14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s Special Deals section is worth giving a glance about now if you’re planning on buying a sub-$1,000 system that can handle the next major OS X iteration, as well as look good in any environment.
The offers start with a $599 ($100 off) Refurbished Mac mini 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo originally released in June 2010 with a redesigned unibody, 2GB of memory, 320GB of storage capacity, an HDMI port with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution, SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW), and NVIDIA GeForce 320M with 256MB memory.
Next up, Apple has a Refurbished MacBook Air 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo also released last year with upgraded internals, like the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, and a 64GB solid-state drive. The $849 super slim notebook has an 11.6-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display and boasts 2GB of standard memory.
A White Refurbished MacBook 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (polycarbonate, unibody) also dating from 2010, brings a lot more for the same $849 price tag, though it’s not by far as slim as the Air.
Specs include 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; 2GB (2 x 1GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 250GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm; 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW); NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory.
By far the most attractive offer we spotted today was the $300 discount on a Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.
Originally shipped early last year, the Pro laptop has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; 4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 250GB Serial ATA spinning at 5400 rpm; 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW); and NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with the main memory.
Finally, there’s a $920 offer for a Refurbished iMac 21.5-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core i3.
It’s one of the newer iMacs (though not the newest), and features a 21.5-inch display, 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive, the ever-present 8x SuperDrive that Apple is sure to discontinue soon, ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 256MB memory, and built-in iSight camera.
About Apple refurbished products
Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process, prior to being offered for sale. They are returned under Apple's Return and Refund Policies.
While only some units are brought back because of technical issues, all of them undergo the company's rigorous quality-refurbishment process.
Service and support include 90 days of telephone support and a one-year warranty. You have the option of purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan for your refurb, while shipping is free in the US.