Buying a new macbook

Hey guys im looking to buy and macbook. My problem is im trying to figure out the best place to buy it from. I am a student so i can get the 100 dollar discount from apple.com. But if i get if from amazon.com i dont have to pay tax, which comes about to about a 100 dollars.

My questiong is, is there any benefit to buying it from apple.com as opposed to amazon.com?

 

if you order from apple it will get to you faster, i think.

 

Personally, I would buy it from Apple. If you go to an Apple store, you can still use the student discount and get your MacBook immediately.

 

I was thinking that maybe amazon.com has older model that ahve been laying around as apposed to apple that has all brand new built models. I may be wrong though.

 

Amazon is like any retailer; the models they stock are not any different from what you'd find at the Apple Store.

There isn't any specific benefit to buying from amazon.com vs. the apple store in terms of what you get.

Aside from the tax issue you noted, Amazon also has rebates that go along with it; in this case, the MacBook has a $75 rebate from amazon.com right now, so you can get it for a slightly better price overall than with the student discount.

 

wow, thank you. I guess I'll get it from amazon.com.

 

Hey, i have one more question before I buy. I the heat and discoloration still an issue or is that fixed in the new C2D?

 

The discoloration issue was fixed fairly quickly, if I recall. Most people with more current MacBooks also seem to be fine on the heat issue.

 

My brand new MacBook Pro C2D 2.16GHz runs very cool under OS X. Quite a bit hotter under Vista.

 

Can anyone else with a new macbook comment please.

 

the new macbooks are fine and have been fixed. you wont see any discoloration or any heat issues.

 

Hey what do you guys think of the macbook screen (13.3). I read a few sites that said that the backlight was uneven and that people have been having problems with them. Has anyone experienced this or is it just a few defective models?

 

I've always been impressed by the MacBook screens I've seen, and the screen on the MacBook I had. Very bright and crisp and clear.

The MacBook Pro screen, on the other hand, seems to have had more problems with uneven backlighting; or actually, it's not so much that the backlighting was uneven but that the viewing angles seemed to be off somehow, so that when viewing a solid color on the screen, they didn't always look consistent; but from different angles, the areas that appeared darker were just fine.

But I've seen more recent MBP reviews with no complaints about the screen, so this might have been resolved on the MBP line as well.

Of the various problems I've heard of people reporting at various times with the regular MacBook, screen problems generally aren't one of them that I've seen come up.

-Zadillo

 

Anyone here have any complaints about the screen. Maybe screens from different manufacturers have been giving problems.

http://www.appledefects.com/wiki/index.php?title=MacBook

 

Defects are bound to occur in any product at some point or another. It's just the nature of industry. There are so many variables along a production process that make it impossible to guarantee absolute perfection with every unit on the line. From what I've seen though, there have been fewer problems with the C2D Macs than pretty much any other manufacturer. If you're worried about bad screens, then you definitely want to stay away from laptops like Dells, but unless you find more than 30% of reviews for the Macbook to have screen problems listed, then it's probably not going to be a big deal. But you're going to be rolling the dice with any product you buy at any time; the odds just seem to be better with the Macbook (Pro).

 

Also i was wondering about the speakers. I know the quality is good but are they loud enough to watch a movie and listen to music comfortably?

 

I think I'd describe them as average at best; they'd get the job done, but you'd have a much better experience with a nice pair of headphones or external speakers.

 

I ordered my macbook c2d 2ghz from apple online store on 14th feb. of 2007 and it got the discoloration effect. an apple service point exchanged the plate for free (where the hands rest) and also the touchpad which had that effet too.

Using protection films now on both hand rests and hope touchpad won't be that yellow in a few weeks like it became once

 

i've had it for almost a month now and love everything about it.

 

hi guys,

im from Singapore and im looking forward to purchase a macbook from the states as it's cheaper. My friend in the states can bring it back to singapore for me.

i just need to confirm with you guys some things as im not sure about US policies.

1) If i purchase the macbook from apple.com, i have pay tax right? but if i order it frm amazon, i do not have to pay tax? why is this so?

2) How do you claim back the rebates from amazon? will the rebates go straight back to my credit card or will it go to my friend's address? whats the difference between online rebates and mail in rebates?

3) how much is the tax in Jackson, Mississipi?

thank you so much you guys =D

 

I believe Amazon charges tax for certain states, just like most online businesses. Don't quote me on that though.

The rebate will not go to your credit card. Rebates will be sent to whatever address you write on the rebate form.

 

Actually, you would only have to pay tax at Apple's online store if Apple had a retail presence in the state the purchase was being made in. In this case, Apple actually doesn't have a retail store in Mississippi, so you'd actually be able to buy it tax free from there. This is a good thing too, as Mississippi has one of the highest tax rates in the US (at 7%).

So as far as taxes go, it looks like you won't need to worry about it either way.

As far as rebates, Amazon.com's rebates are normally mail-in rebates. This usually involves mailing in a copy of your receipt, some proof of purchase (i.e. a copy of the UPC from the packaging, etc.) to an address, and then some weeks later you should receive a check in the mail.

-Zadillo

 

thank you so much!
i guess i'll get it from apple.com then =D

 

I have a question about the Macbook: it doens't come with a DVD burner, does it; is it possible to get one on the Macbook?

 

The more expensive white MacBook and the black MacBook both come with DVD burners (called SuperDrive by Apple).

 

In this case, one should probably be paying taxes at your local customs gate.