I'm looking to buy a MCP for the upcoming school year and I was wondering is there a certain time when there is the best discount/sale for the MCP? I know Apple tends to have a sale where they give a printer and an iPod (nano I heard for this year), so once that promotion starts is it the best time to purchase it or will they have something better in late August/early sept?
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When is the best time to purchase a Macbook Pro?
- Thread starter Tharius
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no, they only have one sale a year... read the buyers guide that's what it's there for.
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//
The best time is either during the summer so that you can get the free ipod if you're a student or black friday if you're not a student.
As has been said, this is the best time to get a MBP - a new line has just come out and the back to school promo starts next week.
The trouble with Apple is that the prices never drop. With PCs you pay top whack when everything's new and then the price falls over time until the next model comes in. It's a trade-off as to when you judge the price/performance ratio is what you want. With Apple the price stays the same from day1 to the day of new models.
The trouble with Apple is that the prices never drop. With PCs you pay top whack when everything's new and then the price falls over time until the next model comes in. It's a trade-off as to when you judge the price/performance ratio is what you want. With Apple the price stays the same from day1 to the day of new models.
Consider also that if you take good care of your Mac, when the time comes to upgrade to the latest and greatest you'll get a premium for the old machine.
I just sold a four year old 15" MBP for $700, and used the proceeds to buy a new 13" for $1000. Try that with a Dell or HP.
I just sold a four year old 15" MBP for $700, and used the proceeds to buy a new 13" for $1000. Try that with a Dell or HP.
Either two to three months after a new model intros, to allow time for necessary firmware patches, system updates etc.; or else during a back-to-school promotion if you're looking to bundle it with a discounted printer or iPod.
Subject, of course, to you actually needing a new one.
The most recent update was a particularly big one:
A vastly improved wireless card that uses much less power
Integrated graphics built into the CPU, again saving power
A big increase in VRAM for most models
Bigger hard drive options on most models
Thunderbolt (FW800 was previously the fastest I/O on most models)
SDXC slot (was previously only SDHC)
Quad-core on 15 and 17 inch models
Lower wattage (25W maximum) processor on entry-level 13 inch model
New features on the CPUs that considerably boost speed
Faster discrete graphics on 15 and 17 inch models
About the only thing they didn't improve aside from screen resolution was the 3D graphics speed on the 13-inch models; that was a mixture of slightly better to slightly slower depending on the application. But even the 13 sees big improvements on CPU-intensive photo applications like iPhoto and Aperture.
The big thing on the next generation model is likely to be a big reduction in power consumption due to the "3D" 22 nanometer chipset. Possibly also significant further speed improvements and changes to the case design, though we'll see.
Subject, of course, to you actually needing a new one.
The most recent update was a particularly big one:
A vastly improved wireless card that uses much less power
Integrated graphics built into the CPU, again saving power
A big increase in VRAM for most models
Bigger hard drive options on most models
Thunderbolt (FW800 was previously the fastest I/O on most models)
SDXC slot (was previously only SDHC)
Quad-core on 15 and 17 inch models
Lower wattage (25W maximum) processor on entry-level 13 inch model
New features on the CPUs that considerably boost speed
Faster discrete graphics on 15 and 17 inch models
About the only thing they didn't improve aside from screen resolution was the 3D graphics speed on the 13-inch models; that was a mixture of slightly better to slightly slower depending on the application. But even the 13 sees big improvements on CPU-intensive photo applications like iPhoto and Aperture.
The big thing on the next generation model is likely to be a big reduction in power consumption due to the "3D" 22 nanometer chipset. Possibly also significant further speed improvements and changes to the case design, though we'll see.