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My old imac (11 years old now) has finally given up the ghost. A new HD last year and now the graphics card has let go so it's time for a replacement.
I really can't afford to the best part of a grand for a brand new one so was thinking of second hand or refurbished. Has anyone bought a refurbed or 2nd hand mac and if so can anyone recommend somewhere to get one?
I see deals just via a quick Google search for older macs for £300 but no idea who these companies are.
There are quite a few place who deal in refurbs and second hand. It may be worth watching sites like CEX to see what local places have if you dont want to fork out for Apple refurbs as there is a good chance you will get a warranty of some sort at CEX.
I would avoid private buying with an iMac, they can have some expensive motherboard faults that develop when the machine has been running for a period of time so not immediately obvious.
Check that the machine will run the latest OS. The 2009 versions at work are currently ok but time is running out for them. Anything earlier may not get beyond Mavericks.
Can you still use your iMac as a monitor? (Target display mode / TDM)
I have a Macbook pro with a cracked screen...
Re your original question, in the past I've bought a refurbished Macbook Pro (from the Argos ebay outlet store), 2 s/h iMacs and a mac mini with no problems.
2 of these have been bought via the STW forum.
I'm going to need to sell my late 🙁 father's iMac if anyone's interested. I will check this weekend for details but from memory it's a 2014 year 27" iMac. Obviously I need to work out how to wipe it before I'll sell it.
edd. Fire it up holding the alt key down until an array of disks appears. Using the recovery disc start disk utility and run a 3 or 7 pass wipe of the main partition. Go out and ride your bike, get back and clean your bike. Do some shopping and make tea. TV or pub next.
The following morning use the install option to install a brand new version of the OS (may be time for a short ride if your broadband is slow).
[url= https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314 ]Less flippant details with pictures here[/url]
I've had a MacBook off eBay, stick to the reputable-looking seller (private or business) and there's still a decent discount to be had for nearly-current models.