Well like I said I am a student and I'm fed up with my PC. it goes haywire and crashes ALL the time! So i'm looking to but a Mac, however, money is tight. So i'm looking to finance. So my questions are, which macbook should i go for? and whats the best way for a student with a limited credit history to purchase without getting screwed over with the interest?? i would appreciate any helpful feedback. thanks in advance!
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Help. Student looking to buy 1st Mac.
- Thread starter ewhaley
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First of all I'm sorry but your computer crashing problems are because of your use, not the Windows OS. If you know how to stay away from shady websites (aka downloading bloatware, spyware and viruses) your PC will stay as crashfree and smooth as the day you bought it.
As for getting a Mac, you can try applying for the Visa offered on the Mac store page (towards the bottom). It offers no interest for 12 months (maybe 18). If you get denied you are probably screwed. You can try applying to something like the Best Buy Credit card and get more or less the same deal (same price, no interest) but you'll probably get declined for that too if you got declined for the other Visa.
I'm only 19 with pretty much no credit (had a secured credit card for a couple of months but Wamu closed it when they merged with Chase). What I did was ask my dad to buy it with his credit card. I put 1/4 the cost upfront and the rest I am paying him every month.
As for getting a Mac, you can try applying for the Visa offered on the Mac store page (towards the bottom). It offers no interest for 12 months (maybe 18). If you get denied you are probably screwed. You can try applying to something like the Best Buy Credit card and get more or less the same deal (same price, no interest) but you'll probably get declined for that too if you got declined for the other Visa.
I'm only 19 with pretty much no credit (had a secured credit card for a couple of months but Wamu closed it when they merged with Chase). What I did was ask my dad to buy it with his credit card. I put 1/4 the cost upfront and the rest I am paying him every month.
Agreed.
At the very least, don't finance it through Apple/Juniper Visa (they'll screw you on the interest), and don't run up your credit card bill (ditto).
While you're saving, consider alternatives such as Apple's refurbished products, the opportunities offered by the Education discount, or used if you can find a legitimate local seller.
Go through your bank or a credit union. They typically have specific computer loans for students which you can get some decent financing for with at least 6 months no interest, if not 9-12. Whatever you end up getting, however, make sure you can pay it off within the time period of no interest, as they always crank up the interest to a ridiculous amount (typically in "compensation" for the no interest period).
After that, try to go to a local college computer store and purchase it. If you're not in college, find a friend or relative or friend's brother's uncle's nephew's sister to go with you (or give them the money to buy it for you if you trust them). Typically, college stores will have better deals than that of Apple's standard educational discount as they are solely an educational store. The next discounts might not be as good since they were phasing out the previous Alum MBP's and wehite/black MB's, while next cycle will have the same design, just updated versions.
Also, if you aren't in a rush, maybe wait a few months for the laptops to be updated. My college purchased numerous end of life Macs the last cycle and had a huge discount on them. Even right now, the new MacBooks are coming with an iPod and a all-in-one printer for free, while Apple isn't currently offering that deal.
Also, if you don't plan on playing new games (games developed for the Mac typically suck, as there's not that much money in it for devs as with Windows) and just need a basic computer for everyday needs, then the white polycarbonate plastic MacBook is perfect. No need to pay an additional $300 for 40GB and the Unibody design in the next MacBook.