I'm eyeing the 15" MacBook Pro and if the forthcoming model update isn't big enough I may buy the old model instead. I hear old inventory is sold at a discount, but how can I access it? I assume not through Apple Store...
when new models are introduced, the discontinued stuff is often available for a while from authorized resellers even though the same items may not be available through Apple.....but the discounts aren't always so great
If you go as soon as the new machines are announced/are in stores any Apple Retail Store that has inventory left will sell you the old model at a discounted price which can sometimes be better than the refurb store prices at first. Also remember if you bought it within officially the last 2 weeks (or usually up to a month) if you bring in your receipt you can have it price adjusted or usually with no restocking fee if you want the new model trade yours in. They are used to it so its normally no problem and they do price match as well.
And remember that refurbished is different from clearance, Clarence (sorry, my fingers typed that before I could stop them ).
Clearance is stuff that's "previous generation" but brand new, refurb is, well, refurbished. You'll find a much better deal with refurbs than with clearance and you'll find there are a lot of fans of refurbs (myself included).