So… you want to go Mac, but you don’t want the high price tag that goes along with it, and decide to go used. Where do you go to find good used Macs?
Personally, I find the best destination to be Apple Authorized Reseller shops. These are guys and gals that refit/rebuild/refurbish Macs to as-good-as-new condition, and most of the time offer a from-shop warranty as well.
One such company (based in Tampa Bay just like PCMech) is Mac of All Trades. No, they are not the cheapest. But you do get the same quality level of build you would out of an Apple Store (in fact, probably better).
The first thing I like about MoAT is that they very clearly differentiate between the like-new and what they call the “B grade” items. B grade stuff are items that have cosmetic issues, scuffs, scratches, etc. – and bear in mind they’re being very up-front and honest about it.
My first recommendation is to start with B grade and see the prices there. You’ll see very reasonable prices for Apple hardware there.
It is most likely true you’ll probably be wanting a Macbook. If so, DO NOT buy the Macbook in white, affectionately known as the “Crackbook”, and this is why. Stay away from those things. Only the white Macbooks exhibit that cracking symptom, and ALL of them do it. Stick with the silver-colored chassis and you’re okay.
The next question you have is probably the warranty. It’s 90 days, which is more than enough time to find out whether your used Mac will have anything terribly wrong with it. However – and this is the cool part – you can extend that to 15 months through MoAT. And even better is the fact they will incur the shipping costs with the extended warranty. That’s awesome.
MoAT is obviously not the only Apple Authorizer Reseller shop there is, and chances are there’s one where you live that’s close by. If you’re getting the itch for a Mac but don’t want to sell your first born to get one, the AAR shops are where you go.
On a final note, do not buy Macs from eBay or Craigslist. Just don’t do it. There are way too many “sellers” on there who outright stole the Macs from other dealers or schools and are looking to make a quick buck. Should you buy one that way, you run the risk of being in possession of stolen merchandise (which in turn can put you in big trouble) and it’s just not worth the risk. Buy from an AAR, save a buck that way on Apple hardware, and you won’t have to worry about any of the stolen-merchandise crapola.
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