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New iMac 800Mhz Memory 4GB $98, 2GB $50. Click to Maximize your Macs...
Evan Kleiman - 2000.12.22
Q. I want to replace my older Mac (an SE/30with 8 megs of RAM) with a
more current model, 
but I don't want to
spend a lot of money, where can I look for the best price?
A. Sometimes getting a shiny, new iMac might not be the best idea for one who needs to be budget conscience but still has computing needs. But a user on a budget can still get a Mac and not have to totally break the bank. There are many ways that you can do this. However, most of them require a fair amount of searching around for prices.
The first place I look, once I decide what I need, is one of the catalogs (i.e., MacMall, etc.). This way you can get a good idea of what you'll be paying for your computer equipment had you bought it from the first place you see. Once you get the price for what you want, it's off to hunting.
One of the first places to always look is eBay. eBay is basically your all purpose digital flea market. You can find anything you're looking for here. In fact, eBay now even has a sister-site called eBay Motors .(I'm bidding on the '79 Chevy Caviler and '83 Ford Escort of my dreams right now!) At eBay, you can just type in what you're looking for and you'll probably find it, and most of the time at rock bottom prices.
However, eBay does pose some problems for the unknowing internet consumer. With eBay, you're trusting your money to someone you've probably never met before. However, most of the time you won't be cheated. But another problem is getting older merchandise, so only buy if you're sure you're getting a non-faulty piece of computer equipment.
Is eBay the only auction-type virtual flea market out there? Of course not! There's also sites like Auction-Mac (which specializes in Macintosh only bidding) and uBid, which is also like eBay. Yet another one is Yahoo! Auctions.
Another good place to look is any online Mac store which sells older, used, or refurbished equipment (see Low End Mac's listing). Refurbished equipment is usually a newer Mac model, like an iMac, however it may have been returned, failed quality control, or been used as a demo, but the company made sure it meets new specs and is now going to sell it to you. Since most places provide some form of a warranty, you're pretty much guaranteed to not get something that won't work, but usually you can find whatever you're looking for for much, much cheaper than normal prices.
A few good refurbished Mac web sites are Shreve Systems and MacResQ. Lastly, a great site that specializes in Mac-only refurbishing it Pre-Owned Electronics. I've bought from all three of these places, and none of them have disappointed.
In the end, the more work you do, the better prices you'll get. And, on one final remark, I do still have a working SE/30 with 8 megs. While it might not be my everyday computer, it's nice to know a computer which is only one year younger than me, still works fine!
Evan Kleiman has been writing for Low End Mac since January 1999. He also runs his own site, Evansite. Evan uses an iMac, along with some vintage hardware. You can read more about his computing experience in The Many Macs of Evan Kleiman.Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.
Recent Mac Daniel columns
- Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3 Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, 12.07. Tips on hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3 iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
- Multiple users on the same Mac at work, Dan Knight, 11.15. How to set up a Mac so multiple users can log in and use it - and use the same pool of work files.
- 1 working eMac from 2 broken ones, Dan Knight, 11.14. A pair of matching eMacs, each with a different failure, results in one working eMac and lots of leftovers.
- More in the Mac Daniel index.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Time Machine can now backup to a shard hard drive, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 07.08. Earlier versions of Leopard didn't seem to allow backup to a shared drive on another Mac, but the 10.5.4 update allows it.
- More air: Expectations for future MacBook and MacBook Pro models, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 07.08. Next generation 'Books are expected to include Intel's next generation Montevino processor, but wireless power and wireless USB could give Apple a leg up on the competition.
- Safari 3.1 Is the best browser for Macs and for Windows, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 07.08. Apple's Safari browser is fast, lightweight, and compatible with pretty much any website that doesn't require users to run Windows and Internet Explorer 5.5 or later.
- Best iBook G3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.08. Used clamshell, $100; 500 MHz CD, $169; 700, $279; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $299; 14" 700, $300; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.08. Used 450 MHz ACP, $79; 533 DA, $100; 867 QS, $200; 1.25 GHz MDD Combo, $375; 867 dual, $325; 1 GHz, $395; 1.25, $529; 1.42, $619.
- Best classic iPod deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.08. Used 20 GB, $100; 30, $120; 40, $150; 60 color, $175; 30 video, $160; 80, $200; refurb 80 classic, $209; new, $229; refurb 160, $299; new, $319.
- Mac of the Day: 'Lombard' PowerBook G3, June 1999 - 'bronze keyboard' model is first PowerBook with USB, reaches 400 MHz, trims almost 2 lb.
- List of the Day: PowerList for those using Power Computing Mac clones.
- July 9 in LEM history: 01: Anti-spam measures marginalize low-end Macs - Color Classics on eBay - DSL diary - The 25th Anniversary Mac - 02: eMac test drive - Women in IT - 03: A week with an eMac - Are Apple's applications helping or hurting? - 04: Hardware failure, that rare Mac headache - Radeon Enabler unlocks video features
- Macintosh reliability improving since the shift to Intel, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 07.07. For a while in the G3 and G4 era, Apple was plagued with logic board failures and analog board problems, but they seem to be a thing of the past.
- 1.8 GHz, SSD MacBook Air price cuts; Samsung vs. Hitachi notebook drives; Centrino 2 preorders; and more, The 'Book Review, 07.07. Also MacBook shipments up 61% over Q1 2007, Apple notebook redesign rumored, Santa Rosa MacBook Pro video failure, Mopar in-vehicle wireless Internet, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,749, and m
- iPhone 3G service more costly in States, outrageous in Canada, and more, iNews Review, 07.07. Also long fingernails and the iPhone, future iPhone may include keyboard and Intel Atom CPU, voice control for iPods, Ringtons Studio for the iPhone, and more.
- Best MacBook deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.07. Used 1.83 GHz Combo, $819; 2.0 SD, $975; refurb 2.1 GHz Combo, $949; 2.4 SD, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1 Combo, $1,005 a/r; 2.2 SD, $1,205 a/r; more.
- Best eMac deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.07. Used 700 MHz CD, $140; CD-RW, $150; Combo, $170; 1 GHz, $200; 1.25 GHz SD, $230; 1.42 GHz Combo, $300; SuperDrive, $439.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.07. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $40; 10.1, $49; 10.2, $60; 10.3 DVD, $80; CD, $160; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $80; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $130.
- More links in our archive.
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