Ok...so I think I killed my laptop last night

[5chn3ll]

Apple refurbs are the ticket. You won't get the same unboxing experience you do with a brand-new Apple product, but who gives a shit about the box?

[gnat]

but who gives a shit about the box?

Steve Jobs did and you have to admit, he did turn packaging into a thing.

[Dr_Strangelove]

So tell me more about refurbs. Are they reliable? What is the meaning of refurb? Does it mean a cleaning a check and a new battery or is there more? Or just tell me to go myself. GOD I'm getting lazy.

If you go to the web store and scroll all the way to the bottom there is a tiny link in the list of site nav links for the refurb store.

Refurbs are a combination of returned hardware due to either replacement under warranty and trade ins. This will actually be my first refurb so my opinion is TBD, but they are supposed to clean it, test it, and then replace any parts that have cosmetic issues or aren't functioning. They even give you all new packaging and cables. It is supposed to be indistinguishable from new. Like a new machine it comes with a full 1yr warranty and you can purchase the same AppleCare plan too.

In this case I'm getting a roughly $4k build for a bit over $3200.

My company's contracted Mac technician also swears that the refurbs include "new old stock" - as in; outdated product that wasn't sold as new on the floor and was returned to company. Makes sense though I can't say I've ever experienced this firsthand.

[5chn3ll]

Sidebar: the outer (shipping) box on the new Macbook Air ejects the inner box toward you when you open the flaps.

No grips about Apple making packaging actually suck less - but I have yet to see a box worth an extra couple hundred bucks, so I'm generally content with the cardboard refurb packaging.

I haven't bought a brand-new (non-refurbished) Apple product since I bought a Performa 636 when I got to SDSU and realized the department I was joining was 100% PC-free, so this whole white, fancy box thing is a new one on me.

but who gives a shit about the box?

Steve Jobs did and you have to admit, he did turn packaging into a thing.

[5chn3ll]

I just gave some money to Best Buy in exchange for The One Dongle To Rule Them All...one USB-C, three USB 3, two 4K (allegedly) HDMI, ethernet, audio, and two CF reader slots.

[theprf]

I didn't know what to plugin via USB to test that and who da fuck has VGA screens these days???

Plug in a USB thumb drive?

My ancient CNC bed mill has (wait for it) EGA screens.

[5chn3ll]

Exactly this - 40 gigs of stuff on a thumb drive, with no full-size USB port to stick it into.

Plug in a USB thumb drive?

[Dr_Strangelove]

Wow it uses 2 USB-C? Reminds me of my first Macbook Pro... I can't even remember if that was what they were called back then. 17" 2005 edition. I needed to get a special USB-A to USB-B Micro cable that used two USB-A's to plug into the computer so I could power up an external hard drive. Fun times.

[theprf]

Exactly this - 40 gigs of stuff on a thumb drive, with no full-size USB port to stick it into.

Oh, I see - get a USB-C to USB-A adapter? One came with my Galaxy 10 phone.

[gnat]

I didn't know what to plugin via USB to test that and who da fuck has VGA screens these days???

Plug in a USB thumb drive?

My ancient CNC bed mill has (wait for it) EGA screens.

Does an iPad even recognize a thumb drive? How would you access it?

Damn. I remember when I upgraded my monochrome monitor on my 8088 to CGA. I thought I was the shit and then my dad put an EGA on his 286.