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A cheap Mac? Sound like an oxymoron to anyone else? The main reason most of us don't have one by now is strictly price-tag related: they're usually hundreds of dollars more than standard PCs. And the only way to get an inexpensive one, it seems, is to scour Craigslist and eBay for used models—and just how used is anyone's guess, feedback and wooing seller claims be damned—and to buy one sight unseen. Not a comforting prospect, to say the least. But it turns out there is indeed an alternative; a sort of secret most of us average Joe computer shoppers have been kept in the dark about. Until now.
The Holy Grail—Cheap Macs
But what if I told you there was a way to get top-quality Macs for cheap—and green? Techradar tipped me off on how to bag a bargain on a refurbished Mac or iPod—and it's simpler now than ever.
It's the Mac Refurb Store, and it used to be open only on Wednesdays, when those in the know would line up outside in anticipation to receive big discounts on barely used or refurbished Apple products. Now, they've branched out into an all-access website where you can get Macs and iPods that either didn't sell, were returned without being used, or were floor models in stores. The discounts range from 13-24% off, and can make a higher end computer like the MacBook Air way more affordable. And there was a Shuffle in the $30 range the other day.
Refurbished Macs are Green
The kicker is that while you're saving money, you're also buying green—purchasing a returned or barely-used Mac spares one from heading to the landfill. Solves the 'is a shiny new Mac green?' dilemma for you right off the bat. And supporting used or recycled (or refurbished) sales outlets is always a smart move environmentally. If enough of us do it, we can send the message to producers that it's worth keeping their would-be junk around—if only to sell it to us for a profit.
Plus, it's cheap Mac. How can you beat that?
More on Green Computers:
Buy Green: Desktop Computers
Green Your Laptop Settings
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