RTP-area local music and culture

["James Hepler" <hepstyle AT gmail.com>]

Does anyone have a first hand account of working with refurbished
electronics?  For the last year+ I've been working with borrowed keyboards
as control surfaces for Reason, and it's time for me to go ahead and get
something of my own.  I've had great luck just using cheap ole casio style
keyboards with midi outs, but I think I'd like to have a real midi control
surface so that I can learn how to program stuff.

Anyway, I saw this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Oxygen61-61Key-Mobile-USB-Controller?sku=706312V

and it's hard to beat the price for what I'd be getting.  But it's a
refurb.  I have up to this point avoided any refurbished electronics,
particularly cameras and portable audio players.  Any opinions on the
subject?  to be honest, I'm still leaning towards just getting a cheap casio
style POS so that I can work on melodies without having to be attached to a
computer.

Help!