Buying and Unboxing a Refurbished Mac

In the life and times of a Mac user, there are not many circumstances that are as thrilling as opening the box of a new Mac and lifting the shiny, perfect piece of tech out and powering in on for the first time. The chime, the simple set up, the hours of fun and usability will make it a great moment indeed. Or when has an expectant Mac owner not fanatically refreshed the FedEx delivery status page to see exactly when the package will arrive on his or her doorstep? I know all of this is true for me.

However it is the time before this that usually gives me pause. I am talking about the ordering process. Having only average means of income it often takes me weeks or months to save up for a new Mac and at some of Apple's price points I would be saving for years. This is why the Refurbished Mac section of the Apple store was a godsend.

What? Refurbished Mac?

That's right! Apple's online store not only sells brand new hardware but also "Apple Certified Refurbished Products" at discounted prices (discounted as much as $150 in some cases). Among the Mac faithful, the refurbished products on the Apple Store are well-known but some newcomers may not be aware they exist or how to access them. Point your browser to www.apple.com/store and you will be taken to the standard Apple Online Store. The refurbished product listing is definitely not front-and-center. Scroll to the bottom of the Online Store's main page and you will find links in the left sidebar for "Refurbished Mac" and "Refurbished iPod" (yep, they sell refurbished iPod products too!).

Inside the refurb section of the Store, you will see listings for all of Apple's Mac models (e.g. iMac, Macbook, Mac Mini, etc.) listed. It is even possible to filter by model by using the links in the left sidebar. Note that not all models may have refurbished units available. These listings are on a "while supplies last" basis. But be patient! If you do not see a refurbed model of the Mac you are looking for then chances are if you keep checking back it will eventually be there.

Apple Certified Refurbished Products are previously owned models that have been either returned or recycled. Each and every one goes through Apple's stringent testing. Any defective parts are replaced by brand new Apple OE parts and are repackaged with brand new manuals and disks. Each model is then given a new refurbished product serial number and sold at a great discount with all the backing of Apple's quality and warranty.

A Few Caveats

Keep in mind that refurbished items on the Apple Store are not eligible for student or business discounts. That is one of the few drawbacks to going the "refurb" route. Also refurbished models are not upgradeable at the time of purchase (as are new models). This means that if you want more than the standard RAM, for example, it must be installed after market.

The Condition

Recently I purchased a refurbished 13" 2.26Ghz Macbook Pro unibody. This refurb model is the exact same specs as a brand new entry-level 13" Macbook Pro. Furthermore I was able to purchase this refurbed model for $999 (plus tax) which is about $200 below the retail price of a new one. This saved me a few weeks of saving so I was able to purchase my Macbook Pro a lot sooner than expected.

I have included pictures here of the unboxing of my refurbished Macbook Pro. As you can see the packaging is much more generic than that of a new one. It comes packed safely in a plain cardboard box as opposed to the fancy white Apple-esque box of a new Macbook. However the condition is just like that of a new one. I received the same disks and accessories as I would with a new one. The operating system is the latest, Snow Leopard. Furthermore all of the bundled software such as the iLife suite are completely up-to-date and preinstalled when I receive it. Frankly, a refurbished model from the Apple Online store is indistinguishable from a new model in all respects.

Even the initial set up process is the same. When I turned on my refurbished Macintosh for the very first time I was taken through the same set up as a new one and a fresh brand-new copy of Mac OS X Snow Leopard was installed and configured for me. I was even given the option of moving information from my old Macbook (also an Apple refurb) via Migration Assistant.

And I know that everything from the outer unibody to the inner workings of this machine is 100% Apple-certified and will give me many hours of flawless operation.

The Accessories

The refurbished Macbook Pro includes all of the accessories included with a new one. It comes with the MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug and power cord. As mentioned before new manuals and software disks ship with each refurbished Apple product.

The Warranty

The point which sold me on purchasing refurbished Apple products was the great warranty. The warranty for a refurbished iMac, Macbook, Mac Pro, or any other refurb is the exact same warranty as a new one. Like a new Mac, refurbished Macs carry Apple's one-year Limited Warranty against defects. And to sweeten the deal, customers can purchase the extended Applecare warranty on refurbished products! There is really almost no difference between purchasing a refurbished Apple and a new Apple!

Bottom Line: Just get one!

If you are on a tight budget or if you are a cost-conscious consumer, as I am, then the refurbished products from Apple are perfect for you. They are fully-tested by Apple, newly packaged, warranted, and shipped with free shipping just like a new model. And the listings of on the Apple Store are kept up-to-date with the latest available refurbished models so you can always find what you are looking for. And if the model you need is not immediately available, do not fret, because Apple is always getting refurbed models in and what you need will eventually show up (and often very soon). It's Mac-purchasing for the rest of us! Good luck.