Purchase MBP from store or online?

Ok I should have the money this week to buy a new mbp. My question just like the topic is should I buy it from the store or online? Im not sure how anal they will be in store for my education discount. Also what about the 100discount on a printer? Just wonder what would be better. Your opinions would be helpful.

Dan

 

By store I'm assuming you mean the actual Apple Store, not another retailer. My answers below refer to the online Apple Store specifically:

The store won't be anal about your education discount at all; all they'll probably ask to do is either see your student ID, or if you don't have that, have you login to your school's webmail (just to prove you're a student).

The printer discount is available in store as well.

There's no particular benefit/perk to buying in the store or online; you'll be eligible for the same discounts, etc. (and conversely, if you buy online, you can still take your MBP to your local Apple Store for help/service/etc.).

I guess the one big perk to ordering online is that you can order a custom config (i.e. if you wanted to get an MBP configured with one of those 250GB HD's).

 

There wouldn't be any sales tax benefit from ordering online either. If you don't want to upgrade the machine at all (larger hard drive and whatnot), you may as well just go to an Apple store. That way you won't have to wait for shipping (not to mention risk potential damage in the hands of a careless UPS/FedEx handler).

You shouldn't have any trouble getting your discount. When I bought my MBP, there was no hassle using the discount from my employer. All I had to show them was a current paycheck stub. If you bring your student ID, you should be fine.

 

That depends on where he's ordering from. If there's an Apple Store in his state, he will be charged sales tax ordering online. And the only way to get the educational discount is ordering from Apple (or from your local college computer store, but again, there'd be sales tax).

 

I vote for the store, and heres why.

1. You get it NOW, and you get to look at other future purchases as well.
2. 14 day return policy. I just bought a Macbook Pro last Saturday, got home and had a dead pixel, (not stuck, dead) right smack in the middle of the screen. Took it back Sunday and they exchanged it without even powering it up to see it for themselves!!!
3. I bought a powerbook a few years ago online and WAITED what seem forever. Alittle over a week, forever compared to the 1 hour drive to pick one up.

Hands down Apple store. The online upgrades cost too much anyways

 

I live in DE so no sales tax. I never got around to getting an ID for my classes yet so what if I bring in some sort of paperwork if I get it at the store? Hmm I could take my older daughter in there with me and say its for her since she's 11 in elementary school heh. Will all the machines they have in store be up to date as well or will they have old stock? Thanks for the advice so far.

Dan

 

For what it's worth, if you buy online, you can return/exchange at your local Apple Store. And it's also not like online purchases don't have a return policy if you wanted to return it back online.

-Zadillo

 

The student discount is only for college/university students, so your daughter plan wouldn't quite work...

A printout of your current class schedule would probably work.

Or again, if you have a student e-mail account, all you'll need to do is login to it; that is usually enough for them to determine you're eligible for the student discount.

Machines should be relatively up-to-date; HOW new they are would of course depend on how much the store sells (if this Apple Store doesn't sell a lot, it's conceivable you could have some machines that are a few weeks old).

But certainly they would be up to date in terms of current specs, etc. They might still be machines with Tiger preinstalled though and a drop-in Leopard update disk though.

-Zadillo

 

Getting it from the Store or online is not a big difference...if you ask me, I would get it in store so you get it right away instead of having to wait for it to ship .

 

Are you sure? Whenever I've talked to Apple about this they've told me that Phone and Online purchases are not exchangeable/returnable to retail stores. If you purchase online or over the telephone you need to contact customer service for returns/exchanges and then mail the product back to Apple.

 

I just ordered it by phone since I had a question in regarding the purchase the guy was like ill just take care of it now. So I have a new mbp being shipped out to me should be here by friday woohoo I'm excited. Also just ordered that booq boa xm system for the mbp 15" should be an awesome setup. I got the apple care and a free printer too hmm well not free but will be with rebate. Thanks everyone for the help.

 

Congrats, xDanx! Keep us posted on how it goes!