Least expensive place to get rMBP?

[Evmanw]

Hi, I am looking to buy a rMBP in the next week or two and I am trying to find the least expensive way of getting it. These are the specs that I want:

13.3 inch screen
3.1GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7
16GB RAM
1TB Flash Storage
Apple Care

Apple has this (including tax) for $3124.88
Apple eduction (including tax) is $2842.92
B&H (they have no tax) is $2849.98

It does not appear that MacMall, BestBuy or Amazon has this computer at all which surprised me. Is there anything that I am missing here? Also, how can B&H have such competitive prices even besides the tax (Apple Care is only $180!)?

Does anybody know of any other discounts for B&H or another store that might be cheeper?

Thanks,
Evan

 

[CaptainChunk]

There's no such thing as a truly smoking deal on brand new, current model Macs in general because Apple strictly enforces pricing structure and besides, the retailer margins are not high as you may think.

Apple's price before tax is $2,948 for the things you want. One thing to consider is that resellers often sell AppleCare for significantly cheaper than Apple does. For example, B&H sells the same AppleCare plan for $174 (I think), whereas Apple wants $249 for it.

VARs (value-added retailers) like B&H and Adorama are usually gonna be the only ones that sell the "custom" Mac configurations outside of Apple. Big box stores like Best Buy generally only buy the base models. With that said, I bought my last two Macs from B&H because they're an awesome dealer with great service and prompt shipping. And since I don't live in NY, I never have to pay sales tax. Tax is a pretty significant chunk of change when you're spending thousands of dollars...

Oh, and to answer your final question, B&H deals in a TON of volume on Macs (I'd say they're probably Apple's largest VAR in terms of volume), so they can afford to be a little bit cheaper. They also often add in freebies like Parallels and LoJack with new computers.

 

[CaptainChunk]

I'll also add that $3k is a very large chunk of change to spend on a 13". Are you sure you really need the maxed out specs? For example:

1. On the CPUs, there's only a 3-5% performance differential between the three options.

2. Most users don't need 16GB of RAM.

3. The storage part is really debatable. For me, I supplement my 256GB SSD with a small external drive and keep my system relatively lean otherwise.

I spent $1,689 (before AppleCare) on my 2015 config: 2.7/16/256. Personally, I don't think spending over $1,000 more makes financial sense, unless you have very specific reasons for the upgraded specs. But hey, it's your money.

 

[sundog925]

There's no such thing as a truly smoking deal on brand new, current model Macs in general because Apple strictly enforces pricing...

I wouldn't say its strictly enforced.
When i bought my rMBP last month, it seemed on the sales guy iPhone he could of put in any price he wanted, and there was a slot that said "reason". So they can actually give you a deal if they wanted to.

I walked out with the base 2015 edition 13 in rMBP for $1111 plus tax. and he even almost gave it to me for a LOWER price but he saw his mistake when he did the math again.
Thats after corporate and education discount.

 

[z31fanatic]

$3000 for a maxed out 13 is the biggest ripoff in computer history.
I think you need to rethink your decision. $3000 is an obscene amount of money for what you get with the 13.

 

[flur]

Hi, I am looking to buy a rMBP in the next week or two and I am trying to find the least expensive way of getting it. These are the specs that I want:

13.3 inch screen
3.1GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7
16GB RAM
1TB Flash Storage
Apple Care

Apple has this (including tax) for $3124.88
Apple eduction (including tax) is $2842.92
B&H (they have no tax) is $2849.98

It does not appear that MacMall, BestBuy or Amazon has this computer at all which surprised me. Is there anything that I am missing here? Also, how can B&H have such competitive prices even besides the tax (Apple Care is only $180!)?

Does anybody know of any other discounts for B&H or another store that might be cheeper?

Thanks,
Evan

B&H will be the cheapest because of tax. Be aware that their return policy is that they only accept unopened or defective returns on computers. So if you change your mind before you open the box, you can return, or if you get a defective machine, you can return. If you open the box and then decide it's not for you, you cannot return.

That said, I bought mine from them (same specs, except 512gb) and couldn't be happier.

You can get the same Apple Care pricing from Amazon, btw.