Back to School to Start Tomorrow - $100 App Store Gift Card Confirmed

[pgiguere1]

Most of people complaining were going to sell the iPod to get money instead. That's not what Apple wanted, otherwise they would have given a bigger student discount, not free iPods.

Their original goal was to put iPods in the hands of students who were not originally going to buy one. Then they could make an iTunes account to spend on music and apps, which are more profitable to Apple than the iPod themselves anyway.

If everybody just buy the Mac and resell the iPod on craigslist, they sell it to people that likely were going to buy one anyway (so they lose the profit of the hardware sale), plus if these people are cheap enough to get through the trouble of buying someone else's brand new iPod through craigslist to save money, they probably pirate music, too.

Now, instead, this forces you to actually use iTunes or the App Store. I bet most of people that will be getting those gift cards don't have an iTunes account already, so they'll make one, spend the 100$ and learn how the Mac App Store and such work.

After the 100$, they will be more likely to come back to iTunes / Mac App Store since they now already have an account and know how it works.

Apple then fulfills their original goal again: Making you spend on content.

 

[SouthPhillyPT]

Disappointing! I was hoping they would still offer a free iPod Touch. After all, Apple has reported financial earnings and not losses!

 

[gkarris]

Record profits in today's Economy....

Camping out and long lines for their products...

Celebrations at their retail store openings...

Apple needs a rebate program?

 

[acslater017]

I'm disappointed but it does make sense. I mean if you don't have an iPod Touch or iPhone by now then you really don't want one most likely.

However, I don't have either and would much prefer the iPod Touch but I can see why Apple made the switch.

Yes, Apple is no longer simply trying to get people into the iPod ecosystem. If they're just entering college, some may have had an iPod since middle school!

An iPod is hardly the novelty it used to be.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

I'm upgrading when Expose acts like it does in Snow Leopard and Lion gets full TRIM support for SSDs other than crappy apple branded toshibas.

Quick to judge, arent you?

Was just pointing out that you have to use the App Store to upgrade.

 

[crush500]

If you don't like it don't buy it. If people really want to send Apple the message that they don't like it they won't buy it. If sales aren't as strong as they usually are during the Back to School promotion Apple will take notice. Bitching on the message boards does nothing. Go into an Apple store or contact Apple directly and let them know that there Back to School promotion is disappointing and won't get your business.

I for one actually prefer the $100 App Store Gift Card. I never wanted or needed an Ipod. I wasn't planning on taking advantage of the Back to School sale until I heard it was going to be a $100 App Store card. It'll save me money where as the Ipod never was going to save me money. For some it is a better deal. For others who were probably planning on selling the Ipod it isn't. I do feel sorry for the crowd out there who genuinely wanted the Ipod to use. It's a tough break but the Ipod was never promised. Most people just expected it.

Honestly I think Apple made this decision for two reasons. One, they are trying to promote the App Store. Secondly, people were abusing the Ipod deal and simply using it to get a free Ipod and then turn around and sell it. Apple wasn't seeing any of that money. Now this way they can promote the App Store and get their 30% cut for it. Smart business if you ask me.

 

[wikus]

Yet you want an iPod Touch so bad......................

Yes you can sell it, but did Apple add the iPod to the deal so people can sell them, i dont think so. It's a business, and they made a smart business move.

If I had an ipod touch i'd use it (or sell it) and actually be able to take advantage of a gift card.

Either way, I don't need you (like steve jobs) what products or services i need to take advantage of. Another showing of the arrogance of the iCult.

 

[bjett92]

Disappointing! I was hoping they would still offer a free iPod Touch. After all, Apple has reported financial earnings and not losses!

Exactly! People are still going to buy Apple products even without a free iPod Touch. I don't think Steve is too worried that he's driving people away without an iPod giveaway.

 

[wikus]

Was just pointing out that you have to use the App Store to upgrade.

Who said the app store will be the only way to upgrade?

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

Apple crushed my heart

just my luck, 1 year late

 

[aluren]

I can see the complaints since it is alot less than what we got every year in the past. Yes we got $100, but we can sell the iPod touch and get $200. But in the end, if you're spending that much money, a $100 difference shouldn't matter THAT much. Those in the market should feel good that they got an extra $100 in gift card.

Perhaps Apple is taking all the iPod touches and putting in an A5 chip and that'll be the next iPod update, hence not offering that to us to clear inventory.

 

[KylePowers]

I'll admit, I've been waiting for this deal forever. I was looking forward to the iPod Touch, so that I could sell it... But it's okay. I already have an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2... And I already bought my girlfriend an iPod Touch awhile ago. And my mom already has an iPhone 4... And my dad an Android phone. So really, yeah, I was just going to sell it.

I think at this point, I would have preferred maybe a free Apple TV or a choice from an assortment of Mac/iPhone/iPad accessories.

Honest question: This will be my first Mac, so what apps would you guys recommend? I can already get a lot of software for dirt cheap from my university, so anything Mac Store only? Thanks!

27in base iMac with education discount from a tax-less state, here I come n_n

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Who said the app store will be the only way to upgrade?

Apple.

 

[LastLine]

I don't understand all this anger as Apple doesn't have to provide buyers with any bonus or incentive.

Agreed - whilst the general consumer might go 'ooooh shiny iPod' the (sensible) student goes "Damn, that's $100 I don't need to spend on books/software as I already have an iPod/MP3/iPhone/Zune/Whatever"


Honestly - I'd take the gift card personally.

At the end of the day, it's an incentive, it's a gift, it's not a right, it's a privilege.

 

[bruinsrme]

It's funny that Microsoft has to actually give an XBox to promote their OS. As an aside, isn't a game console the last thing a student should be concered about? An entire campus of XBoxes? Not to mention that a game is $60+ dollars. So, if money is tight then getting a console is probably not the best deciding factor for getting a cheap (well, at least $699), low rent, power guzzling notebook with no real software to be used.

Just another opinion, as is with any forum.

And yes, I am a bit of a fanboy (within reason).

I know what you mean. Sure with the xbox you can opt to play games and have a social gathering, act as a media server, watch movies, Netflix and so on.
A $100 gift card is far more academically responsible.
Hp laptop, xbox and an iPad2 ( or $500 of software at acedmic prices )for the same price as an mbp.

 

[bjett92]

Who said the app store will be the only way to upgrade?

Steve Jobs.

 

[Variant]

If they wanted more people using Apple's digital stores, they should have given away Apple TVs. Would have been a MUCH better idea. I really have no use for $100 in Apple DL.

 

[LadyCiel]

I desperately need a new laptop and came to the decision BEFORE knowing anything about student back to school sale that I wanted a MBP. Great. Then a friend says "hey, um, the free ipod deal is probably starting soon if you can wait." Then it's like Christmas is coming, and the ipod was the stocking stuffer that made the rest of Christmas awesome (i.e. an accessory that unleashes the power of something else). THEN the keynote played out, and MBP + touch + free icloud had me drooling because, as a system, it could do so much a PC can't.

Enter: disappointment. Do I realize apple doesn't HAVE to give us anything? Of course. Do I feel entitled? No. Is it a normal human emotion to feel disappointment after months/weeks of dreaming/excitement based on a pattern of promotions with no evidence to suggest an upcoming change? YES.

Also, my school's app prices for iWork, office, etc all beat every other price I've found, so from a money standpoint there's little motivation to get them through the app store. The $100 will let me get music and apps I might have otherwise skipped out on, so that's nice and appreciated, but it will be quite a while before I can justify to myself the money required to buy an ipod touch and really take advantage of everything Lion and iOS5, when they come out, could offer me.

 

[C0LUMBIA]

Yessss! Finally I can get my shiny new MacBook Pro! I don't care what it is, as long as it's freeeeee! wooooo. Free software! hehe

Goodbye Microsoft!

 

[STOCK411]

Who said the app store will be the only way to upgrade?

umm it is

 

[VPrime]

Was hoping for a discounted iPad2.. Oh well, I will just use this $100 for some apps and books.

 

[iAAPL]

If they aren't going to give us what is essentially a $200 discount (if you play your cards right), they should at least give us a $200 iTunes Card instead. They will take at least $60 right off the top. Most people will probably buy iWork, which is $60, which would guarantee Apple at least $106 out of that $200.

 

[gmans46]

is there games like cod 4 on the mac app store?

 

[spacepower7]

Is it a rebate, or do I walk out with the gift card?

Also, if I buy and iMac now and a MBA in August, can I get two gift cards? I know you could not for the iPod promos.

 

[smartalic34]

Well, better late than never, and better $100 gift card than nothing, I guess...

I was really hoping for a free iPod Touch (working with an iPod Mini here!) but oh well... at least I'll have a brand new 13" MBP!