I'm getting tired of my unibody Macbook, and I want to sell it to fund a baseline Macbook Pro. I'm a graphic designer and a newborn PC/Mac gamer and the Macbook isn't just enough for me, the screen is a tad too small for me, the quality is terrible for the work I'm doing on it and the 9400m is too weak for my taste.
To lower the upgrade fees, I was thinking about getting into an ACD membership to get a rebate on hardware. I've got a few question, as the informations I've read on the website and the forum did not anwered everything for me:
-. I'm a student and I've already used my student rebate on my Macbook this year (october 2008). Am I eligible to the free or the student rebate?
You are getting tired of it? How long have you had it? Five months? If I had a MB I would never sell it, I'd just buy another machine. MB's should last you 10 years!
Now was your purchase made at a school, with a student discount, or was it made as an ADC Student Discount? If you have not used your one-time ADC student discount, you can save some money going this route.
In any event, ADC Student Rebates are one time only. That is the only single time you get a deal on a Mac. All ADC higher memberships do, is give you some software with the purchase. Because the fees and taxes balancing out discounts. The cool thing is you get pre-release copies of Operating System software like Snow Leopard.
After you use your student rebate, you have to upgrade to a higher membership, Select membership for example will cost $529 (6% tax included) to get a discount on one machine. I have one of these. I am happy with it. I don't think I saved anything. If I did it was about $20.
This amount is an annual fee. Sign up again next year and you get another purchase. It is a break even situation if you are not a developer. Bigger companies can pay $3500 for Premier Membership and discounts on 10 machines. It all breaks even after you add up the fees, except for developers who need Apple support and software.
-. How much is the rebate on the free membership? 20%?
There is no rebate on the free membership. You are not allowed to make a purchases in the ADC store with the free membership.
For Memberships that allow purchases the rebate is the same for everything except Academic software. It is around 20% on higher end machines, less on less expensive machines. It is really only worth using purchse discounts only on higher end machines, otherwise it will probably cost you more with Select Membership than purchasing it directly without the cost of ADC membership.
-. Do you get a greater rebate on the paid (99$) memberships?
The rebate is the same for all classes of ADC membership, Student through Premier. There is no rebate on free memberships. The low cost of the $99 ADC Student membership is what makes that one so attractive. If a $500 Select membership is a break even, then $99 membership will save you $400 right? But you have to meet certain requirements, and it is a once in a lifetime purchase discount.
If you are eligible for the Student Membership--that will save you about $400 on a high end MBP. Select Memberships store purchases cost the same as a regular store purchase--you just get access to some cool stuff (software).
-. Do I have to come out with something, like an apps or anything after one year to keep my membership? Or is it really free and Apple don't ask anything after the year?
No, but if you think you will save money going this route, you are wrong--unless you get the ADC student membership. You can sign up online--no one will question why you want it. Remember machines in the discount store will cost about what you pay in membership fee plus the purchase cost of a machine at an internet store like MacMall which does not charge tax. There are some other requirements to be a student member. I think you have to be studying software engineering or computer science--better check that out.
The cost for Select Membership, plus the tax on the item equals almost exactly, within $20 or so, what you pay with the discount. The only deal out there is the one time student membership which will save you about $400 on a high end MBP.
-. Do I have to be the owner of the credit card to get the rebate? I'm still minor, so I would have to ask to my parents to order.
So you are unhappy with your MacBook but can't live without it? What are you--13?
No. They will ask you for the name of your company when you purchase membership online. Don't pick a name like IBM.
-. how much lower are the upgrades? I've read some upgrade like ram were cheaper. I'm interested in upgrading the MBP to 4GB.
I don't remember. It is not 20% for everything, but close enough to it that I will say it is 20%.
Now if you have a student membership, you can also purchase student software at a discount. In this case the prices are very cheap. $49 each for FCP Express, Aperture, and Logic Pro. I assume these are non-upgradable editions, but still that is very cheap for these products. Personally, I would want the full versions, with all the updates and upgradability.
The bottom line is typical ADC software prices are in the neighborhood of $170 for $200 package. Add in some tax and it works out to about 20% off. Student Edition prices are very cheap--about 75% off full price standard editions.
Memory is still cheaper elsewhere. Apple MBP memory even with the ADC discount cost was $960 (cheap compared to Apples normal $1200) for 8GB, but expensive compared with OWC at $720, and don't forget you can sell the old memory for around $75. So you can save at least $300 buying memory at OWC if you sell your take-out 4GB RAM on eBay.
One thing is clear. If you pay for a Select Membership, you better buy a top end machine, either a loaded MBP or Mac Pro. If you don't it will cost you more than elsewhere with all the fees. Most of the ADC purchases are one or the other with a small percentage going to loaded iMacs. I think it would cost more for an iMac with ADC Select membership than buying an iMac some place that doesn't charge tax.
-. Does it really take 4-6 weeks to ship? I don't know if I can live without my Macbook for a that long time during school-
