Apple reseller slashes Mac prices to lowest seen all year

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
In a bid to capitalize on this year's back-to-school shopping season, one of Apple's largest authorized resellers has dropped Mac prices to the lowest seen this year, offering $150 of white MacBooks, up to $180 off new iMacs, and up to $300 off MacBook Pros.



AppleInsider sponsor MacConnection launched the sale overnight, combining its already reduced pricing with limited-time mail-in-rebates of up to $150. The result is the lowest prices we've seen all year across Apple's three most popular Mac product families: white MacBooks, MacBook Pros and new iMacs.



The sale also offers a $29 mail-in-rebate that can be combined with a $40 HP mail-in-rebate for a free HP Photosmart C4680 All-in-One Printer with the purchase of each of the aforementioned Macs.



MacBook Pros



Discounts and rebates factored in, MacConnection is offering the 2.4GHz 13" MacBook Pro for $1,049.00 ($150 savings), the 2.66GHz 13" MacBook Pro

for $1,299.00 ($200 savings), the 2.4GHz 15" MacBook Pro for $1,599.00 ($200 savings), the 2.53GHz 15" MacBook Pro for $1,729.00 ($270 savings), the 2.66GHz 15" MacBook Pro for $1,899.00 ($300 savings) and the 2.53GHz 17" MacBook Pro for $1,999.00 ($300 savings).



MacBooks



Similarly, the 2.4GHz 13" MacBook is being offered for $849, a $150 discount.



iMacs



For desktops, MacConnection is offering the 3.06GHz 21.5-inch iMac for $1,049.00 ($150 savings), the 3.20GHz 21.5-inch iMac for $1,349.00 ($150 savings), the 3.20GHz 27.0-inch iMac for $1,529.00 ($170 savings), and the 2.80GHz 27.0-inch iMac for $1,819.99 ($180 savings).



As always, additional savings across the remainder of Apple's Mac product families can always be found in our Mac Pricing Guide (also, below). Purchases made by following the links in the guide and those in this article help support AppleInsider and its editorial staff.







The recent resurgence in Mac sales continues to help Apple boost its bottom line, with the company recently coming off its strongest Mac quarter ever in which it shipped over 3.47 million systems.



The growing popularity of the systems is also spilling over to government and the enterprise, where Mac sales rose 200% and 50%, respectively, during the three-month period ended June.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    Is this on top of business/education etc discounts? Because that could bring a MacBook down to slighty over $500
  • Reply 2 of 21
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe hs View Post


    Is this on top of business/education etc discounts? Because that could bring a MacBook down to slighty over $500



    Pretty safe to say no -- I believe the prices you see for the sale in our charts are already below cost, which means MacConnection is likely taking a loss on the cost of each Mac in an effort boost attach rates alongside each purchase.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    hudson1hudson1 Posts: 800member
    A general question -- why is MicroCenter not listed in the buying guide? Seems like they are one of the most important Apple resellers with an actual B&M store.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    rhyderhyde Posts: 294member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hudson1 View Post


    A general question -- why is MicroCenter not listed in the buying guide? Seems like they are one of the most important Apple resellers with an actual B&M store.



    Do you see any Microcenter ads on AI? No? Well, that probably answers your question

    Cheers...
  • Reply 5 of 21
    walneywalney Posts: 70member
    .....
  • Reply 6 of 21
    sendmesendme Posts: 567member
    How much did MacConnection have to pay in order to get AppleInsider to run an advertisement in the form of a news story?
  • Reply 7 of 21
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SendMe View Post


    How much did MacConnection have to pay in order to get AppleInsider to run an advertisement in the form of a news story?



    They didn't pay us anything. They're offering the lowest prices we've seen since last BlackFriday, including the last Black Friday, so we're reporting it. They're good deals.



    K
  • Reply 8 of 21
    multimediamultimedia Posts: 1,034member
    I was able to order my 64GB 3G iPad from them the day before Apple started taking orders and received it the week 3Gs began to ship May 5th. Saved sales tax and got free shipping. I will be ordering my new iPod Touch and 2nd gen iPad from them as soon as they are announced. They get new Apple products first among third party dealers.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kasper View Post


    They didn't pay us anything. They're offering the lowest prices we've seen since last BlackFriday, including the last Black Friday, so we're reporting it. They're good deals.



    K



    Yeah, those prices are typically unheard of and I appreciate the reporting. Too bad I bought two weeks earlier. At least I did get an education discount.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    trip1extrip1ex Posts: 109member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kasper View Post


    They didn't pay us anything. They're offering the lowest prices we've seen since last BlackFriday, including the last Black Friday, so we're reporting it. They're good deals.



    K



    Well report this. Microcenter has been selling the new 13" 2.4ghz MBP for $1000 with no rebate for the past few months. They have stores in 25 large cities across the country.
  • Reply 11 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kasper View Post


    They didn't pay us anything. They're offering the lowest prices we've seen since last BlackFriday, including the last Black Friday, so we're reporting it. They're good deals.



    K



    Low prices, yes, and of interest to some readers here. BUT notice all the links to MacConnection are going through an Affiliate network (DoubleClick), instead of just linking to MacConnection directly, the usual method. Safe bet AppleInsider is collecting commissions on any sales. Guess it depends on one's definition of "pay".
  • Reply 12 of 21
    sendmesendme Posts: 567member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trip1ex View Post


    Well report this. Microcenter has been selling the new 13" 2.4ghz MBP for $1000 with no rebate for the past few months. They have stores in 25 large cities across the country.





    But AI didn't see it. They only run these stories when their customers tell them when they are running a sale, or if they otherwise learn about it. MicroCenter is not really on their radar.



    But why would they be? Do they advertise here? Do they run Mac promotions? Do they send press releases and sale circulars to the AI offices? Somehow, I don't think that MicroCenter really rates a mention, no matter that they have better prices than the ones in the story.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    sendmesendme Posts: 567member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BrettConnor View Post


    Low prices, yes, and of interest to some readers here. BUT notice all the links to MacConnection are going through an Affiliate network (DoubleClick), instead of just linking to MacConnection directly, the usual method. Safe bet AppleInsider is collecting commissions on any sales. Guess it depends on one's definition of "pay".



    No, they don't pay anything. The story is just a perk for being such a good advertiser and paying AI for all those OTHER ads.



    Jeesh. This has been addressed already by Kasper himself.
  • Reply 14 of 21
    hudson1hudson1 Posts: 800member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SendMe View Post


    But AI didn't see it. They only run these stories when their customers tell them when they are running a sale, or if they otherwise learn about it. MicroCenter is not really on their radar.



    But why would they be? Do they advertise here? Do they run Mac promotions? Do they send press releases and sale circulars to the AI offices? Somehow, I don't think that MicroCenter really rates a mention, no matter that they have better prices than the ones in the story.



    They should be on their radar, IMHO. They might be the best B&M computer store chain in the USA plus they have a dedicated Apple section in each store. If that doesn't make them an important Mac reseller, what does?
  • Reply 15 of 21
    multimediamultimedia Posts: 1,034member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trip1ex View Post


    Well report this. Microcenter has been selling the new 13" 2.4ghz MBP for $1000 with no rebate for the past few months. They have stores in 25 large cities across the country.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hudson1 View Post


    They should be on their radar, IMHO. They might be the best B&M computer store chain in the USA plus they have a dedicated Apple section in each store. If that doesn't make them an important Mac reseller, what does?



    Here's a lovely link to where all their stores are. I had no idea they are right here in the Silicon Valley too. Such a deal!
  • Reply 16 of 21
    While I appreciate the story on AI about MacConnection's lower pricing, and I absolutely love AI's pricing matrix, I have to agree with Hudson1 about the Micro Center oversight, *particularly* if AI is going to defend the story as news rather than an advertisement. Micro Center has consistently had extremely competitive pricing, and their price for the entry level macbook pro beats out all comers. As a consumer, that's extremely valuable information to have, and that's something I want to know.



    In other words, that is "news," plain and simple.



    (Additionally, they are offering the previous gen macbook pro 17" for $1600, which is a pretty rocking deal as well, and it's a shame that's not included in the pricing matrix.)
  • Reply 17 of 21
    coolcatcoolcat Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trip1ex View Post


    Well report this. Microcenter has been selling the new 13" 2.4ghz MBP for $1000 with no rebate for the past few months. They have stores in 25 large cities across the country.



    Whoa....lose the 'tude dude....
  • Reply 18 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Walney View Post


    Really strange. Amazon in the UK is discounting almost all Mac Books by between 8 and 17%.



    ...never seen that before



    Amazon pretty much always discounts Macs.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kasper View Post


    They didn't pay us anything. They're offering the lowest prices we've seen since last BlackFriday, including the last Black Friday, so we're reporting it. They're good deals.



    K



    it still stinks of collusion

    you should issue a disclaimer

    this fine site every 3 months has a one lapse of reason and does pricing charts on advertisers



    i did mag ads for yrs so i know

    the perception is enough to taint this fine site
  • Reply 20 of 21
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Multimedia View Post


    I was able to order my 64GB 3G iPad from them the day before Apple started taking orders and received it the week 3Gs began to ship May 5th. Saved sales tax and got free shipping. I will be ordering my new iPod Touch and 2nd gen iPad from them as soon as they are announced. They get new Apple products first among third party dealers.



    refurb
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