Getting the most out of the student discount

Hey guys,

I'm going to be getting a MBP 13 base config at my local Apple store either Friday or Saturday. I have a few questions before I buy:

- Right now, my music collection is about 5.5GB. Should I get the free 8GB Touch, or pay essentially $100 after the rebate for a 32GB Touch?
- How do I prove I'm going to college at Syracuse next year? I don't have an ID yet, I'm an incoming freshman. Do I just bring my drivers license and my acceptance letter/bill?
- Do I get iWork? I've heard Office is better overall simply for compatibility. Do I just use OpenOffice/NeoOffice until I get to school and I get a discount on the new Office for Mac when it comes out?


Now, for my last, extremely hypothetical question (I'm not planning on trying this):

- Wouldn't it be possible to buy the iPod Touch at the Apple Store, submit your rebate, and then sell the iPod on eBay and essentially make close to $400 off of it with the rebate Apple mails you?


Thanks in advance guys!

 

1.) That's up to you. The iPod is free though, so I don't see why you'd want to pay anymore
2.) Yes, bring some sort of proof that you're going to be attending that school.
3.) Pretty sure you have to buy iWork. The next office for mac will be 2011 I think.
4.) Yes, you can sell the iPod on eBay easily, the problem is IMO, is the market right now is FLOODED with iPhones as everyone is (was?) trying to get some $$ for the iPhone 4. iPod touches have gone down in value quite a bit. BUT money is money, and you can still sell it !

How would you make $400 from eBay?

 

If I sold the new iPod on eBay for close to $199, and also received the $199 from Apple.

I'm conflicted on the iPod Touch thing. I'm going to need the extra space eventually, and $100 for a 32GB iPod Touch is a great deal.

 

He means cash from selling ipod touch + rebate from apple would give him around $400.

I would be lucky if you can get half of that $400 from selling the ipod.
BTW, you are paying for the ipod at the applestore, and than Apple will mail you the rebate later. That what makes it free. You don't get it free while buying the mac and apple mail you the rebate. (I wish that happened )

 

Yea, I know, that's quite unfortunate.

After some more research I don't see why anyone wouldn't pay $100 more for the 32GB newer generation...it's so much faster and has 4X the space.

 

not everyone need that kind of storage
I remember the day that I had a 256mb mp3 player, and I still have it, but I dont listen to it anymore

 

I have one of those too too, and i really wanna use it (to impress ppl) but my music library just doesn't agree with me.

Yeah, $400 on ebay is kinda....outrageous. (imo)

 

I know...I'd sell it on eBay for close to retail value ($199) then get the Apple rebate in the mail.

$199 + $199 = $398


Anyways, now I'm thinking of doing this because the new iPod Touch is supposed to get drastic upgrades, including a camera. If I'm in no rush to get a new iPod, should I wait?

 

If I were in the market for an iPod touch, I would wait for Apple's September event to pick one up.

 

It seems as though you don't quite understand how it works:

$1100 for 13" macbook pro + $300 for 32GB ipod touch - $200 touch discount - ~$250 touch sold on ebay = $950

meaning you saved $150 which would pretty much cover the cost of tax on the macbook and the ipod touch.

Edit: unless of course you aren't the one paying for it originally, in which case I'm not really sure how you'd go about using the rebate to credit a different person than the one who paid (assuming your parents)

 

I would wait on any kind of iWork or anything like that until you get to school as your school probably has a software store where you can get it pretty cheep. I know I got Office 2008 (for mac) for $10 from my university so it might almost be better to buy that now and still turn around and by the 2011 version when it comes out.

As far as for the ipod, go ahead and get the 32GB and just use it forever. Trust me, in college you never know when you will have money to buy something like this again lol

 

Haha, thanks for the advice. Being even poorer than normal is gonna suck haha.

And stephen, that was based on the 8GB, $199 model, not the 32GB model. I'm paying for some of the package, but less than half of it. I'm focusing solely on the iPod, not any other expenses. I'm saying if I were to just focus on the iPod, it would cost $199 up front. I'd sell it for close to that, and also receive the rebate. I'd put this money towards the 4G iPod.

 

Buy it from Microcenter for $999 + tax straight up for the MC374LL, no rebate hassle.

From Apple Educational pricing it is $1100 + $200 + tax - $200MIR - whatever the 8GB iPod sells for. Best case you get $200 (which I highly doubt) minus Ebay/PP fees plus the hassle to list it and ship it, to save ~$75 maybe? Not worth the hassle to me.

PS Microcenter is Apple authorized.

 

I can't, in-store only and there isn't a Microcenter near me.

 

I would call J&R or B&H to see if they'll price match. J&R price-matched for me a couple of times on things like digital cameras, as long as they can pull up the website and verify the competitor's price. It makes no specific mention that the $999 price is instore only.

 

i still don't think you understand the concept of a rebate.

FIRSTLY, you BUY an 8GB ipod for $200 or w.e, just work with me here.

-$200 to your bank account, net -$200

SECONDLY, you apply for the rebate and get $200 back

+$200 to you bank account, net $0

THIRD, you sell the 8GB ipod on ebay for $150

+$150 to your bank account, net $150

$150 != $400

 

It can also work this way.

Buy ipod with parent's account
-$200 to their parent's account
Secondly, apply for rebate and get $200 back
+$200 to their account , net $200
Sell the ipod for $200
+$200 to their account, net $400.

$400=$400

 

And by net $200, you mean net 0
-200 + 200 = 0.

 

Parents' account =/= his account.

 

errr.....thats just his parents giving him an allowance of $200 dollars then.

 

so your getting a free ipod, but your having your parents buy it for you, and you get their $200... so your getting $200 from selling it, plus $200 from your parents...

 

just another added thing, if you wait for the September ipod event. That is good chance that you will miss the free (after rebate) ipod educational discount.

Well, you need to take some accounting classes

 

lol, its a DEFINITE 'possibility.' the whole back to school thing is just to get rid of old inventory