Refurbished MacBook Pro Video & Cursor Problems

[radarsofar]

Hi,
In Sept 2012, I bought a refurbished MacBook Pro w/AppleCare Warranty:
2.8 GHz Intel Core i7
4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB
Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63)

I'm experiencing glitches when I run video/internet. Two reoccurring problems:

When I am scrolling all the sudden the cursor disappears, yet it is active on the screen...ie: if i move the cursor around it will expand menus, though it is hard to figure out where it is...(usually happens in hulu & netflix). I have to move the cursor to a screen corner/or position cursor in front of a contrasting color. Note: It's not fading w/same background color...it really disappears.​

AND

When streaming video, if I open another browser window, USUALLY the streaming video sticks (the audio is fine). I have to scroll all the way down and scroll up real fast to "fix" it.​

1) Are these common problems w/refurbished apple products?
2) What will Apple do if I take it in? Or should I call them first?
3) I paid $$1500 for my Mac and I feel I should have just bought a new Mac instead....Did I make a mistake?

I'm new to MacRumors...go easy on me. If I have posted this in the wrong Forum, please help me out.

Thanks,
Mgo

 

[GGJstudios]

1) Are these common problems w/refurbished apple products?
2) What will Apple do if I take it in? Or should I call them first?
3) I paid $$1500 for my Mac and I feel I should have just bought a new Mac instead....Did I make a mistake?

No, you didn't make a mistake, and refurbished products have no more incidents of problems then new products. Apple will correct the problem, if you simply call them and explain what's going on.

 

[radarsofar]

Thanks GG...

GG,
Thank you for your reply. I'm relieved that I didn't make a 1500 buck mistake. With the spec information given in my initial post...is it your opinion that I have a good computer? I do a lot of graphics work (CS, web design).

In 2007, I was stoked when I got my MacBook. It was the best 1800 I spent in my life...better than a car or any trip to South America. I feel the same about my iphone. Unfortunately the design & features of my MacPro purchase doesn't have the same zing for me. C'mon Apple!

Best,
Mgo

 

[GGJstudios]

GG,
Thank you for your reply. I'm relieved that I didn't make a 1500 buck mistake. With the spec information given in my initial post...is it your opinion that I have a good computer? I do a lot of graphics work (CS, web design).

The specs look fine. Depending on your typical workload, you may or may not need more RAM. If you're looking for more performance, you may also want to consider installing a SSD. For software-related performance issues, the following may be helpful:

Performance Tips For Mac OS X​