Flirting with the darkside...

[FastFinger]

MsFastFinger says she needs a mac Laptop - I think they're overpriced and have never been an Apple fan, but her heart's set on a Mac Pro so that's what it's going to be. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but are there any discounts to be had in a Apple Store?

Thanks

[Rallyfan]

Not directly, no. However, there is usually refurbished inventory available online and the $ saved can be substantial. You will have to wait until stocks build up after a new product introduction. Refurbished products are still eligible for AppleCare. There are also bundle deals and specials etc. You might have a look online.

[xrMike]

Are you or the Ms. a student? Apple is offering an .edu discount that brings the price of the base model Pro down to $1099. Just picked up one for my daughter who will be a college freshman this year.

If you're not, well, in that other recent Macbook Pro thread, somebody was saying how if you ordered online, there was a way to get that discount by providing a bogus .edu email address (or something like that). Apparently they don't check it.

Could you live with yourself if you obtained the discount fraudulently? Personally, I probably could, given the steep price on these machines.

Right now they are also giving away the following with each Macbook purchase:

• $100 gift card good for apple store or iTunes
• a wireless HP printer that you pay for up front, but ends up being free after the rebate is submitted in-store

[resident-shooter]

lol its the most overpriced junk ever that people only buys to be cool, especially in universities.

[Librarian]

lol its the most overpriced junk ever that people only buys to be cool, especially in universities.

Which, of course, is why I have 4 of them plus 2 desktops of increasingly aging vintage. 'Cool' is very important to me. Not.

Aside from the world vs Apple snark, the answer to the question is that there really isn't much discounting on Apple products. There is an .edu discount, of about $200 IIRC. There are refurbs - one of our iBooks was a refurb, and it held up well - for about another $200 off the .edu price. College bookstores sometimes have an end-of-the-year discount, but this is the beginning, or is about to be.

I'm using a Macbook Pro right now. Works for me.

I looked the other day - battery replacement is about $179 when the thing finally dies; it's possible to do it yourself - instructions are on the web - but with a quick look I couldn't find a source for the batteries. I probably just missed it.

[lazyworm]

If you're tech savvy enough, you can go hackintosh.

[FastFinger]

Fond a great deal... Buying through SavingAce.com will get me a 20% rebate on purchase at MacMall. Their price is $2036 (at an apple store it''s $2,199), after the rebate the price is only 1,628, a net savings of $570.20. But... with the in store purchase she gets their 1 to1 care, which includes in store training. Since she's learning final cut pro that may be worth the extra cost. Decisions, decisions...

[FastFinger]

If you're tech savvy enough, you can go hackintosh.

If it was a machine for me? Without a doubt. But it's for her - and I can't stand being tech support or teaching.

All things considered an Apple store purchase may be the best route.

[joefrank64k]

I am a convert to MacBooks after years of thinking Apple users were off their rockers. What pushed me to look was the iPhone. I thought "Man, are Macs this easy to use and this stone-cold stable, too?"

Turns out they are...I bought a MacBook Air in 2008 and an 11" MacBook Air in 2011 and I've never looked back.

Updating to the latest OS (Lion) is a classic example of Win v. Mac. I opened my MacBook, clicked on the App Store, clicked on Lion, payed $30, it downloaded to my Mac in about an hour, and required ONE reboot. Done. And I can install Lion on as many Macs as I own for no additional cost. Compared to my upgrade from Vista to 7 on my desktop, well, there is no comparison.

Now, on to the OP's question. Getting the Education Discount requires nothing more than going here: http://store.apple.com/us and clicking on "Education Store" on the left. Then enter the name of your local university and viola! You get Education pricing, the $100 Apple Store gift card, and $100 towards a printer, if you want to add one to your order. In addition, the Education price on Apple Care is much better than full-retail.

Another alternative, I bought my 11' Air from B&H Photo and Video: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Ap...2/N/4294542557

Their prices are good, free shipping, and no tax makes their deal, sometimes, cheaper than Apple's Ed discount. It did for me when I bought my 11".

Librarian already pointed out the refurb deals at Apple:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro?mco=MjEwNTY3ODE

The stock changes constantly, so if you see something you like at a good price, buy it! It might be gone the next time you look.

I think the Apple Care (3 year extended warranty) is worth it, too. As an example, a hinge on my wife's MacBook screen was getting loose (computer was about 2 1/2 years old, warranty goes to 3 years). Bring it to the Apple store. Yep, hinge needs replacing.

They overnight it to their service center in Texas, and overnight it back to my house. We brought it in on a Tuesday, I was signing for it from the FedEx guy Friday morning.

While they had it, they replaced the hinges, the screen, the screen bezel, the keyboard, and battery. No charge. And the computer booted up with all data intact.

Yes, their stuff isn't cheap...but you know how the rest of that saying goes!

[ocabj]

Since she's learning final cut pro that may be worth the extra cost. Decisions, decisions...

What is she recording video on?

[R8RRunner]

EDU is the only way other then going through business sales which is different.

The refurb items sold on the online store are typically returns that didn't have an issue so you could save money there as well.

I will suggest to consider what the machine will be used for. A lot of people buy Mac Pros when they would've been fine with an iMac based on their intended use. Getting the right Mac for your intended use will save you some $$$ too.

Edit: FYI, Final Cut runs fine on i5 processors in the iMacs.



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On my iPhone 4

[JDay]

And I can install Lion on as many Macs as I own for no additional cost.

Not legally, read your EULA.

Compared to my upgrade from Vista to 7 on my desktop, well, there is no comparison.

Apple OS upgrades are so cheap because you're paying for the hardware, they have you locked into a forced hardware upgrade cycle. Why do you think they do not allow you to install it on non-Apple hardware?

[FastFinger]

What is she recording video on?

Some Prosumer Panasonic & a Red

She's lusted after a mac for years, and she's not one of those SOs who is always going on shopping sprees and spending money just 'cause she likes shopping. Plus she let's me buy the toys I want, so even if it's over kill it's going to be a 15" Pro.

Thanks for the edu tip - it's saving us $300!

From what I hear they botched up the latest Final Cut Pro - dumbed it way down. Going for the masses at the expense of losing the pro editors. I'm not an editor, bu all the real pros I know are livid.

BTW - Here's another edu tip... Check out the Police Academy at Rio Hondo College. A 13 session once a week firearm course is about $250. They supply all the ammo, and you go through a lot of it.

[Rivers]

From what I hear they botched up the latest Final Cut Pro - dumbed it way down. Going for the masses at the expense of losing the pro editors. I'm not an editor, bu all the real pros I know are livid.

The new FCP is very different and that has the "pros" on edge. First, it's 64-bit. Unfortunately all the previous 32-bit plug-ins won't work so all of those developers were simply not ready with 64-bit versions of their plug-ins. The magnetic timeline is different too. I think that Apple should have worked closer with the third-party developers to make sure the plug-ins were better supported. And the auto-save is nice but I want a manual save function too. Auto-save isn't as bulletproof as a manual save function. FCP X seems to be best received by those new to FCP. Those used to FCP 7, the previous version, are having the most problems. FWIW, I did a 2-hour DVD with FCP X - without any instructions or tutorials - that I had serious problems doing with FCP 7, just because FCP X is far more intuitive than FCP 7. Some people just don't seem willing to leave the comfort of their habits to look outside the box for better ways to do things.

Apple also offers discounts to military and business. Usually that amounts to washing the sales tax but it's helpful. Same discount as academic for students AND teachers. Talk to the store rep and ask for their help. You can also enroll in adult ed at local colleges - free - and get the student discount.

Get AppleCare. It's an added cost but increases warranty for 3 years. This is the best warranty in the computer world. Period. You won't talk to anyone in Pakistan or India, it's 24/7 and the actual repair process is awesome, should that actually be necessary.

Also look at local Mac User Groups. PM me with your locale and I'll send you the info for the closest ones. I'm part of the San Diego group and it's a great source for people networking and training opportunities. Look into Lynda.com for online training for all types of software, etc. User groups can offer discounts for that too.

And get an external drive for backups. Apple's Time Machine b/u software does a great job but it does need a place to put the files. Double the laptop's drive capacity, and plug it in to the laptop or it won't happen. (There are wireless options but I'm being basic here.)

[xrMike]

Updating to the latest OS (Lion) is a classic example of Win v. Mac. I opened my MacBook, clicked on the App Store, clicked on Lion, payed $30, it downloaded to my Mac in about an hour, and required ONE reboot. Done.

That reminds me... The Lion upgrade is also free if you buy right now.