Mac for College

Pharsykal

Hey guys,

Not a TCD question as such but I'm looking to avail of the Apple offer for getting a new Macbook Pro. Can someone clarify what the story is with getting a discount/ rebate?

Their website states that the 13 inch hi-spec Macbook pro is €1,362.02 WITH the Student discount. It also mentions you can get a free iTouch. It looks like the free iTouch would be subtracted from the rebate I claim back as a student? Is this correct?

Also my friend mentioned a tax rebate I can get due to buying the laptop for education purposes? So is €1,362.02 the rock bottom price or is there further deductions I can avail of? And is the iTouch in addition to any discount or taken out of the discount?

Thanks for any replies :pac:

tolosenc

Just buy a real computer and save yourself €500.

andrew

If you're looking to save money, you'd be a lot better off buying a laptop running windows or Linux. Though iTouches are quite snazzy.

Jonathan

obl wrote: »

Just buy a real computer and save yourself €500.

Steve has to fund those black turtle necks from somewhere...

Pharsykal

Yeah I have one of those 'real computers', really looking for a Mac though

I'm not looking for a cheap alternative I just want to get the best deal I can and avail of whatever discounts I'm entitled to

Jonathan

Pharsykal wrote: »

Yeah I have one of those 'real computers', really looking for a Mac though

Can i ask why?

Pet

OP: get the train to Belfast and pick up your Mac at the Apple store there. You'll save about €250 or so, due to the exchange rate, and possibly more depending on the deals they have going.

With the iPod touch deal, you get the reduced price Mac AND the free iPod. No idea about the tax thing, though.

Edit: and, I recently moved to Apple [after being a PC user for 17 years] and it's the best computing decision I ever made.

Ron DMC

Pet wrote: »

Edit: and, I recently moved to Apple [after being a PC user for 17 years] and it's the best computing decision I ever made.

You could have just installed osx on a PC.

enda1

Ron DMC wrote: »

You could have just installed osx on a PC.

You can put leather seats in a Lada, but it will still be a Lada.

Pharsykal

Pet wrote: »

OP: get the train to Belfast and pick up your Mac at the Apple store there. You'll save about €250 or so, due to the exchange rate, and possibly more depending on the deals they have going.

Edit: and, I recently moved to Apple [after being a PC user for 17 years] and it's the best computing decision I ever made.

Thanks for the advice! I take it I couldn't get the student discount up north?
Just it looks like if I get a normal 13'' MB Pro it come to €1,339.33 in the UK (not much difference to using the student discount with which I would also get the free ipod rebate)
If I were to go through a friend who is in college in the UK there's nothing to loose right?

Pet

No, I got the student discount up north too, and it was actually more than the discount here [12.5% as opposed to 10%, I believe?]. I think they MAY have clamped down on Irish student cards, but you can give them a ring and see what they say. Failing that, ask someone with a UK card to accompany you.
The deals I was referring to involve Applecare for a drastically reduced price. Not sure if they still have that on, but I'd take that over a free iPod any day. [You NEED to get Applecare.]

Pharsykal

Ok thanks very much for the help, I'll get in contact with them now. Also yeah if it's a choice between an ipod and applecare, applecare wins hands down!

CJTobin

Jonathan wrote: »

Steve has to fund those black turtle necks from somewhere...

That's what the app store is for.:pac:

Audie

Oo interesting. I recently lost my laptop, and seeing as i need a new one anyway was considering a mac. What are the normal macbooks like? (apart from the ugly white plastic exterior?)

I know the maccbook pro is better, but just cannot justify spending that much

Jonathan

Audie wrote: »

Oo interesting. I recently lost my laptop, and seeing as i need a new one anyway was considering a mac. What are the normal macbooks like? (apart from the ugly white plastic exterior?)

I know the maccbook pro is better, but just cannot justify spending that much

What do you plan on using it for?

The prices for TCD students (extra student discount or something) are available from here. Referrer link, so you have to follow the link from that page.

mathew

Audie wrote: »

Oo interesting. I recently lost my laptop, and seeing as i need a new one anyway was considering a mac. What are the normal macbooks like? (apart from the ugly white plastic exterior?)

I know the maccbook pro is better, but just cannot justify spending that much

they all look the same now. The design was changed. Have a look at www.apple.ie

Jonathan

mathew wrote: »

they all look the same now. The design was changed. Have a look at www.apple.ie

The white one is still for sale.

CJTobin

But wait, there's more! For €50 extra, you can turn that "ugly white plastic" MacBook into a cool and sophisticated BlackBook!

Audie

Wow, white or black. If they just gave different colours like Dell i'd be happy.

I just need the laptop for general college stuff and internet, maybe playing dvds every now and then. Something light would be good

Audie

Wait i just realised you can get a pink cover for the mac as well. That changes everything

Brian

I think a netbook would suffice for the two computer seekers in this thread.

Jonathan

Netbooks are horrid machines.

Brian

Netbooks are truly portable machines.

tolosenc

A friend of mine said that mine will be perfect for me in France next year "because they're all ******s over there anyway"

I lol'd.

damienmcd

Audie wrote: »

Wait i just realised you can get a pink cover for the mac as well. That changes everything

I have a White MacBook and I got one of the hard-shell covers. They work for what they are supposed to do but if you ever try to take the shell off they are a nightmare! Also they add a bit of weight to the laptop and can wreck the springs on your screen so it ends up really floppy, won't stay upright etc. due to the added weight on the springs. And nobody wants a floppy!

A friend of mine also got a hard shell for hers and when she tried to take it off it wrecked the casing on the laptop.