The MacBook Air (2020 or newer with M1/M2 chips) offers the ideal balance of performance, battery life, and price for most students. These models handle typical academic tasks – research, writing, presentations, light photo editing – without breaking a sweat while maintaining all-day battery life for campus use. Expect to pay $600-900 for refurbished M1 MacBook Airs during Black Friday, compared to $1000+ new. For students in demanding fields like video production or engineering, consider refurbished MacBook Pro 14-inch models, though they'll cost more ($1200-1500 refurbished vs. $2000+ new).

Apple rarely offers discounts on its own devices, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you're hoping to find a MacBook on sale. Major retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart are good places to start, especially during major shopping events. However, it's also worth seeing what deals are available at smaller online retailers like Adorama, B&H Photo and Newegg, as they may offer some under the radar bargains that aren't being matched at larger competitors.

For MacBooks, "Good" condition typically offers the best value during Black Friday – you'll save significantly versus "Excellent" or "Premium" while getting identical performance. MacBooks are built to last, so minor cosmetic wear like light scratches on the lid or keyboard shine doesn't affect functionality. "Excellent" condition makes sense if you're buying for professional presentation or plan to resell later. "Fair" condition MacBooks work perfectly but might have visible wear that could be distracting in business settings. And "Premum" is genreally the 'Crème de la crème' where the screen