Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Eric E. · Jun 4, 2002, 08:44 AM

I'm an owner of heavily upgraded Power Center Pro 210, that now has a G3 500mhz processor, maxed out memory at 512mb, DVD-Ram, CD-RW, ATI Radeon, and ATA-IDE card that is driving a pair of 80gig hard drives, and a USB/Firewire PCI card. I use the 5-year old computer for surfing the net, write e-mails, and lately, to scan negatives with my new Nikon Film Scanner. I also use Photoshop Elements and Graphic Converter a lot with my scanned images.

However, there is not much upgrades that I can do with this computer. It can't run OS X, I ocassionally get stuttering with audio & video, and scanning with the film scanner seems so slow. Will a used/refurbished G4 Sawtooth that can be mildly upgraded be a wise replacement, or should I get a G4 Quicksilver? Also, where is the the best place on the net (other than ebay) to purchase used/refurbished Macs?

Eric

rhogue islander · Jun 4, 2002, 09:16 AM

You should definitely check out <a href="http://www.smalldog.com" target="_blank">www.smalldog.com</a> They are an Apple authorized refurber and great to deal with.

I believe Apple is also selling refurbs and you can always buy one from their education store (G4 733 = $1299).

At this point you may want to wait another month till after MWNY as prices will surely drop and speeds will increase on the base models.

bil207 · Jun 4, 2002, 09:23 AM

Another vote for SmallDog here. If I were to buy a refurb. (they have some good deals) I would only buy from SmallDog.

[ 06-04-2002, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: bil207 ]

MSME · Jun 4, 2002, 09:55 AM

My local CompUSA (Wilmington, DE) had some open-box G4/466's that they had priced at $799. If you live near a CompUSA, you may want to check that out. This was a couple of weeks ago, so I'm not sure if they still have any, or if they're doing this at all of their stores.

Dgysy · Jun 4, 2002, 10:09 AM

I have a couple of questions about these refurbised Powermac's from smalldog.com.

Are they cosmetically perfect? Are they sometimes actually brand new but just returns (sort of like Dell's refurbs).

jwblase · Jun 4, 2002, 10:27 AM

Out of the three refurbs that I've bought from smalldog.com, all three have been perfect. No cosmetic problems whatsoever. I'm guessing that the original owner had some kind of HD problem or RAM problem. ONce those parts were switched out with brand new parts, NO MORE PROBLEMS!!!

During the first 90 days, many times, Apple would rather just replace the computer than fix it. In comes smalldog, replaces the inexpensive part with a warranty, and resells it as refurbished.

No problems here.

JB

bil207 · Jun 4, 2002, 10:31 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Dgysy:
I have a couple of questions about these refurbised Powermac's from smalldog.com.

Are they cosmetically perfect? Are they sometimes actually brand new but just returns (sort of like Dell's refurbs).<hr /></blockquote>This is posted on SD's site in the FAQ.

"Factory refurbished (r): Factory-refurbished product comes directly from the manufacturer where it has been made "as new", tested and repackaged. Refurbished product comes with all accessories, such as mouse, power cords, etc. Apple refurbished product generally comes with the same software bundles as new machines. Apple refurbished product now comes with the same 1-year limited warranty as new product and is eligible for AppleCare Protection Plan, as well."

Eric E. · Jun 4, 2002, 11:14 PM

Thank you very much for all the replies. I guess it's safe to assume that it's OK to just buy a refurbished unit. Besides, I'm not a hard core gamer, I don't use the full version of Photoshop (at least not yet), I don't do serious video production, and the computer will not be used as part of a business.

To MSME - there is no CompUSA where I live since I'm in Japan working for the U.S. Navy. I did live & work in Maryland 2 years ago, which makes me somewhat familiar with the Wilmington, DE area. And as far as your iPod is concerned, you have my condolences.

I hope it will not happen to me after I purchase one for in the future.

To rhogue islander & bil207 - I've been browsing to smalldog.com's website and they do have a great selection of refurbs. I've also been looking at powermax.com's website, which has a bigger selection of refurbs and used computers. I wonder if anyone out there can tell me their experience with doing business with these guys.

Thanks again.

Eric

CodeWarrior · Jun 7, 2002, 04:30 PM

I've bought refrebs from CompUSA without problems so Refrebs are normally okay. Apple refrebs all have 1 year warranty now so keep that in mind.

Have you checked out the $300 rebate Apple is giving on the new PowerMacs. This drops the PM G4/800 with SuperDrive to $1499 or $1299 for CDRW. You also can get a SuperFly 5 GB FireWire HD for free (add $99 and they give you $99 instant rebate).

Of course, if it were me, I'd wait until after MacWorld NY and see what is coming out. The refrebs certainly won't go up in price. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />