14 DAY TRIAL // Last time we had a look over at Apple’s Special Deals area, there was quite some diversity to be found in the $599 - $999 range. Although there are fewer sub-$1,000 Macintosh options left standing, there are still some attractive offers to look into, as well as iPad discounts.
Apple’s MacBook Air stays strong atop countless other Mac refurbs on Apple Deals with an attractive $829 price tag that saves its lucky buyer $170 (17% off).
Originally released October 2010, this MBA features an 11.6-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 2GB memory, 64GB flash storage, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, and a built-in FaceTime camera.
It should be noted that Apple is rumored to prepare a MacBook Air refresh, so pick up on this offer only if you’re not planning to rely on heavy data transfers between your new Air and other devices.
Look at it this way, with just 64GB of storage, you’re not going to waste too much time moving stuff back and forth anyway.
For those who are still fond of the aging white polycarbonate MacBook (once Apple’s most popular portable computer), there’s a refurbished unit with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor for $849 ($150 off).
Following it down the list of Mac refurbs today is a Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server, priced identically.
For desktop users, there’s a refurbished 21.5-inch iMac with a powerful 3.06GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4 gigs of RAM, 500GB of storage and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 256MB memory for $929 (save $170).
On the more-portable front, Apple also has a bunch of deals on refurbished iPads.
Strangely, the base configuration - WiFi-only, 16GB - is nowhere in sight.
The cheapest tablet on offer is a refurbished iPad with Wi-Fi 32GB. This first-gen iPad costs $429 ($70) off.
Similar offers - some discounted by $80 and all the way up to $100 - are also available on higher specced configurations.
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.