Apple refurbs

dallenb · August 26, 2002 12:34PM

Greetings all.

I havent used a Mac for probably 20 years, and have since been a slave to the world of Microsoft. After having numerous issues with every PC I have ever owned, I have decided to sell off my PC and buy an Ibook. Here is where my issues begin.

Nothing would make me happier than to buy a new, top of the line Ibook. Heck, I would love to buy a top of the line Powerbook. I have looked all over, and the only way I can find to get a discount on a Ibook is to buy a refurb. The biggest discount I can find so far on a new Ibook is $50, which isnt much considering I can get a comparible PC notebook for much less.

Now for my question. How reliable are the refurbs that are offered by Apple? Is there a place, anywhere that I can get a discounted Ibook without buying it used??

Thanks in advance

D.

Austin, Texas

trumptman · August 26, 2002 1:25PM

Dallen, buddy...

Please understand the following two phrases should not be in a paragraph together...

I have had issues with every PC I have every owned..

Where can I get my next computer (mac) as cheap as possible.

If you truly are worried about your time, your hairline (from pulling it out) and the enjoyment of your time on a computer, then don't sweat the $50, and go buy some place where you can deal with a person, touch the actual iBook you want, and make sure you get what you want.

Stop sweating the small costs and start enjoying the small details...that is what a Mac is about..

Nick

torifile · August 26, 2002 2:07PM

Apple refurbs carry the same warranty as their new products, so you needn't worry about that. As far as getting a new or used one, that's up to you and your wallet. The good thing is that finding a cheap iBook doesn't mean the quality is inferior. (And, btw, there are no comparable PC notebooks at the iBook's price point.) The problem with shopping around for a cheap new Apple product is that you can't find them. Apple has a minimum advertised price and prices are pretty fixed across resellers.

On the refurb front, you've got smalldog.com and powermax.com. I've never dealt with either of them, but I hear smalldog is pretty good. HTH.

edit: unfortunately, smalldog seems to be low on refurbs right now. Here's the only one I found: <a href="http://www.smalldog.com/product/40652"; target="_blank">http://www.smalldog.com/product/40652</a>;

[ 08-26-2002: Message edited by: torifile ]</p>

dallenb · August 26, 2002 2:43PM

I guess the main question wasnt about the $50 I can get as a discount for a new Ibook. It was more about whether a refurb was worth the money. Apple has a refurb for up too $300 off retail, which Torifile seemed to answer.

Thank you though for your insight

seb · August 26, 2002 5:08PM

Refurbs are just fine.

Let's say somebody buys an iBook at an Apple store and the battery won't charge, or the CD-ROM drive vibrates. Apple won't send the customer's brand new iBook off to get repaired, they'll give them a new one, send the defective one back to the factory, or wherever, where they put a new battery or CD-ROM or whatever in it, and voila - you've got a brand new, perfect iBook at a great discount.

It's now been QA'd twice - should be perfect.

I'd think about getting the extended AppleCare on a laptop though - just because environmental conditions can be rough on a portable. They go through more wear and tear.

torifile · August 26, 2002 5:53PM

About AppleCare: you don't have to buy it right away. You can wait until your 1st year is about up and then purchase it. This way you can decide whether you want to spend a couple hundred extra $ on it or if you would just like to reinvest that money in a new computer. That's what I've been doing for the past few years. I've been able to resell my laptops for a pretty good amount then roll that money + the amount I would have spent on the applecare to get a new computer. But, I'd agree with seb that you don't want to have a laptop without some sort of warranty b/c they're too expensive to fix on your own.

evangellydonut · August 28, 2002 1:37PM

1 out of the 5 refurb'd iMac500 i bought consistantly has problems...I think the mobo is simply bad, or the HD...can't seem to find the order receipt, although the Apple database has the SN still under warranty...not sure if Apple will fix it or not...

dallenb · September 3, 2002 4:05PM

I went by CompUSA the other day, and their selling point is that if you have a bad pixel on the screen, you can just bring it back and they will give you a new one. When asked about buying it directly from Apple, the salesperson said its much harder to get done. Im sure he was seeing $$$ in my sale, but it got me to wondering. I would hate to buy a refurb from Apple, and spend all my time shipping laptops back and forth to Cali.

I am sure these decisions are much easier for all you rich folks

, but im having trouble parting with $2000 for an unknown quantity.

Thanks

torifile · September 3, 2002 4:12PM

[quote]Originally posted by Dallenb:

<strong>I went by CompUSA the other day, and their selling point is that if you have a bad pixel on the screen, you can just bring it back and they will give you a new one. When asked about buying it directly from Apple, the salesperson said its much harder to get done. Im sure he was seeing $$$ in my sale, but it got me to wondering. I would hate to buy a refurb from Apple, and spend all my time shipping laptops back and forth to Cali.

I am sure these decisions are much easier for all you rich folks

, but im having trouble parting with $2000 for an unknown quantity.

Thanks

</strong><hr></blockquote>

Don't buy from compusa. They make you purchase their extended care plan with their refurbs and that's why they'll let you bring it back. Compusa sucks in general and they always rip people off on the discontinued models. Go with Apple. I've had 5 Apple laptops and not one had a single dead pixel (stuck pixel and dead pixel are not the same thing, just FYI).

Apple refurbs

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