Good deal? Mac mini 2.0 ghz, $400

[torifile]

Someone on Craigslist is selling a relatively new mac mini. 2.0 ghz C2D, 160 HD, 1 gig of RAM for $400. I'm thinking about jumping on it but I don't know if it's a good deal or not. I'm having trouble finding going prices for these things since ebay is a pile of junk for any comparisons these days. Thoughts? It still has 8 months left on warranty.

edit: I think it's this model (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/stats/mac-mini-core-2-duo-2.0-early-2009-nvidia-specs.html). Early 2009.

[PB PM]

Thats not a bad price from what I've seen.

[psmith2.0]

This might put it into some perspective, torifile, and help you make a decision:

My Mom, in early 2009, bought a refurb Mac mini from Apple for $499. This was the older ones, as they'd been neglected and not updated for so long (she bought a month or two before the March 2009 update). Her Mac mini is 1.83GHz, 1GHz RAM, 80GG hard drive, Combo Drive and the old Intel GMA 950 graphics.

So, for $99 less you'd be getting 2.0GHz, twice the hard drive (160GB), a Super Drive and the newer 9400 graphics. Plus an extra USB port (5 total, compared to the 4 on my Mom's mini). And the bigger cache and faster bus, compared to the older one she bought.

So, yeah...I think it's a great deal! Especially when you factor in that current ones (which aren't that different) start at $599 and that refurb Mac minis seem to be very unpredictable and "come-and-go" at Apple's refurb store (can't remember the last time I saw any there, but it's been at least 2-3 weeks...and even then, they certainly weren't going for $400).

I say get it, if you need it. The numbers all work in your favor. You're not going to find a cheaper one with those same specs, I'm betting.

And these models (early 2009 Mac minis) support 4GB RAM (actually 8GB, according to MacTracker). You can get a 2GB DIMM from Crucial for about $55 and, for less than $500, have a 3GB little machine.

Factor in the eight months remaining on its warranty, and it's a no-brainer!

[torifile]

Thanks all. Purchased it tonight. The guy included a wired Apple kb and mouse. And he knocked $15 off the price because he was late meeting me. Sweet. $385 for a kickass machine. Of course, he forgot to include the mini dvi adapter. :grumble: So just a touch over $400 for the complete set. I'm reformatting and installing the OS now. It even came with the original box and discs. :)

[psmith2.0]

Damn, that is a rockin' deal! :eek: And to wind up with an Apple keyboard and mouse (expensive all on their own) and $15 knocked off? Enjoy.

[Capella]

Still, that's awesome. Gonna upgrade the RAM by hand?

[thegeriatric]

Nice one tori, can't go wrong especially with 8 months warranty remaining.

Just a thought, if you wanted to can't you still take out Applecare before the warranty expires, or have I got that wrong.

Anyway enjoy. :)

[torifile]

Still, that's awesome. Gonna upgrade the RAM by hand?
I don't think I'm going to upgrade the RAM at all. It's going to be relegated to an HTPC while I think about whether I'm going to keep it. It just seemed like too good a deal to pass up. I figured we could try it in our entertainment set up and if it took too much trouble to adjust to, I'd just turn it around and sell it again. Shouldn't be too hard to do if needed.

[torifile]

Nice one tori, can't go wrong especially with 8 months warranty remaining.

Just a thought, if you wanted to can't you still take out Applecare before the warranty expires, or have I got that wrong.

Anyway enjoy. :)
Yeah, I'm planning on buying an extra 2 years of Applecare on it before the year lapses. Once I decide if I'm going to keep it, I'll buy the warranty. It'll be cheap, too, with my wife's edu discount.