the only time that i would buy a mac is when they have this promotion going on
because you will always be a student?
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Apple Launches 2011 Back to School Promotion
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because you will always be a student?
Yeah but you also have Ebay Fees.... Shipping... and then Paypal Fees... i think ebay deducts 9& for the first 50 dollars.. I don't know how much paypal deducts. I think everyones best bet is trying craigslist first.
Although earlier in this thread (or maybe it was the one speculating that it was today, I forget since there are so darn many threads about this topic) I said I wasn't thrilled with it, after walking into the Apple Store I remember why I still chose a Mac.
Not only was customer service top notch, 3 or 4 of them came over to me while another associate was checking me out all talking to me about school, we talked about video games for a while, they gave me some hints on how to "save" money on stuff, etc. I felt like I was talking to mature people that didn't push other products on me, just talked about stuff I already had, not to mention I think at 21 I was the second oldest in the group of us.
Also, Before I even bought it, the saleswoman asked "Would you like us to start it up for you in store and get it running before you leave?" which was nice (even though I said no). They were EXTREMELY busy, hardly able to walk around, and they still offered to find space to set up and even hook my printer up.
Even though this iTunes card will probably be spent mostly on gifts for my brother/room mates, and I still have an old iPod Touch, I'm overall extremely pleased.
Also couldn't be happier price wise. I spent $1,596.88 out the door. This included my iMac, my $100 iTunes gift card, and also the $100 printer (that I applied for the rebate IN STORE). So take that $100 off when I get my rebate, and I spent $1,496.88. Not too bad at all since without anything, just the computer was $1,499 and it was $1,399 after just education discount. No waiting on shipping, no having to fuss with sending it back should something be wrong, etc.
Not only was customer service top notch, 3 or 4 of them came over to me while another associate was checking me out all talking to me about school, we talked about video games for a while, they gave me some hints on how to "save" money on stuff, etc. I felt like I was talking to mature people that didn't push other products on me, just talked about stuff I already had, not to mention I think at 21 I was the second oldest in the group of us.
Also, Before I even bought it, the saleswoman asked "Would you like us to start it up for you in store and get it running before you leave?" which was nice (even though I said no). They were EXTREMELY busy, hardly able to walk around, and they still offered to find space to set up and even hook my printer up.
Even though this iTunes card will probably be spent mostly on gifts for my brother/room mates, and I still have an old iPod Touch, I'm overall extremely pleased.
Also couldn't be happier price wise. I spent $1,596.88 out the door. This included my iMac, my $100 iTunes gift card, and also the $100 printer (that I applied for the rebate IN STORE). So take that $100 off when I get my rebate, and I spent $1,496.88. Not too bad at all since without anything, just the computer was $1,499 and it was $1,399 after just education discount. No waiting on shipping, no having to fuss with sending it back should something be wrong, etc.
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Bottom line: Apple's doesn't need to give away iPods to sell Macs anymore.
For those of you who are choosing PC over Mac based on what you get for free from each company? You absolutely should be using a PC if that's the most valuable thing to you. I hope you spend enough money on that PC to get one that's well made-- in more than a decade of being a PC user, I've owned exactly one machine (PC) that never failed / broke down. Others cost me hundreds in parts and hours of time troubleshooting. Experiences that I've failed to duplicate on any of the Macs I've owned in the last five years.
I reject the conclusion that a $100 card is useless. Now, you may prefer an XBox, but that doesn't make the $100 card useless. If you don't sell it, you can get Music. Books. Movies. TV Shows. Software. (I'd most likely not spend it on TV or Movies because I don't want the DRM). But I could spend that $100 on music alone very easily. I like the idea that
I was planning on getting an iPod Nano with my purchase this summer. Big deal. I can get an open box deal on Amazon for less than $100, no sweat. Instead I'll get $100 off of Final Cut Pro X, something I won't be able to buy second-hand at such a steep discount.
As for the ridiculous assertion that Apple is being stingy... there's another way to look at it, that more people benefit from this than the iPod deal. iPod deal? Apple sells a Mac, customer gets an iPod. Gift card? Apple sells a Mac, customer gets $100 in free media and or software, and app developers and musicians and authors get paid.
For those of you who are choosing PC over Mac based on what you get for free from each company? You absolutely should be using a PC if that's the most valuable thing to you. I hope you spend enough money on that PC to get one that's well made-- in more than a decade of being a PC user, I've owned exactly one machine (PC) that never failed / broke down. Others cost me hundreds in parts and hours of time troubleshooting. Experiences that I've failed to duplicate on any of the Macs I've owned in the last five years.
I reject the conclusion that a $100 card is useless. Now, you may prefer an XBox, but that doesn't make the $100 card useless. If you don't sell it, you can get Music. Books. Movies. TV Shows. Software. (I'd most likely not spend it on TV or Movies because I don't want the DRM). But I could spend that $100 on music alone very easily. I like the idea that
I was planning on getting an iPod Nano with my purchase this summer. Big deal. I can get an open box deal on Amazon for less than $100, no sweat. Instead I'll get $100 off of Final Cut Pro X, something I won't be able to buy second-hand at such a steep discount.
As for the ridiculous assertion that Apple is being stingy... there's another way to look at it, that more people benefit from this than the iPod deal. iPod deal? Apple sells a Mac, customer gets an iPod. Gift card? Apple sells a Mac, customer gets $100 in free media and or software, and app developers and musicians and authors get paid.
Few years back, Apple computers used to cost $200-300 more. When I purchased my 15" MacBook Pro in 2007, it was $1999 for the cheapest one.
Pretty Cheesy
Go from giving a piece of hardware with real resale value, or even gifting potential to giving out what amounts basically to air. They're not even giving $100 away. It's $70, tops. They get 30% of every sale. And what about apps they produce? They essentially get all of the $100 back if someone uses it for iWork apps.
Lame, Apple.
Go from giving a piece of hardware with real resale value, or even gifting potential to giving out what amounts basically to air. They're not even giving $100 away. It's $70, tops. They get 30% of every sale. And what about apps they produce? They essentially get all of the $100 back if someone uses it for iWork apps.
Lame, Apple.
+1
Thank you! Apple is still being generous by giving us anything, let me list the things we are getting with our purchase: A powerful top notch computer, 100-200 dollars off the computer, a free printer, and a free 100 dollar itunes gift card. Honestly if you have the money and the only complain is that you don't get another ipod than you probably didn't really want a Mac in the first place because if you really wanted a Mac you know that you most likely couldn't stand having an inferior windows computer that crashes all the time and needs a repair in the first 3 weeks.
Two things that are blowing my mind and are kind of interesting are the fact there should only be college level kids or teachers in this post but for some reason everyone is acting like 8 year olds who are throwing fits cause they didn't get what they wanted for Christmas. It's a shame how selfish people are. Not only in wanting more, but in not realizing how Apple was affected by prior disasters.
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It's not ridiculous. Apple's mimicing a cheap-a$$ riverboat casino that gives you a few chips to play with for showing your ID. A $100 Mac Store gift card is like playing with house money.
nice to see both sides of the story
Kind of put my foot in my mouth yesterday when I decried the "usefulness" of the $100 gift card.
I forgot about Pixelmator, Final Cut Pro X etc.
While I've purchased several Macs as a student during the Summer (including my iMac) I never opted for the free iPod offer.
Rethinking this, sure it would be nice to have an extra discount on the computer itself above and beyond the Educational discount AND the $100 gift card > but I can see where this is useful.
So I digress...
Kind of put my foot in my mouth yesterday when I decried the "usefulness" of the $100 gift card.
I forgot about Pixelmator, Final Cut Pro X etc.
While I've purchased several Macs as a student during the Summer (including my iMac) I never opted for the free iPod offer.
Rethinking this, sure it would be nice to have an extra discount on the computer itself above and beyond the Educational discount AND the $100 gift card > but I can see where this is useful.
So I digress...
It's not ridiculous. Apple's mimicing a cheap-a$$ riverboat casino that gives you a few chips to play with for showing your ID. A $100 Mac Store gift card is like playing with house money.
Poor analogy. In a Casino you only gamble, there are no guarantees. Also, yours and many other's arguments imply that items available in the app store and the iTunes store are of little to no value. (Maybe you prefer to steal intellectual property rather than pay for it, I don't know.) You may not value it, but there is a market where it has value.
Sure it's an Apple software and media shopping spree and you don't get to spend that money anywhere else, but you still end up with something at the end of the day-- whether it's $85 in cash for selling the card, or use it to purchase media / software. You could buy movies / music / books elsewhere, but it'd have to come out of your own pocket instead of Apple's. Unless, as previously suggested, you prefer the five finger discount on those items.
How much was it compared to a system with comparable hardware? The cheap $300 systems are that cheap for a reason.
I like most people wanted the free iPod because it has street value. So I can sell it and offset the markup on Apple's overpriced products.
I like most people wanted the free iPod because it has street value. So I can sell it and offset the markup on Apple's overpriced products.
This. Or I could give it away as a nice gift since I already have an iPhone and an iPod.
LOL. A newbie (msft troll) who thinks he knows more about marketing and long term customer relationships than aapl. Give....me...a...break.
Alright I can understand that, but is that a reason to call them stingy and that they are greedy? I mean I'm not saying you said any of those things but if other people have the same reasons it's kind of like saying:
"I hate apple because they didn't give me an ipod touch to flip for more money."
or
"I hate Apple because they didn't provide me with a gift to giveaway later."
Honestly I can understand disappointment, but between the three back-to-school promotion topics in this forum it seems people are way more than disappointed, it seems like there is more anger and resentment towards apple right now which shouldn't be the case. Really if you think about it people are complaining about getting something free.
It includes everyone who likes music and software enough to exchange money for it. Includes most of the people I know, none of them have trouble using an iTunes gift card when it's given as a gift, because there's always music they'd like to have.
It's about expectations
Honestly, the way *I* feel about this whole situation is like... it's like waiting in a long line at a Chinese restaurant and seeing everyone who gets seated in front of me get complimentary soup and egg rolls, but then when *I* sit down they just give me a bowl of those fried crackers.
The crackers are fine, though not really my thing. And if I want soup I'll go ahead and order some on my own. But having to sit there and watch the people who came in before me enjoy their soup and egg rolls isn't fun.
Honestly, the way *I* feel about this whole situation is like... it's like waiting in a long line at a Chinese restaurant and seeing everyone who gets seated in front of me get complimentary soup and egg rolls, but then when *I* sit down they just give me a bowl of those fried crackers.
The crackers are fine, though not really my thing. And if I want soup I'll go ahead and order some on my own. But having to sit there and watch the people who came in before me enjoy their soup and egg rolls isn't fun.
Apple also charges sales tax on downloads as they have a store in every state, so that $100 is only $92 in stuff (where I'm from).
Though I didn't post it I figured that was also a major gripe and to be honest I somewhat feel the same way. What you just described sounds like disappointment and their is nothing wrong or annoying about that but, my point was people are/were sort of over-reacting and basically throwing tantrums because their free thing wasn't exactly what they wanted or hoped for. Of course when your expectations are not met you are disappointed, but the blatant name calling and anger just seemed really childish and just wrong.
An example of name calling is the article someone just posted calling Steve Jobs an ass and pretty much this whole conversation.(I cant find it for some reason or else i would've have posted it).