Apple Steals & Deals: Apple TV and ASUS RT-AC68U Wireless Router

by Tom Nelson

The Mac refurb store is beginning to look like Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard; mostly bare. Mac minis remain out of stock, and all sizes and models of the MacBook Pro have left the store.

If Mac models don’t start appearing in the refurb store again, it may be a bad holiday season for anyone looking for a Mac at a reduced price.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

Our deals this week include a current generation Apple TV; just the thing for streaming TV, movies, and music in your home. The fourth-generation Apple TV brings support for third-party apps, letting you use it for all kinds of entertainment-related fun, including games.

Our second deal is for an ASUS RT-AC68U Wireless AC1900 Dual-Band Router. Apple reassigned the engineering team that was responsible for the AirPort line of wireless routers. With no new models of AirPort routers likely to be seen, you’ll need to turn to third-party networking hardware to meet your needs. The RT-AC68U works fine with Apple products, and includes high-speed connectivity, security, and dual-band options.

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Apple Steals & Deals: 12-inch MacBook and 27-inch iMac

by Tom Nelson

The Mac refurb store is experiencing quite a bit of low stock, with limited numbers of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models in stock. Mac minis are missing, though I would expect stock to be replenished before the winter holidays.

Even with the low stock, there are still some good deals to be found

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

We haven’t had many 12-inch MacBooks pop up in our deals list, but this week, a 2016 model with 1.3 GHz M7 processor, 8 GB RAM, and 512 GB flash storage made its way into our list. Small, lightweight, and with enough storage so you don’t need to worry about bringing along an external drive.

Our second deal is one we’ve seen here before: a 2014 27-inch Retina iMac with a 4.0 GHz Quad-Core i7 processor. This is the top of the line, at least when it comes to processor performance, in the iMac lineup. The only models that can top this one come with large PCIe flash storage, and they tend to cost quite a bit more. The combination of the fast processor and a Fusion drive should meet most advanced users’ needs, without requiring them to take out a bank loan.

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Apple Steals & Deals: A Pair of Retina iMacs

by Tom Nelson

Mac minis are out of stock this week, but I’m hoping that more are on the way to the Mac refurb store in time for holiday buying. That’s an important consideration this time of year; you can’t predict what will be in stock and what won’t, so if you’re buying gifts from the refurb store, be prepared to hit the Buy button as soon as you find a deal you like; it may not be there tomorrow.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

Our deals this week are for iMacs with Retina displays. First up is the 21.5-inch Retina iMac with a 3.1 GHz Quad-Core i5, 16 GB RAM and 256 GP PCIe flash storage. This is a nice configuration with plenty of RAM and fast internal storage, just the thing for a budding photographer or videographer.

Next up is the larger 27-inch Retina iMac. This one is a bit older being a 2014 model, but its equipped with a 4.0 GHz Quad-Core i7 processor, a 1 TB Fusion drive and a price below $2,000.

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Apple Steals & Deals: MacBook Air and Mac mini

by Tom Nelson

MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, and Mac minis are filling up the Mac refurb store just in time for holiday gift giving. I wouldn’t wait if you’re looking for one of these models, as they may not stay in stock for long.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

A 2015 13.3-inch MacBook Air is our first deal this week. This specific model comes equipped with a Dual-Core i7 processor, a bit of a rarity in the MacBook Air lineup.

If you’re looking for a desktop Mac, then our second deal may be just what you need: a nicely configured Mac mini also with a Dual-Core i7 and 512 GB of PCIe flash storage.

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Apple Steals & Deals: Mac mini and 27-inch iMac

by Tom Nelson

The refurb store has replenished stock of 2016 MacBooks. The 2016 MacBooks haven’t been in stock for a while, so if this is a model you’re interested in, you may want to check out the store and see if any of the models is the one you’re looking for.

Of course, some Mac models seem to be slipping away, and that’s the story of the MacBook Air, with only some 11-inch base models in stock. I don’t actually recommend any Mac with only 4 GB of RAM, which is how the 11-inch MacBook Airs currently in stock are configured. If you really want a MacBook Air, I recommend waiting for a model equipped with 8 GB of RAM.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

A 2014 Mac mini with 8 GB of RAM, a 1 TB Fusion drive, and a speedy 3.0 GHz Dual-Core i7 processor make up our first deal this week. That’s a pretty nice configuration that can be used for a wide variety of tasks.

Our second deal also takes us back to a 2014 model; this time, a 27-inch Retina iMac with 8 GB of RAM, a 4.0 Quad-Core i7 processor, and a 1 TB Fusion drive. This Retina Mac also makes use of an AMD Radeon R9 M290X, and can be quite the workhorse for a budding graphics professional.

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Apple Steals & Deals: 13-inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pros

by Tom Nelson

The new MacBook Pro models Apple introduced last week did have an effect on refurb pricing. A few models of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros saw a price drop, although not a substantial one.

As you can imagine, the two MacBook Pro models with new, lower prices are our deals of the week.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

Let’s start with the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro equipped with a 2.9 GHz i5 processor and 512 GB PCIe flash storage. Last week, this Mac was offered at $1,529.00; this week it can be had for $1,439.00.

Our second deal is for the 15-inch MacBook Pro complete with a 2.8 GHz Quad-Core i7 processor, 16 GB RAM, and 1 TB PCIe flash storage. It also comes equipped with dual graphics cards. Last week, this Mac model sold for $2,719.00; this week, the price dropped to $2,629.00.

You can find more details about the deals of the week further on in the Mac model listings.

Don’t forget that for any Mac you buy, you should consider an external drive for backup and additional storage, if you need it.

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Apple Steals & Deals: Thunderbolt Dock and On The Go SSD

by Tom Nelson

The Mac refurb store is nicely stocked this week, with every Mac model well represented. Even so, you may want to wait a bit before committing to a refurb purchase because Apple will be making Mac-related announcements on October 27^th. I’m expecting 15-inch MacBook Pro updates; there could also be changes in store for the MacBook and MacBook Air lineup.

Less likely are any changes to the desktop Macs, even though on the whole, it’s the Mac Pro, Mac mini, and even the iMac that have the longest times between updates. If you’re thinking, “is that true?” just look at the Mac Pro, which was updated in 2013, then left to languish. The Mac mini isn’t much better, seeing its last update in 2014. The iMacs are faring slightly better, but they’re at risk of falling into the “we’ll get around to them someday” status at Apple.

Thankfully, I do think Apple will get around to the desktop Macs soon, with rumored updates for them sometime in early 2017. That means October will be for the portable Macs.

If you’re considering buying a refurb portable Mac, you should think about waiting until early November; chances are we’ll see some price drops in the current MacBook models in the refurb store.

Image courtesy of CaDiget

Deals of the Week

The deals this week are for Mac peripherals. First up, a 512 GB SSD in a small portable external enclosure that connects to a Mac via USB 3. This fast SSD is powered via the USB 3 port on a Mac, making this an easy tote-and-go storage solution.

The second deal is for a CalDigit Thunderbolt docking station. This docking station is a great way to provide additional connectivity to a Mac. With USB 3, eSATA, audio, Ethernet, and 4K HDMI you’ll be able to connect your Mac to just about anything, all through a single Thunderbolt 2 port.

Don’t forget that for any Mac you buy, you should consider an external drive for backup and additional storage, if you need it.

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Apple Steals & Deals: MacBook Air and Mac mini

by Tom Nelson

The base model of the MacBook is out of stock again. I’m not sure which Mac model is out of stock most often: the MacBook or the Mac mini.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

This week’s deals include a cautionary note. Apple is expected to introduce one or more Mac updates before the end of the year, with late October or early November being the likely time. If you’re looking for a MacBook Pro, Mac mini, or even an iMac, you may want to hold out to see if the Mac models you’re interested in are going to receive an update.

Our first deal is for a 2015 13.3-inch MacBook Air with a Dual-Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of flash storage. This middle-of-the-pack MacBook Air has a lot of versatility, with a value price that may be just what you need for working on the run.

Our second deal is a holdover from last week. Yes, it’s true; the refurb store still has a 2014 Mac mini in stock. This mini comes with a 2.8 GHz Dual-Core i5, 8 GB RAM, and a 1 TB Fusion drive. That’s a nice configuration for a Mac mini.

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Apple Steals & Deals: 12-inch MacBook and Mac mini

by Tom Nelson

Mac minis are back; they’re even one of our deal-of-the-week picks. But with the refurb store, it always seems that when one Mac model comes back in stock, another goes away. This week is no different, with the larger 13-inch MacBook Airs being out of stock.

Image courtesy of Apple

Deals of the Week

Our first deal is for a 2016 12-inch MacBook with a 1.1 GHz Dual-Core M processor and 256 GB of PCIe flash-based storage. This base model of the MacBook line has been out of stock for a month or two. Hopefully, it will remain in stock for a while as it represents a low-cost entry point into portable Macs.

The second deal is for the ever-popular 2014 Mac mini, with 2.8 GHz Dual-Core i5, 8 GB RAM, and a 1 TB Fusion drive.

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Apple Steals & Deals: 15.4-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac

by Tom Nelson

Once again, Mac minis are out of stock. Just goes to show how popular the little Mac mini is.

The rest of the refurb store is in good shape, offering great deals on almost-new Macs.

Image courtesy of Apple.

Deals of the Week

This week, our deals are for nicely outfitted Macs with plenty of performance, no matter where you use your Mac; when travelling, in the office, or at home.

First up is a 2015 15.4-inch MacBook Pro outfitted with a 2.5 GHz Quad-Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a whopping 1 TB flash drive. This Mac can keep up with just about any tasks you throw at it.

Our second Mac is meant for the desktop; that is, unless you like to lug around a 2014 27-inch Retina iMac. Equipped with a 4.0 GHz Quad-Core i7 processor, 8 GB of user expandable RAM, and a 1 TB Fusion drive, this Mac is ideal for multimedia endeavors where a huge display is a big plus.

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