Where are the refurb minis?

[Tike1994]

My Mom was ready to buy another $500 POS windows laptop to replace one she bought 3 years ago that's already getting "slow". The laptop never leaves her desk, so I talked her into a Mini and I wanted to get her one for Christmas.

When I realized the Mini was so overdue for an update, I decided a refurb would be the way to go. I don't want to pay full retail price for a computer that hasn't been updated in over a year.

I just want the standard base configuration and the Apple online store hasn't had one available for days. This really surprised me!

I'll keep my eye on the store and I signed up with a couple websites that are supposed to notify you when they store has some available, but I was just wondering if this was normal.

Is there a smaller supply of refurb minis or is demand just high for the holidays?

 

[paulrbeers]

My Mom was ready to buy another $500 POS windows laptop to replace one she bought 3 years ago that's already getting "slow". The laptop never leaves her desk, so I talked her into a Mini and I wanted to get her one for Christmas.

When I realized the Mini was so overdue for an update, I decided a refurb would be the way to go. I don't want to pay full retail price for a computer that hasn't been updated in over a year.

I just want the standard base configuration and the Apple online store hasn't had one available for days. This really surprised me!

I'll keep my eye on the store and I signed up with a couple websites that are supposed to notify you when they store has some available, but I was just wondering if this was normal.

Is there a smaller supply of refurb minis or is demand just high for the holidays?

Go to refurb.me and set it up to tell you when what you want is in stock. We are 2 days out from Xmas. Everyone has probably bought them all to give as gifts. They'll be back in stock after the new year when they get returned.

 

[0007776]

I think it's always been hard to find refurb minis since they are the cheapest mac you can get they tend to get sold quickly. I know I bought one a few years ago and even back then you had to wait and watch closely to see when they came on, and then buy it right away.

Most likely it is too late to get one for christmas unless you want to go down to an apple store and just buy a new one.

 

[Tike1994]

I know I have no chance for Christmas. She'll get a "gift certificate" for a refurb as soon as one is available.

Just thought it was strange that there's so little stock of the base configuration for a model that's been out for over a year and doesn't seem to get much love from Apple's marketing efforts.

I'm excited to get my hands on an Apple product that still has user upgradability designed into it.

 

[ColdCase]

Not an unusual situation for the minis, stocks fluctuate wildly as folks that buy them just don't want to get rid of them. There hasn't been a "significant" mini update in years, so there is no real incentive for owners to trade them in (unless they break). If you want one you have to keep an eye on the refurb site or refurb.me

Dunno if when the new MacPro will push more minis into the refurb market as folks upgrade, but thats probably not going to happen till Feb or so.

 

[maflynn]

refurb Minis are always in short supply, you need to jump on them quick when they do show up.

 

[0007776]

Dunno if when the new MacPro will push more minis into the refurb market as folks upgrade, but thats probably not going to happen till Feb or so.

I doubt it considering they are aimed at different markets. They are pretty reliable and cheap machines so you're not going to see many returned and what are returned will be sold quickly if you aren't watching closely.

 

[fastlanephil]

I wonder if Apple employees have first option on the refurbs.

 

[hipnetic]

Nothing says "I love you" like opening up a box on Xmas morning to find an IOU for a refurbed item.

 

[mpantone]

I wonder if Apple employees have first option on the refurbs.

My guess is that refurbs are initially allocated to fulfill the need for field replacement units (i.e., replacements under warranty coverage) as well as Apple's own internal needs (employee systems, workgroup servers, etc.).

Apple's employee headcount is relatively small for a company of its size, I doubt if employee purchases significantly impact the number of refurbs. Most Apple employees buy new units anyhow with their discount, in full retail packaging.

 

[Fishrrman]

[[ Is there a smaller supply of refurb minis or is demand just high for the holidays? ]]

I'm going to take an uneducated guess and speculate that the reason we don't see a lot of reburbished Minis is because Apple does not receive as high a percentage of the Mini returned, as it does for the other models.

I would attribute this to the Mini's "robustness" (for lack of a better word) -- it may be the most reliable computer than Apple sells in terms of hardware problems.

And when Mini's -do- get posted to the Apple store refurbished section, they quickly sell out -- folks know they're a good deal.

The best way to get alerted to Mini availability is through the "refurb.me" web site (which will email you a notice when a particular model comes into stock), and be ready to buy it IMMEDIATELY upon receipt of that notification...

 

[dmanrevived]

Refurb.me is terrible. I saw refurbs available on Apple's site before I actually got a notification. I may have gotten the last/only unit in the spec I wanted.

 

[cityhopper]

I'm going to take an uneducated guess and speculate that the reason we don't see a lot of reburbished Minis is because Apple does not receive as high a percentage of the Mini returned, as it does for the other models.

...And when Mini's -do- get posted to the Apple store refurbished section, they quickly sell out -- folks know they're a good deal.

... be ready to buy it IMMEDIATELY upon receipt of that notification...

I'm extremely cheap but quickly learned my lesson when I "waited" to buy a mini last month as I thought it would (a) be around and (b) the price may go lower than what was listed. Less than 48 hours, the mini was sold. A few weeks later I scored a unit that I'll still be eligible to purchase the AppleCare [sarcasm]and now the world seems a little better [/sarcasm]

LESSON - Determine the max you are willing to pay and be ready to checkout when they unit is available. Everyone walks away happy.