Black Friday 2008: $300 MacBook Pro Discounts, iPhone App Sales

[arepadetrigo]

Apple is a greedy company

I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed with Apple's Black Friday Sale. Neither the scope nor the depth of it. They don't even offer a discount on the MacPro! And $101 off the MacBook. Not impressive. It is more and more obvious to me that Apple just doesn't get it. Other secondary vendors can sell for less that Apple? this just shows that Apple is gouging for all they can get.

I have no doubt most of their customer base is unfazed by Apple's attitude. I will probably get skewered by a few fanboys for my opinion. I haven't been too complimentary of Apple lately, but they just seem to be very non-customer friendly these days. Their computers have been overpriced for more than three years now and they seem absolutely unwilling to lower their prices.

Apple should be offering their 15" MacBook Pro for $1700 or less during this sale. But they don't even cut the price one cent. They have a monopoly right now because of their great OS. Their machines are also top-notch. But other vendors can make similar quality machines (I am not saying Apple's equal though) for much much less. This will be over one day for Apple. It's a shame to me that Apple refuses to budge one bit just because they don't have to. There is more to good business than simply charging the highest price you can force people to pay. There is also a matter of goodwill among your customers. Apple has a lot of very loyal customers because they make the best computers available. But these customers are limited in number.

I am just disappointed that Apple seems so unappreciative of their customers. Go ahead and rake me over the coals fanboys.

 

[Pokerface]

It's an insult and a joke!

The UK discounts are a real laugh. I'm actually insulted by this. Apple's big "one day sale" and they offer a pittance off.

I just ordered £7,000 worth of new equipment and software - from a different supplier (rather than directly from Apple) - and even they managed to give me £550 off the retail price! And the discounts were on top of the range stuff (MacBook Pro, 3.06GHz iMac, LED display, etc - not just the low end stuff.

 

[MatLane]

The UK discounts are a real laugh. I'm actually insulted by this. Apple's big "one day sale" and they offer a pittance off.

I just ordered £7,000 worth of new equipment and software - from a different supplier (rather than directly from Apple) - and even they managed to give me £550 off the retail price! And the discounts were on top of the range stuff (MacBook Pro, 3.06GHz iMac, LED display, etc - not just the low end stuff.

Im in England in the UK

Do you know where they are giving discounts on macbook pro?

 

[Uffffda]

Apple Store will price match MacConnection's price for MBP, right?

 

[vermonter16]

The federal government discount in the U.S. is also allowing me to include the sale. It's still not fabulous but here is some of the pricing for those Federal Government workers:

Ipod classics - $213.00
Ipod Nanos - $129.00
Ipod Touch - $194.00
Imacs w/20" screen - $1076
Imacs w/24" screen - $1590
Macbooks - $939
Macbook Airs - $1691
Macbook Pros - $1839.00

I guess I'll be order my imac today because that's the best pricing I've seen for it....and a nano for my husband...and a classic for me...

Hey - does anyone know if I can go to the store to get the Fed Gov. discount or do I have to buy it online... If I could do it in the store I would buy the upgraded 24" Imac so I could walk out with it.... Thinking about upgrading to the larger hard drive, video card.... What would you guys do - I'm buying it this morning even if I have to do it online!!!

 

[joeyroo]

EPP Discounts

The 101 is off the EPP pricing for me. I work for a company that gets a discount from apple, and the macbook aluminum is normally 1221 for us, and its now 1120. I am hoping as a previous person said that I can get the price in store, and not just the web.

 

[Pokerface]

Im in England in the UK

Do you know where they are giving discounts on macbook pro?

Try jigsaw24.com - not massive discounts, but still cheaper than Apple directly. Depends on the make/model.

 

[Jim Campbell]

I couldn’t agree more! Some of these discounts barely amount to the UK 2.5%vat reduction.
I know apple “don’t do cheap”, but you would think they would use this opportunity to make their product line available to a broader market. AFAIK this is the only sale apple have and only goes to show how ignorant they are to the current economic state.

Or, if you look at it another way: the price of that £799 iMac is going to come down by £17 on Monday anyway with the VAT reduction, so you're actually only saving £14 by buying it now - a discount of 1.8% on the price you'll pay on Monday regardless!

Cheers

Jim

 

[Jim Campbell]

Try jigsaw24.com - not massive discounts, but still cheaper than Apple directly. Depends on the make/model.

Unfortunately, I can't buy from them on principle! I've tried to order from them before and they always want to charge me carriage. Trouble is, their premises are about five minutes walk from my house, and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay £15+ for a courier to bring my goods 150 yards round the corner ...!

Cheers

Jim

 

[KindredMAC]

This has to be the worst one yet.

Why is iLife or iWork not on sale???? The replacements are coming out at MWSF09 most likely.

Seems to be things that people wouldn't ask for or need per say.

For me I'll just move along to the next vendor and hope for next year...... again.....

 

[firegun9]

I am in NC, and I am charged tax by MacMall.
Interestingly, they charge more tax than MacConnection and Apple Store.
For the high end Macbook, it's $148 instead of $101.

 

[remmy]

Seems a bit pointless really the sale in the UK. £5 off a ipod nano isn't going to make you rush out and say I must have one.

 

[vermonter16]

So I just called one Apple store that opened at 8am and they said that I could not "double dip" with the sale - that it was either the Federal Employee discount or the sale... I told him that I could "double dip" online and he said that I would have to order it online then... that sucks! Has anybody else called an Apple store yet and heard anything different...I know it's early but post if you have! Thanks.

 

[jemonat]

Apple web site sales tax?

Hi,

Does anyone know what Apple's online store actually charges for sales tax? Does it charge sales tax for the state you live in? I'm at the checkout stage for a $1120 13" 2.0GHz MacBook (Federal Employee + Black Friday discount) and it says:

Estimated tax: $56
NOTE: The sales tax listed on the checkout page is only an estimate. The final total sales tax will be reflected on your invoice and will include state and local sales taxes, as well as any applicable rebates or fees.

Thanks!

 

[mccldwll]

Apple should be offering their 15" MacBook Pro for $1700 or less during this sale. But they don't even cut the price one cent. ....... It's a shame to me that Apple refuses to budge one bit just because they don't have to. There is more to good business than simply charging the highest price you can force people to pay. There is also a matter of goodwill among your customers. Apple has a lot of very loyal customers because they make the best computers available. But these customers are limited in number.

I am just disappointed that Apple seems so unappreciative of their customers. Go ahead and rake me over the coals fanboys.

Okay. Since you asked. It's amazing that aapl has been able to stay in business this long and actually do fairly well without your (and others here) guidance. But I do hope such myopia isn't too contagious. Aapl charges what the product is worth, and the market validates that. As far as being "unappreciative of their [sic] customers", it shows far less appreciation for customers (and dumb business planning) to have a big sale. That doesn't reward customers, it burns customers who buy year round.

 

[SWLinPHX]

I am in NC, and I am charged tax by MacMall.
Interestingly, they charge more tax than MacConnection and Apple Store.
For the high end Macbook, it's $148 instead of $101.

If a company does physical business in your state, they are supposed to charge the sales tax for the city you're in I believe. But that big a difference (or a difference on the same order elsewhere) is a mistake. Do the math with your sales tax rate and decide what it should be. You should be able to at least ask any sales rep about.

I never pay sales tax (or buy at retail stores) on big ticket items if I can get them for the same price or less online, without tax. 8.3% off my $3000+ order is nothing to sneeze at!

 

[JoeDRC]

The UK discounts are a real laugh. I'm actually insulted by this. Apple's big "one day sale" and they offer a pittance off.

I just ordered £7,000 worth of new equipment and software - from a different supplier (rather than directly from Apple) - and even they managed to give me £550 off the retail price! And the discounts were on top of the range stuff (MacBook Pro, 3.06GHz iMac, LED display, etc - not just the low end stuff.

+1
£5 off an iPod Nano, absolutely shocking

Curry's Digital are selling the 8GB Model for £94

The Airport Extreme Base station isn't even in the sale!
Apple have really dropped the ball with their "big" sale

 

[minik]

No MobileMe discount? That's strange.

I am eligable to get education discout and planned to get the 2.53Ghz MBP, but it's in a weird situation for me. MacConnection is taxfree in WA, but mail-in rebate just doesn't work for me.

In less than 2 months, we have MacWorld S.F.

 

[Jim Campbell]

Okay. Since you asked. It's amazing that aapl has been able to stay in business this long and actually do fairly well without your (and others here) guidance. But I do hope such myopia isn't too contagious. Aapl charges what the product is worth, and the market validates that. As far as being "unappreciative of their [sic] customers", it shows far less appreciation for customers (and dumb business planning) to have a big sale. That doesn't reward customers, it burns customers who buy year round.

I think you'll find that the sentiment being expressed is broadly one that we would rather Apple didn't even pretend to have a sale, rather than sending us all e-mails announcing a "one day only" sale that turns out to amount to an effective 1.8% discount on a 20" iMac.

That's certainly how I feel, anyway ...

Cheers

Jim

 

[nyctravis]

lol, these discounts are almost rude.

 

[devjohnson]

haha. typo on the ipod touch one. they put 8gb instead of 32 gb!!!!! hehehehehehe!

 

[iCube]

$378 8GB iPod touch???

$378 is a great deal for a normally $220 8GB iPod touch!!!!

 

[CalmEnvy]

I'm going to see if my Mom can go to the Apple Store to pick a MacBook up for me and I just pay her back. She lives pretty close to Yorkdale now and it's $101 in Canada to so a pretty damn good deal.

 

[50548]

Just bought 3 software programs on the Apple Store Suisse, 2 of them with reasonably good reductions (15 off CoD 4 and 15 off MacGenealogyTree)...there were also reductions on most Macs, but since I am happy with my iMac I have little else to buy (apart from an external HD for backup purposes)..!

 

[roland.g]

For those upset that Apple isn't giving more significant discounts, realize that Apple has probably done more than enough research to see that historically having some discounts is enough for them to get increased business on a traditionally busy shopping day and that they don't have to compete with the 3rd party retailers and etailers in order to maintain that level of foot traffic in their stores.