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PowerBook Trade-in Program?
- Thread starter MacRumors
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I applied for the promotion yesterday. Apple technicians are handling the arrangements.
They will ask for the unit serial number to see if it qualify for promotion. Also, they will want your credit number. I received a shipping container the next day.
I'm going to wait as long as possible before I'll send my unit back (G4 40G HD 1G ram 400 MHZ) to see if there are other good deals.
I asked why Apple's technicians are handling all the details versus the sales people; they told me that they needed the parts since the parts are longer being produced.
$700 sounds pretty good to me.
They will ask for the unit serial number to see if it qualify for promotion. Also, they will want your credit number. I received a shipping container the next day.
I'm going to wait as long as possible before I'll send my unit back (G4 40G HD 1G ram 400 MHZ) to see if there are other good deals.
I asked why Apple's technicians are handling all the details versus the sales people; they told me that they needed the parts since the parts are longer being produced.
$700 sounds pretty good to me.
Re: Not a deal
Not just 3%. Ebay tacks on alot for folks that sell anything over a grand. Say if you sell one for $1,500 and you had a reserve price and extra pictures and such.
By the time you get your money $100 bucks will be missing from it. Not just 3%.
And if they made it a gallery product or any other feature they could have lost another $50-100 bucks on top that.
Knowing how bad PB's dent or scratch I doubt I would ever buy one used.
Not just 3%. Ebay tacks on alot for folks that sell anything over a grand. Say if you sell one for $1,500 and you had a reserve price and extra pictures and such.
By the time you get your money $100 bucks will be missing from it. Not just 3%.
And if they made it a gallery product or any other feature they could have lost another $50-100 bucks on top that.
Knowing how bad PB's dent or scratch I doubt I would ever buy one used.
I have the same issue but found out it is due to some discs being slightly warped which causes it to vibrate as it spins up.
This has also happen with DVD's as well.
idkew
macrumors 68020
Re: Re: Not a deal
i sell stuff on eBay quite a lot, and never has a single auction cost CLOSE to $100.
Fees for a $1,000 end price:
$3.30 for a $770 start price (to make sure it is worth your time, after all, Apple will give you $700)
Picture Pack for $1.00 (Or free if you serve your own. As 99% of people can do if they want to free from their ISP)
Final Value fee of $29.12 to eBay.
Bold and Gallery for $1.25.
$29.30 for PayPal. (Or FREE with a Money Order)
Grand Total:
$63.97 to sell- Reduced to Only $32.42 if you host your own pictures and use a money order.
So, in conclusion, yes it is a bit of cash to sell your laptop, but you will gross MUCH more if you sell it on your own.
i sell stuff on eBay quite a lot, and never has a single auction cost CLOSE to $100.
Fees for a $1,000 end price:
$3.30 for a $770 start price (to make sure it is worth your time, after all, Apple will give you $700)
Picture Pack for $1.00 (Or free if you serve your own. As 99% of people can do if they want to free from their ISP)
Final Value fee of $29.12 to eBay.
Bold and Gallery for $1.25.
$29.30 for PayPal. (Or FREE with a Money Order)
Grand Total:
$63.97 to sell- Reduced to Only $32.42 if you host your own pictures and use a money order.
So, in conclusion, yes it is a bit of cash to sell your laptop, but you will gross MUCH more if you sell it on your own.
Rocketman
macrumors 603
I wonder if this is related to the iBook G4 motherboard problems. Maybe this is a way to get MB's for replacements of bad iBooks cheaper or more customer friendly than any other option they have.
I gave an iBook G4 as a gift for Christmas (purchase linked through macrumors to MacMall). Not aware of the issue till post pourchase research. I am a bit scared that the many reports (on other sites but not this one:-( ) are going to possibly affect my gift. Apple seems to be only suggesting a warranty and not any sort of actual solution and some who have had motherboards replaced already have had 2-3!!
I would welcome a PBG4 MB as a sidegrade to a defective iBook G4 MB. It would be somewhat uncharacteristic of Apple to care that much but it would be sweet indeed.
Rocketman
Grimace
macrumors 68040
maybe they just want people to buy new laptops too. Old parts can be used or sold, getting as much of the newest and best out there in the world does a lot of free advertising for apple.
If you are on a plane and have an old school G4 laptop, those around you might notice. If you had a new 15" or 17" - people will DEFINITELY notice. I bought my 17" because a friend of mine had a new 15" - seeing an older model might not have been enough.
If you are on a plane and have an old school G4 laptop, those around you might notice. If you had a new 15" or 17" - people will DEFINITELY notice. I bought my 17" because a friend of mine had a new 15" - seeing an older model might not have been enough.
Photorun
macrumors 65816
I have to agree with the poster upthread, it's probabably a deal to clear out some of the inventory. I'm friends with an ex-Apple employee who says Powerbooks sales aren't quite what Apple had hoped for... then again, the processors in them aren't exactly what most people had hoped for either.
CD Noise
Word of advice: Stop using you CDs as drink coasters or frisbees. 😉
Also, no way I'm giving up my 1GHz TiBook until the latest and greatest is something COMPLETELY out of this world. I really don't know why the TiBooks have such a bad rep...I love mine to death and to be honest, like the form factor (thinner and lighter) better than the current 15" AlBooks. My .02 cents.
I get this sometimes as well, all it means is that your CD is slightly warped and is not properly balanced. These iddy-biddy SuperDrives are VERY sensitive to even the slightest bend in the disk. I'd say that 90% of my CDs play with an almost silent hum... and there are those few that are LOUD and makes me so glad that my rips finished so that I'll never put it in there again! I noticed that it's always the same discs that have that problem, so i just avoid using those ones unless I have to.
Word of advice: Stop using you CDs as drink coasters or frisbees. 😉
Also, no way I'm giving up my 1GHz TiBook until the latest and greatest is something COMPLETELY out of this world. I really don't know why the TiBooks have such a bad rep...I love mine to death and to be honest, like the form factor (thinner and lighter) better than the current 15" AlBooks. My .02 cents.
~Shard~
macrumors P6
I have to agree with a couple of the previous posters - this sounds like more of a marketing tactic than something to benefit the consumer. Well, it still does benefit the consumer, but that's not the main reason for doing it. I'm guessing PowerBook sales are sluggish, so they want to get more of them out there and help clear out their inventory. Which leads me into my second assumption - if they are wanting to help clear out existing PowerBook inventory, why would this be? The answer is to make room for the new PowerBooks. Find out when this offer expires and you will find a date which will be very close to the launch of new PowerBooks. 😎
elgruga
macrumors 6502
???????
What kind of a marketing tactic? I dont get it.
And what the hell will Apple do with a bunch of 1 - 2 year old powerbooks?
My 667 DVI Gigabit has a gig of ram, a 60 gig HD and 2 years of extended warranty still to go.
I'd be looking for about $1800 + CAD which is about $1350 USD.
I shall wait for the second or third iteration of the G5 Powerbook before I sell.
The 12 inch PB is a bit slower than my machine anyway.........(lousy cache etc.) and the 17 - no, I already have a giant tea-tray thanks.
Once a powerbook reaches a certain point in used value, it drops much more slowly, only dropping quicker if a very innovative machine is announced. The current crop arent that different from the one I have.
What kind of a marketing tactic? I dont get it.
And what the hell will Apple do with a bunch of 1 - 2 year old powerbooks?
My 667 DVI Gigabit has a gig of ram, a 60 gig HD and 2 years of extended warranty still to go.
I'd be looking for about $1800 + CAD which is about $1350 USD.
I shall wait for the second or third iteration of the G5 Powerbook before I sell.
The 12 inch PB is a bit slower than my machine anyway.........(lousy cache etc.) and the 17 - no, I already have a giant tea-tray thanks.
Once a powerbook reaches a certain point in used value, it drops much more slowly, only dropping quicker if a very innovative machine is announced. The current crop arent that different from the one I have.
Thats why you include "Buyer to pay for all shipping and paypal charges" Also paypal is free as long as you dont use a credit card to pay 🙂
dongmin
macrumors 68000
Marketing tactic?
I don't understand how you call something like this a marketing tactic when they don't advertise or announce it at all. If Apple was concerned about moving inventory, wouldn't Apple be better served just offering a $300-500 rebate?
Clearly they WANT something out of these old PBs. But what? I can't figure out for the life of me why these old, beat-up PBs are worth $700 to Apple.
You can tell if it's a gigabit-capable tibook by opening a Terminal and running the folowing command:
ifconfig en0
If "1000baseTX" is mentioned anywhere under "supported media," congratulations, your tibook has gigabit ethernet.
/ek
pimentoLoaf
macrumors 68010
I hope that Apple extends this sort of service for those of us wanting a $700 trade-in program on our still-functioning 20-year-old Apple //e's.
my TiBook
i have a G4 TiBook, 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 60 GB HD with an extra battery... it's a year old and in very good condition... i know i can get more than $700 for it... what do you think i could get for it?
i have a G4 TiBook, 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 60 GB HD with an extra battery... it's a year old and in very good condition... i know i can get more than $700 for it... what do you think i could get for it?
Apple trade ins
NOTHING BUT GREAT NEWS!
This new SMART approach for Apple will give the company a positive spin. It will be good for all Apple consumers. We just have to wait and see how good or bad the deal it is.
If it makes sense to buy Apple products because of the backup ability to trade em in and upgrade to the next best then sales should jump in a big way at Apple.
Next: CPUs? Desktops and even older Macs I hope.
Gary
NOTHING BUT GREAT NEWS!
This new SMART approach for Apple will give the company a positive spin. It will be good for all Apple consumers. We just have to wait and see how good or bad the deal it is.
If it makes sense to buy Apple products because of the backup ability to trade em in and upgrade to the next best then sales should jump in a big way at Apple.
Next: CPUs? Desktops and even older Macs I hope.
Gary
~Shard~
macrumors P6
Hmm, maybe Marketing wasn't the right word then - too many Christmas drinkies for me I guess! 😉 In any case, I won't quote and reply to my own post, so instead I'll paraphrase - PB sales might be sluggish, so this is a (insert word other than "marketing") trick to get more PBs out of inventory, to get back old PBs for parts, and to make way for the new PBs.
Dunno, thought my post was pretty clear on why I called it that, so I guess "marketing" wasn't the right word - sorry to tick you picky people off! 😉
Well, it sounds really good to me! I have to tell my friend to look in to this and maybe trade his!
What do you think Apple will do with these? I don't understand why someone would buy an old Powerbook on ebay, they are way overpriced compared to the iBooks.
Old powerbooks are great for someone who needs Altivec in a portable package. Musicians on the go, for example.
I reckon Apple will refurb the powerbooks and donate them for tax reasons. They wouldn't keep them, that would look bad on the books.
/ek