Apple's Back to School savings - free iPod Nano with Mac purchase

[Kaido]

Back to school special from Apple - link

College students can buy a Mac (at the usual discounted price) and receive a free iPod Nano (up to 2gb) or a discount off an iPod of their choice. The Shuffles and 1gb and 2gb Nanos are free and you get $179 off the 4gb Nano and 30gb and 60gb iPod Videos. Pretty good deal, I'm glad I waited. I'm in!

Terms:
1. You must be a qualified Apple Education Individual end-user purchaser (i.e. student or teacher)
2. You must buy a qualifying Mac and an iPod from Apple or a participating Apple Authorized Campus Reseller
3. You must buy a qualifying Mac and an iPod from June 5, 2006, through September 16, 2006
4. The computer and iPod purchases must appear on the same sales receipt (buy them together)
5. You must submit your rebate claim within 30 days of purchase (watch out procrastinators!)
6. Only one coupon per household/physical address will be honored

Link to rebate PDF form
Read the FAQ
Check your rebate status

iPod pricing with Mac purchase:
512mb Shuffle - FREE
1gb Shuffle - FREE
1gb Nano - FREE
2gb Nano - FREE
4gb Nano - $50
30gb Video - $90
60gb Video - $190

For you PC fans, if you buy an Intel-based Machine (iMac, Mac Mini, or laptop) it can run Windows natively through Apple's Boot Camp or virtually via Parallels Desktop for Mac. Here are some additional resources:

MacBook Resource Site (much of it applies to the MacBook Pro as well)
Trick out your Intel Mini
Mac News Links Site

 

[scootermaster]

I totally don't want to thread crap here...this is a good deal (educational pricing and free iPod, how can you miss, right?). But be warned...I did this last year, and three weeks later (AFTER the two week return period, which didn't apply to me anyway, since I bought a custom one) they refreshed the G4 line. The 128 meg graphics card, and 1.67 proc that I paid extra for became standard and they dropped the pricing (as well as adding some other nicities). Given that OS 10.5 is expected in August, along with the new Merom mobile chips, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar happen.

So if you want a MacBook pro really badly, then great, you get a free iPod. Just be warned that they might be refreshing them right when this deal ends. I'd hate to see anyone be disappointed like I was.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: scootermaster
I totally don't want to thread crap here...this is a good deal (educational pricing and free iPod, how can you miss, right?). But be warned...I did this last year, and three weeks later (AFTER the two week return period, which didn't apply to me anyway, since I bought a custom one) they refreshed the G4 line. The 128 meg graphics card, and 1.67 proc that I paid extra for became standard and they dropped the pricing (as well as adding some other nicities). Given that OS 10.5 is expected in August, along with the new Merom mobile chips, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar happen.

So if you want a MacBook pro really badly, then great, you get a free iPod. Just be warned that they might be refreshing them right when this deal ends. I'd hate to see anyone be disappointed like I was.

Hey, it's not threadcrapping if it's true Thanks for sharing! Personally, I'm planning on getting a MacBook, and since they just came out, I don't think they'll be releasing them with a Merom upgrade for at least six months. I'm sure that the MBPs will get an upgrade soon, however.

btw, Mac Minis do not apply to this deal

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: scootermaster
I totally don't want to thread crap here...this is a good deal (educational pricing and free iPod, how can you miss, right?). But be warned...I did this last year, and three weeks later (AFTER the two week return period, which didn't apply to me anyway, since I bought a custom one) they refreshed the G4 line. The 128 meg graphics card, and 1.67 proc that I paid extra for became standard and they dropped the pricing (as well as adding some other nicities). Given that OS 10.5 is expected in August, along with the new Merom mobile chips, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar happen.

So if you want a MacBook pro really badly, then great, you get a free iPod. Just be warned that they might be refreshing them right when this deal ends. I'd hate to see anyone be disappointed like I was.

That's absolutely no different than buying any other computer. Technology drops in price as time wears on. You're going to be in the hole as soon as you walk out the door on any computer related purchase.

 

[scootermaster]

Thanks for the useless and patently obvious post.

Obviously you need to learn to read for comprehension...

What I was saying is that it is very very likely that Apple will refresh their macbook pro line right AFTER this deal expires. So, if you want your brand new $2000 computer to be a generation behind the times after it's three weeks old, then fine. But most people, "free" iPod nano or not, would rather have their "new" computer be "new" for a little bit longer than that.


If that's the case, then it might make sense holding off until the new refreshes come, likely in August (or shortly thereafter).

The reason this is such a sensitive subject with Apple computers is that PCs, even laptops, get "refreshed" almost daily. Dell is always adding new components to their laptops...new clock speeds, new features, etc. So you expect that a week after you buy it, there's something better.

Not so with Apples. When you buy it, it should be good for at least 9 months or thereabouts. In a manner of speaking, when you buy a mac, you sort of amortize the cost of the thing across a couple of years (or months, depending on how much cash you have to burn). When a refresh happens so quickly, you "lose" a generation of value off your computer right off the bat. And some people don't like that.

If that's a concept you don't like or want to understand, feel free to waste another post replying.

 

[bhanson]

I bought my iBook under this program last fall and it's still the newest model... forever!

 

[IronTek]

Originally posted by: scootermaster
Given that OS 10.5 is expected in August, along with the new Merom mobile chips, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar happen.

10.5 is going to be shown in August at Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC).

It is certainly not expected for quite some time...

 

[dhkkim]

yikes..

ibook for $1199 is attempting.

now runs the WINDOWS XP & tiger rrrr