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Raidersmojo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 3, 2005
207
12
Burton michigan
do they work like normal? is it worth saving the extra 200 bucks? even if I have a student discount? was looking to pick up a powerbook and airport extreme base station
 
My next machine will be a refurb macintel.

My wife made me exchange our original powerbook 15" last April one week after we bought it. There was a very minor, I don't even want to call it a defect, place where the plastic piece for heat escape openings in the hinge area was not quite seated properly. You don't really notice it and lots of the 15s i see have this same 'feature'. I didn't want to return it and felt really guilty for returning the unit, but the Genius labeled it DOA and gave us a new machine. Somebody got a really great powerbook for cheap!
 
Well, if the education discount is more, go with that. Otherwise, refurns are fine. Use the savings to buy AppleCare.
 
I have a 15" powerbook refurb. The only problem is a small defect on the front of the computer. The defect is purely cosmetic and I barely even notice it. If i stand 3 feet away from it, I don't notice the defect. Besides that, this powerbook works great and am very glad I bought my powerbook refurb. Go for it.
 
As a bonus (or perhaps compensation for not getting the cool Apple box), sometimes the unit will even include extras: I received more RAM and a bigger hard disk than were listed.
 
I've owned four Apple refurb products -- all worked just fine. I suspect that some aren't refurbished at all, but are overstocks sold as refurbished. My "refurb" iPod came in the full retail box.
 
IJ Reilly said:
I've owned four Apple refurb products -- all worked just fine. I suspect that some aren't refurbished at all, but are overstocks sold as refurbished. My "refurb" iPod came in the full retail box.

True. I have bought quite a few returns at the Apple shop in London. These are clearly labelled as refurbs (repairs carried out) or "refreshed" (returned undamaged or overstocks). Often the refreshed items have not even been opened. You get the same discount on both. No problems with anything I have bought so far and everything was in its original packaging.
 
can you purchase refurb/refresh'd items in the apple stores or must they be bought online only?
 
I picked up a refreshed Airport Express from the London retail store - if it weren't for the 'refreshed' sticker on the packaging i wouldn't have known the difference. The unit itself was sealed in the usual clear sellophane stuff (or whatever it's called), with all manuals etc and the full 1yr warranty. No marks or scratches whatsover (not that i'd be that bothered with it being an airport express anyway) and with about 20% off it was a very good deal.

Apparently if you order some refurb hardware products (power macs etc) online, they sometimes arrive with additional RAM or other nice bonuses!

If i were in the market for a Power Mac i'd possibly look into buying a refurb, but my only concern with buying a PowerBook or anything else with a display is that there's the possibility of dead pixels and perhaps that's why it's in the discount section. just something to bear in mind.
 
bebo said:
can you purchase refurb/refresh'd items in the apple stores or must they be bought online only?

As far as the UK is concerned, at the Apple Store in Regent St frequently at the weekend on the tables set up either side of the glass staircase. Also refurbs are permanently available from www.cancomuk.com at similar prices to those offered by Apple and presumably available from their retail stores as well. Not sure what is available elsewhere.
 
weckart said:
As far as the UK is concerned, at the Apple Store in Regent St frequently at the weekend on the tables set up either side of the glass staircase. Also refurbs are permanently available from www.cancomuk.com at similar prices to those offered by Apple and presumably available from their retail stores as well. Not sure what is available elsewhere.

I have seen this too but it's not always available. I think it might be something like the last weekend of the month that they do this, though i could be wrong.

I also frequent Cancom but actually not found their refurb prices to be *quite* as competetive as Apple's. All their other stuff is pretty well price-matched and 3rd party stuff is often marginally cheaper. But thumbs up for Cancom, they're an excellent reseller and being small, the in-store service is far superior :) no i don't work for them or anything... but if they want to give me commission for doing a sales pitch then fine!
 
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