I got a MacBook Pro for Christmas (which I would be late 2011) but I have the specs of an early 2011 model. How do I know if I got scammed, or if the person who gave it to me bought it refurbished?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)
Doesn't sound like being given a Macbook Pro falls under the category of "scam," maybe I am wrong?
why don't you ask the person who gave it to you? Are you afraid to ask them?
Go to Apple Menu> About This Mac> System Report. Check the Model Number in your MacBook against this list:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4132
Hope it helps!
Make sure to check your configuration
It's not me who I think might have gotten scammed, it's the person who gave it to me who might have gotten scammed. Also, I don't want to ask the guy who gave it to me, because I think if I ask him, I would imply the thought of "why didn't you speand more money on my gift?" to him, if it is refurbished. So yeah, I'm afraid to ask.
My MacBook Pro already came with Lion, and according to the serial number, it is the early 2011 model. So I guess I can confirm that it is refurbished.
Not an issue for me -- I intentially purchased refurbished to save my own $$. I saved $300, which almost matches the $350 I will be spending on AppleCare. But in 6 months I have not actually seen any issues that would make me questions its quality.
When the MacBook was gifted to you... did it came in a plain white box or retail MacBook box which has pictures of the computer?
Plain white boxes=refurbished
Retail box (with pictures and graphics)=new
I think you should read more about the Apple Refurbishing Program:
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/apple_certified.html
Message was edited by: vea1083
My MacBook Pro already came with Lion, and according to the serial number, it is the early 2011 model. So I guess I can confirm that it is refurbished.
That doesn't necessarily mean it was refurbished. There is often remaining stock at retail stores of previous models (often at reduced prices when new models are released). As has been mentioned, if it came in a box like the kind you would see in a store (picture of the MacBook on the box, etc), it is a new build. If it came in a plain white box, then it would be refurbished. Apple sells refurbished machines at good savings with full warranties. Most people who get refurbished products from Apple are very happy with them. About the only way you'll be able to tell, however, is with the packaging.
It came in the box with pictures...
The only reason why I wanted to know, is because I think my friend payed full price for this, but instead he got the early 2011 model, which is slightly slower, and has less hard drive space than the late 2011 model. So I think the guy gave him old stock. I still love my macbook pro, but an extra 180 GB and 0.1 GHz would be awesome.
Where did your friend bought the computer? From what I understand, he should have get a discount as that model was on clearance. If he bought your MacBook Pro less than a week ago just have him run to the store for a return.
Now to put things in perspective, you won't see much of a performance increase if your computer has a processor that is 100 megahertz faster, you'll see more of a performance boost from upgrading your ram and buying a Solid State Drive (SSD). Watch this Apple video talking about the "Megahertz Myth".
Which MacBook Pro model you have? 15-inch? 13-inch? 17-inch?
An extra 0.1 GHz would make a completely imperceptible difference, and you are free to upgrade to a larger hard drive yourself for a small amount of money. If you aren't going to talk to your [very good!] friend about what he paid for the machine, there's no point in thinking about it. Be thankful that you have a free MBP, and if you feel it has shortcomings, address them yourself.
Just to expand on eww's advise (which falls in line with my previous comment on the 100MHz difference), you can buy hardrives from websites like New Egg and OWC. I would strongly recommend checking OWC, as they have very good and high quality parts for Mac computers, and their shopping interface is very straight forward.
How do I know if my MacBook Pro is refurbished?
