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MacBook Pro Retina for university - buy now or wait?

904745

904745

Cancelled
Original poster
Jul 31, 2014
18
0
Hi!

I'm going to university in September and I'm considering buying a MacBook Pro (the basic retina model) to use there. I was originally going to wait for the end of this year, when I assumed a new MacBook Pro model would come out, hoping that the current model's price would be cut.

However, given the recent boosts that the MacBook Pro models got, and the £100 price drop on the basic model (I'm in the UK), would it be better just to buy it now? Is another release at the end of this year likely any more?

Thanks!
 
friedkimchi

friedkimchi

macrumors regular
Aug 13, 2011
182
95
I'd buy the updated rMBP.

Free upgrade of RAM+slight boost in CPU+lower price= Value for money.

If you can find an even cheaper refurb model, then toads.

;)
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,438
43,346
Enterprise-D said:
Is another release at the end of this year likely any more?
Click to expand...
No, this was it, thanks to Intel's inability to produce the Broadwell chipset on time.

Go and buy your machine now, waiting won't help you at this point.
 
kramjam

kramjam

macrumors 6502
Feb 3, 2008
321
32
California
Go for it right now! The computer will treat you well for years to come. You'd probably be waiting until around Spring for a refresh of some kind.
 
904745

904745

Cancelled
Original poster
Jul 31, 2014
18
0
Thanks for your replies!

friedkimchi said:
I'd buy the updated rMBP.

Free upgrade of RAM+slight boost in CPU+lower price= Value for money.

If you can find an even cheaper refurb model, then toads.

;)
Click to expand...

Is it already possible to find a refurbished mid-2014 model?
 
Meister

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
I would get a 2013 rmbp on sale.
They are dirt cheap now and almost the same as the 2014 version
 
904745

904745

Cancelled
Original poster
Jul 31, 2014
18
0
Meister said:
depends on your country.
Here in germany you just missed mediamarkts 3day 19% off sale.
A 2.4/8/256 rmbp was only 1060€ all inclusive. I payed 430€ more 10 months ago.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks! I'll have a look around.
 
2

2984839

Cancelled
Apr 19, 2014
2,114
2,239
I would get it now so you have it before September. Waiting for Broadwell just means you go longer without it.
 
J

joe-h2o

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2012
997
445
Enterprise-D said:
Hi!

I'm going to university in September and I'm considering buying a MacBook Pro (the basic retina model) to use there. I was originally going to wait for the end of this year, when I assumed a new MacBook Pro model would come out, hoping that the current model's price would be cut.

However, given the recent boosts that the MacBook Pro models got, and the £100 price drop on the basic model (I'm in the UK), would it be better just to buy it now? Is another release at the end of this year likely any more?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Buy it at university, using the educational store online. Go to the Apple Store when on university campus (or use a VPN to browse the store via your university if you have a log in and access to that feature already). Navigate via the "find your institution" link on the education store and you'll be eligible for the student discount and you'll get three years of AppleCare for free.

For UK students I think this is the best deal, especially if you want a laptop.

As far as which one to get? The recently bumped Haswell Macbook Pros are excellent machines and will be more than capable for what you need. I'd personally stump up for the 13" that is just above the basic one (i.e., get the one with 256GB of storage) if you're going for the 13" - I have one (a Late 2013 version) and it has been a stellar workhorse for me on campus (I am a PhD student).
 
904745

904745

Cancelled
Original poster
Jul 31, 2014
18
0
joe-h2o said:
Buy it at university, using the educational store online. Go to the Apple Store when on university campus (or use a VPN to browse the store via your university if you have a log in and access to that feature already). Navigate via the "find your institution" link on the education store and you'll be eligible for the student discount and you'll get three years of AppleCare for free.

For UK students I think this is the best deal, especially if you want a laptop.

As far as which one to get? The recently bumped Haswell Macbook Pros are excellent machines and will be more than capable for what you need. I'd personally stump up for the 13" that is just above the basic one (i.e., get the one with 256GB of storage) if you're going for the 13" - I have one (a Late 2013 version) and it has been a stellar workhorse for me on campus (I am a PhD student).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! :)
 
A

AnonDP

macrumors member
Jun 27, 2014
92
0
- Wait until you start uni / get your student card or go to the Apple store with a freind who is a student.

- Acquire student discount @ 14% off Macbooks w/ 75% off AppleCare (if it turns out ordering online does not give free 3 year warrenty)

- Unsure when the back to school promotion ends, but if you fall within the window use the £60 gift card to buy your AppleCare

- Enjoy

BONUS CONTENT - TAKE YOUR PICK:

2014 rMBP 13" base w/ discount + £60 card = £859
2014 rMBP 13" mid w/ discount + £60 card = £1,031
2014 rMBP 15" base w/ discount + £60 card = £1375
 
A

AnonDP

macrumors member
Jun 27, 2014
92
0
Enterprise-D said:
Thanks! ;) Are you saying I should try online first to see if I get AppleCare for free?
Click to expand...

Personally, I would just go to the store and purchase and use the gift card for AppleCare (£60 apple gift card to me isn't all that useful).
But I have heard on numerous occasions about this 3 year warrenty online, I asked on chat once but the online 'genius' was oblivious to this idea.

Going to a store and purchasing (if it's within a reasonable distance) beats ordering online IMO
 
904745

904745

Cancelled
Original poster
Jul 31, 2014
18
0
AnonDP said:
Personally, I would just go to the store and purchase and use the gift card for AppleCare (£60 apple gift card to me isn't all that useful).
But I have heard on numerous occasions about this 3 year warrenty online, I asked on chat once but the online 'genius' was oblivious to this idea.

Going to a store and purchasing (if it's within a reasonable distance) beats ordering online IMO
Click to expand...

Sounds good! Thanks again for your help :)
 
A

AnonDP

macrumors member
Jun 27, 2014
92
0
Enterprise-D said:
Sounds good! Thanks again for your help :)
Click to expand...

No worries.
Also you know which model you want? If you have not seen the 13" and 15" side by side in person I would have a browse in store (Apple, John Lewis, Currys or PC World should have them on display)
 
J

joe-h2o

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2012
997
445
Enterprise-D said:
Thanks! ;) Are you saying I should try online first to see if I get AppleCare for free?
Click to expand...

You do get a special form of three year warranty as part of the UK higher education agreement if you buy online in the UK using the education store.

I have done this for five separate machines in the past couple of years.

It is effectively AppleCare, but not quite. With AppleCare you get hardware warranty and free phone support. The HE agreement drops the phone support but leaves in the 3 year hardware warranty.

Here is a link to a guy on MR talking about it, and it's still the same today as it was then:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/928612/

----------
AnonDP said:
- Wait until you start uni / get your student card or go to the Apple store with a freind who is a student.

- Acquire student discount @ 14% off Macbooks w/ 75% off AppleCare (if it turns out ordering online does not give free 3 year warrenty)

- Unsure when the back to school promotion ends, but if you fall within the window use the £60 gift card to buy your AppleCare

- Enjoy

BONUS CONTENT - TAKE YOUR PICK:

2014 rMBP 13" base w/ discount + £60 card = £859
2014 rMBP 13" mid w/ discount + £60 card = £1,031
2014 rMBP 15" base w/ discount + £60 card = £1375
Click to expand...

This is false, you do get a free three year warranty. I have done this five times since 2012 (a Late 2012 iMac, and 4 13" rMBPs).

See here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/928612/
 
904745

904745

Cancelled
Original poster
Jul 31, 2014
18
0
joe-h2o said:
You do get a special form of three year warranty as part of the UK higher education agreement if you buy online in the UK using the education store.
Click to expand...

Thanks! :cool: What would I get if I bought the laptop directly in the store?

----------
AnonDP said:
No worries.
Also you know which model you want? If you have not seen the 13" and 15" side by side in person I would have a browse in store (Apple, John Lewis, Currys or PC World should have them on display)
Click to expand...

I actually had a look in-store last year when they released the 2013 models, so I'm going to go for a 13" (more portable & I won't need it for super-intensive tasks :) )
 
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