How to Buy a Discount Mac Computer

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By Russell and Kerri Cox
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I bought a brand new $1500 iMac for $1000 at Best Buy. That's a savings of $500, but buying a cheap Mac isn't easy if you're looking for a new one. Not even refurbished Macs come with that kind of discount. Apple has price control over its products. That means a retailer can rarely mark them down. However, there are exceptions and loopholes that will allow you to get a discount on a new Macintosh computer.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

The time and desire to find a good deal on a new Mac.
Money or credit

Step 1

If you want the best deal on an iBook, an iMac, a Mac Mini, or any other Apple product, the best time to shop is when Apple releases their new generation of computers and iPods. When a new version of each model is released, the last generation of that model is marked down. They mark down the old models at the Apple Store online, at local Apple retailers, and at Best Buy. This discount usually amounts to a couple hundred dollars depending on the model of Mac you want to buy.
Step 2

MacBook Air

Waiting until the new Apple computers are released will save you some money, but you may be able to get an even cheaper Mac. Sometimes customers buy a computer and return it to the store if they find a better deal or decide they can't afford it. When someone brings a Mac back to the store, it can't be sold for full price. This also happens with display models.

Would you want to pay full price for something that's already been opened? No. That's why Best Buy, or whichever store you go to, will mark down any Mac that has already been opened. These are called open-box items. If you want a discount, ask the sales manager if the store has any open-box or display Macs. The store will usually take a couple hundred dollars off the full Apple price.
Step 3

iMac

Now, to get a really good deal on a Mac, do what I did. Start shopping around the time when Apple releases their new generation of Macs. Best Buy and the private Mac retailers will be taking down their old display models and selling them at a discounted price. You can ask for the open box discount plus you'll be paying less for the previous generation computer. It's still a brand new Mac and comes with the Apple warranty. I bought my new iMac in this manner.

I kept dropping by Best Buy and asking if they had any open-box Macs. Several times they had open-box items that were good deals, but they weren't exactly what I was looking for. Eventually I got lucky. They had a previous-generation 20 inch iMac with an upgraded memory. An employee bought it because it was a good deal, but he decided it wasn't a good enough deal for his finances so he brought it back. They marked it down $200 for not being the new release model and another $300 for having been purchased and returned. Now, I'm typing this article on my new iMac and loving it.

Comments

brentcrandall said

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on 10/24/2009 Excellent article! Another great option is to buy refurbished. Apple-Discounts.com is a useful website that displays the latest refurbished offerings from Apple. All products come with the standard Apple one-year warranty and the savings can be quite substantial.