Apple Refurbushed Computer Program
I was telling a friend of mine at work about my daughter's new iMac (yes, if anyone out there doesn't look at my husband's blog, we did get it) and he clued me in to something I was unaware of before: Apple sells refurbished computers.
Now to be fair, my friend is an Apple fan from way back, but he's also one of the more technically savvy people I know. He also has an understanding of the internal workings of computers that is really amazing. Long story short, I trust his judgment, and he has confidence in this product.
I don't know if the refurbished computers are only available via the Apple website or not, but assuming their certification program is good, there are deals to be had. The one drawback is it's like going to your local discount store or auto dealership. They have what they have when they have it, but if you are interested in an Apple product (desktop, laptop, iPod, iPhone) and a.) aren't in a spectacular hurry to get one or b.) don't really have the cash to buy a new one, this could be an alternative. From what I understand, people have had decent luck with them. The machines come with a one-year warranty, but longer protection plans are available for purchase if you like.
The age (and guts) of the machines vary as do the savings on each. The products offered probably come from overstocks, returns, and perhaps some of the better machines turned in to Apple's recycling program. There may be other factors as well (I noticed white models were typically less than those with an aluminum finish, for example even though internally they had comparable configurations.) Truthfully, I was surprised at the quality. I didn't read everything, but I gave it a good going over and I didn't see any machines that were more than one generation old. I wish I'd known about this before I bought my daughter's iMac, but oh, well. You live, you learn.
Now to be fair, my friend is an Apple fan from way back, but he's also one of the more technically savvy people I know. He also has an understanding of the internal workings of computers that is really amazing. Long story short, I trust his judgment, and he has confidence in this product.
I don't know if the refurbished computers are only available via the Apple website or not, but assuming their certification program is good, there are deals to be had. The one drawback is it's like going to your local discount store or auto dealership. They have what they have when they have it, but if you are interested in an Apple product (desktop, laptop, iPod, iPhone) and a.) aren't in a spectacular hurry to get one or b.) don't really have the cash to buy a new one, this could be an alternative. From what I understand, people have had decent luck with them. The machines come with a one-year warranty, but longer protection plans are available for purchase if you like.
The age (and guts) of the machines vary as do the savings on each. The products offered probably come from overstocks, returns, and perhaps some of the better machines turned in to Apple's recycling program. There may be other factors as well (I noticed white models were typically less than those with an aluminum finish, for example even though internally they had comparable configurations.) Truthfully, I was surprised at the quality. I didn't read everything, but I gave it a good going over and I didn't see any machines that were more than one generation old. I wish I'd known about this before I bought my daughter's iMac, but oh, well. You live, you learn.