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In years past, Apple would dangle a free iPod touch in front of college kids shopping a computer. Combined with the 10 percent education pricing discount, it was a tantalizing offer that some students found too good to pass up, and as Fortune points out, may have served as "a gateway drug that left users craving for an iPhone." Unfortunately for the class of 2011, Apple has decided to tighten its belt this year.
Instead of a free iPod touch, back-to-school shoppers get a $100 gift card that can be used at the Mac App Store, the iOS App Store, the iTunes Store, or Apple's iBookstore. Business Insider calls the promotion "lame," and we'd have to agree, but then again, we'll take a Windows-based PC over an Apple machine eight days out of the week.
Lucky for us, Microsoft's back-to-school promotion is fairly awesome. From now until September 3, or while supplies, you can get a free Xbox 360 4GB console with the purchase of a Windows 7 PC $699 or more, at participating retailers.
Which do you think is the better offer?
Comments are closed on this article
Engelsstaub
June 16, 2011 at 3:36pm
This is obivously an attempt by Microsoft to get Windows-use into a market dominated by Macintoshes. I doubt the universities will change much. Many classes will likely still require the use of programs that are native to Mac OS. It's an admirable effort to boost their quarterly sales though. I'm interested in seeing how well it works.
(I personally can't think of many PC laptops I would really want at the moment, but this would be sort of pointless for me. I have a PC, Mac, and an XBox. ...but it is a good deal.)
kixofmyg0t
June 17, 2011 at 10:25am
What classes and programs are exclusive to Mac Os??
I've never known any class anywhere that requires the use of a Mac....maybe an iPad yes but not a Mac.
Engelsstaub
June 18, 2011 at 1:31am
I'm actually just going by what I've heard from some new university students. I've been out of school since '92.
One example I know of is a friend's kid who had to get a MBP 17" for one or more of the classes he was taking. He said it was "covered" in his tuition (which he wasn't paying out of pocket.)
IDK, maybe I'm mistaken. I just assumed that some classes were using stuff like Aperture and Final Cut Pro in their curriculums.
While I personally prefer the Mac OS myself, I'll be the first to admit that one can do just as much and more (in almost any scenario) with a Win-based PC. That's why I use one of those too ;)
Caboose
June 20, 2011 at 8:15am
Maybe specific graphics design or film & Television courses, but the rest, it doesn't matter, as long as you can do the work, I don't think the profs really care.
And "the market" isn't dominated by Macintoshes (what is this, 1994?). Apple holds less than 10% of the world market for personal computers (desktops and laptops). Microsoft holds the largest marketshare.
Engelsstaub
June 21, 2011 at 4:00am
The market I was originally referring to was the "education" market. That would be the context as I assumed everyone else understood it. The subject of the article?
You wrote "Apple holds less than 10% of the world market for personal computers (desktops and laptops.)" Am I to contextually read this as you stating that Microsoft makes PCs? ...that's what it reads like to me. I know you meant something along the lines of "Microsoft crams its OS on 99.9% of desktops and laptops sold. Just like all the shovelware that comes on top of it 98% of the time." ;) Funny, no?
But you're quite right: the average student can get by just fine with a Window OS. Maybe even Ubuntu, if they really know what they're doing. (I always wonder why universities and such don't do more to encourage the use of open-source.)
Caboose
June 21, 2011 at 8:57am
Ok, Apple doesn't make their computers either. They get the motherboards from Foxxcon, CPUs and chipsets from Intel, display adapters from AMD or nVidia, hard drives from one of many companies (prob. Seagate or Western Digital), same with RAM (my guess is Kingston or Corsair). Optical drives could be from Samsung, LG, LiteOn, etc. Yet everyone calls them Apple Computers or Mac. Just like everyone calls PCs Windows PC. Apple develops the OS, just like Microsoft develops the OS. You're really nitpicking about that?
And unless things are different in your part of the world, up here (Please tell me you know what I'm referring to by using the term "up here"), Macs are used primarilty by the graphics design and film & television courses. Everything else is done on a Windows PC. Heck, our new marketing girl at work said that the only time she's ever used Macs are at home, and in school. All the marketing positions she's held have used Windows PCs.
Engelsstaub
June 21, 2011 at 4:34pm
Yes I know what you mean by "up here." Do you always assume that people you interact with on the 'net are from the United States? Curious... I'm not impressed by one's nationality and I wouldn't expect you to be in awe of mine.
Thanks for enlightening me. I thought Macs were assembled in Steve Jobs' office at the North Pole by his zombie-elves.
ShyLinuxGuy
June 16, 2011 at 8:42am
@LatiosXT - Agree.
I go to college while going to the high school through a program called Running Start so I would qualify (I will have an AS in Info Tech/Network Security next fall). I've been contemplating on a new laptop (versus just upgrading the processor) and I think I'm more likely going to take advantage of this, even though my laptop is less than two years old. I do not have a Xbox, because I don't play games, but I would *definitely* sell it. Probably against the ToS, but who gives?
So lets see: $700 laptop - $300 for selling the Xbox = $400 for a $700 laptop! Sweeeeeet!
$100 to spend at the Mac App Store?!?!?! Excitinggggggg! /sarcasm
Caboose
June 16, 2011 at 11:02am
I don't think that there's anything in the TOS that says you can't sell it. WHen I signed up with TELUS internet, I got a free XBox 360 Slim (the 320GB model or w/e) and when I asked the TELUS agent about it, he said that its mine to do with as I please. But if I cancel my internet before the 2yr contract is up, I have to pay full-price for the console.
LatiosXT
June 16, 2011 at 8:01am
I'd think this would work... if a lot of college students didn't have a 360 already.
ErikTheGreat
June 16, 2011 at 8:47am
You are assuming the kid gets the xBox...Wrong! I paid for the laptop, I get the xBox. He takes his old school xBox with him and I get to keep the shiny new slim xBox to watch Netflix and HULU on...WIN WIN!!!
p.S. Does anybody test this site? Try Wordpress...at least the editor works and comments don’t disappear.
TerribleToaster
June 16, 2011 at 8:18am
If I had a 360 already, I'd get the windows computer and the free 360 and then sell it (really won't sell, nothing wrong with having two Xboxes :D, but this is hypothetical). I have now made more money in cash than the Mac promotion gives you in limited store credit.
