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fr33daddy · Nov 22, 2004, 02:12 PM

ok, so, ive pretty much decided that im GOING to get an ibook sometime in the next eight months. I start college in fall 2005 so I will definitely be getting it before that. Now, my question is this: is there any harm in waiting until this summer to get the ibook. Now i know most of you will say that the obvious harm is having to spend 5-6 months without an ibook, but i suppose i can live with that. the only thing keeping me from getting it now is money, so in six months ill have more money, as well as student loans coming in, etc. The only reason im worried is because ive heard that apple has a tendency discontinue one product before announcing its upgrade (in this case a new ibook), and i dont want to go to the apple store six months from now and find out that the only thing i can buy is a new ibook that costs a lot more than the current one. anyone have any thoughts on this?

jaimzedup · Nov 22, 2004, 03:18 PM

I don't think you'll have any problems waiting for your fall semester. The new ibooks are pretty recent. I'm sure they'll have this same version of ibooks when you are ready to purchase.

I'm in the same boat as you. I need a new computer for the fall semester but I've decided that I'm going to buy mine before Christmas. I don't think any kind of price cut is in line, so I figure I might as well buy it now and get used to my new toy.

fr33daddy · Nov 22, 2004, 03:24 PM

im constantly tempted to go ahead and buy it, cos i know im gonna have to use my student loans either way to buy it. so, its kind of like, if im using loans either way, why NOT buy it now...but i just cant bring myself to go ahead and get those student loans any sooner than i have to. debt is just frightening.

jaimzedup · Nov 22, 2004, 03:36 PM

Yeah, it's rough paying for school and it's rough making a big purchase for yourself.
If you know for sure that this is the ibook you want, and you know for sure that your financial plans are going to go as planned, I really see no harm in buying it now.

I doubt that you'll regret it once you recieve your ibook. It'll help make those debt-ridden days pass a little bit faster.

fr33daddy · Nov 22, 2004, 03:45 PM

yea, i doubt ill regret it, but its still hard to make myself take that plunge into thousands of dollars of debt any earlier than i have to.

d4nth3m4n · Nov 22, 2004, 03:49 PM

i would imagine the prices are pretty set. all you to risk by waiting is a bumb in processor speed. if you can, wait it out. as far as i can recall sitting here thinking about this, the only discontinued item while waiting for a new one to be released was the iMac last summer.

and hell, remember there is always eBay.

discotronic · Nov 22, 2004, 11:32 PM

Originally posted by d4nth3m4n:
i would imagine the prices are pretty set. all you to risk by waiting is a bumb in processor speed. if you can, wait it out. as far as i can recall sitting here thinking about this, the only discontinued item while waiting for a new one to be released was the iMac last summer.

and hell, remember there is always eBay.

I agree. The odds of Apple raising the price seems slim since they just lowered them again.

fr33daddy,
Wait as long as you can if possible. By the time you get ready for college the Cram and Jam (or whatever it is called) will be back. You can get a nice rebate on an iPod if purchased with an iBook or PowerBook. By that time the odds are that the iBook will get a minor update if the every 6 month update trend continues. Another good reason to wait would be the iBook will be more up to date longer. If you plan on keeping the iBook for the full time you are in school you will need it to be as up to date as possible.

troymurray · Nov 23, 2004, 08:45 AM

It would have Tiger on it and probably a Core Image supported video card too.

jaimzedup · Nov 23, 2004, 10:04 AM

Originally posted by troymurray:
It would have Tiger on it and probably a Core Image supported video card too.

but this would probably entail a price increase.

troymurray · Nov 23, 2004, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by jaimzedup:
but this would probably entail a price increase.

Guess I'm not sure it would, they added an AE and bumped the CPU speed in this last revision all while lowering the price.

jaimzedup · Nov 23, 2004, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by troymurray:
Guess I'm not sure it would, they added an AE and bumped the CPU speed in this last revision all while lowering the price.

very true. If I had a choice, I'd wait it out for the Tiger release but I need my machine by January.

troymurray · Nov 23, 2004, 10:14 AM

Originally posted by jaimzedup:
very true. If I had a choice, I'd wait it out for the Tiger release but I need my machine by January.

So why not buy now and get the $100 rebate from Amazon.com, you'll have your machine now and an extra $100 in your pocket you might not have then.

jaimzedup · Nov 23, 2004, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by troymurray:
So why not buy now and get the $100 rebate from Amazon.com, you'll have your machine now and an extra $100 in your pocket you might not have then.

Yeah, I plan to order mine the weekend after Thanksgiving. But I think I missed out on the Amazon rebate already. I plan to buy from Apple online because I want to buy it configured with an 80gb hd.

troymurray · Nov 23, 2004, 10:41 AM

The $150 rebate is over, the $100 rebate is currently running. But it's true that you can't get the 80GB anywhere other then apple.com

jaimzedup · Nov 23, 2004, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by troymurray:
The $150 rebate is over, the $100 rebate is currently running. But it's true that you can't get the 80GB anywhere other then apple.com

Yup. I get the educational discount too which saves me exactly $100 on the 14'' combo drive.

troymurray · Nov 23, 2004, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by jaimzedup:
Yup. I get the educational discount too which saves me exactly $100 on the 14'' combo drive.

Sounds like it's on par with the Amazon deal. Only other suggestion I'd have, if you go BTO, is the BT adapter.

jaimzedup · Nov 23, 2004, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by troymurray:
Sounds like it's on par with the Amazon deal. Only other suggestion I'd have, if you go BTO, is the BT adapter.

I was thinking about it, but I don't think I would ever use it. I don't mind having a cord on my mouse and I can work fine on the laptop keyboard itself. My cell phone is not BT compatible...and I don't see any use I would have for it. Maybe I am missing something, I don't really see what the big fuss about BT is. Anyone care to enlighten me?