worth it?

[Ligeia]

i've been cruising these threads for the past few days and I've noticed you guys get this a lot but I'd like some outside opinion.

I'm curious about getting an Apple, as I want a laptop that is a solid machine that can also meet my traveling needs. However, I'm short on cash so I'm in the realm of refurb's.

On geeks.com they offer a ibook g4 12" with 1ghz 512mb 30g hd with airport extreme for only $449, which is a price that is in my budget. However, it is refurb at C-grade which I am told is the lowest, but if I am not satisfied I can return it within the 30 days. Going off the refurb stories I've read here I'm seriously thinking getting this one, but is it worth it??

 

[Klrbee25]

That computer sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Save your money and get a new macbook for around $1000.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

The refurb stories you hear on here are almost entirely about purchasing refurbs from apple directly. The insights gained from those threads should NOT be applied to refurbs from other companies.

 

[CRAZYBUBBA]

Ditto.. don't buy refurb unless its from apple, cnet did a story once on how apple's refurb policies are alot more hardcore than others..

I think you should save your cash.. also btw in my own experince, people take ALOT better care of their pro-line machines... so if you really must buy a powerbook

 

[c.joe.go]

i have a laptop that is very similar to what you are looking @...... i'm afraid that, though i love my laptop, i would agree with the prior post about saving up your cash. you never know, you might save money and take a little time and end up looking at a refreshed sr laptop in your hands.

save your cash. work a little longer. then pull the trigger.

ps: throw apple care at it too.

 

[CRAZYBUBBA]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/298067/

 

[Andrew D.]

As what the above posters are saying, save your money for a MacBook. In the long run it will last longer and be much more compatible with Leopard when it releases.

 

[Ligeia]

Wow, I really was not expecting that fast of a response, thanks guys. Let me elaborate my situation a bit.

While I'd love to save up for a macbook for something a little more pricey, when I say 'traveling' I mean I'm leaving the U.S. for a year and I'm leaving soon...so any extra money I can save up I need for traveling expenses. Also it is my hope that having a slightly less expensive machine will keep a lower profile and might be slightly less likely to be snatched than a MB or MBP.

An inquiry to geeks customer service tells me that all their refurb is done by the manufac. so I was under the impression it was a bit safer...also with this model I get a two year warranty that covers parts and labor.

In addition, since this is my first apple I do not expect it to be my last and only really need the one now to serve the purposes of mobility, internet and general paper writing, especially since I already have a soon-to-be neglected pc in the states that I can't travel with.

Has anyone used another means besides the apple store for refurbs? I mean my intentions are to beat the hell out of this one for these 30 days and if it so much as coughs I'll send it back to try something else. Perhaps I am going to be the guinea pig on the forum for future poor apple shoppers.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Check the Apple refurbs, or Craigslist 1st. You can often find good deals there. Buying a refurb from a retail outlet other than Apple, on top of the ibook having their lowest quality rating of "C" would make me really Wary.

 

[triobot]

Buy new cos new is reliable depends what you mean by travels... With limited power you wanna buy the "cheapest" you can get so you can prolong battery if you can't get to a power supply...

With a title of a thread can you put something which makes sence rather than two words or is your vocabulary that dense??

 

[Squonk]

What is your maximum amount that you can spend? I seem to recall that you can get a CD MB 1.83MHz model for $799.00. If if if you could swing that, the machine would be so much more than a "C" class refurb of an iBook G4. And this machine would have a one year warranty on it.

Just my thoughts...