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Refurbished Mac Pros???

R

rosindabow

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 3, 2007
15
0
Hi all, For a lot of reasons, I've decided not to jump into the new Mac Pros. Most important for me is the lack of PCie. I run a couple of pieces of hardware that are crucial to my work that run off of PCIe cards - and have been told in no uncertain terms, that they will not be supported by the new architecture in the new Mac Pros. All this as a preface to, does anyone have any idea if Apple might ever have any more refurbished older model Mac Pros? I've been looking every day for the past month and there is nothing. I'm starting to look at the used route but if I'm going to invest some serious money, I want a more recent model and the market is flooded with 2010s and earlier. Any idea if they will have any more in the near future? Thanks.
 
rosindabow said:
Hi all, For a lot of reasons, I've decided not to jump into the new Mac Pros. Most important for me is the lack of PCie. I run a couple of pieces of hardware that are crucial to my work that run off of PCIe cards - and have been told in no uncertain terms, that they will not be supported by the new architecture in the new Mac Pros. All this as a preface to, does anyone have any idea if Apple might ever have any more refurbished older model Mac Pros? I've been looking every day for the past month and there is nothing. I'm starting to look at the used route but if I'm going to invest some serious money, I want a more recent model and the market is flooded with 2010s and earlier. Any idea if they will have any more in the near future? Thanks.
Click to expand...

if you are UK or europe based check these out....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Create-Pr...mputing_Apple_Desktops_CV&hash=item2a37d7522a
 
I waited for almost 6 weeks before the model I wanted showed up in the refurb store end of last year, be patient and just keep checking daily and hopefully they will show up once again.
 
Referb.me alerts you when devices are available to save you looking.
 
only thing that came in stock in the last couple of months is the stock quad core 3.2 and the stock 2.4 and 2.9 12 core. you can use a website called refurb.me to signup for email alerts
 
Ebay is probably your best option when looking for a used mac pro . The only thing with ebay is you usually do not get a warranty . Keep checking the apple store too .
 
Last edited:
mintfan7200 said:
Ebay is probably your best option when looking for a used mac pro . The only thing with ebay is you usually do not get a warranty . Keep checking the apple store too .
Click to expand...

Incorrect for Apple, warranty is attached to the device both for 1 year std and 3 year AppleCare even on eBay.
 
jenzjen said:
Incorrect for Apple, warranty is attached to the device both for 1 year std and 3 year AppleCare even on eBay.
Click to expand...

Is apple care included with every Mac Pro for free or do you have to purchase it separately ? Anyways I still think ebay is your best option at this point .
 
rosindabow said:
Hi all, For a lot of reasons, I've decided not to jump into the new Mac Pros. Most important for me is the lack of PCie. I run a couple of pieces of hardware that are crucial to my work that run off of PCIe cards - and have been told in no uncertain terms, that they will not be supported by the new architecture in the new Mac Pros. All this as a preface to, does anyone have any idea if Apple might ever have any more refurbished older model Mac Pros? I've been looking every day for the past month and there is nothing. I'm starting to look at the used route but if I'm going to invest some serious money, I want a more recent model and the market is flooded with 2010s and earlier. Any idea if they will have any more in the near future? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I suggest looking at this another way... Are you REALLY wanting to invest in hardware to support legacy devices that the developers have stated aren't going to be supported going forward?

What happens when a future OSX change happens, and their drivers break? Oops.. Sounds like those developers have already abandoned you.

Rather than buy legacy hardware to support devices that the developers have stopped supporting themselves, you have 2 options:

1) Look at new vendors that support (and will continue to support) the new architecture of the nMP

2) Look at PC alternatives that will work with your existing PCIe hardware, assuming they are supported on the PC.

It might be more painful now than you expected, but it's better than buying a legacy system then getting a bad surprise again in another year or two.
 
rosindabow said:
Hi all, For a lot of reasons, I've decided not to jump into the new Mac Pros. Most important for me is the lack of PCie. I run a couple of pieces of hardware that are crucial to my work that run off of PCIe cards - and have been told in no uncertain terms, that they will not be supported by the new architecture in the new Mac Pros. All this as a preface to, does anyone have any idea if Apple might ever have any more refurbished older model Mac Pros? I've been looking every day for the past month and there is nothing. I'm starting to look at the used route but if I'm going to invest some serious money, I want a more recent model and the market is flooded with 2010s and earlier. Any idea if they will have any more in the near future? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sometimes there are opened box, new or slightly used 2010 Mac Pros being sold at eBay though you'll have to check them out regularly. Best to get more details from the seller before buying. In the past few weeks the Apple Refurbished store on Mac Pros has been empty.
 
wildmac said:
1) Look at new vendors that support (and will continue to support) the new architecture of the nMP

2) Look at PC alternatives that will work with your existing PCIe hardware, assuming they are supported on the PC.

It might be more painful now than you expected, but it's better than buying a legacy system then getting a bad surprise again in another year or two.
Click to expand...

Well, first off - never going to buy another PC. I cannot stand working with them. I have owned 4 in my life and they have always given me more problems than any Mac I've ever owned. As far as vendors - two of my biggest PCIe vendors have stated unequivocally that they are not going to support in any way, the older architecture. I have thousands of dollars invested in this gear that I would have to invest to migrate over into new, as yet unproven, architecture. I have a system that is rocking right now - not going to do it. I write music and are many components that connect to the mainframe and for now, they are staying put. If I can find the right Mac Pro, that should last me another 4 to 5 years - well with that investment. In the meantime, I can slowly start to purchase gear that moves me forward.
So for now, still looking ...
Thanks.
 
rosindabow said:
Well, first off - never going to buy another PC. I cannot stand working with them. I have owned 4 in my life and they have always given me more problems than any Mac I've ever owned. As far as vendors - two of my biggest PCIe vendors have stated unequivocally that they are not going to support in any way, the older architecture. I have thousands of dollars invested in this gear that I would have to invest to migrate over into new, as yet unproven, architecture. I have a system that is rocking right now - not going to do it. I write music and are many components that connect to the mainframe and for now, they are staying put. If I can find the right Mac Pro, that should last me another 4 to 5 years - well with that investment. In the meantime, I can slowly start to purchase gear that moves me forward.
So for now, still looking ...
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi rosindabow. You can also try checking out Mac of all Trades http://www.macofalltrades.com/Refurbished-Used-Apple-Mac-Pros-s/298.htm as they offer competitive prices. There were some members in this forum that have purchased from Mac of all Trades. According to Deconstruct60, he mentioned in another thread the estimated life span of the legacy classic Mac Pro could be around 5-7 years based on past cycles. I could not remember the thread he posted this comment. Good luck.
 
I've gotten refurbs more than a year after the model I wanted was discontinued. Seems like the recent oMPs have been getting snapped up by people who know what they need.

I'm thinking there's another batch coming, I got my last one around the end of November when I saw the nMP and knew it didn't meet my needs, but several have showed up since then, and I check everyday as several of my friends have been asking about them.

I also had no intention of trusting a completely new form factor, especially when the oMPs had been so reliable for me (Two "High-End" video cards and a 450W power supply?, I'll wait a year and see how they fair before I take a chance, I'm not a video guy, so there's really not much to recommend the new machines for me except portability).

I'm thinking about sticking a Titan Black in this last oMP after the Mavericks drivers arrive.

Good luck in your quest, I hope your patience will be rewarded.
 
Macsonic said:
Hi rosindabow. You can also try checking out Mac of all Trades http://www.macofalltrades.com/Refurbished-Used-Apple-Mac-Pros-s/298.htm as they offer competitive prices. There were some members in this forum that have purchased from Mac of all Trades. According to Deconstruct60, he mentioned in another thread the estimated life span of the legacy classic Mac Pro could be around 5-7 years based on past cycles. I could not remember the thread he posted this comment. Good luck.
Click to expand...

He mentioned that at 7 they go from vintage to obsolete. That doesn't mean they'll retain full software support that entire time. I doubt it with the age of the official components. It does mean that you should be able to obtain official repairs for that period of time, including flat rate repairs if applicable. That is significant if you're out of warranty.
 
thekev said:
He mentioned that at 7 they go from vintage to obsolete. That doesn't mean they'll retain full software support that entire time. I doubt it with the age of the official components. It does mean that you should be able to obtain official repairs for that period of time, including flat rate repairs if applicable. That is significant if you're out of warranty.
Click to expand...

Hi Kev. Thanks for clarifying that. Probably good for a few years before I look into 7.1 Mac Pro. As far as softwares, normally I don't use the latest as fortunately they're still adequate for my needs. I don't plan to jump to Mavericks yet until it's stable. Not in a hurry yet. Still using Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion. For Adobe still using CS5, on the other side of the coin, it's expensive to keep on updating to the latest softwares and sometimes deal with glitches.
 
Macsonic said:
Hi Kev. Thanks for clarifying that. Probably good for a few years before I look into 7.1 Mac Pro. As far as softwares, normally I don't use the latest as fortunately they're still adequate for my needs. I don't plan to jump to Mavericks yet until it's stable. Not in a hurry yet. Still using Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion. For Adobe still using CS5, on the other side of the coin, it's expensive to keep on updating to the latest softwares and sometimes deal with glitches.
Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with your strategy. I merely wanted you and others who may be reading the thread to avoid unrealistic expectations. There's nothing wrong with using older hardware and software as long as it still meets your requirements. Sometimes that works out to be more productive than older hardware and the latest software and not much different from new and new. It varies though.
 
i don't think these things are every coming back its been 12 days with nothing in stock on the refurbished mac pro
 
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