Cheapest Way to get a MBP

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Hi there. I'm a college student and I'm very interested in a MBP as my laptop. I asked my college IT admin if there are special discounts and he said there aren't. My college has a partnership with Dell, not Apple.

My previous high school had a partnership with Apple and all the school was Macbooks and iMacs. I thought of stopping by and asking if there's a chance they could offer me a discount but I doubt it, since I'm no longer a student there.

The ~$2000 pricetag is too much for me. I was thinking something along the lines of <$1000, but Macbook is too low performance for me.

I read in a few places of people getting MBPs "dirt cheap" through work. What would dirt cheap be, in your experience? And is there any way I could get them dirt cheap? :)

P.S, not interested in used, I want it to be brand new.
 
Check the Apple website to see if your school is listed..

My school said they weren't partnered with Apple, yet they do have edu discounts.

You can also look at the refurb models, they are cheaper and very good condition.
 
I checked with the website a few months back. They are listed but it's like.. 50 dollar discount, if that from what I remember.
 
The only way to approach your price range is to buy a used MBP. No way you can get a new one for that range, refurbs dont even go below $1600.

With that said start checking eBay to get an idea of what is in your price range, you can usually find the 2.16ghz one with X1600 going for somewhere near that.
 
As noted above, you won't find a MacBook Pro any where near $1000. You'll need to budget at least $1300+ for a used MBP and it might only be a single core model.
 
Good luck, as stated won't happen. What is so slow about the Macbook you can't handle?
 
TheLordsServant said:
Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but they did they ever even make a single core MBP?
Click to expand...
I should have typed core duo (as opposed to core 2 duo) instead of single core. Here's one in the OP's price range:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Macbook-Pro-2GHZ-120G-HD-2GB-Ram-Core-Duo-15_W0QQitemZ180335257655QQcmdZViewItemQQptZApple_Laptops?hash=item180335257655&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

EDIT: Well, it was $1050 as Buy-It-Now, but someone just bid on it, so it's now a regular auction.
 
I see, dang.

Macbook has only 2GB and terrible graphics card. I do play some games here and there (mainly WoW), so I'd much prefer a 8600GT. I also find it really, really ugly compared to the stylish MBP.

I can totally see how infalted Mac's are. 2GB and a 8600GT combined would cost, what, 150-200 tops? But apparently Apple thinks they're worth more around $1200 extra
 
You can get a refurbished 2.4ghz unibody mbp for $1699 in the apple online store.
Apple refurbs are pretty much good as new, they put new casings on them so it doesn't really feel preowned.

pretty much all college students can get a discount on apple's online store, the cheapest mbp with edu discount is still $1899.

ALSO you could join apple's student developer connection program for $100 and you get like a 20% discount on pro hardware(MBP's and mac pros), which with the cost of admission & discount ends up being cheaper than just the regular edu discount.
 
Tylerdurdened said:
I can totally see how infalted Mac's are. 2GB and a 8600GT combined would cost, what, 150-200 tops? But apparently Apple thinks they're worth more around $1200 extra
Click to expand...

A) You're looking at laptops, they're always more expensive (especially when looking for high-end (ie - not intel integrated crap) graphics cards).

B) Pretty much every OEM you go to is going to soak you on the simple upgrades like memory and HDD space. It's not uncommon to see 1GB -> 4GB RAM upgrades cost $150, even when you can buy the whole 4GB for $50.


Honestly, you're not getting a new MBP for a grand. Considering how Apple hardware holds its value, you're going to be hard pressed to get a used one in good condition for that price (not to mention that, other than the Firewire port, the current Macbooks are as fast or faster than qolder MBPs).

If price and performance are your primary concerns, you might have to just suck it up and get a Dell. The only way you're getting the Apple is to compromise on price or performance.
 
The new unibody Macbook with a 9400M in it supports 4GB of RAM and is $1099 for a refurb. Check it out.
 
You should look for schools that are blowing out their old stock of previous generation stuff. they will give you student discount. Otherwise refurb MBP for new gen is about the cheapest you can get.
 
MBP for 1000? Dream on...

On that note, look at the newer MacBooks. In many cases they offer nearly as much power as the MBP's, just a smaller screen. My mom got the new MacBook and its sweet.

Unless you are a hardcore graphics developer and require the screen real estate, the 13 inch version should be enough. If you're interested in gaming, then you shouldn't be considering a mac at all. Besides, a 17inch laptop is a pain in the ass to carry around. It will take up MOST of your desk if you take it to class. I got through college with a 14.1 inch HP as a computer science major and couldn't be happier. Size wise, it was perfect. ALL my comp sci buddies were envious of its portability.

I dunno, thats just my 2 cents.
 
PS there is a previous gen MBP on the apple refurb page for $1349... that's very close to new & $1000, but still it's over budget.

I personally like the 15.4" size, but I'm using a 13.3" right now, it's been just over a year, but now that I'm doing more I need more screen.
 
i got mine using my companys EPP..i just showed them my work id...the discount just covered the tax:)
 
In general academic discounts for hardware discounts aren't like software discounts. It's usually never more than 10% of it's retail value. That being said...

You're better off going to school that includes a Mac as part of their tuition package than finding one you'll like at $1000.
 
You are asking for the impossible here. New means > $1500 at least. I bought a used (though it was very lightly used) 4.1 on ebay with Live cashback for $1150. That is the model right before the Unibody. Buying used on Ebay or Craigslist is going to be your best bet.
 
As per thread title, "Steal one" is the cheapest way. (if you don't get caught)
 
Tylerdurdened said:
Hi there. I'm a college student and I'm very interested in a MBP as my laptop. I asked my college IT admin if there are special discounts and he said there aren't. My college has a partnership with Dell, not Apple.

My previous high school had a partnership with Apple and all the school was Macbooks and iMacs. I thought of stopping by and asking if there's a chance they could offer me a discount but I doubt it, since I'm no longer a student there.

The ~$2000 pricetag is too much for me. I was thinking something along the lines of <$1000, but Macbook is too low performance for me.

I read in a few places of people getting MBPs "dirt cheap" through work. What would dirt cheap be, in your experience? And is there any way I could get them dirt cheap? :)

P.S, not interested in used, I want it to be brand new.
Click to expand...

Well, the 1200 macbook is fine you will get a $50 discount for being a student. You have wine taste on a beer budget.
 
Tylerdurdened said:
I see, dang.

Macbook has only 2GB and terrible graphics card. I do play some games here and there (mainly WoW), so I'd much prefer a 8600GT. I also find it really, really ugly compared to the stylish MBP.

I can totally see how infalted Mac's are. 2GB and a 8600GT combined would cost, what, 150-200 tops? But apparently Apple thinks they're worth more around $1200 extra
Click to expand...

You don't need a good gpu to play WoW...
 
You ain't finding a new MBP for $1000. Even used have a hard time staying under there.

You have to settle for getting used. The best price I ever found on a Unibody MBP was $1599 new. I bit of course, but that was all luck.

Hunt Ebay. That's basically all I can recommend. I love Macs, but if you want a gaming Laptop, a mac might not be for you...
 
Are you opposed to purchasing a previous generation MBP?

If not, www.macmall.com might still have some available for under $1,500.00 and they are not refurbished. I actually picked up a new (not refurb) previous generation MBP for my wife (2.5Ghz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD) for $1,399.00 at MicroCenter about 6 weeks ago.

I was considering purchasing the current generation to replace my previous generation MBP and give her my hand me downs, but it was hard to pass up that price...
 
Mr. Wolf said:
As noted above, you won't find a MacBook Pro any where near $1000. You'll need to budget at least $1300+ for a used MBP and it might only be a single core model.
Click to expand...

What do you mean exactly by "single-core"? As far as I know, all Intel-chipped laptops have been dual core, including the MBA.
 
Tylerdurdened said:
Hi there. I'm a college student and I'm very interested in a MBP as my laptop. I asked my college IT admin if there are special discounts and he said there aren't. My college has a partnership with Dell, not Apple.

My previous high school had a partnership with Apple and all the school was Macbooks and iMacs. I thought of stopping by and asking if there's a chance they could offer me a discount but I doubt it, since I'm no longer a student there.

The ~$2000 pricetag is too much for me. I was thinking something along the lines of <$1000, but Macbook is too low performance for me.

I read in a few places of people getting MBPs "dirt cheap" through work. What would dirt cheap be, in your experience? And is there any way I could get them dirt cheap? :)

P.S, not interested in used, I want it to be brand new.
Click to expand...

And I want a Ferrari, but will only pay Ford Focus money for it. And it's gotta be brand new...:p

Mate, it's not gonna happen, though you very well might find it used for that price.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
As noted above, you won't find a MacBook Pro any where near $1000. You'll need to budget at least $1300+ for a used MBP and it might only be a single core model.
Click to expand...

TheLordsServant said:
Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but they did they ever even make a single core MBP?
Click to expand...

Mr. Wolf said:
I should have typed core duo (as opposed to core 2 duo) instead of single core.
Click to expand...

Mad_Pyro said:
What do you mean exactly by "single-core"? As far as I know, all Intel-chipped laptops have been dual core, including the MBA.
Click to expand...

I believe this has been covered. The only single core Intel based Mac was the first low end Mac Mini after the switch. I believe it had a 1.5GHz Core Solo.

Anyway, back to the original topic, you're going to be hard pressed to find a $1000 new MacBook Pro. If you get lucky, you might be able to pick up a last gen refurb for $1500, maybe a little less.
 
The GeForce 9400 graphics chip in the current-gen MacBooks (both aluminum and "White") is on par with the Radeon X1600 in the older-gen MacBook Pros...which are probably what you would get for $1000.

You can get a new "White" MacBook with the 9400 for $999, or a refurb aluminum model for $1099 off Apple's site. I also remember that when the new unibody Pro's came out, the older-gen ones (with the 8600GT chip) dropped to around $1300-$1400. You might be able to find a deal on those.
 
Well Don't Buy from Australia! My new 15" MBP which arrives today set me back
$4,231.00AUD and that's with my wifes education discount.
 
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