Hi,
I getting ready to switch... (sometimes it sounds like taking a "red pill" and free a Windows Soul from the matrix world...hahaha).

Anyway, I'm looking for a good deal on a Macbook Pro to experiment a little before I fully switch to "the other side"... or not (although I hear that patients hardly ever come back from this trip ;-)).

So, where do you guys shop for everything Mac related. Reveal your secret palces, please. While I wait for your reply, let the Force be with you.
Thanks,
Paul

As a recent switcher myself, I gotta say just take the plunge. (Ain't no zealot like a convert.)

That said, I really can't help you with secret deals and such. You could try ebay, I guess, but I'm always wary of buying electronics through the mail from people I don't know.

I think the best deal you can get while being safe is just to go to Apple's refurb site. I <3 refurbs.

+1

I purchased my MBP refurbished and my wife's Ipod refurbished as well. No problems. Same warranty as the new.

Thanks for a hint guys. I'm browsing through apple's site right now.
WHat you think about this?

Ryan, is there anything you miss from Windows platform?

Watch this site daily.. They really do have the best deals. www.dealmac.com
Might take a few days for a macbook pro to show up but when it does it's a great deal.

I'm actually waiting for them to post more apple refurbs so I can use my iphone 100$ credit.

I shop directly on the apple website. My husband is a professor... and I occasionally take classes at the college - so we both get the educational discount, which is as good as it gets (other than getting it for free as an employee!)

shop in the apple store's refurbished section online... significant discounts on usually new or refurbished equipment that's back up to factory spec.

we shop at apple.

craigslist all the way!

Apple has strict rules for their retailers as far as price is concerned. If you want a new mac no store is going to have it cheaper than another

Yes. That's true. But if you want free shipping and no taxes, shop at a store that doesn't have a physical location in your state. For example, I bought mine from Amazon and saved over $300 in taxes than buying it from Apple.

You might try MacMall.

Their prices are a little under Apple and they sometimes bundle the computers with goodies.

Sean

I just got my mbp (the $2499 one) at the Apple store with an NPPA discount of $200. Sweet! They had a huge list of discount partners they flipped through while looking for NPPA. They couldn't find it, but I just pulled up the special-priced apple store page that you can access by logging into your NPPA account and they printed the page and gave me the discount, no problem. See if you are (or can become) a member of one of the business discount partners or something... good deal!

http://dealnews.com/deals/Apple-Mac-Book-P...ate/191203.html

My best deal on Mac's comes from RTI, a RIP software company based out of Florida that we've used for 15 + years.

I just bought a used Mac G5 with 80 gb HD + 320 gb HD, and upgraded to 4gb RAM for under $ 1500 including shipping. I got a discount because the computer has a ding on one of the feet. Fine with me, its been slaving away at PS actions and post processing my weddings super fast.

Ken at 949- 925- 1303, and no I don't get anything for letting people in on my deal.

hth someone,
arlene

Wow,
thank you guys for all the info. I didn't expect so many replies. I guess Mac users are nicer community to hang out with :-) (opssss!, I should't say that being still a PC user)... or by default all OSP members are so COOL!!! Thank you very much and please keep posting. We all should benefit from this info. It's great to know that there are other places than apple store or MacMall that have great deals on Macs.

I went and had a look at a Mac place today for a 15" MacBook Pro and to upgrade the standard ram to 4GB instead. It comes out at €2701.43 incl tax which a lot mroe than I expected. But then I suppsoe if I want he hassle free problems associated with Windoz then its the price I need to pay.

Plus, if you miss any Windows applications, you can run Windows through BaseCamp or Parallels. I prefer Parallels because I can run Windows from within Mac OSX instead of having to reboot to a Windows partition with BaseCamp.

Although, I must warn you, it does feel a little weird at first seeing a Windows desktop being run from a MacBook Pro