Macs on the Cheap: Unauthorized
True, Macs are a wee bit more expensive than their PC counterparts. But that doesn’t mean you have to shell out maximum cash to gain that famed lower cost of ownership. Here are some tips for the penny saving switcher.
- Use the educational discount – The Mac Store makes it incredibly easy to impulse buy, but try to resist temptation. You may qualify for an educational discount, which can shave off that bottom line significantly.
- Build to your advantage – Unless you’re new to computer hardware or only interested in buying an all-in-one iMac, there is an advantage to building to the lowest possible configuration. Upgrade as you grow, not when you buy. You can put in that extra stick of RAM or that 100GB hard drive yourself, when you need it, and save the over cost of purchasing through the store.
- Avoid shipping and tax – Ground shipping may or may not be free depending on the promotion at the time. But you can ship to certain states and pay no tax. There are maybe four or five states in the U.S. that do not pay sales tax on Apple products for one reason or another. If that’s simply not an option, be sure to check if your state is sponsoring a tax-free computer purchase program.
- Bid on an oldy but goody – Be sure to check out eBay, for great deals, like the G3 I’ve been using for the past four years, and save some real money. I’m not one to collect my own apple history and I’ve got a need for a new dualie PowerMac. This way everybody wins.
