New mac or refurb?
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- Ranger
To all the serial buyers and sellers of Macbook Pros – would you recommend getting a refurb from apple (released July 2014) + 3 years applecare or a new one from John Lewis with their 3 years guarantee included? They work out to be the same price.
Are there any pros/cons between applecare and JL guarantee? Are they covering the same thing? I know the applecare is transferable which helps if reselling, not sure about the JL one, can't find much info about it.
- instrmntl0
I always get refurbished.
- ApeRobot0
- lolsem
- hahamoldero
- he's got a really old-school MBP there (2008 or so)monospaced
- set0
With refurbished you're pretty much guaranteed to get a fully working, fully checked machine. Buying new from apple I've had problems and had to send back, buying refurbished has always been faultless.
Applecare is probably going to be better than JL guarantee. Apple are happy to replace shit no questions asked in my experience.
- Though my post sort of contradicts itself haha. I'd go with refurb + applecare.set
- monospaced0
I have always bought refurbished. Twice I received double the RAM than I paid for. My guess is the previous owner upgraded it and returned it and it was still labeled as the base model specs.
- monospaced0
The only "pro" between Apple Care and JL warranty that I can even think might exist is the ability to just walk into an Apple Store and get support, a fix, a replacement, or whatever. JL would probably expect you to ship to/from them.
- set0
I'm losing love for apple over the years but one thing they have always been fucking brilliant for is customer support and product replacement. Walking in with a broken piece of kit and walking out with a new working one is a thing of wonder and rarity.
- Ranger0
I've had a refurb mbp before and it has been great. Yeah it came in a brown box but also it came with extra RAM also. I have been leaning more towards the refurb with the applecare.
Either way I'll be super pissed if the next mbp line up lets you upgrade again, that would seriously dent the value of this one if I try to sell again.
- My refurb products have come in standard apple packaging, just with refurb written on itset
- mine came in brown boxesmonospaced
- I bought mine down the pub thoughRanger
- i_monk0
Refurb.
- fyoucher10
Knowing what people do, and how much fapping goes on on my own computer, I would never buy refurbished. All kinds of farts, boogers, snots, and dried jizz must be all over the keyboard keys. How clean do you think those keys can get after being touched a gazillion times. They're practically made of boogers at that point.
Are you really saving that much money?
- There are moisture indicators they check, so any jizz would invalidate the warrantyRanger
- Not if it dries before it gets in!fyoucher1
- fyoucher1, it sounds like you don't understand what "refurbished" means, derpmonospaced
- "Dear Sir, we cannot accept your returned iMac due to extreme levels of dried jizz between the keys"set
- Glossy keys!fyoucher1
- I read "... pracitically made of bloggers at the point" lolgoldieboy
- Ive only bought refurbed MacBooks (except for one 15" which died on the day after it's third anniversary), they have always been like new and lasted forever without problems. I'm still using a 2009 refurbed Macbook for emails/communication...Josev
- always been like new and lasted forever without problems. I'm still using a 2009 Macbook for emails/communication...Josev
- sem0
I guess the only plus i see from not getting the new one (which would come with a years Applecare as most do no?) would be that like someone said above, if it breaks Apple tend to just swap it over. With John Lewis there might be a longer pain in the arse to get it sorted.
Check if the new one comes with the year apple care as it should.
- It does come with a year, in which time you can take it back to apple regardless of where you bought itRanger
- nb0
I've never read any complaints about refurbs, so I got my first one at the end of 2014.
It's fine, but the bottom-right of the keyboard is not perfect. The arrow keys don't quite click correctly all the time. I feel like it'll last at least a year and I'll sell it and get new one, though. Saved $300, which is still pretty good. I know it has a warranty, but if I take it back and say, "See, you can tell that these keys will eventually stop working!", they'll just tell me to bring it back when it breaks.
- Ummm, see above lol!fyoucher1
- you could always have just told them tehy shipped a faulty keyboard when you got itmonospaced
- also, did they tell you that last thing, are are you just assuming?monospaced
- Yeah, the thing is, it does work, it just kind of feels weak. So it's technically not broken.nb
- I'm definitely going to take it in before the one year warranty expires and try to get a replacement.nb
- you should, you'd be surprised at how quick they hand over sub-$100 partsmonospaced
- < yepset
- It's a macbook pro, though. You think they'll just replace it?nb
- Maybeset
- can't hurt to trymonospaced
- mg330
I've had one refurb (2007 MBP) and one brand new one (2011 MBP). I bought the 2011 one after it was released and when I couldn't find comparable refurbs. I've upgraded it as far as I can go (16MB memory and a much faster SSD than it came with) and it's still a great computer. I have one of the newer, thinner retina MBP's at work and would love one at home if only for the lighter weight and thinner body.
- same here, the older MBP's with a drive weigh a ton!fourth
- Ranger0
I've gone for the refurb with applecare, it was actually a bit more expensive than the new one from JL but I can't be dealing with not having a machine if it goes wrong.
- fooler0
Our studio has bought at least 25 refurbished macs and have only had to send 1 back so far.
- raf0
I always buy refurbs, they look, feel, and smell new. The only difference these days is the plain white box.
Refurbs are better tested than the new ones (the one time I got a bad pixel it was a new macbook).
Also, Apple being a fashion company, they only sell the current collection in their main store. If it's a previous model, it could simply be repackaged old stock, not a returned and refurbished item.
Also, many apple products have serial number laser-etched on them. Refurbs get new serial numbers, so those refurbished devices get fresh new casings.
Also, Apple is rumoured to launch something new this week, could be worth a wait since refurb prices tend to go down with current line spec updates.
- I heard that they get new casings too but wasn't sureset
- Ranger0
I've seen rumours too but they're mainly saying that they'll just be confirming that they will release a new line this year but not to expect them until Q3 as the new chips aren't working out so great performance wise.