Question about refurbished MacBooks

[jtg0511]

I noticed today that there is a February 2011 15" MacBook pro for $1229. Also, there's an October 15" MacBook pro for $1359. I'm guessing both are sandy bridge processors with only a 0.2 Ghz difference between the two. Is that a noticeable difference during regular use?

I'm going to be a medical student so I was looking for a 15" MacBook to use for Atleast 4+ years. It'll just be used for Internet, PDFs and writing.

15" screen size and Battery life are the most important factors. Do you guys recommend those models?

I would love to get the retina MacBook or even a the refreshed 15" unibody MacBook pros but I don't think I can justify the need to spend over $1700+ for the basic uses described above.

1) What would you guys recommend?
2) How long will it take (estimate) before mid 2012 unibody 15" MacBook pros or retina MacBook pros show up in the refurbished section?
3) How likely is it that I will receive a scratched MacBook if I buy the refurbished one?

 

[riveting]

The 0.2 ghz difference in CPU won't translate to any significant difference in everyday use, however, the GPU in the late 2011 model is much better than the early 2011 model, so I would make a decision based on whether you need the better video card.

I noticed today that there is a February 2011 15" MacBook pro for $1229. Also, there's an October 15" MacBook pro for $1359. I'm guessing both are sandy bridge processors with only a 0.2 Ghz difference between the two. Is that a noticeable difference during regular use?

I'm going to be a medical student so I was looking for a 15" MacBook to use for Atleast 4+ years. It'll just be used for Internet, PDFs and writing.

15" screen size and Battery life are the most important factors. Do you guys recommend those models?

I would love to get the retina MacBook or even a the refreshed 15" unibody MacBook pros but I don't think I can justify the need to spend over $1700+ for the basic uses described above.

1) What would you guys recommend?
2) How long will it take (estimate) before mid 2012 unibody 15" MacBook pros or retina MacBook pros show up in the refurbished section?
3) How likely is it that I will receive a scratched MacBook if I buy the refurbished one?

 

[GGJstudios]

I noticed today that there is a February 2011 15" MacBook pro for $1229. Also, there's an October 15" MacBook pro for $1359. I'm guessing both are sandy bridge processors with only a 0.2 Ghz difference between the two. Is that a noticeable difference during regular use?

Not at all.

15" screen size and Battery life are the most important factors. Do you guys recommend those models?

Absolutely.

2) How long will it take (estimate) before mid 2012 unibody 15" MacBook pros or retina MacBook pros show up in the refurbished section?

Probably a few months.

3) How likely is it that I will receive a scratched MacBook if I buy the refurbished one?

Not very. Most have no blemishes and the ones that do are very minor. You can always return it if you're not satisfied for a full refund.

Apple refurbished products are considered by most to be a very good deal, as they're pretty much like buying a new Mac, except for the box.

• Apple Certified Refurbished Products are only available from the Apple Refurb Store and are not sold by any 3rd party or local Apple stores
• Educational discounts do not apply to refurb products.
• Refurb products come with the same warranty as new products, and qualify for AppleCare
• Refurb products have a changed serial number that identifies them as refurbished
• Refurb products come with whatever OS version and software they originally shipped with as new
• Refurb products come with the same items in the box as new products, only the box is a plain one, not the new box.
• A refurb product could have some cosmetic signs of prior use, but rarely do
• A refurb Mac may have some cycles on the battery, but not a significant enough amount to affect usable life
• The refurb store inventory changes frequently, sometimes several times a day, and doesn't have any direct relation to upcoming product releases. What's available in the refurb store is determined by what has been returned to Apple.
• If you're looking for a particular item, refurb.me can alert you when it becomes available.

 

[brentmore]

3) How likely is it that I will receive a scratched MacBook if I buy the refurbished one?

I've ordered two refurb products from Apple and they arrived as if new. I spent a few minutes inspecting each and I couldn't find any scratches on the screen or body.

The inventory changes quite often, as previously mentioned, and I remember checking a few times a day until the one I wanted was in stock.

 

[jtg0511]

Thank you all for the helpful responses!