‘Porn’ Claim for Refreshed MacBook

November 30th, 2006

The Consumerist Web site claims to have held an instant messaging session with someone whose “mate” purchased a “refreshed” MacBook, presumably from the Regent Street store, and discovered “porn on the desktop” when he got the laptop home. The materials were further described as a “desktop full of JPGs.” The account is fragmented by the IM exchange, and is also third-party, so it’s difficult to judge its truthfulness. The purported buyer said he’s already “reformatted the drive” and reinstalled OS X, but he was still going to contact his Member of Parliament for a remedy. The story is ominously taken to another level when the “mate” explained that he purchased the computer for his 11 year-old daughter. There’s no mention that she ever saw the materials, however.


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    Sadly, this does happen. I know of a certain Apple Store I used to work at where a Nun purchased a refreshed iBook. Somebody sold it without making sure that it was wiped clean from the previous owner, and sat down at the Genius bar with the poor Sister to show her a thing or two about her new laptop. Upon boot up, the Specialist and Nun were both greeted to the prior owner’s custom desktop wallpaper; two ladies and their silicone friend. Wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t there… All parties involved were mature about it, though. The Specialist promptly closed the lid, apologized and rushed it into the back for a proper refresh. The Nun blushed and smiled.

    Dill November 30, 2006 at 9:28 pm

    Yeah, right. This is ridiculous & not believable at all. Apple’s refurbished machines go through a major process, including erasing the hard drive & other stuff.

    MacBill November 30, 2006 at 10:43 pm

    That’s funny…happend to my laptop at MacBook Pro in Toronto!

    Eric Lewis December 1, 2006 at 4:06 am

    Also from what I’ve read and heard, Apple even goes as far as to put a new case on it so even if the previous owner had scratched the computer, you wouldn’t get them. I see absolutely no grain of truth to this story. They don’t jsut take a computer in back, wipe the screen with a damp cloth and them place it in a box to be sold, they go back to Apple HQ.

    -Brian

    Brian Kaemepn December 1, 2006 at 11:14 am

    Prove it Dill!

    steve jobs December 1, 2006 at 12:21 pm

    Where do I get one? :o))

    dave December 1, 2006 at 1:01 pm

    I think there’s some confusion on the wording of this article… if the computer in this article was sold from an Apple Store, it’s not a refurb, but a refresh. Units returned to Apple’s Retail Stores are refreshed at the store, assuming that the machine is in sellable condition. Refurbs are units returned for defects, that have since been repaired. You can only buy refurbs directly from Apple. [Ed.--Headline and article clarified.]
    At the stores, there are almost always piles of returned machines waiting to be refreshed so they can be sold again. This usually just means that the software is re-installed, cables wound back up, and all parts are accounted for. It’s not unusual for Mac Specialists to sell those machines before they get a chance to be refreshed fully, or for a machine to be over looked and marked as already being refreshed. If you don’t believe me, just go to your nearest Apple Store and ask them what they have in Refresh.
    To put it shortly, I agree that this could almost never happen with a Refurbed unit. However, it can and does happen with Refreshed units.

    And Mr. Jobs, I’m sure you can just pull up the Genius notes about the machine and read all about it. ;)

    Dill December 1, 2006 at 6:34 pm

    Does Steve Jobs really write to you? [Editor-No.]

    Nana 656 December 3, 2006 at 5:27 pm
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