackpad. Sent back as the condition was not up to standard.

Refurb 3. Macbook Pro arrived DOA with pinched superdrive slot and big scratch on the rear display housing. I'd waited ages for these to appear on the refurb site and saved £500 on it as it was pre unibody. Apple fixed the DOA part and agreed to replace the lower case and replace the entire screen. Looks brand new now but didn't at the time.

These were UK refurbs so it may be different in other countries. My experiences haven't been great but that's what you get for playing the "Refurb Lottery". They certainly do not replace the casings on a mac.

Hope you get lucky but I just needed to set the record straight. They still are very good value but sometimes do have cosmetic problems.

Glyn.
 
I had some noticeable scuffs on the "feet" of my Powermac G5 (UK refurb) half a decade ago, as though it had been dragged around in a warehouse for a long time. The actual machine was perfect though and it had a HDD and RAM upgrade way beyond what I'd paid for which they hadn't bothered taking out. I never see the undersides of the feet anyway so I didn't care at the time and it's still my main machine all these years later.
 
Refurb iMac

My aluminum iMac (20"/2.4/DDR2-667) is a refurb. It arrived in a brown box with a new keyboard, mouse, remote, and power cable. I assume the CDs were new as there wasn't a single crinkle or fingerprint on the sleeves.

The Mac shipped as if it came from the factory on the day it was built. No scratches, fingerprints, nothing. Apple warranty for one year with the option to purchase AppleCare within that time. I am VERY pleased with my purchase.

Like what most people have experienced on this thread, my iMac shipped with upgraded hardware. My iMac has a 500GB drive when it was supposed to ship with a 320GB. I partly wondered if this was because I told the representative over the phone that I was likely going to tear it down and throw in a larger drive after my warranty expired. ...or just dumb luck?

Overall, my purchase was well worth it. $400 off or fancy iMac box.....hmm... ;)
 
only thing that i have bought on the refurb store was a 3G ipod. It arrived with a fairly scuffed back, but i didn't bother complaining. It was otherwise in fantastic condition.

Let us know how it goes!
 
fedex shipping times.......

how accurate do you guys think the ETA for fedex has been? i wasa wondering because I am in Missouri and the package is still in Sacramento and fedex says it will be here tomorow( its early morning here)
 
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