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Pianomankw · Sep 30, 2007, 09:00 PM

So i'm going to have close to $1400 in 2 weeks...I would really like a black macbook. But i don't want to totally empty my bank account. Would it be worth wait all the way until the day after thanksgiving, when sales are amazing to purchase the macbook. Leopard would come on it by then. Yet i don't know if apple is known for having any sales on black friday. Please help me...

mduell · Sep 30, 2007, 10:49 PM

Yea, I'd wait if cash is that tight.

ghporter · Oct 1, 2007, 07:23 AM

I agree that waiting is a good idea. But I don't know that Apple, or Apple Resellers, really participate in the madness of Black Friday. I don't recall seeing anything like a "big Mac sale!!!!!" ad or anything like that-ever.

(And I'm all for not buying anything at all on that particular day. Discouraging the advertising-driven marketplace can allow us to take it back to some extent.)

Waiting for an artificial date is only useful if you set that date yourself. Will you have significantly more money saved up by the end of November?

Cold Warrior · Oct 1, 2007, 09:39 AM

You should consider a refurbished model as well. Those are cheaper than brand new, but are like brand-new.

loveanh · Oct 1, 2007, 10:38 AM

When Leopard is released later this month will it be installed on the Macs or it this an upgrade only?

Cold Warrior · Oct 1, 2007, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by loveanh

When Leopard is released later this month will it be installed on the Macs or it this an upgrade only?

Yes, it will be the default OS on Macs. However, there will still be Macs in the sales channel that shipped to stores and customers before Leopard became the default installation. We don't know exactly when Leopard will be on Macs -- within a day's retail release, a couple days before, .... no one knows until it happens.

slugslugslug · Oct 1, 2007, 10:47 AM

I was under the impression that Apple's been having Black Friday sales at their brick-and-mortar stores and online for the past couple years. Macrumors.com usually reported on the specific discounts, so someone less lazy than I am could double-check. I think a few Mac models were up to $100 off, but I could be mistaken.

loveanh · Oct 1, 2007, 11:15 AM

Will Apple allow customers a free upgrade to Leopard if we are within the 14 day grace period? I'm looking to get a MB but I want the new OS too. Can we install the new OS on more than one Mac?

peeb · Oct 1, 2007, 11:27 AM

Usually they offer the 14 day thing. It's one license per machine unless you get a family license or some other explicit multiple license.

shifuimam · Oct 1, 2007, 12:23 PM

Why not wait until your finances are not so tight that the unnecessary purchase of an expensive computer will drain your bank account (or come close to doing so)?

Just sayin'.

sogbrightlight · 05:04 PM

Wait til Leopard comes out.

It's just a good idea to get your Mac with it already installed.

Also if you aren't completely attached to a Black Macbook

Buy the white one below it and customize it your specs. It'll be cheaper.

They actually charge more for the black paint job.

If you happen to be a student consider using the student discount. It's a great deal. That being said the lowend macbook pro is not much more than the Black Macbook and is certainly a good deal with 2gb ram standard and a dedicated graphics card.

Not to mention LED backlighting. I've heard rumors of a macbook upgrade soon so maybe you'd want to wait it out a bit.

I would not buy one at all until Leopard comes out.

As noted above check out ebay. They have some pretty nice macbook pros on there for around 1500 which is an incredible deal.

Many of those are still under warranty.

Hope that helps.

mduell · Oct 1, 2007, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by sogbrightlight

No. Apple does not participate in Black Friday.

Yes, they do.

sogbrightlight · Oct 1, 2007, 05:04 PM

I stand corrected.

ghporter · Oct 1, 2007, 08:42 PM

That's really interesting. I wonder if I've missed it because Apple's ads were drowned out by the roar of everybody else's sales, or if they just don't advertise it around here.

butterfly0fdoom · Oct 1, 2007, 09:27 PM

Apple doesn't advertise their Black Friday deals. I usually just log onto the Apple store to see what specials they have. But they're usually on accessories.

Pianomankw · Oct 1, 2007, 10:26 PM

yea i think i'm definitly going to wait until leopard comes....the only real reason i was waiting until black friday is because i will be in Cleveland where they have an apple store and i figured i can just go in the store and buy it, rather than order it offline and wait. But I am a student and i'm not sure if you can get a student discount in the store....does anyone happen to know? A macbook pro is kinda out of the question, i'm looking for total portability. I'm wondering if i do just go for the white one, are there any good black skins to put on it to make it look like a black macbook and not a cheesy one, but real?

slugslugslug · Oct 1, 2007, 10:46 PM

Yes, you can get the student discount in an Apple store. Somewhere in one of the MacRumors threads about the previous sales, there's a claim that you can get an even deeper discount on Black Friday, but I'm not sure how many folks, if any, confirmed that..

peeb · Oct 1, 2007, 11:09 PM

What sort of student ID do you need for that?

loveanh · Oct 1, 2007, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by peeb

What sort of student ID do you need for that?

a valid student ID from your university, 2 yr college, online university, etc.

sogbrightlight · Oct 1, 2007, 11:21 PM

online they don't ask for a student id. they ask you what school you goto and i suppose they do it through email. I didn't really see anything that required me to verify that I was a student.

I believe they do have student discounts at the Apple Store but I am sure you will have to present an ID. Also a drawback to buying at the apple store is that they carry stock items and not customized ones so it is simply easier to have it shipped to you.

As far as Black Friday discounts go. I am not sure if they would stack with a student discount and I'm sure it'd be a madhouse. Avoid the trouble I say and just buy it online. You'll be happier to have it sooner than later.

Black Friday is quite a long way off but who knows when Leopard will actually come out. They could always just push it back to next year or something like that. Hopefully it comes out soon.

Good luck in your decision making process.

Oh and on the covers....look up a paint thread. There are place that actually will paint your Mac to your specs. I'm sure that voids a warranty though.

loveanh · Oct 1, 2007, 11:34 PM

i believe online it's a matter of honesty and trust because they can't verify your school ID

ghporter · Oct 2, 2007, 08:06 PM

I agree with loveanh. I've logged onto the Apple Education Store from a wide variety of places, and getting to the student price section is a matter of selecting your school and clicking a button that says you're not lying about being a student. I've always used my original, pre-enrollment email address for all Apple Stores, and there's never been a problem.

So that means those of us who really are students don't want others to screw things up for everybody. If you're not a student, don't lie.

zygnet · Oct 2, 2007, 08:15 PM

i've been searching for macbook sales, in the past only 100$ off, who knows this year..could be more. i want to get my 1st macbook but not cost me an arm and a leg

SkiBikeSki · Oct 4, 2007, 08:54 AM

Why wait?! MacConnection, and I think MacMall too, are offering $100 off rebates right now.

MacConnection - Rebate Detail

That being said, I would wait until Leopard is out, and then order a MacBook that comes with it already installed. Or doesn't Apple offer you a free copy of the newest OS X if you order a machine after the OS's release date, but it doesn't come with the newest one installed?