$1500

I've got $1500 even to spend on a mbp. I want to go to the apple store and pick one up. Will there be tax? I've never bought from the apple store before.. any suggestions? What do i need for the student discount?

 

There will be tax if you live in a state with tax. It's just like any other electronics store.

You will probably need a student ID from your college to get the discount.

 

Tax depends on the state you are in. What size MBP are you looking for?

I recommend the Core i5 Macbook Pro. Since you have $1500, I think you should go for the refurb MBP 15" Core i5.

It costs $1529 + tax so it is just a little bit more but well worth it.



If you are looking to stay under the $1500 and want a 13" MBP for the size, there are all sorts you can choose from. I recommend buying refurb unless you are a student who gets the student discount + wants the free iPod and free printer.

 

If you don't want the iPod and free printer, go refurb. From what I have seen, the discount for students is close to 7.5% while refurbs generally have a 15% discount.

 

I was told there is no student discount for refurbs. I get $100 off online for the student discount I believe. Will they have the refubs in the store? I live in Texas.

 

I'm not sure dude. It depends on the location. Call them up and see if they have them.

As for pricing, you can check that online. It's going to be a bigger discount than the student discount though, that's for sure.

 

Yeah the MBP 15 that I want is $1529. I'm just not sure if you get a student discount on refubs, and if tax will bite me in the a$$ if I buy from a store (if they stock refubs)

 

There is no student discount on refurbs.

 

No student discount on refurbs. I say just go with the MBP 15 refurb which all in all will cost you around $1600 if there is major taxing.

It is quite future proof as well because of the new processor and graphics. Good resale value.

 

Called the local apple store and they don't carry any refurbished stuff. Is shipping free from apple? How long does it usually take?

 

Welcome to the Apple Store - Apple Store (U.S.)

 

Or you can just tell me and save me from navigating the whole apple store.

 

That's a pretty poor attitude from someone too lazy to check for themselves in less than 1 minute.

Considering you've already picked the $1529 15" MBP refurb, go to that specific product's page and your 2 questions will be answered.

 

I met you halfway. I got you the link, all you had to do was look for their shipping policy. Typing out a response would have had me doing all of the work.

Apple's website is one of the easiest tech manufacturer websites in the business. It took me less than a minute to find the answers to your questions.

 

Don't forget if you opt for the brand new one, take the free iPod and printer, and sell them on ebay. As Brand new, you should be able to get some decent coin for them.

 

I was joking about the searching thing!

Well the ipod touch and ebay arent really free upfront right? You still have to pay but they send you a rebate? I'm not sure I can afford that. Its either going to the store and getting the 2.4 MPB 13 or ordering a refurb 15.

 

sarcasm is so easy to detect over the interwebs < /sarcasm>

 

"When your order totals more than $50, you’ll receive free standard shipping in the United States. Typically, that means you’ll receive your order within five business days after shipping. You can also upgrade to 2-day and next-business-day shipping for an extra charge."
-Taken from Apple Website

 

Think I may just go with a brand new MBP 13 so I can get a student discount and an iPod Touch. Is the 2.66GHz really worth the extra $300? All thats different from the 2.4 is the processor and and extra 70GB of hard drive. Also...Im going to need microsoft office. Is it cheaper to have it included with the mac or just buy it somewhere else. Or torrent it

 

You do know that the iPod touch is free after rebate, right? You're going to pay for the iPod on the spot and then get your money back later. I'm not sure about the printer though.

I don't think that you will miss the extra clock speed, so no, the $300 upgrade is not worth it. If you want a larger hard drive, just get a 500GB 7200RPM drive for ~$80.

 

I'd say just stick with the 2.4 ghz (thats what I'm gonna do if I get the 13" rather than the 15"), i doubt you would notice the extra .26. If you need MS Office you can probly get it at a discount through your school (at least thats what I did last year), you can only put it on one computer but its usually quite a bit cheaper.

 

If you have an Apple store in your state, you will still have to pay sales tax even though you order it online.

 

Man that sucks.. well now i have $1600

 

Doesn't really make a difference, your options pretty much haven't changed, you have enough for upgrades but not enough for a 15 inch.

 

Unless i go refurbished. How well of condition are most refurbs cosmetically? I just don't want a messed up screen and a cracked case

 

I'm not really the right person to answer you as i don't have experience with refurbs (i don't think its worth it). But seeing refurb reviews all over youtube, I don't think they're THAT bad compared to what you've suggested (Cracked screen etc.)

 

One thing you can count on is Apple honoring a full 1 year warranty on refurbished Mac's bought from their online store. You could also get the Apple Care 3 year warranty on refurbished units. That should offer some comfort in terms of cracked cases, but they might have some minor scratches.

 

Okay cool. Well what do you all think? The 13 new with discount or refurbished 15

 

I say the 13 new with discount

 

I say 15inch refurbished
I already have a desktop but for working purposes, 13inch and its resolution are too small for me.
I don't find a major weight differences between 13 and 15 macbook. It's perfectly fine for me to hand it. I wish that there is a 14inch macbook
If you can add $50 to your budget, I think a base 15" macbook refurbished after tax is in that range. They don't have it in refurbished store while I am typing

 

Well the refurbished macbook 15 comes to $1655....sales tax raped me at $126

 

Lucky me I'm in a tax free state.

 

and where would that be? Maybe I'll ebay.

 

Get the i5 refurb. You got $100 over a few days, $55 should be cake.

 

I'm curious too.

 

One of these:

Alaska
Oregon
Montana
New Hampshire
Delaware

 

Go for the 15'' MBP
The bigger screen and the Nvidia GT 330 is worth spending the extra money for

 

Yes, the 15inch is really nice, whatever you have to spend over the 13 its worth it. Try and get the high res screen too. Not only is the hardware better but I believe the 15inch macbooks are just better build than the 13 inch line.