First time Mac buyer - any tips?

[ALF]

I'm in the market for a mac, preferably one that's one or two years old. I want to drop no more than $500 on it. Need to do only video editing, browsing and design (photoshop, illustrator etc) on it. I'm a long time PC user so I'm a bit out my element. I use my client's Powerbook all the time but I want to shy away from portables now that I'm not going to be moving around so much.

I got a 42" tv last month due to an increase in hours... that's why I'm thinking of just scoring a tower so I can edit video with it.

What I'm wondering from you is which model I should sniff around for. There are two refurbished mac shops in the area. Any opinions or suggestions about models to watch out for. I don't even know what the most recent model is so I'm asking about whatever has been on the market for a few years. I don't mind if it ran a *little* slower so I'm not looking for anything top of the line.

Is my price range reasonable or a pipe dream? It doesn't have to be refurbished. Used is fine.

 

[Amaris]

I'm in the market for a mac, preferably one that's one or two years old. I want to drop no more than $500 on it. Need to do only video editing, browsing and design (photoshop, illustrator etc) on it. I'm a long time PC user so I'm a bit out my element. I use my client's Powerbook all the time but I want to shy away from portables now that I'm not going to be moving around so much.

I got a 42" tv last month due to an increase in hours... that's why I'm thinking of just scoring a tower so I can edit video with it.

What I'm wondering from you is which model I should sniff around for. There are two refurbished mac shops in the area. Any opinions or suggestions about models to watch out for. I don't even know what the most recent model is so I'm asking about whatever has been on the market for a few years. I don't mind if it ran a *little* slower so I'm not looking for anything top of the line.

Is my price range reasonable or a pipe dream? It doesn't have to be refurbished. Used is fine.

Macs are coming down in price, and because of their flexibility with Boot Camp, it's a real value when all things are considered. I recommend refurbished, I've been using refurb all my life. Very rarely have I had difficulties, and they've always been solved quickly.

If you're looking for a desktop solution, and just want the box, there's the Mac Mini.

Here's a site with refurb Mac Minis. This one is less than $500 and seems to pack a lot of punch for that price:
http://www.cowboom.com/store/productDetails.cfm?contentID=664819

As I said, the prices have really come down.

 

[spinnerlys]

A refurb Mac mini is a good choice and will be able what you want to do.

But using a TV as monitor might be not such a good choice, as it will blow the pixels up and it limits you to 1920 x 1080 pixel, which might look very blurry, especially with text. There are many cheap 24" computer monitors for 15 to have if you want.


Also have a look at the following links to learn more about Mac OS X:

Helpful Information for Any Mac User by GGJstudios​

 

[Dukhat]

1. I would buy a refurbished Mac before I bought a new PC.

2. I'm planning on buying a refurbished MacBook Pro. The money I will save will cover the Apple Care warranty I would have purchased anyway whether I bought new or refurb.

3. I have never bought a new Mac. I've always bought them used on Craigslist, and I've never had a single problem with any used Mac I bought (at least no problem that I wasn't able to solve on my own). Buying a refurb is similar to buying used, but with the piece of mind that you bought it used from Apple as opposed to buying it used from some dude you may never see again.