# Free iPod w/iBook @ BestBuy



## Croptop (Apr 20, 2004)

OK, at the risk of rekindling the "Best Buy is good for Mac/Best Buy is bad for Mac" fire, I note that in this week's Best Buy flyer they're advertising a deal wherein if you buy an iBook (G4 1.0 GHz w/combo drive) they'll give you a free 15 gig iPod.

Tempting... very tempting.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

No argument - a really good deal.


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

Sounds like a great deal







I have been considering buyng a iBook or Powerbook. What does it say after instantly with purchase of this iBook? It wont let me zoom. Is it the 12" or the 14". I would assume it is the 12"?

[ August 06, 2004, 08:29 AM: Message edited by: Clockwork ]


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## Croptop (Apr 20, 2004)

> What does it say after instantly with purchase of this iBook? It wont let me zoom.


The exact wording of the ad is:

FREE Apple(r) 15GB iPod
instantly with purchase of this iBook ($349.99 value)
(10039475/N9460LL/A)

It then goes on to give a synopsis of the system specs of the iBook itself.

I don't see anything that implies that there is a mail-in rebate involved.


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## farfisa (Nov 5, 2003)

It's the 14"--the latest model too (M9418LL/A according to the rollover text) at the MSRP of $1699.
So it's really a free iPod with a new iBook.... well, I'll be...
I'm a suspicious person when it comes to really good deals--I thought they might be trying to sell off the last generation models...
Maybe stock is an issue?...


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## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

maybe they've rethought the mac reseller arrangement already and have decided to clear out their inventory. (kidding)


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

don't really care how you slice this deal... but this is nutty! had i been in the market for either....

H!


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## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

this leads me to believe the margins on hardware are not as slim as many resellers would lead you to believe, or am i missing something here?


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## Tait Kahray (Jan 22, 2004)

Rumour time! Maybe new iBooks are on the horizon...


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## Digital_Gary (Sep 18, 2003)

> this leads me to believe the margins on hardware are not as slim as many resellers would lead you to believe, or am i missing something here?


If someone were to pay cash, this would be a loss of $190.00 for the reseller. If someone pays credit card, it is a loss of about $230.00.

No idea how and why they are doing this.


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## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

could they have beaten apple up on the price?


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## elmer (Dec 19, 2002)

Definitely a well thought-out loss leader gambit.

Sale of accessories (for both the iPod and the computer) and other impulse buys, PR ...
Assuming they make a net profit on the average customer visit caused by this promotion, large turnover could make it work.

Beats hanging on to inventory and reducing it once it becomes out of date.

Perfect back to school timing and choice of products. Imagine - making Best Buy the choice for all the student's back to school buying.


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## Digital_Gary (Sep 18, 2003)

> could they have beaten apple up on the price?


I hope this is just a one time thing to promte the fact they carry Macs. If this happens on a regular basis, we're not going to be happy campers


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

I personaly from a consumer stand point, want to buy from who ever is going to give me the best deal. That is where my money is going. I dont care if it's Best Buy, Future Shop or a PC dealer. When it comes down to it, I want the best bang for the buck. I am going to go to Best Buy tonight and find out (possibly even buy one if it is true). It may be that they only have one, just to get you in the store idea. If thats the case curse them


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## Kosh (May 27, 2002)

Damn, if I didn't have to pay for that G5 I'm waiting for, I'd replace my Pismo with this offer. I was looking at replacing my Pismo sometime in the future (probably another year).


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## Vishalca (Aug 5, 2004)

Hmm...I was just thinking...could you use the "Cram and Jam" educational promotion on this? Because, you are getting an iBook and an iPod, and that's all the deal says. You could knock off an additional $275!!!


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

You can never get hold of people these days. I left a message at Best Buy to find out some more info. I can't get down there right now.


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

They're dumping their old stock of 3G iPods...Given the price drop on the new 4G model and its significant performance enhancements, eating the loss is a far better strategy than trying to sell them at a discount. They want to build a customer base of Mac users in the hopes that they can sell you on extended warrantee, accessories. In all, it's a pretty sweet deal and the BestBuy extended warrantee is better in many respects than AppleCare. 

That said, BestBuy has a long way to go before they can match the service and product knowledge you'll get from a smaller Apple authorized seller (e.g., Carbonation et al)...and that's something you'll come to appreciate in a hurry if ever you have trouble with your Mac.


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

I agree with the service aspect. I had a Sony Vaio that I bought from Futureshop years ago and the service was terrible. I ended up waiting months, then it broke again and it took another few weeks. They also lost my power cord


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## Eidetic (Oct 6, 2003)

i'm waiting on the buy a g5 and get a free cinema display promo!!!!!!


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## farfisa (Nov 5, 2003)

The "Cram and Jam" thing is definitely a no in this case--both products have to be bought from an Education reseller, like the Apple Education store or a Campus store. (And in this case, one of the products isn't even bought!)
Nice wishing though!
As a business, maybe they have some tax advantage to writing off a bunch of dead stock... Or maybe they got a deal on buying out all of the leftover 15 gig iPods.
Or maybe they're really stupid.


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

PPL are looking @ this for sure. I just took a call from a friend of mine who was questioning me like the actual sales rep... amn, I better see some commission from this.  

Anyhow, this was the ocrrect deal/pkg to create from day 1. I'm not sure if he was the 1st, but when MacDoc was starting to offer those iBook/iPod deals, they simply looked sweeter!

I'd like to see what the final #s were on this promo. It should move.

H!


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## lindmar (Nov 13, 2003)

I think the cram and jam deal is still better...


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

I just picked up the iBook and iPod combo. I went to the Best Buy in Woodbridge and they had sold out and had 30 more arriving on Tuesday. They called the Dufferin Best Buy and they had two left. They said it was a one week limited promo. I guess there just trying to get people in since they have never sold Macs before. They totaly tried to sell me on their warranty package. I just didn't listen to her. She had too go through the whole nine yards


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

In case anybody is wondering, the Markville location of Best Buy did not have any Macs on display as of last Sunday. If you're going that direction for this deal, you're best to give them a call first.


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## RC51Pilot (Mar 26, 2004)

I saw that deal too - awesome. I also noticed they had the eMac combo drive on sale for $999. I bought one for my parents plus, I showed them the receipt for mine that I bought for $1049 10 days ago and got a $50 refund.









The salesguy told me they are selling them right left and centre and even the G5's have been going pretty good.They had already been through 3 since I was there last and while I was in yesterday, 2 people called asking for the price of the G5.

While I agree about the service aspect, It doesn't matter to me since I can service my own machines, and for the lay person, if they buy the extended warranty from Best Buy, 3 strikes, and Best Buy gives them a brand spankin' new machine anyways. No hassles shipping to Apple.

The other thing a lot of the little guys can't do, is offer no payments/no interest for a year. Makes it easier to talk someone into spending $2800 on a G5.

I think Best Buy is going to be good for Apple and their distribution network.


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## lindmar (Nov 13, 2003)

clockwork, what was your total cost with taxes?


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

It cost about $1950 or something like that. I took the memory I bought back and picked some off Macdoc. They guys at Best Buy didn't even take off the security box lol I would of had to hammer it open.


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## hmto (Jul 4, 2003)

The BB at Heartland has all the macs on display, even the new 20" LCD. They had sold out of them by the time I had got there. 
Anyway they had the ibook and ipod available. There was an apple rep on hand for newbies and potential switchers. This kind of exposure can only be positive. Lots of people milling around the display area. Ran Mtrix on the 20" and was incredible. It was spanned with the 17" and boy can you tell the difference in the two lcd's. Much brighter and vibrant. Also spoke with a sales rep about their return policy on the pixels and he confirmed that they will honour like their other LCD's, even if it is only one pixel which he said was better than apples. Great for apple as a whole but how this plays out for local resellers right now spells  
We'll see how this pans out in the next few months. But for now, the consumer is the ultimate winner, no?


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## Heart (Jan 16, 2001)

Rape and Pillage, thats what they are doing.


Yes the consumer wins in the short term, $50 buck here, $50 buck there, and then in the long term the Apple Authorized " Little Guy " will be there to pick up the pieces as the fall.

Don't forget those that will end up supporting you.

Carbon Computing
MacDoc
First Avenue
DPI
PosterBoy ( London Drugs)


Those are just a few (Not all) that support you here on ehMac site.

Let's see the cute boy with the blue shirt and tight khaki pants talk you through and upgrade, install or how to........

Think about it...


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Heart thanks for the promo but I think Best Buy ( unlike the goofs at FS ) are going to be good for Apple visibility.

The deal is a one week kick off and you can bet it impressed the staff and brought a lot of Apple awareness. The Heartland store had it very very prominent right next to the computer centre desk with excellent lines of sight visibility.

Ongoing issues like that deal would be indeed damaging if not available to everyone but the 1 gHz iBook was slow moving because the 1.2 gHz represents better value. 20% faster, A/port extreme, 50% bigger drive.

Not all stocked the 1 gHz iBook for that reason.
So a decent intelligent way to nudge a slow mover in an awkward price point and create some buzz for a very limited period.
My take on it.


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## hmto (Jul 4, 2003)

Guess some of us can still attempt to keep macs and apple an elitist consumer product. Just don't bellyache when the day comes where apple is gone off the map and relegated to a subsidary of, gosh no, MS or the like. But then we still want to achieve a marketshare somewhere close to an adult shoe size as opposed to what, 4%? I would love to support the local and small retailer, which I have in the past, but if you can pass up a deal such as the one in this thread then your pockets are deeper than mine. I'm not enforcing you to shop there. But a choice is what a free market is all about.
ps, the cute guy in khaki's was actually quite knowledgeable, moreso than some of the other staff I have previously spoken to. 
Still a great effort on behalf of BB.


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

Yeah it was funny, the two guys who really wanted to fire it up to make sure it was working (They had never seen or used a mac, I gave them the speil about hardly any viruses, no spy ware, works like a charm, the one guy said he liked them and may even buy one). The only thing that was a little annoying was there three yr warranty sales pitch. I dont think Best Buy will have a deal like this anytime soon. Unless they end up doing horrible with purchases, then they may dump at lower prices. Unfortunatly these big guys like to crush the competition with deals that no one else can beat. There customer service is usualy crap in the big stores but I found Best Buy was not too bad. Future Shop was terrible the few times I have bought from them. This was just too good of an offer to pass on while I was looking for a notebook.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

AND he supported his local Mac reseller  

The occasional traffic builder deals are unbeatable but the irritating things like $39 USB cables and ridiculous RAM installation costs( amongst others) are traps for the unwary that put big profit to the bottom line of the box stores.

I do think it will be good for exposure for Macs and sales are already booming for us at least, so a quality Mac centre in a well run big boxer won't hurt and may "spread the word".

Hey they'll all end up at ehMac anyway then you'll set em straight...... right Heart??  

I find it interesting that the one item that is getting people to look seriously at Macs is the iPod experience. Who'da thunk??


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

The problem they may run into is, none of them in the two stores I went to seemed to know anything about Macs at all. If I was someone new and interested, I would never buy a computer from them. They said they had Apple techs in informing them, but I guess he/she either didn't do his/her job or no one was paying any attention that day. The one guy told me the wrong memory and the rest of them seemed to have no clue what to tell me regarding memory (Macdoc knew right away which type, who would you rather see?). I dont think in the end they are going to be much competition due to their lack of experience and most likely people going into that store are looking for a PC not a Mac. They may get the odd new person or someone who knows its a deal but I think in the end they will only sell very little. As far as I know some Futureshops sell Macs. Since Best Buy and Future Shop are owned buy the same people they must sell some Macs.


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## Heart (Jan 16, 2001)

P.S. 

I bought my first Mac at Future Shop









No joke


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## däycüs mäximüs (Nov 30, 2002)

we don't sell any apple branded products at future shop anymore, except ipods and apple-branded ipod accessories.

i bought my first mac at future shop too, heart. i got a 15" FP imac there right when it first came out!


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

> P.S.
> 
> I bought my first Mac at Future Shop
> 
> No joke


Same here bought a 7200/75 with 16mb of ram and had to pay I think it was around $400.00 extra for an extra 32mb of Ram


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## farfisa (Nov 5, 2003)

My first Mac was a Classic--a graduation present that I used all through university. 
But I bought my second mac at a Future Shop--a Performa 5320 CD, perhaps one of the worst macs ever! Coincidence? Yes.

I think the Best Buy experience will get more people to Macs--the people who would normally not have a clue what they want and not have a clue where to go are more likely to start at a store with everything, and then narrow the search by what's best for them (i.e. the Mac).

Seasoned Mac people obviously go crazy for a deal, but for the most part they'll stick with the people they know and trust--the margins aren't that great on the iBooks anyway, so by having Best Buy toss a few away cheap won't hurt the little guys much.

I hope!


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

I like seeing bargain prices on Apple stuff. More people might be buying Apple equipment if they could get good deals on it.

The first *new* Mac that I ever bought came from Future Shop (a 6100/DOS for $3K). That was a steal compared to the "boutique" Apple shops...

I personally don't want cute displays and hand holding, I want deals!


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## _Outcast_ (Oct 17, 2003)

Well, I've been thinking of replacing my Pismo lately and decided to take advantage of the deal at Best Buy. I got last one from the Ajax store this morning at 10:30. While I was checking out someone called to see if they had any left and the salesman told him that they were just selling the last one.









Anyway, if anyone is looking for a 15 Gig iPod or a Pismo, message me. haha

Jerry


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

I was just looking at Apple's website. I work fulltime and go to school. If I had of got the cram and jam deal. From what I figured out it would of cost the same except I would get a 4G 20 gig iPod. On the downfall is it is mail in rebate and up to $275 off depending on what model. Oh well, in a few weeks a better deal will come along, they allways do. I'm still happy. IF your a student though this is a great deal.


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## Alice Ayres (Aug 18, 2004)

Hi folks!

BB have given me a raincheck and it's been 2 LONG weeks and I still don't have mine yet.  







Extremely frustrating. They say they get 3 shipments each week, and it may arrive tonight (Wednesday). <Sigh>

I do have a question though. 
Would it be possible to upgrade the 15GB iPod to a 4G iPod? I mean, since it would be an unopened box, couldn't I just trade it for a 4G iPod? I'm sure I'll have to pay a little extra. I don't even know if BB Canada sells the 4G iPods.

We Canadians always seem to be on the short end of the stick.


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## hmto (Jul 4, 2003)

Probably and most likely not as the new ones are not into BB yet and the promo was for a now discontinued ipod model.


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

A friend on mine upgraded to the 3G 20GB iPod for an extra $70. He wanted the extra space and the dock.

As it turns out, the 14" iBook that he got was *well* used and they didn't have a replacement. He was able to negotiate a 12" iBook and an Airport Extreme basestation in exchange. A very good deal...

I'll be watching BB in the future... Hard to say if this was just a one time "loss leader"...


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