Do you need the latest and greatest?
Save a bunch of money by purchasing an older Mac
Apple is the master of bringing out new products, with each launch hotly anticipated.
But if you can resist the urge to buy the latest shiny computer, you can save yourself a load of money.
A lot of resellers will drop the price of previous-generation Macs when new ones go on sale. If you don’t mind a less up-to-date model, this is an option to consider. As we mentioned on page 69, it’s important to make sure you know what you want in a Mac. If a previousgeneration Mac does exactly what
you need it to, there’s no need to go for a more expensive model just because it’s newer.
Auction websites such as eBay are a particularly good place to look for deals. Lots of people sell their old Macs when newer models get released, and you can take advantage of that and snag a bargain. If you’re lucky, you may even find someone selling a Mac for far below its value to get any money they can to put towards their own upgrade.
There may be another way to save money on a slightly older Mac a little closer to home: check to see if your work intranet has a page where your colleagues can list items for sale. You never know, someone might be selling a Mac for a good price.
Second-hand steals
You might also be able to find a good deal on a second-hand Mac in shops like CEX. As well as that, some of these shops offer warranties on Macs. CEX, for example, has a two-year warranty with Macs, although this only covers software faults and does not include physical damage. If you need to return a Mac to CEX within the first 30 days after purchasing it, CEX will try to repair it; if that’s not possible, it will give you a full refund. If you need to return the Mac in the first six months and require a refund, CEX will offer you the current or original value (whichever is lower).
Smaller second-hand stores might have older Macs in stock, but check if they offer a warranty.