Where to buy my macbook pro?

Ok, i think i can't put it off anymore and i want to buy my macbook pro. I've posted about 100 times here about it.

So my question is as follows:

Should I buy at apple store? Or macmall?

Apple store = 2499 x 1.08(tax) = 2699 - 200 (student discount) = 2499 - 150 (selling my "free" ipod to a friend. = 2349 after mail in rebates. (right?)

Macmall = 2494 - 150 (MIR) = 2344.

Both of these i can get the same "free" printer.

I don't know that i'd buy apple care but apparently you can get this cheaper in the store as student when buying a mac? I most likely would put off buying apple care until later, is this student deal applicable later?

I guess the mac+iPod thing is only in the apple store huh?

What do you guys think?

 

Yes, Student Discounts are available year-round, its just the current Mac + free iPod promotion has a certain timeframe.

I think you should look at shipping times...how quick would you get it through MacMall? How about the Apple Store?

 

I assume the apple store will be quicker. (3-7 free days shipping on macmall)

I don't really care about wait times. I'm leaning to macmall because of less mail in rebates. I hate those things.

I know the student discount is year round on the macs. Is there one applecare or are people just getting lucky with salesmen?

 

mate, its 5 bucks to make a friend happy, I know what I would do.

 

AppleCare is cheaper with Student Discount. You can get AppleCare for the MacBook Pro $239 US (regular price $349 US) when you use the Student Discount.

 

The student discount works for macmall? What about the student discounted applecare at macmall?

 

If you are planning to go ahead and buy your MBP from macmall, you might as well get 2% cash back on your purchase right? Here is a link to a site that is free and legit, and offers 2% cash back on any purchases from macmall. Check it out:

http://www.moola.com:80/moopubs/b2b/exc/join.jsp?sid=4d544d744f4463314f54553d-2

Once you register go to "Booster Zone" at the top of the page. Then click on "Booster Shopping Mall" at the left-hand side. And search for "MacMall" and you will find the promotional offer.

 

It would be nice to help your friend out, there is some chatter about a new ipod on sept 5? Might want to wait and see, if the free ipod deal is still good...

I bought a friend a last gen macbook pro from macmall for 1579 (really good deal in my opinion) and it got in about a week or so (cant really remember since i havent talked to him in about a month or so)

Just be a little careful about the rebate there are people who are not getting their rebates, so make sure you make copies of everything.

You can get applecare on ebay for about 180, but make sure you buy from a reputable seller.

 

Its not chatter, its confirmed, lol. There's a special event on September 5th, Apple's sent out official invitations, iPod Nano stocks are low in major resellers, the iPods haven't been updated for a year. There has to be new iPods on the 5th.

 

Apple Store isn't quicker (at least right now). MBP's have a two + week turn around. (Tap, tap, tap of the feet )

 

tax is roughly 60$. i dont know where you got 200$ from

 

No. Where are you from?

Sales Tax Rates vary. Then the amount of tax you pay is dependent on the amount you spend; it's called a multiplication factor. The OP was using 8% as the estimated tax rate (a 1.08 factor).

US$60 tax on the least expensive (2.2GHz) MBP through the Apple Store for Eduaction (US$1799) would be roughly a 3.3% sales tax.

 

i thought he meant 1.08 % tax. I recently ordered about 1550$ worth of stuff from the apple store and tax was 42$. so about 3 %

 

Here in Canada its 14% tax, so don't you guys be complaining .

 

That would be terrific wouldn't it?

It's pretty much 8% here in Texas.

Anyways, it's not "to help a friend" he just would buy it off of me. It's not like he needs it you know?

I just want as few mail in rebates as possible i think.

Even if discounts go on before tax it's still 2321.

Whats this about a macmall student discount?? The 150 off at macmall i put up there is just a mail in rebate they're doing.

 

My local tax is 8.4%, but when ordering off apple its 3%, so you should configure it all in the cart and see what tax they charge you

 

Still charged 8% around 180 bucks in tax. I'm jealous.

 

Buy it from Apple.
MIR at Macmall really sucks.

Read this > http://www.macintouch.com/macmall01.html

Also, Macmall does not have 14 days return policy.
If you buy from Macmall you cannot return it, no matter what!!

Lets say you buy your MBP, and there are dead pixels or yellowish tint and you want to exchange it, you can do it from Apple.

I myself bought mine for Macmall, but luckily for me there weren't any issues like yeloowish tint or dead pixels. I am still waiting for my rebate though.

I was not eligible for student discount at apple.com thats why i opted for Macmall.

 

I have not heard of MacMall but I know Fry's Electronics sells Macbooks, Macbook Pros, and all Apple stuff. If you know the store and its near you consider that. Same prices and everything, but you may not get that student discount you would get at an Apple Store.

But thats the value of time. Buy it at Fry's for the standard price and take it home the same day. Buy it from an Apple Store or online at Apple Store and you'll get the discount but you will have to wait 1-2 weeks probably for it. Depending on the discount and your immediate need for it, make a decision.

 

Couldn't i deal with any issues through the apple store? Doesn't it work like that?

That sucks about the MIR. I was kinda digging the 6 months of no payments at macmall

 

Yes, if you have any issues with your Mac (doesn't matter where its bought), you take it to either the Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider or you send it in to Apple.

 

Do i get the "14 days" from apple themselves? How does that work?

 

Looking at Apple's policy, it does not say anything about third party Mac sales being excluded from the 14-day exchange/return policy.

It just says, "If you are not satisfied with your Apple purchase of a product, please call 1-800-676-2775 for a Return Material Authorization (RMA) request within 14 calendar days of the receipt of the product.".

I don't know for sure though, it would be easier to ask Apple directly through the employees, call a third-party reseller or wait for someone else to answer more clearly.

 

Just called the store, they take care of it because of the year warranty. They can't exchange it in the 14 days they'd have to send it off to apple.

Odds are I wouldn't need an exchange anyway and they still offer service.

I'm thinking of going with macmall for simplicity and the 6 months no payments.

He said it would still be 110 bucks off applecare if I decide to buy it after the fact, so thats good. Anyone else think macmall is a bad idea other than that guy on page 2?

 

I don't see any major complaints with MacMall. I get some complaints about it now and then, though.

 

Good to know, i guess i'll see if this 6-month thing will work tomorrow and if not i'll probably head to the apple store.


Thanks for the help.

 

The one year warranty would be the same no matter where you buy it from.

I visited apple store before purchasing and they told me that if its an Apple product, no matter where you buy it from we will service it.

The only thing you wont get is the 14 day return policy.

I went with Macmall because it was cheaper even if I dont get the MIR.

 

Avoid MacMall like the plague! I waited over four weeks and then they refused to honor the rebate(s). Mailed in the forms and rebate forms from their web site even! Tried again to find the rebate form mentioned in the letter they sent me, it did not exist. Tried talking to the Customer Service folks, after a wait of 45 minutes I gave up. They did not answer email either. As far as I am concerned the pain of a few saved dollars was not worth it. I should have just ordered it directly from Apple. Oh well, guess I'll eat some apple pie. I recommend to all my friends to avoid them now.

 

Well this is scary. I wonder if this is the exception or general practice. That link earlier with complaints was from 2003ish, so I assumed change for the better could have happened.

 

Almost same thing happened to me.
Buy it from apple!!

 

Looks like two first-hand testimonials here, Eallan. You may want to take note of them .

 

I noticed that.

I suppose i'll have to find another way to buy one

 

I hear from a good friend that macmall is very good. He recommends it, especially since he got a lot of preinstalled software from them such as parallels etc. He was very happy with their service.

If you choose to go with macmall, be sure to check out that link I gave you for 2% cash back, all you need to give is your email. It works, I am going to do that myself when I get my MPB soon.

 

Well, I bought a 2.4 ghz 15.4 inch macbook.

I feel so dirty, and so excited.

I wound up getting an amazon visa and buying it without tax and with a 150 dollar mail in rebate. Also the amazon visa pays 30 dollars of the bill

All in all i think it was a good deal.

 

So dirty, Eallan? Lol .

Excited I would agree with .

 

$ is the dirty part

Excited for sure!

 

Well i just got it. It's super confusing so far but i'm trying to learn.

My latch is crooked or warped but i've been reading about it. I think i'll check out the apple store tomorrow.

I'm trying to figure out why expose is FN+F9 thats hardly useful, I know you can change it but i don't really get it

Say i download a file, it's an application. It's a .dmg file?

Then it's on the desktop in what looks like a hard drive icon and i can "eject" it.

I don't really understand the download/install/use/cleanup procedure. Can someone help?

 

Watch this boring video about how to install Firefox on Mac. It's basically the same procedure for virtually all applications.

In summary, you need to drag the application icon from the drive to your hard drive's Application folder. Then you can eject the drive and delete the .dmg.

 

Thank you!

That helped. What about expose? It seems that F9 adjusts keyboard lighting. It feels like it should be Fn+F9 that does this while F9 does expose. Do you guys get what i'm trying to say?


Also, I got the super sized magsafe, Is that exchangable? This thing is frigging huge.

 

My local apple store pretty much has no return policy...I would avoid their retail stores.

 

EDIT: I'm an idiot, I have the smaller adapter. (This thing is still friggin huge!)

Anyone else's trackpad recessed more on one side than the other? It's kinda annoying but i think i deal with it.

Slightly disappointed with the build quality (warped lid, crooked trackpad).