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Looking to purchase a rMBP

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bigjoe87865

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2015
14
0
Hello, This is my first apple product I am buying and am really liking the retina macbook pro. That being said, I want the best price possible since i have never spent this much on a computer. I am a deal shopper but I cannot really wait for sales, I need the computer within 1 week.

So far the best options I see for the latest rMBP 13.3 2.6ghz 8gb 128gb are :

Apple store refurb for $1165 shipped
NEW from macmall and adorama for $1184 shipped.
New from B&H photo for $1219.00 shipped with free $20 app that I wont need.


I don't plan on buying apple care, but instead will use my credit card that offers 1 year extra warranty on it.

I am not sure about what education discounts are available and how strict the verification process is, I am not a student anymore but my brother is so I can use his ID.
what do you guys suggest out of these? If you have other suggestions, I am open too.


Thanks in advance.
bigjoe87865 is offline
 
As far as the Edu discount is concerned, it usually works out about the same as a refurbished unit. Where edu is helpful is for CTO machines to help bring down the cost of expensive upgrades. Outside of :apple:, I've had good Mac buying experiences with both Macmall and B&H. Also bought a few apple bits and bobs from Abt.com, they also stock macs. Check out Appleinsider's buying guide for the most up-to-date pricing information. Here's a link for your convenience
 
Not all credit cards warranties cover refurbished, so make sure before going that route.

128gb isn't very much. If you go with the refurb I would get the late 2013 with 256gb. They are the same as the 2014 but the processor is slightly slower. Chances are you would never notice the difference in real world use.
 
Apple charges sales tax in every state, so the cheapest would likely be to buy from whichever vendor doesn't charge tax for you.
 
I'd opt for either Macmall or Adorama offering since its the cheapest options.
 
Thanks guys, all those prices are with taxes and shipping.

I was going to go with one of the sites selling new, but kept reading horror stories about buying from a non apple or big box store. Stuff about receiving a defected laptop and it being a big hassle with restocking fees to return or exchange.

Thats why I considered refurb directly from apple for the same price

and for the 256gb I really dont want to spend the extra. the base rMBP is already more than I wanted to spend on a computer.
 
Last edited:
You can get one from Best Buy for right around $1200 this week with a 10% off movers coupon from the post office. Best Buy and Apple are the only places I know of that allow returns.
 
radioking said:
You can get one from Best Buy for right around $1200 this week with a 10% off movers coupon from the post office. Best Buy and Apple are the only places I know of that allow returns.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. With 10% off, I got $1240 out the door. Any education coupon I can add with that?

I was going to buy from BH photo for $1199 new ($20 price drop from when I made the OP)

I think I am going to hold till March9th to see if there is anything new in the pipeline. Maybe that new rMBA might be better than the current rMBP
 
bigjoe87865 said:
Thanks for the suggestion. With 10% off, I got $1240 out the door. Any education coupon I can add with that?

I was going to buy from BH photo for $1199 new ($20 price drop from when I made the OP)

I think I am going to hold till March9th to see if there is anything new in the pipeline. Maybe that new rMBA might be better than the current rMBP
Click to expand...

You can get a $50 student coupon from the website, but getting a BB employee to stack both coupons is a crapshoot.
 
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