Savin' money on Apple gear
I've been toiling away for the past four months on my faithful 3 year-old Gateway NX100X, but it's soooo slooooow and really wasn't fast even when it was new. Trying to run two web servers, multiple browsers, edit a PSD and listen to music all at the same time basically kill the machine. Umm, so I'm probably going to bite the bullet and snag a new MacBook Pro. Now, I realize that it's almost an oxymoron to be a cost-conscious Apple devotee, but that's the sad state I find myself in. Usually my first thought is to run to the "refurb" section of the Apple Store, where you can get pretty good hardware for anywhere from 10%-20% off. However, after my recent Mac Mini purchase, I recommend that you buy your Apple gear new from Amazon instead of getting it used from Apple.
Here's the breakdown:
Apple Store (refurb): $1019 + $68.78 (6.75% sales tax) = $1087.78
Amazon (new): $1149.99
Difference: $62.21
The difference is that Apple will charge you sales tax, while Amazon doesn't. After factoring that in, the discount you get for refurb hardware just isn't compelling. I'd rather pay an extra $62.21 for a brand new machine, where I know that the screen (and especially the battery) have come directly from the factory, unused.
My advice is to make a mental note of this next time you're in the market for some Apple kit.
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