Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Worth Getting A Refurbished MacBook?

J

jhwang

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 22, 2009
15
0
Hi all,

I did a quick search prior to creating this thread but apparently I couldn't find the right words to type in the search bar to gather the necessary threads so I apologize if this topic has been done to death.

I'm preparing for college soon and considering buying a MacBook. But, I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should purchase a brand new 2.0 GHz MacBook or a refurbished 2.4 GHz MacBook. I won't be taking any courses that will require me to run any intensive software and apart from using my MacBook for school purposes, I plan to do some casual gaming such as StarCraft II and Diablo III in the not so distant future.

I've heard that in some cases that there are advantages to buying a refurbished Mac such as the process it goes through to insure that it will run properly. It may sound strange, but the only thing holding me back from buying a refurbished Mac is that I feel a little uncomfortable with the thought that my first Mac will have been used but at the same time I'd like to get the most for my money. So I wanted to ask for everyone's opinion/input from those who have purchased a refurbished Mac.

Is the extra 400 MHz, 90 GB of HD space and illuminated keyboard really worth it in your opinion? Is there a noticeable difference? Or should I just be peace at mind with buying a brand new 2.0 GHz MacBook?
 
Yeah, I forgot to add that the price of a refurbished 2.4 GHz MacBook is the same as a brand new 2.0 GHz MacBook which is why I'm considering a refurbished Mac.

I've seen some videos on YouTube of refurbished unboxings and the majority of them appear to look in very good condition. Anyone care to inform me on what the "stringent refurbishment process" is and how it affects the appearance of the MacBook?
 
My referb macbook should be getting here tomorrow! I'm really excited for it. I went with referb because I got more for my money. Only thing is that I wish they came in the cool box that new laptops come in. :(

Anyways, you should be very happy with your referb. They come with the same warranty as a new one so IF ( and its a big IF) your referb comes out DOA or has damage then you can just exchange it like you would a brand new one

If you get lucky, like my cousin, he got a DOA referb macbook. He took it to his local apple store and they exchanged it and gave him the high end model because they happened to be out of the model he purchased!
 
For what you're doing, I don't think the upgrade of 2.4 is worth it (see this lovely thread).

That said, might I suggest that you get a refurbed 2.0 GHz Macbook? You'd save an extra $200, which certainly couldn't hurt.
 
Apple replaces the entire exterior, defective part, and I believe that battery(?). I'd go with the 2.4Ghz model, as I don't think I could live without backlit keys anymore; the processor and HDD are extras.:p
 
Buy the refurb. The refurb machines go through the same quality control process that new machines go through, and if it fails any portion of the QC, the part is replaced.

All in all, well worth the money. The only difference is you get a brown cardboard box, not the sexy white box with the picture on the front ;)
 
For the same price, I'd get the refurb 2.4GHz over the new 2.0GHz. The backlit keyboard is just real nice to look at :).

If you don't need the 400MHz increase (won't do much anyways for the usual stuff like web browsing/chat/music/video), backlit keyboard, or extra 90GB, save $200 and get a refurb 2.0GHz for $1099. Just my opinion, good luck.
 
Yeah your decision should be between a refurb 2.0 and a refurb 2.4

i personally don't see the point in buying brand new with apple's great refurb process.
 
There's rarely a good reason to pay retail price from Apple. Refurbished is a great way to save money and get a new machine.
 
Yes. You should definitley get a refurbished one. Obviously, it's basically getting a new one for a better price. However when I got my first MacBook (frefurbished) at the end of 2007, the hard drive died a few weeks later. Maybe it was just a freak accident. But because of that, I STRONGLY suggest you get an external hard drive to use with Time Machine. I recommend a Western Digital from Best Buy. and don't get the one specifically for mac. They cost more. a regular black one will work just fine.
 
Just a note, it seems the brand new ones are shipping with higher quality screens than older ones. In another thread on macrumors, it seems ones made during April have them.

I was going to go refurb but I think I am considering differently now because I rather have a nice screen. I don't know how long it will take for April macbooks to show up in the refurb store.

Can anyone confirm better screens?

Here's the thread:https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/694320/
 
If you buy from ebay how would you handle a return?

Do you still have full warranty and are you able to buy applecare at a later date?
 
I was about to buy a refurb MacBook off the refurb store for £799 (original price £929) but then my brother said I could use his student discount. So I ended up getting a brand new £929 model for £799!! I also bought Apple Care (which usually costs £195) for £45!! Therefore I bought £1,124 worth of products for £844.

Moral of the story is, if you know someone who can get you student discount then use that instead of getting a refurb.
 
Germwise said:
If you buy from ebay how would you handle a return?
Click to expand...

You will need to peruse the Ebay seller's return policy.

Germwise said:
Do you still have full warranty and are you able to buy applecare at a later date?
Click to expand...

If they are not an authorized dealer, your warranty would have started from whenever they bought the computer; and if it is under warranty, then you should be able to buy AppleCare.
 
I don't get it???

Apple claims that their refurbished mac's go through a strict process before being sent off to the consumer but then why do I see this- "DOA referb macbook" more and more? It happended to my brother twice. That's why I won't buy refurbished. Apple obviously doesn't go that thorough of a process if this is happening. :rolleyes:
 
Liquidpics said:
Apple claims that their refurbished mac's go through a strict process before being sent off to the consumer but then why do I see this- "DOA referb macbook" more and more? It happended to my brother twice. That's why I won't buy refurbished. Apple obviously doesn't go that thorough of a process if this is happening. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Ya I understand that when you buy referb that there is always a chance of it coming DOA. But Apple is really good about replacing them rather quickly if that does happen. Is the 200-400 dollar savings you'll save worth that small precentage that it might come DOA? If it does you might have to wait 3-4 days tops to get it replaced (less if you live near an Apple store). Personally I love my referb macbook. I will continue to buy Apple referbs and save myself a decent amount of money in the process. :)
 
Liquidpics said:
Apple claims that their refurbished mac's go through a strict process before being sent off to the consumer but then why do I see this- "DOA referb macbook" more and more? It happended to my brother twice. That's why I won't buy refurbished. Apple obviously doesn't go that thorough of a process if this is happening. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Apple has little control of the shipment process where, I would assume, the majority of them strain from.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back