There are 3 universal truths in life:
- Death
- Taxes
- Apple products will cost an arm and leg, plus your first born child
Just kidding, sort of. Apple does usually charge more than than typical PC manufacturers like Dell or HP, though. But that doesn’t stop the computer geek in me from drinking the Apple Kool-Aid! I’ve been a MacBook Pro owner for the past 2 weeks, but I didn’t pay full price. If you’re a college student, you can get the same sweet deal I did.
First off, you can get a free 8GB iPod touch if you buy a Mac by September 7th. Or apply its price to a more expensive iPod. The choice is yours. I’m actually selling mine on eBay since I already have an iPhone. You can probably net about $150 if you go this route.
Apple also gives you a free printer. I recommend the wireless one – Epson Stylus NX420. Scanning, copying, and of course, printing all in one device. But the best part is the built in wireless. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced wireless printing!
Last but not least, Apple knocks off $100 on practically all of their computers just for being a student. Not a huge amount by any means – we are talking about Apple here, but a discount is a discount.
These discounts and freebies are nice, but what if you don’t know which computer to buy? Here’s a run down:
- MacBook – Consumer model. Available in a 13 inch screen size only. Will easily run the applications most college students need. Not suited for video editing though. Made from polycarbonate plastic.
- MacBook Pro – Professional model. Available in 13, 15, or 17 inch screen sizes. Made from aluminum. Cool “extras” like a keyboard that automatically lights up in a dark room.
I chose the 13 inch MacBook Pro. It’s probably definitely overkill for most people, but I’m glad I chose it over the regular MacBook. I wasn’t sure if a 13 inch screen would be big enough, but it’s been perfectly comfortable. Plus, I can hook it up to my 19 inch desktop monitor when I really need more space.
If you aren’t a student, there are still a few ways to save on Apple products.
First, check out Apple’s refurbished section here. These products were sent back to Apple for whatever reason and then re-certified to go back out. My first iPhone was refurbished and I had no problems with it. Be aware that some refurbished products are “last year’s” model.
Second, check out resellers like Amazon.com
Overall, my MacBook Pro cost about $1100. That was what I expected to spend on a laptop and definitely feel it’s worth it – I’ll be using this computer almost every day and expect it to be with me for all of undergrad.
