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Back when I was studying at college and money was tight, I spent a year using an iPad 2 with the classic keyboard dock as my ‘laptop’. However, there came a point where I simply had to upgrade to a proper laptop in order to be able to work effectively.
What I really wanted was a MacBook, but I couldn’t afford even the cheapest new model – and there was no such thing as a Prime Day deal at the time. I ended up buying one from Apple’s refurbished store, and I wasn’t disappointed – and if you’re a hard-pressed student like I was, or you just want an Apple laptop without stumping up the full price, I’d urge you to go the same route.
[HEADING=1]Good as new[/HEADING]
When some people see the word ‘refurbished laptop’ they imagine a second-hand machine with a few scratches on the lid, maybe some dead pixels on the screen, and keys that badly need a clean. But this couldn’t be further from the reality if you buy an Apple Certified Refurbished product.
Apple has a page that explains in detail how every refurbished product is cleaned, tested, and given a new battery. Certified Refurbished devices also come with a one-year warranty.
It does explain that the product may be running an older version of macOS, iOS or iPadOS, as was the case with the MacBook I bought, but you only need to go to System Preferences > Software Update to download the latest version.
[IMG alt=“MacBook Pro 13-inch 2011 model”]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Em...BwKgA6rPRT.png
(Image credit: TechRadar)
I remember that back in 2011 my refurbed MacBook Pro 13-inch arrived in a white box with the cables supplied, and it looked like new – it was difficult for me to tell the difference between it and a brand-new model. It was loaded up with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and was £300 cheaper than the latest MacBook at the time; and while it had an older Intel processor, I was just happy that I was back on macOS again, having owned an iMac when I was younger.
The MacBook served me well for three years until I was able to afford a new MacBook Air, and I had no issues with it during that time. It was a zippy machine that did everything I needed it to – and it helped me get a degree.
So don’t be put off by the ‘refurbished’ label – it’s not a taboo, and you’re likely to end up with a good-as-new device while pocketing a considerable saving.
If you can’t find anything to suit in Apple’s Refurbished store – or if I haven’t convinced you, and you simply have to have a brand-new MacBook – we’ve found a couple of deals for you below.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Jqoz4DCSQM7MuhTkCwZY59.jpg
MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro, 2021): $2,699 $2,449 at Amazon
Save $200: The specs offered by this 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD 2021 MacBook Pro 16 mean it’s never going to be cheap, but with a $200 discount, this is a great offer if you’re after Apple’s mighty MacBook Pro.
View Deal
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8H7zCrt8zMuHbKTwAt6Mt7.jpg
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020, M1): £1,499 £1,439 at Amazon
Save £60: While this model of the MacBook Pro is now two years old, and a newer model has just be released, this remains a very good laptop thanks to the M1 chip. This model comes with 8GB memory and 512GB SSD.View Deal
Looking for a Prime Day bargain? We’ve got you covered with our round-up of all the best deals.
[HEADING=1]Prime Day deals[/HEADING]
[ul]
[li]Alexa devices: Fire TV Sticks from $12 and more[/li][li]Apple: Apple Watch 7 at cheapest price yet[/li][li]Apple: AirPods Pro drop to under $170[/li][li]Cell phones: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra - save $360[/li][li]Headphones: up to $125 off Sony headphones and earbuds[/li][li]Laptops: $200 off 14-inch MacBook Pro[/li][li]Portable Power: 30% off 10,000mAh power bank[/li][li]PS5: register for the next PS5 restock[/li][li]Smart home: Echo Show 5 smart display for $34.99[/li][li]Smart speaker: Save 60% on 4th gen Echo Dot[/li][li]Smartwatch: Amazon Halo View up to 55% off[/li][li]Speakers: JBL portable speakers from $29.95[/li][li]Storage: up to 39% off Samsung SSDs[/li][li]Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 - save up to $120[/li][li]TVs: Smart TVs from $89[/li][/ul]
Continue reading…
What I really wanted was a MacBook, but I couldn’t afford even the cheapest new model – and there was no such thing as a Prime Day deal at the time. I ended up buying one from Apple’s refurbished store, and I wasn’t disappointed – and if you’re a hard-pressed student like I was, or you just want an Apple laptop without stumping up the full price, I’d urge you to go the same route.
[HEADING=1]Good as new[/HEADING]
When some people see the word ‘refurbished laptop’ they imagine a second-hand machine with a few scratches on the lid, maybe some dead pixels on the screen, and keys that badly need a clean. But this couldn’t be further from the reality if you buy an Apple Certified Refurbished product.
Apple has a page that explains in detail how every refurbished product is cleaned, tested, and given a new battery. Certified Refurbished devices also come with a one-year warranty.
It does explain that the product may be running an older version of macOS, iOS or iPadOS, as was the case with the MacBook I bought, but you only need to go to System Preferences > Software Update to download the latest version.
[IMG alt=“MacBook Pro 13-inch 2011 model”]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Em...BwKgA6rPRT.png
(Image credit: TechRadar)
I remember that back in 2011 my refurbed MacBook Pro 13-inch arrived in a white box with the cables supplied, and it looked like new – it was difficult for me to tell the difference between it and a brand-new model. It was loaded up with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and was £300 cheaper than the latest MacBook at the time; and while it had an older Intel processor, I was just happy that I was back on macOS again, having owned an iMac when I was younger.
The MacBook served me well for three years until I was able to afford a new MacBook Air, and I had no issues with it during that time. It was a zippy machine that did everything I needed it to – and it helped me get a degree.
So don’t be put off by the ‘refurbished’ label – it’s not a taboo, and you’re likely to end up with a good-as-new device while pocketing a considerable saving.
If you can’t find anything to suit in Apple’s Refurbished store – or if I haven’t convinced you, and you simply have to have a brand-new MacBook – we’ve found a couple of deals for you below.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Jqoz4DCSQM7MuhTkCwZY59.jpg
MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro, 2021): $2,699 $2,449 at Amazon
Save $200: The specs offered by this 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD 2021 MacBook Pro 16 mean it’s never going to be cheap, but with a $200 discount, this is a great offer if you’re after Apple’s mighty MacBook Pro.
View Deal
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8H7zCrt8zMuHbKTwAt6Mt7.jpg
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020, M1): £1,499 £1,439 at Amazon
Save £60: While this model of the MacBook Pro is now two years old, and a newer model has just be released, this remains a very good laptop thanks to the M1 chip. This model comes with 8GB memory and 512GB SSD.View Deal
Looking for a Prime Day bargain? We’ve got you covered with our round-up of all the best deals.
[HEADING=1]Prime Day deals[/HEADING]
[ul]
[li]Alexa devices: Fire TV Sticks from $12 and more[/li][li]Apple: Apple Watch 7 at cheapest price yet[/li][li]Apple: AirPods Pro drop to under $170[/li][li]Cell phones: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra - save $360[/li][li]Headphones: up to $125 off Sony headphones and earbuds[/li][li]Laptops: $200 off 14-inch MacBook Pro[/li][li]Portable Power: 30% off 10,000mAh power bank[/li][li]PS5: register for the next PS5 restock[/li][li]Smart home: Echo Show 5 smart display for $34.99[/li][li]Smart speaker: Save 60% on 4th gen Echo Dot[/li][li]Smartwatch: Amazon Halo View up to 55% off[/li][li]Speakers: JBL portable speakers from $29.95[/li][li]Storage: up to 39% off Samsung SSDs[/li][li]Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 - save up to $120[/li][li]TVs: Smart TVs from $89[/li][/ul]
Continue reading…