GameStop may start selling used Apple MacBooks
U.S. gaming retailer GameStop, which already buys and resells iPhones, iPads and iPods, may soon begin buying and selling Apple's MacBooks, new details suggest.
An anonymous GameStop employee provided Kotaku with a screenshot of the company's inventory screen. It shows three MacBook models listed among used Xbox 360 hard drives, HDMI cables and a PlayStation Portable carrying case.
A second screenshot shows a more extensive list of MacBooks, complete with prices well below retail, suggesting that the retailer will sell refurbished Apple notebooks rather than new hardware. Listed in the inventory system is a 2-gigahertz 13-inch MacBook for $459.99, an 11-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4-gigahertz processor for $749.99, and a 17-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.4-gigahertz processor for $2099.99.
Four more low-end MacBook models are also listed in the inventory system, with a 2.1-gigahertz MacBook listed for $589.99 a 2.4-gigahertz model for $749.99, a 2.53-gigahertz-powered machine for $799.99, and a 2.66-gigahertz notebook for $949.99.
GameStop's trade-in program allows customers to sell their used gaming hardware or software to the U.S.-based retail chain for store credit, or 20 percent less in cash. Though GameStop specializes in traditional console games, late last year the company began accepting trade-ins of iPhone, iPad, and iPod hardware.
As software sales become increasingly disc-less, GameStop has also pushed into the digital distribution business, and offers PC game downloads from its website. Just this week, the company even began selling gift cards to Valve's Steam, a competing digital download service.
An anonymous GameStop employee provided Kotaku with a screenshot of the company's inventory screen. It shows three MacBook models listed among used Xbox 360 hard drives, HDMI cables and a PlayStation Portable carrying case.
A second screenshot shows a more extensive list of MacBooks, complete with prices well below retail, suggesting that the retailer will sell refurbished Apple notebooks rather than new hardware. Listed in the inventory system is a 2-gigahertz 13-inch MacBook for $459.99, an 11-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4-gigahertz processor for $749.99, and a 17-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.4-gigahertz processor for $2099.99.
Four more low-end MacBook models are also listed in the inventory system, with a 2.1-gigahertz MacBook listed for $589.99 a 2.4-gigahertz model for $749.99, a 2.53-gigahertz-powered machine for $799.99, and a 2.66-gigahertz notebook for $949.99.
GameStop's trade-in program allows customers to sell their used gaming hardware or software to the U.S.-based retail chain for store credit, or 20 percent less in cash. Though GameStop specializes in traditional console games, late last year the company began accepting trade-ins of iPhone, iPad, and iPod hardware.
As software sales become increasingly disc-less, GameStop has also pushed into the digital distribution business, and offers PC game downloads from its website. Just this week, the company even began selling gift cards to Valve's Steam, a competing digital download service.
Comments
Makes me wonder how much they'll give for trade ins. My 2007 Santa Rosa based 17" MacBook Pro sold for 800 bucks four years later.
Yeah, they'll take them in for $100 and sell them for $900, but they'll put them back in the box first and re-shrink wrap it and sell it as "new".
I was surprised to notice a sign in Gamestop's window the other day proclaiming that they sell iDevices.
I had been wondering what changes their business model will go through in the coming decade. Of course they have a strong consumer base across new and used video games and then I had heard they were trying to back their own tablet platform, but that sounded like a dead end to me. Expanding the scope of used goods sold seems like a logical progression, but I'm not sure it's the evolution they'll need to stay alive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brutus009
I had been wondering what changes their business model will go through in the coming decade.
Particularly since the idea of "used games" is actively being fought by the next generation of consoles.
Does this mean that the industry will start to consider the Mac as a legitimate gaming platform? Because they don't...and it isn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
An anonymous GameStop employee provided Kotaku with a screenshot of the company's inventory screen. It shows three MacBook models listed among used Xbox 360 hard drives, HDMI cables and a PlayStation Portable carrying case.
A second screenshot shows a more extensive list of MacBooks, complete with prices well below retail, suggesting that the retailer will sell refurbished Apple notebooks rather than new hardware.
Uhm, those are shots of screes . . .
but they aren't "screenshots."
Just so you know . . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by m1k0
Does this mean that the industry will start to consider the Mac as a legitimate gaming platform? Because they don't...and it isn't.
And by that I think we all assume you really mean that . . . you don't and you don't think it is. But it is really great to see your "very first" comment in the AI forums is so cogent and incisive.
There are lots of used iPods of all models for sale in the downtown Manhattan stores. Apple products have good resale value. I am not suprise they are evloving their model due to digital distribution and the number of stores they have.
So sad to see Macs listed on a Windows 3.1 (if we're lucky) screen...
Quote:
Originally Posted by DESuserIGN
And by that I think we all assume you really mean that . . . you don't and you don't think it is. But it is really great to see your "very first" comment in the AI forums is so cogent and incisive.
Given the number of Mac titles I would say that the industry still doesn't think much of the mac platform...
Given the number of asstastic ports I've bought on the Mac I'm pretty much in the "bootcamp to game" camp.
the pawn shop laws will hit them if they start selling / buying laptops.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostface147
Makes me wonder how much they'll give for trade ins. My 2007 Santa Rosa based 17" MacBook Pro sold for 800 bucks four years later.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Yeah, they'll take them in for $100 and sell them for $900, but they'll put them back in the box first and re-shrink wrap it and sell it as "new".
For GameStop in Australia anyway (trading as EB Games), I've been very pleased with their service. They gave me AUD $270 for my iPad 2 16GB WiFi, plus $40 on top of that because I have that EB World silver Level 3 card thingy. Of course, it's store credit, but the nearest offer for trade-in is cash from cashaphone.com.au , but only $260 and you have to ship it to them and wait for the money to come in... Which I did with my iPhone 4 but for iPad 2 trade in, EB Games was quite satisfactory.
Of course, you only get store credit, but I was itching badly for a decent wireless headphone for AppleTV + Xbox360. Managed to get it for ~AUD $300 ~ Turtle Beach PX5. While sound fidelity is reasonable not stellar, and may not be that of a Sennheiser, it's Dolby Digital 7.1. Which, goes superbly with the optical in/out from the wireless headphone base station and Xbox360 "Slim" and AppleTV. In experiencing Dolby Digital Surround sound the lack of high sound quality is made up by the immersion when watching movies and games. Definitely worth checking out.
So trading in the iPad 2 16GB WiFi for Dobly 7.1 wireless headphones with optical in/out, not too shabby and given that I was in quite a rush, well, it's somewhat divine intervention.
Of course, in Australia if you resell that iPad 2 as "brand new", you're looking at big trouble. It's not perfect here but things are a little more under control in some aspects. I'm glad this country has maintained some level of rule of law and some level of ethical responsibility.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nht
Given the number of Mac titles I would say that the industry still doesn't think much of the mac platform...
Given the number of asstastic ports I've bought on the Mac I'm pretty much in the "bootcamp to game" camp.
And given the number of asstatic ports I've bought on the PC I'm pretty much in the "Xbox360 to game" camp.
Don't get me wrong, PC gaming is excellent... When it's actually made for the PC and the PC isn't crashing, lagging, needing to update drivers, etc.
C'mon iPad 4, give us Mass Effect 4 with Unreal Engine 4 running 1080p!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lukevaxhacker
So sad to see Macs listed on a Windows 3.1 (if we're lucky) screen...
There's a reason why retail software is called POS
Four years ago at my failed attempt to work at a Carphone Warehouse (Best Buy) UK shop, I think I spent most of the first day staring at their retail system, which was more or less some sort of terminal emulation thing with only 2 colours, white and black.