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bckid · Jun 10, 2005, 09:15 AM

Don't worry this is not another "predict the future" thread...

My inquiry is to everyone leaving to go to school in late august/early september and who is looking to buy and iBook or PowerBook.

When are you going to buy it? I've been ready since I got out of school a few weeks ago. I've been strong lately though, resisting the calling of the "Buy Now" button at the apple online store, but I dont know how much longer I'm going to hold out.

So what is everyone else doing?

Buying now so you can play with it all summer before school?
or waiting till the last possible chance and then buying it sometime in August hoping for an upgrade?

Not looking for advice, jsut some friendly conversation....

Randman · Jun 10, 2005, 09:18 AM

There's always the chance for an update. I would think many students are going to wait and see what edu specials Apple offers for returning students. Wasn't last year's offer to get an iPod with a new laptop?

bckid · Jun 10, 2005, 10:24 AM

randman (or anyone else), do you remember when that deal came out? june/july/august?

crazeazn · Jun 10, 2005, 10:27 AM

i got shafted b/c i decided that i just wwanted to buy i went it and forked out wayyy too much

hopefully there wil be a new deal of some sorts.

rhythmicmoose · Jun 10, 2005, 11:37 AM

You guys have nothing to worry about. I just bought mine, a 15" PowerBook, so that means they'll update the entire product line and start some wicked education deal in a week or two. I'm predicting 2 GHz 7448 G4s in the base models, with 160 GB hard drives and Radeon Mobility X800s standard, and free 60 GB iPod photos for education customers.

* Disclaimer: The above predictions are more consistent with my luck than with technological trends or business decisions. Or reality in general, for that matter.

KeriVit · Jun 10, 2005, 11:56 AM

As hard as it is, I'm gonna hold out a month or two. I'll be selling my 17" and getting a 15" and display. Maybe they'll be a deal.

drprat · Jun 10, 2005, 03:29 PM

odds of an update in pbs -> extremely slim... ibooks, i don't care for... i started uni last year and waited it out until early aug... it wouldn't have really made a diff if i had purchased it earlier or later, i just needed a couple of days to get it running the way i wanted... apple product turnaround, esp for laptops, seems to be quite slow and can often be predicted...

my only suggestion would be to keep an eye out for special edu discounts and offers, which usually begin in july... i.e. last yr was the ipod + powerbook/ibook promo which was an amazing offer (i didn't partake however since im not a big ipod fan)...

rhythmicmoose -> hahahahaha....

wtmcgee · Jun 10, 2005, 03:41 PM

There is a deal right now where you get $100 more off when you purchase an Apple system:

http://education.apple.com/students/go/save/

Just something else to think about.

Phossil · Jun 11, 2005, 12:22 AM

I really wanted to get a 12" today, but I held strong and I think I'll wait until August for some kind of educational discount/promotion.

Waiting sucks, I really hope they update by August. The iBooks are overdue for an update, but if they update them then they'll make them too close to the powerbooks, so Apple will probably update the powerbooks at the same time.

Would it be so hard to give the 12" a lighted keyboard and a nicer screen?

brettcamp · Jun 11, 2005, 02:13 AM

The end of summer edu deals are usually pretty good, and as noted above, often involve an iPod, so if you don't need one of those, maybe you can grab your 'book now. There is a $100 off edu deal available on Apple's website; it expires June 26 or so, which probably means a summer sale thereafter.
Be sure to check your college bookstore to see if you qualify for any special bundles or deals once you enroll; that could be a good reason to wait a few weeks.

Steve · Jun 11, 2005, 02:35 AM

I was definetly planning on getting a 12" or 15" PowerBook, but with the Intel update on its way (within the next couple of years), I may just pick up a used iBook for ~$700, and save the rest of my money for when the Intel-based notebooks come out.

Apple lost out on a new sale to me with this announcement.

redheadfred · Jun 11, 2005, 04:57 AM

if you get one before june 30th with some software, thats when the educational year ends and your purchases reset. yet another thing to think about while in this stage...

sniffer · Jun 11, 2005, 07:06 AM

An iBook upgrade can't be far away now. With a GPU upgrade (for CI/CV[/Q2DE?] + more VRAM would've been appropriate) and the usual CPU bump, an iBook should bring most people trough the two year transition. If the iBook fit your needs that is.

My current Mac is near todays iBook specs, and I am considering to substitute it with a Macintel mini or something in about one or two years.

skelotar · Jun 11, 2005, 11:46 AM

wait until july/august..

Thats what I did and I got the 15" powerbook with the 200 dollar mail-in ipod rebate in which I did get the rebate..

Very, very good deal!!

Your powerbook maxed out with ram is still faster than anything the pc world has to offer. I'd just be sure to max out the video ram / don't opt for the superdrive and also, don't opt for the bigger HD... NO APPLE RAM EITHER!!

Get third party RAM, a third party 100 / 80 gig 5400 rpm HD or a 7200 HD if possible and you can always add a superdrive later for cheaper or an external DL dvd burner for far, far less.

OK, good luck chap!

teney7 · Jun 11, 2005, 10:59 PM

I'll probably be waiting until the last minute because I feel like I have to --- I bought a first gen iPod (which I still use) in Apr 03 because I just couldn't wait and about a week later they introduced the second gen iPods --- I was so mad!

It is hard, though... I need something to play around with this summer...

TypeMRT · Jun 13, 2005, 01:32 AM

The graduation deals are pretty good too; I got a 1.67 15" PowerBook at the $2099 education price from the campus bookstore and they threw in an iPod mini for free. I've seen other schools offer AppleCare for free too.