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What to buy? Alum MB 2.0 or Alum MB 2.4 refurb?

bailorg

bailorg

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 16, 2008
92
2
I'm about to buy my first Mac and I'm trying to decide between a brand new MacBook Aluminum 2.0 for $1299 or a refurbished MacBook Aluminum 2.4 for $1399.

I plan on keeping the computer for at least 3+ years.

Since I am planning on keeping the computer long term, I also plan on upgrading the memory to 4GB. Is it better just buy the memory myself from say OWC, instead of getting the computer with 4GB installed by Apple, if I go for the brand new option?
 
bailorg said:
I'm about to buy my first Mac and I'm trying to decide between a brand new MacBook Aluminum 2.0 for $1299 or a refurbished MacBook Aluminum 2.4 for $1399.

I plan on keeping the computer for at least 3+ years.

Since I am planning on keeping the computer long term, I also plan on upgrading the memory to 4GB. Is it better just buy the memory myself from say OWC, instead of getting the computer with 4GB installed by Apple, if I go for the brand new option?
Click to expand...

Just go for the 2.0 refurb for 1099.

Refurbs are as good as new and you may get lucky and get a refurb that has 4 GB in it already.
 
bailorg said:
I'm about to buy my first Mac and I'm trying to decide between a brand new MacBook Aluminum 2.0 for $1299 or a refurbished MacBook Aluminum 2.4 for $1399.

I plan on keeping the computer for at least 3+ years.

Since I am planning on keeping the computer long term, I also plan on upgrading the memory to 4GB. Is it better just buy the memory myself from say OWC, instead of getting the computer with 4GB installed by Apple, if I go for the brand new option?
Click to expand...

Get the 2.4 GHz model refurbished. You'll appreciate the backlit keyboard and extra processing power. It's a 1/5 increase of power...
 
desiringGod said:
Just go for the 2.0 refurb for 1099.

Refurbs are as good as new and you may get lucky and get a refurb that has 4 GB in it already.
Click to expand...

I agree here. At $1099, the aluminum unibody MB is the best buy... not just of the two but of any Mac.

Whichever one you get, you have to upgrade the RAM. The only real difference is CPU and that difference is just not going to be noticeable.

Amazing Mac for the price. Good luck.
 
i just got a 2.4 refurb yesterday. Its absolutely brand new looking and the battery only had 2 cycles. They also sent me one with a 320gb harddrive and 4gb ram!! Cant do much better than that. I'd say go for the 2.4 over the 2.0 new or like others are saying get the 2.0 refurb. Seriously i cant believe it was ever opened before.
 
I'm presuming you're not going to be doing anything terribly intensive with it, or else you would have said.

You also say that you're going to be keeping this machine for the long term. My take is going to be different from everybody else who are saying to buy the most machine you can now.

I've bought a second (well, third) machine to use around the house to do general stuff: browsing, email, word processing, etc. I managed to buy a last generation 12" g4 powerbook running at 1.5 ghz. The ram is maxed out, it has a 80 gig hard drive, superdrive, etc. It's a four year old machine.

The model before mine was the 1.33 ghz g4. I can honestly say that, four years after mine was made, that the extra ram makes a bigger difference over the .17 ghz, and that my system is almost obsolete for all but the most basic computer tasks anyway. This thing isn't bad for surfing a web page, but it's almost painful for it to encode videos. I've accepted the fact that 10.6 isn't even going to run on it.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say the same for the two new macbooks in 2012. It's not going to make much of a difference between the processors in the two machines.

If money is an issue for you, I'd say to get a refurbed 2.0 ghz macbook and max the memory out on it when ddr3 prices drop in the future.

Good luck.
 
GTJ said:
i just got a 2.4 refurb yesterday. Its absolutely brand new looking and the battery only had 2 cycles. They also sent me one with a 320gb harddrive and 4gb ram!! Cant do much better than that. I'd say go for the 2.4 over the 2.0 new or like others are saying get the 2.0 refurb. Seriously i cant believe it was ever opened before.
Click to expand...

That is awesome. I got my refurb blackbook a year ago. I had heard so many good reports of extra ram in the refurbs, I was quite disappointed when mine was only as advertised. I wanted to send it back :D.
 
kevbrim said:
Argg!

I just ordered mine two days ago for 1399. Do you think apple with refund the $100 to me.
Click to expand...

They did that for me when I bought a refurb last year and it went down $200 the next week.

Just call until you get someone who will do it.
 
bailorg said:
I'm about to buy my first Mac and I'm trying to decide between a brand new MacBook Aluminum 2.0 for $1299 or a refurbished MacBook Aluminum 2.4 for $1399.

I plan on keeping the computer for at least 3+ years.

Since I am planning on keeping the computer long term, I also plan on upgrading the memory to 4GB. Is it better just buy the memory myself from say OWC, instead of getting the computer with 4GB installed by Apple, if I go for the brand new option?
Click to expand...

Definitely agree with what's being said. I have heard nothing but good from Refurbs. You'll appreciate the power down the road...especially if the price just dropped!
 
+1 for the 2.4. $100 for a backlit keyboard and a (slightly) better processor sounds like its worth it to me!
 
Yea definately the 2.4ghz refurb! Its only $100 more and you are getting quite a lot more of a machine. An extra .4ghz will get stuff done faster, and the backlit keyboard! And from what I heard apple refurbs are pretty much brand new condition anyway, and they are fully warranted, so why not?
signature_apple1.jpg
 
For me it never makes sense to buy from the Apple store. I can buy this (after rebate) for $1484 NEW no tax or shipping, plus free parallels (after rebate) & free case. At the apple store it costs $1410 after tax for the refurbished one without any extras. I agree if you could get an extra 2gb of ram it might be worth it but that's a crap shoot. I have never had trouble with rebates so until I get burned I will go the Mac Mall way.

BTW I have the same dilemma on weather to get the 2.0 or 2.4 ghz.
 
I have a 2.0 that I bought right after the launch of the new MB's so I payed full price. If I were you I would go with the 2.4 refurb for sure, the backlit keyboard is awesome and I wish i had it plus you get the faster processor. If the price is the same, then I would buy the refurb no question its a great machine and pretty much guaranteed to be in perfect shape, plus you may get more ram which would be awesome. As for your second question definitely do the upgrade your self, its much cheaper and its easy just follow a guide and you'll have no problem.
 
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