Recently, a friend tried to convince me that purchasing a refurbished computer, specifically a MacBook Pro, was a good idea to say the least. I'm not convinced it is. I argue a brand new PC was a much better option simply because she could customize it to her liking if she was ever inclined, and it would be far less expensive than even the refurbished Mac. The price difference doesn't make any sense to me. I know Macs are generally pretty expensive, especially considering you can't upgrade the hardware, but I would have thought a refurbished computer, Mac or not, would be sold at a much lower price. Sure, there's a price cut, but isn't substantial in any way, and for a refurbished product I think it should be. The price range I'm seeing on the Apple site is around 1,500- 2,000 USD for a MacBook Pro. Can anyone tell me why a refurbished Mac would be worth it?
I would only consider buying a refurbished computer if it came with a full year (or two) warranty. That tells you the computer has been properly refurbished and wont hold any nasty surprises for you a few weeks later or whatever. If the price drop isn't enough or convince you enough that it's worth it, then you would be better off buying a brand - new one.
You can probably buy an equivalent PC for half the price non-refurbished. Macs are incredibly overpriced for the actual hardware that's inside them. They're the equivalent to mid-tier designer clothing brands. You're paying a huge premium for the brand-name and nothing else.
I have a rule that I never buy refurbished products because you're just asking for trouble. The chances that the Mac will work without problems is very slim. They usually lower the price to get you to buy it, and then you find out that it stops working after a while. It's better to buy it from a wholesale website because they give you great deals on products. I knew a guy who had his own business and he can get all his electronics at wholesale price.
I've always wondered why Apple company do sell their products expensively! Selling a 'refurbished computer/A Secondhand at about $2000 is simply unrealistic. I have to admit though that the company's marketing strategy which portrays them as the superior brand has always worked to their advantage. Apple also might be having what I can call a damage control for their products. This is how it works: You restrict the product to fewer buyers so as to allow few complaints in case the products don't work to their expectation. This is, according to me, the reason as to why apple would sell a refurbished Mac Pro for a whooping 2000 USD! My Advice is, buy a PC and get value for your money!
Definitely not. Macs in general are not worth their price. You pay a few hundred for the hardware, and then another thousand for the name. You are completely correct that PCs are infinitely better moneywise, and pretty much everything else too, except maybe aesthetics (completely depends on person though). Macs should never be bought if you're looking for the most bang for your buck. You can easily get a comparable computer for half the price.
I can't speak on Macs, but I've bought plenty of refurbished products and had overwhelmingly good experiences with them. It also helps that you can buy a third part warranty from companies like Squaretrade for a reasonable price and still save money off the same product new. I don't have a problem with Macs, I just have a hard time justifying the price premium considering the restrictions of the platform. If a refurb Mac was cheap enough, I might do it.
I bought a refurb MBP back in 08 and it is still alive today. I purchased it sight-unseen (which I wouldn't recommend,) and was dropping bricks when it arrived, because the box was beat to death. Absolutely fine though, it runs like a champ and hasn't let my wife down once. It has gone through an upgrade to Snow Leopard and is now running Mountain Lion without any issues at all. I wish I could remember the price I paid, I think it was around $1k, which was a steal, but like I said... sight-unseen.
Macs are overpriced but very user friendly. If you are willing to fork over money that could potentially get you a good desktop, or even a good laptop in some cases, then the Mac is perfect for you. But if you'd rather save some money and get more out of what you spend, then I'd go for a custom built desktop, a desktop, or a laptop with better specs. Though if Macs are really your thing, and you're comfortable with them. Then by all means, go for it!
I never thought a Mac cult member would be caught dead buying a refurbished Mac. Isn't that considered heresy to them?
I don't think it is worth the price. Apple fanboys don't buy refurbished products, they pay Apple a lot more and get it from Apple store. Apple products are really expensive and Apple is not shy of admitting the same. We all know the price of the hardware that goes into Apple computers so we all know that we are throwing money just for Apple brand.
