Refurbished vs new

[cfitz7111]

I have owned several refurbs, never a problem. I also owned a "refreshed" iBook that was a return to the store, and resold as a refresh, they dont do them anymore, that came with AppleCare and I didnt pay for it.

I am planning on buying the MBP 13 refurb, in the next few weeks.

 

[Msbeezy]

My early 09 2.93 quad and 24" ACD both refurb = outstanding. Had I not known they were refurb you'd never know..add applecare and you're good to go !

 

[cfitz7111]

+1 on the AppleCare. Best money that I never spent but saved me on a new battery and a memory issue that my iBook had.

 

[Yebubbleman]

The way to always do it.

If you're not going to customize the computer and don't care about it not coming in the cute Apple packaging, buy refurb. Always. Same warranty, same AppleCare eligibility. Cheaper. Better quality control. End of story. If you don't see the model you want, wait. Chances are, it'll crop up eventually and at the most random of times. MacBooks and Mac minis are more ellusive. So are MacBook Airs. iMacs, MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros are much more consistent.

If you are going to customize the computer (like with a faster processor and/or a bigger hard drive), it makes way more sense to buy the computer new through the online Apple store.

 

[mdgm]

I have a refurb Mac Pro. The only problem I had (if you want to call it that) is that it didn't come with a wireless card preinstalled. And you can't get refurbs built-to-order (BTO), aka configured-to-order (CTO).

I'm pretty sure the 2010 Mac Pro comes with a wireless card pre-installed. So if you want to be sure to get a wireless card get a refurb 2010 Mac Pro

When getting refurbs it's a good idea to work out what generation the model you are getting is and look up the bare minimum specs on the web to see what you can expect.

 

[DeeEss]

I'm typing on my new Refurb 3.33 Hex. Just got it this week and the RAM and SSD's arrived on separate order today. I'm so happy with it. I don't think i'd buy another new mac again. The only thing to tell it from a new one is the box it came in. It's a plain white one. I saved almost £500 and that went towards RAM and SSD's. It really is unmarked. The only thing I could find was a finger print on the CPU tray. Also, the computer came with a bonus 6gb of Ram as it must have been part of the returned order. So I would actually recommend waiting to receive your computer before you order any RAM if you have the time.

 

[gglockner]

I'm usually comfortable with refurbs for desktop computers. I'm not so eager to get a refurb for a laptop - especially one with a physical drive (not SSD) because I've seen how people carry laptops roughly.

In 2007, I got an iMac refurb that had a big scratch on the rear. It worked fine otherwise, and I still use it.

One thing I've found is that refurbs are slightly less desirable if/when you plan to resell them on ebay, Craigslist, etc.

Still, I frequently look to refurbs for desktop Macs.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'm usually comfortable with refurbs for desktop computers. I'm not so eager to get a refurb for a laptop - especially one with a physical drive (not SSD) because I've seen how people carry laptops roughly.

In 2007, I got an iMac refurb that had a big scratch on the rear. It worked fine otherwise, and I still use it.

One thing I've found is that refurbs are slightly less desirable if/when you plan to resell them on ebay, Craigslist, etc.

Still, I frequently look to refurbs for desktop Macs.

I'm pretty sure that they, at least now, provide a brand new exterior and test every single component before putting it in. The quality control that they have on the refurbished units is apparently worlds better than what's on the new ones.