Apple's Back to School Promo Launching Wednesday With $100 iTunes Gift Cards?

[smartalic34]

You know, this rumor correlates perfectly with that rumor about unlocked iPhones: https://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/11/new-macbook-air-due-this-wednesday/

Apple starts selling unlocked iPhones, which can be used as iPod touches if you don't sign up for phone service, and you don't need to sell iPods anymore (hence no iPod promotion)...

edit: after seeing https://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/13/apple-to-offer-unlocked-u-s-iphone-4s-starting-at-649/ maybe Apple won't discontinue the iPod Touch line after all... $649 is a pretty steep increase from $229...

 

[reallynotnick]

This is a joke. Buying the MBP I want through the Apple store is around $1200 with tax and only $1130 through Amazon. If this is true then Im better off buying through Amazon and getting to choose what I do with the $100 instead wasting it on the iTunes store...

The MBP is $1099 (plus tax) educational on Apple actually but yeah it's a pretty close call if the $100 GC turns out to be true. I remember selling my iPod Touch for $180 plus they had a free $100 printer deal going on at the time when I bought 2 years ago, was a pretty nice deal.

You know, this rumor correlates perfectly with that rumor about unlocked iPhones: https://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/11/new-macbook-air-due-this-wednesday/

Apple starts selling unlocked iPhones, which can be used as iPod touches if you don't sign up for phone service, and you don't need to sell iPods anymore (hence no iPod promotion)...

The iPod Touch has always been thinner and had a larger capacity for storage. I don't really see Apple replacing the Touch with unlocked iPhones and if they did then the iPhones would have to be free on contract if they were going to match the ~$200 price of a low end iPod Touch.

 

[bushman4]

Promo which offers people what they don't want is worthless!
$100 Itunes Card not exactly what the majority of the people want.
Some will argue that its better than nothing, others will say its an insult.
My take is that hopefully this only a rumor and will not prove to be true.

 

[Combat Rock]

They better not be putting up promotional material in their window displays for this. Huge fail

 

[Hueyfreeman]

Dear apple,

Microsoft is offering consoles with student computer purchases, you offer students a hundred doller gift card. FYI a lot college students pirate music. Food, books, condoms, and beer are more important then buying music.

 

[Shanpdx]

wow!

Billions not enough!

I hope it is $200 gift card which can be used against any iPhones/iPad/iPod touch,

IMHO, come september iPod touch will be replaced by iPhone 4, iPhone mini...

 

[kny3twalker]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_7 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E303 Safari/6533.18.5)

This is a terrible promotion honestly. I guess it will make Microsoft and the hardware companies happy though.

 

[osx11]

You'll need a third of the gift card to upgrade to lion.

And I'm sure in the VERY near future, all apple software will be sold exclusively in the Mac App Store.


----- hence the iTunes gift card.

If only they incorporate an apple store into iTunes.......

 

[42streetsdown]

I have been waiting to purchase a new Mac for school for this promotion... if this is the case, I will NOT buy one... Apple already charges a ton, gives very MINUTE discounts for students and holidays, and will do something less than it did before?

Apple really doesn't charge a ton. they're computers are a tad pricey, but they are competitive. a dell with similar specs to the base MBP costs $1000 plus that runs windows yuck.

 

[42streetsdown]

You'll need a third of the gift card to upgrade to lion.

And I'm sure in the VERY near future, all apple software will be sold exclusively in the Mac App Store.


----- hence the iTunes gift card.

If only they incorporate an apple store into iTunes.......

except if you buy now you'll get lion free.

 

[Peteman100]

Very disappointing...

 

[iRobby]

Wow...Im keeping my macbook now. Was gonna sell it and upgrade to a new mac and get an iPod.


Was gonna get the SGS2 and iPod with a new MacBook.

Oh well.

I have been waiting to purchase a new Mac for school for this promotion... if this is the case, I will NOT buy one... Apple already charges a ton, gives very MINUTE discounts for students and holidays, and will do something less than it did before?

I was planning on a new Macbook Air. Not anymore if this is the case.

Why are so many people dissing buying a new computer just because they don't get a $200.00 gadget free. The value of the computer is the same and will still meet your needs.


The way these people talking is like they were buying an iPod to get a Mac instead of vice versa. - no iPod then no Mac shouldn't it be the other way. the motive being getting a Mac and as a plus get the iPod instead of the iPod being the motive to buy a computer?

 

[42streetsdown]

This'll be sad if it's true. i wanted to give the iPod to my mom.

 

[ChrisA]

I wonder what a $100 iTunes card cost Apple. Got to be close to zero. This is worse even to a $100 Apple gift card, at least that could be used to buy a real product that you own. The iTunes card is just the right to down load some data files.

 

[kny3twalker]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_7 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E303 Safari/6533.18.5)

I have been waiting to purchase a new Mac for school for this promotion... if this is the case, I will NOT buy one... Apple already charges a ton, gives very MINUTE discounts for students and holidays, and will do something less than it did before?

Apple really doesn't charge a ton. they're computers are a tad pricey, but they are competitive. a dell with similar specs to the base MBP costs $1000 plus that runs windows yuck.

Only high end gaming laptops or high end business grade laptops even begin to come close to the prices for macs. I love mine but the student discount and free iPod made a difference when it came time to buy and I was comparing it to a thinkpad and latitude.

 

[john1620b]

Of course! The one year I'm able to take advantage of the back-to-school promo, they reduce the value...

Figures.

 

[Dingado]

Are you serious?

I was about to buy my first Macbook Pro and hoping to get the iPod Touch along with it.. I might as well just go with a refurbished now.. Dang :/

I really hope it's just a rumor.. But it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't.

 

[AidenShaw]

*alert* fallacy post *alert*

If you compare their machines with TRULY comparable Windows machines (don’t just cherry pick a couple specs, but look at everything from the software bundle on up to the lighted keys, the metal casing, and the viewable angle), Macs are right in the same price range as other name-brand makers; even cheaper sometimes.

And, a Maserati Biturbo is competitively priced to other twin turbo automobiles.

The fallacy with "TRULY comparable Windows machines" is to assume that the buyer is interested in all of the features that are bundled with the Apple. What good is Thunderbolt - you can't even buy a Thunderbolt device?

People looking for a basic system are happy with the Windows box, and have *no* interest in paying extra for stuff in the "premium" Apple package.

 

[Ivabign]

Well I don't know about this.... I have a 13" MBP and just bought my wife a Toshiba 15.6 with 4GB Sandy Bridge i5 and a 500gb hard drive for 699. Now I know it isn't the same computer even if has the same specs... But I got an xbox for free and sold an old Toshiba laptop for 350. So this new computer cost me 149.00 total (amazon - free shipping - no tax)

Pretty good for a stinky Wndows PC...

But I was hoping for an iMac with the discountplus the iPod plus the printer...

Some of us are on a tight budget...

100 on iTunes doesn't quite cut it.

I just have to save a little longer.

 

[iRobby]

Are you serious?

I was about to buy my first Macbook Pro and hoping to get the iPod Touch along with it.. I might as well just go with a refurbished now.. Dang :/

I really hope it's just a rumor.. But it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't.

Sounds like finances is the reason you upset however, you still would have had to lay out the money for the iPod and get the rebate in the mail so if you were willing to put out all that cash in the first place why are you settling for the refurbished all because of a no iPod?

 

[syedhussain]

me vs. apple store expert, (im playing dumb)

You are chatting with Kaleb B, an Apple Expert

Hi, my name is Kaleb B. Welcome to Apple!

Welcome to Apple Online Chat! How can I help you with the Online Store?

What is this nonsense that i am hearing about the back to school promo? You arent giving away free ipods anymore, but you are giving away $100 itunes gift cards instead? What is this world coming to?

I would be happy to help you out with this issue.

Just to clarify, Apple does not comment or speculate on rumors about decisions, products, programs, or promotions that are not officially announced. We learn about new products and price changes when Apple makes formal public announcements, and not before.

Apple has made an announcement that they will change some things in the Apple store on Teusday night, correct?

I haven't heard anything about those changes, we will know when they happen on the store.

oh, so there hasnt been any official announcement on Back To School?

Yes, that is correct.

gotcha, thanks

 

[Cheerwino]

Back-to-Whining Promo

Some of you folks must be doing post-grad work in whining.

 

[NinjaHERO]

It's still nice of them to offer anything free. Would be better if it was an apple gift card rather than an itunes card. That way you could just use it towards anything else in the store.

 

[Tower-Union]

Mmmm yes, more, MORE! I feed off your misery. Macrumor's users never fail to deliver on the entitled wailing and gnashing of teeth!

Especially this little gem. Mmmm its like they opened the buffet with the choicest of pain. . .

this better be false, or else apple is getting ****ing greedy.

EDIT*

Give us a Apple Gift Card, give us just a greater price slash to the product. Don't give us a useless Itunes gift card that just benefits apple. This is ridiculous and if true I will be waiting for an Asus UX21 instead of buying a macbook air.

Oh, and try 200 credit, not 100. What a joke..

Of course then this turd has to come along and pour COMMON SENSE all over everything. Pffft. Way to ruin the banquet!

Why are so many people dissing buying a new computer just because they don't get a $200.00 gadget free. The value of the computer is the same and will still meet your needs.


The way these people talking is like they were buying an iPod to get a Mac instead of vice versa. - no iPod then no Mac shouldn't it be the other way. the motive being getting a Mac and as a plus get the iPod instead of the iPod being the motive to buy a computer?

 

[pruhawk]

Fail

"The cake is a lie."

If true, so disappointing. Not much of a useful promotion for most. A $100 apple card that could be used to lower the price of the purchase - deal.