Sod it: How did you pay for your Mac?

Oriel · 19-02-2006 9:58pm #1

Folks,
I've been tempted to ask this question on here for ages, but thought that it didn't really have anything to do with Macs. But now I realise, it's the major issue for me and for most poeple on here.
I've been dying to get a Mac for personal use for ages (not just work) but only now am I trying to get one. I want to go for a laptop - something I can take around everywhere with me.

But, I am I only person who is thinking about getting one and putting it on the credit card? I hear about people going "I just ordered the MacBook Pro"...HOW?! DO you have a spare £2000 lying about? Do you budget for the next 5 years to buy one?!

Folks, please make me feel less guilty for buy a new Mac laptop with credit.
I could buy a new Mac laptop now should I want it, but please give me reasons as to why I shouldn't.

S.

Gordon · 19-02-2006 10:11pm

My previous Mac I saved up for it, this time I had to take a loan from my parents for it. So in both cases I paid cash..

Can you not go for a bank loan instead of putting it on the credit card? I reckon you will get shafted for interest with the cc.

Oriel · 19-02-2006 10:24pm

Yeah, but I've just got the card, and I need to build up my credit history. So I'm thinking that this is probably the best way to go.

Fenster · 19-02-2006 11:07pm

750 euro for my iBook, second-hand from another boards.ie poster.

SouperComputer · 20-02-2006 12:08am

Started buying refurbs in bulk from the US.

juice79 · 21-02-2006 4:52pm

While in college I signed up for the European Apple Student Developer scheme.

http://developer.apple.com/students/

Its $99 a year & entitles a Student to get a significant discount off the price of a Laptop/ Desktop as well as an iPod if purchased at the same time. Discount is usually between 10 - 20%.

I have a sister that lives in New York so I purchased my Powerbook from the US Online Store & got it shipped to my sister's gaff. Sales tax in the US is alot less than VAT in this country. In NYC its about 8.5% in some states its zero. Along with the €-$ exchange rate I saved a few hundred quid.

Apple weren't bothered that I was a student in Europe & purchased the equipment from the US store so long as its shipped within the USA. Just had to wait till my sister came home for her Christmas hols.

Because I was getting such a big discount I went for a 15 inch Powerbook, 1GB RAm & an iPod Photo for the hell of it, loads of money at the time but its been well worth it.

So if u know a student & someone in the US u can save a fortune, u could even fly to New York. pick up the laptop yourself & still end up saving a few quid.

juice79 · 21-02-2006 5:05pm

Just to follow up with some prices.....

On the ADC Hardware Purchase Program Store a 1.83 GHz Macbook Pro costs $1,599 at the current exchane rates thats about €1,350.

The same laptop on the Irish store is €2,179!!!!

You would have to sign up for the Student Developer program($99) & add in some US sales tax but there is still a massive saving to be had.

Scráib · 22-02-2006 2:49pm

I'm in college and on work placement. I'll be saving up for about three months to get a Macbook Pro. They are very expensive but in my view worth it.

I'm in DCU, and you wouldn't believe the amount of people with Powerbooks there. I see more Mac laptops on campus than any other, honest!!

Sarunas · 22-02-2006 7:14pm

Scr&#225 wrote: »

I'm in DCU, and you wouldn't believe the amount of people with Powerbooks there. I see more Mac laptops on campus than any other, honest!!

Nah, just because you notice Apple laptops more than others.

Scráib · 23-02-2006 2:19pm

Its possible, but there are a very large amount of people who have macs out there. I'd see someone with one at least once a day.

Laguna · 23-02-2006 11:54pm

I financed my iBook G4 by selling my old laptop, the few quid I had in my bank and a small amount of forwarded cash from my credit card. I don't think anyone has €2,000 just lying around mate... Oh and aren't Apple releasing their new OS this year (well the latest version of OS X anyway)?, I'd hold on for a while and see what the story is, I wouldn't fork out big money for a MAC with Tiger if the new OS was around the corner..

Hugh_C · 31-03-2006 3:56pm

sinecurea wrote:

Yeah, but I've just got the card, and I need to build up my credit history. So I'm thinking that this is probably the best way to go.

Maybe you should look at http://www.askaboutmoney.com/ - it will explain to you why paying elevated interest on a credit card is perhaps not the best idea in the world. I don't mean to sound patronising, but your APR on a credit card is possibly 2.5 or more times what you'll be paying on a term loan.

Freelancer · 31-03-2006 3:57pm

I bought mine through work, therefore didn't have to pay vat on it.

We then agreed to subtract two hundred euro from my paycheck for about 9 months, and viola, got my mac. Which I love.

m_stan · 31-03-2006 5:34pm

bought a mac mini (cheaper) in the US (good exhange rate Eur to Dollar) and paid California sales tax (9% rather than 21% VAT). Didnt get caught in customs on the way home.

couldn't be happier

Oriel · 31-03-2006 6:45pm

hughchal wrote:

Maybe you should look at http://www.askaboutmoney.com/ - it will explain to you why paying elevated interest on a credit card is perhaps not the best idea in the world. I don't mean to sound patronising, but your APR on a credit card is possibly 2.5 or more times what you'll be paying on a term loan.

I understand that, but I need to build up a credit history. Borrowing on the card and then paying off the full balance will help me to achieve this.

Chardee MacDennis · 31-03-2006 7:47pm

paid on the credit card - got my 12" G4 powerbook for 1600e on ebay brand new. will hopefully upgrade to a 15" mbp when osx leopard comes out and the new low power intel processors are available.

contact23 · 01-04-2006 10:34am

hi happy dude like your itunes library any chance you could send me a copy of it?

zAbbo · 01-04-2006 10:37am

Bought my 12" powerbook in New York and got a 20" iMac G5 on impulse as well. Good old credit card

Huggles · 01-04-2006 3:58pm

I'm a graphic designer by profession and everything that Apple does makes me quite literally drool :eek:

Sooooo, I bought my Imac G5 for cash one day in town and basically ate toast for the month

My Mac book pro is arriving on Monday and my boss got it for me in exchange for some overtime yippee!

Gurgle · 05-04-2006 4:35pm

sinecurea wrote:

I need to build up a credit history. Borrowing on the card and then paying off the full balance will help me to achieve this.

Where did you hear this?

wes · 05-04-2006 5:13pm

Put it on my credit card after I got paid. Paid for half it right away and when my next pay cheque came along paid for the rest. So had it paid off before its started to accrue interest.

bigred · 06-04-2006 2:17pm

Drink less, save more. Take a month off going on the razz and you'll have a tidy sum.;)

Oh, and Trinity Apple store have some damn good discounts - got Tiger for e63 and Aperture for e250 - that's half price!!

eth0_ · 12-04-2006 9:23am

contact23 banned from this forum for idiotic posts and trolling.

daveirl · 12-04-2006 11:54am

This post has been deleted.

daveirl · 14-04-2006 3:34pm

This post has been deleted.

David Stewart · 15-04-2006 2:23am

I use my iMac and Powerbook for work purposes so I went down the leasing route. I'm paying for it over three years. The big difference between leasing and taking out a loan is the way it is treated for tax purposes. If I had taken out a loan, the purchase would be considered as capital expenditure and I would write off the cost against tax over a five year period. So if I borrow €2000 and pay back at, say, €800 a year for three years, I can only claim €400 a year against tax. On the other hand, lease payments are considered an operational expense, so if I pay €800 a year in lease payments, I can claim the entire €800 against tax.

However, I should stress this only applies for work-related purchase. Not for purchases made for personal use. Also, I was warned by an accountant that depending on the interest rates charged by banks and leasing companies, it may be cheaper in the long run to go down the capital expenditure route. So talk to your accountant before making any decisions.

Urban Weigl · 16-04-2006 1:52am

Laguna wrote:

I wouldn't fork out big money for a MAC with Tiger if the new OS was around the corner..

If it's just around the corner, Apple will give you a free upgrade (I think they make you pay 10 or 20 euros for the media). Not sure what the exact policy is, but I remember buying a new Mac and than getting a "free" upgrade later. I think it's 3 months or something like that.

Anyway, Mac OS X is relatively inexpensive. Official price is €129, but you can usually find it for under €100. So hardly waiting possibly until 2007 for.

Sod it: How did you pay for your Mac?

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