New v refurb question that's really puzzling

Hi guys,

Looking to buy a mac laptop but have a question...

Been looking around the refurb sites for a few weeks now but there's someting that just doesn't add up - it looks like a lot of these sites are offering older models refurbed for at least the same as brand new higher-spec ones.

For example - cancomuk are selling this refurbed unit for £749.78:
Apple PowerBook G4 12.1", 1.5GHz, 768Mb RAM/80Gb HDD

yet you can buy this direct from the Apple store for only £699:
Apple MacBook 13" 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1Gb RAM/80Gb HDD

If you can get a brand new, latest-model unit with a bigger screen, faster processor and more RAM for £50 less how can cancomuk sell used PowerBooks at that price?

I really hope I'm missing something obvious as it's really confusing!!

Thanks,
V.

Hmm. Maybe I'll start a virtual store and call it Caveat Emptor Inc.

Cancomuk appear to be one of the largest independant Mac sellers here in the UK so I don't think they're trying to rip anyone off...

I was just using them as an example anyway...

I'm with Brown Study on this. Look at what makes sense. Cancomuk may be a legit operation, but that doesn't mean their prices are good on all of their products. (It may be that Cancomuk bought some refurb PowerBooks in the not-too-distant past and must sell them at that high price in order to make a profit. You don't need to pay for their mistake.)

Personally I'd buy a refurb only directly from Apple. (My MacBook and iPod Nano are both refurbs.) Furthermore, I'd look very closely at what you're getting in comparison to the current product line. For instance, a refurb that is one generation old may not be as much of a bargain as you think. My MacBook is a fine little machine, a 2.0GHz Core Duo that I bought in January of this year. The price was very good on it. However, it's not a Core 2 Duo, meaning that it is a 32 bit processor versus 64. The saving often becomes less dramatic when you look closer.

Good deals can be found, but bad deals abound. Shop carefully.

Yeah, Refurb from Apple is the only way to go imo. My first refurb from them had lines in the screen and the case was bent outward under the latch button. I sent it back then ordered another refurb. The one they sent me was new in box. These were both power books.

My initial thought was that it might have to do with Cancomuk not adjusting in relation to the MacBook upgrades from last week?! However, the refurb 12" PowerBooks are generally at least as expensive as the refurb MacBooks at Apple. For some reason, 12" PowerBook prices don't seem to be coming down. Demand, maybe?

Yeah on apple's site the new laptops are even cheaper than refurbished old ones!

Refurbished PowerBook 12-inch 1.5GHz SuperDrive
512MB DDR333 SDRAM
80GB Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 (64MB DDR)
AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rates

mathogre said:

Personally I'd buy a refurb only directly from Apple. Furthermore, I'd look very closely at what you're getting in comparison to the current product line. For instance, a refurb that is one generation old may not be as much of a bargain as you think. My MacBook is a fine little machine, a 2.0GHz Core Duo that I bought in January of this year. The price was very good on it. However, it's not a Core 2 Duo, meaning that it is a 32 bit processor versus 64. The saving often becomes less dramatic when you look closer. Good deals can be found, but bad deals abound. Shop carefully.

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I second that.

it is because the macbooks to not have dedicated video. the powerbooks were marketed towards professionals. the powerbook was replaced by the MBP.

skye said:

it is because the macbooks to not have dedicated video. the powerbooks were marketed towards professionals. the powerbook was replaced by the MBP.

Click to expand...

BINGO!

I didn't realise this and I think it must be a large part of it. I guess there plenty of ppl out there who's budget doesn't quite stretch to to a Pro but need a little extra memory for video-editing.

Thanks to everyone for their advice!

My initial thought was that it might have to do with Cancomuk not adjusting in relation to the MacBook upgrades from last week?

Click to expand...

These are old G4s though. They bought them at the wrong price and need to get rid of them. They'll be people out won't do their homework and will buy an old model at an inflated price.

And the 12" PowerBooks are significantly lighter than the MacBooks, and have better keyboards.

I'm so enamored of mine that I'd seriously consider that $1200 Apple refurb over a new MacBook if it came to that. There's just nothing in the current lineup that fits. But I'm probably in the extreme minority in that regard.