I've purchased several refurbished products from Apple: Cinema Display, Thunderbolt Display, iMac, MacBook. Every single one has been indistinguishable from a brand new product. I couldn't be happier and would recommend the approach to anyone who doesn't want the absolute latest product. Note that I am talking about buying from the official Apple refurbished store on apple.com. I wouldn't trust, e.g., products from Amazon.
I've purchased several refurbished products from Apple: Cinema Display, Thunderbolt Display, iMac, MacBook. Every single one has been indistinguishable from a brand new product. I couldn't be happier and would recommend the approach to anyone who doesn't want the absolute latest product. Note that I am talking about buying from the official Apple refurbished store on apple.com. I wouldn't trust, e.g., products from Amazon.