Do apple retail stores have the previous gen mbp's still? The online store has the clearance section and with student discount I can get it for under $1400. I couldn't find any info on this searching. Thanks Craig
Retail & Web Clearance Sorry. Most stores, including my local store, say that they have sold out. Hope you have better luck with your store. Also, do you know of the website that you found the clearance on? If so, please let me know. Thanks ~ Douglas
I would imagine that when new models come out any remaining old models are sent back to the distribution centers so they can be sold to people who buy them on the online Apple store. If you're interested in getting one I think your best bet would be to buy one online.
He is talking about Apple's clearance and refurb store: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals
It must be really heartbreaking for those who spent over $2k after tax on a MBP only to see it fall $650 / 32.5% ($1350 for the refurb) in less than 6 months.
Well I'm a new Mac user and I just bought the latest MBP but if it falls that much in price in 6 months I wouldn't worry about it. When you buy a computer you worry about the value you are getting at the time of purchase. If you were factoring in resale value then yeah it may be heart breaking, but I plan on keeping this notebook for quite a few years.
I have a sneaking feeling that when they're all gone (MBP classics) you might see their resale value start to climb. Besides, I bought mine 8 months ago for $1449, so I'm happy. And, it's perfect, unlike so many of the new late08 ones I read about here. You couldn't pry it out of my hands for $1350, because I'd only have to replace it. The new ones (MBPs) remind me of the Ford Mustang II series (yikes) and it's no wonder the current Mustangs take their design cues from the classic ones ('67-68,) and not those short-term early-70s abominations. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple does the same thing in a few interations, and returns to the MBP classic design ideas, just more updated.
You might try Best Buy. I just picked up a brand new MacBook (2.4/2/160) for my daughter for $996 at my local store (Apple still wants $999 for this config in a refurb). The price dropped from $1049 midweek to under a grand by yesterday. They still have MacBook Pros as well and they're offering 18 months no interest financing on any purchase over $499.
I forgot about Best Buy! You're right, the last time Apple upgraded their line Best Buy clearanced out theirs at great prices with a good finance deal. I am going to have to go and check out Best Buy now.
If it is "truly heartbreaking" then these are the very people who should not be buying a computer ever. The price drop is what we call advances in technology. Your computer is obsolete the second you buy it. What I have noticed is that even though Apple updates their product lines and drops the prices of previous gen models, my machines last me a hell of a lot longer than any windows box has. I did a comparison two years after buying my first PowerBook. I took all of the receipts over the course of two years for one of the three windows machines I owned that was as comparable to the PowerBook as it could be (speed/performance) and found out that in two years I could have purchased a PowerBook and an iMac (entry level) for what I paid for the windows machine and the upgrades. What I was unable to put a dollar amount on was the amount of time I would spend reformatting my hard drive often just to ensure it was running smooth. If it wasn't that then I was reformatting after a windows update hit and it botched something else in my system.