Bad experiences of a few persons made me reluctant to buy a refurbished computer.  You really don't know what you're going to get. But most of the reviews I read were good, and since I intended to use the computer only as a  back-up for my "good" computer, I  decided to give it a go. I'm happy I did, though hesitant to say so. I have always been afflicted with the superstition that machines--cars, for instance--usually are at their best just before they break down.  I've been using this computer for little more than a month and it works like a champ. It is faster than my "good,"  much more expensive computer. I use it more than I expected to. Who knows: a couple months from now it might crash and burn. But for now it runs like a fine-tuned automobile. (Which, of course, makes me nervous.)