[truth_in_nyc]

I have never bought a refurbished Mac before but was considering it this time.

Has everyone's experience with a refurbished mAC BEEN THE SAME AS A NeW ONE?

[Atheist]

I'm a big fan of buying refurbished. Just be sure to get AppleCare.

[truth_in_nyc]

Buying Applecare sort of defeats the purpose of saving money by buying refurbished. Dont u think?

[Atheist]

Nope... you should always buy AppleCare... whether you buy new or refurb.

[BoingoBongo]

Definitely. AppleCare is one of the only extended warranties I'll buy. Sure, you may never use it, but if your computer takes a dive after 2 years, you'll be glad you have it.

I've never bought a refurb from Apple, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. It definitely sounds like a great way to save some money if they have the computer you want.

[idykenano]

I bought a refurbished Macbook, and I love it. Besides for coming in a different box, the computer was perfectly new. I highly reccommend refurbs to save money.
The one thing I want to suggest is that the one I ordered was supposed to come with 1gb of RAM and it came with 1x1gb, instead of 2x512mb. I didn't mind because I was immediately switching it out for 4gb from newegg, but if I hadn't been the lack of paired RAM would have annoyed me and slowed my graphics.
However, again, GREAT DEAL. The computer was pristine (believe me, I'm one of those people with a white macbook that wipes it down at least once a week). No one can tell the difference between a refurb and a new one once they're out of the box.

[Eug]

I find it difficult to justify getting Applecare for MacBooks, that is if I have to pay full price for Applecare. The cost of Applecare represents a large percentage of the cost of the MacBook.

I'd almost rather just buy a new MacBook a year later and sell the old one. eg.

MacBook: $1299
Applecare: $249

Cost of Applecare: 19% of cost of MacBook

MacBook: $1099
Applecare: $249

Cost of Applecare: 23% of cost of MacBook

[EndlessMac]

I agree with Eug. I've never bought extended warranties and I plan not to in the future. It kind of says something about the lack of quality of the product if they insist on you getting the extended warranty. My PowerBook is over 4 years old and it still is running good and my desktop is about 2 years old and I have yet to get it repaired. If you are having a lot of problems with your computer then you probably got a lemon.

In my opinion extended warranties are more for the customer's piece of mind and a nice extra profit for manufacturers. If piece of mind is important to you then definitely get it or if you are accident prone then get it also. I believe even refurbished computers get at least one year warranty included. In my opinion if a computer goes trouble free for the first year then it's a good sign that it will probably be trouble free for several more years...or you can do what Eug suggested and sell your computer once the free year warranty is up and get a new one. A year old computer will still hold its price reasonably well.

But back on topic refurbished computers are like buying certified used cars meaning they have been inspected by the manufacturer and have been given their approval. It's Apple's reputation that is at risk so they won't sell you a refurbished computer unless they think it's in good quality. The problem is that they charge more for refurbished than something you can get on eBay for example. Sometimes the price isn't much lower than a new computer.

[Simon]

Yes. Buy refurbished. Great way to save money.

No. Do not buy now. New portable Macs likely in a week.

[OreoCookie]

Extended warranty is essential with notebooks, Apple or otherwise. My sister initially thought it was somewhat superfluous, but I insisted. Now she's writing her thesis and her power adapter gave up on her. Two days after she has called HP (yes, it's an HP ), she has received a new one.

Ditto for Apple. Notebooks take much more of a beating (sadly, beating is to be taken literally with my ProBook) and the warranty is world-wide (important for me since I really get around). Extended warranty programs get you better conditions, better and faster service and less hassle.

[truth_in_nyc]

I wont be buying Apple Care.

[Kestral]

If you have a gold or platinum card, check out the Terms and Conditions for what benefits you have.

My gold and platinum cards will double a warranty up to 1 year.

So on a MacBook, whether new or refurb, which comes with 1 year warranty, the second year will be covered by my credit card.

So no on Applecare for me.

[bbales]

I am still using an original 12-in PB from early 2003 (and counting the days until next Tuesday, when I plan to be one of the first in line to buy a new laptop). I bought AppleCare. About six weeks into the second year, a serious screen issue developed. Apple fixed it for free and I had it back within 2 1/2 days. I would never not buy an extended warranty on a laptop.

As for the refurb question -- well, I'm waiting to see what Apple introduces before deciding whether to get the newest, or to save lots of money with a refurb. (Actually my college freshman daughter wants me to get the newest, give it to her and let me take over her MacBook, purchased just in July. We'll see!)

[DCJ001]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I find it difficult to justify getting Applecare for MacBooks, that is if I have to pay full price for Applecare. The cost of Applecare represents a large percentage of the cost of the MacBook.

I'd almost rather just buy a new MacBook a year later and sell the old one. eg.

MacBook: $1299
Applecare: $249

Cost of Applecare: 19% of cost of MacBook

MacBook: $1099
Applecare: $249

Cost of Applecare: 23% of cost of MacBook

As far as I know, here are the best prices for AppleCare:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_pc...lecare&x=0&y=0