Need help buy now or after Jan on Tibook

[mousemd]

Need some advice...

My dilema is this: I can get a Tibook 1Ghz combo drive w/ 40gig HD now w/ educational discount + tax for 2789 (w/ gig of memory)

OR wait until AFTER the new year when "friends & family" can kick in and save me $200 - $300 dollars depending on if I go w/ the 40gig HD or 60gig HD in the Ti 1Ghz combo book.

Problem is...the double your RAM offer will expire by Jan...AND the cost of upgrading to 1gig of RAM is $200 + since you have to buy 2 DIMMS...

What do most people think out there?

Thanks for your help

 

[Natron]

Would the "friends and family" be helping to buy the TiBook, or would money they give you just go towards it?

If the latter, then buy it now, and when you get money from them, then that can go towards making up for some of what you spent.

-Natron

PS - There is about a 99% chance there will NOT be new TiBooks at Macworld SF. I would probably buy now, if I were you.

 

[irmongoose]

The double RAM campaign is too good to ignore. Especially since RAM prices are very unpredictable. I suggest you get it now, with double RAM, and then spend the money you get from your "family and friends" later on to buy extra gear.

And, as Natron said, most probably there won't be new Powerbooks for a while, so now is the best time to buy.




irmongoose

 

[solvs]

Definitely get it now. Don't forget the most important thing - the sooner you get it, the sooner you get to play with... er, I mean, use it. You can always use the money you get later to buy AppleCare (a must for Notebooks). Or an iPod, or a Hard Drive upgrade, or what ever.

If you decide to wait, you might be able to get free memory and no sales tax from another resaller. Or a refurb. It might wind up costing you about the same as with the Educational Discount plus tax.

 

[mousemd]

Ooops...I guess I didn't make the "friends and family" part clear...

it's a discount that I can get from a friend who is an apple employee, but it will only be good starting next year (ie Jan 1 '03).

I appreciate the comments thus far...who knows...maybe I'll be a proud powerbook owner before the days end...

So do most of you think that the extra 20gig of hard drive space isn't worth the savings next year?

Granted, I'm a PC user now, and most of the junk that fills my hard drive tends to be games and misc. junk. Hopefully, my TiBook would be cleaner.

Also, does the apple store (retail) physically DO the double your ram thing or do you have to order through apple online? AND, do the retail stores carry customized powerbooks?

Thanks

 

[xj9000]

maybe wait?

in reference to buying now or later? i have a sneaky suspision you should wait.... i'm not sure how bad you want or need a mac, but if in the next month they announce something new (i.e. firewire 2, built-in bluetooth, or something) it will make it into the next rev. which is usually a small update every 6 months or so.

also if you look at sites like MacMall or others they aren't selling the mid-ranged powerbook (without the DVD-R) which leads me to thing the high-end might move to the middle quite soon and a new high-end introduced?

i have no proof of any of this, but if you can wait - then save yourself some money and buy it in april (or when the minor update arrives)

 

[AlphaTech]

get it now, but modify the memory

Get the TiBook now, but get it with 512MB as a single chip. There are PLENTY of merchants out there that can sell you a single 512MB chip to go in the upper slot for less then you would pay Apple. You can get a 512MB, PC133 chip (that's what they new PowerBooks are using) for under $90 (listing for $85 at http://www.mohawkmem.com use this direct link). Just a few months back, that same memory chip was running close to twice that price.

As for the hard drive, I have the 800MHz TiBook with the 40GB drive inside of it. Even with all my software installed, as well as everything I need to work on my own web site (http://www.thetechpub.com) I have PLENTY of room left (only using 15-1/2 GB on the drive) and that is with both OS 9.2.2 and OS X.2 installed.

What will you be using the laptop for that would justify getting the 1GHz model?? Chances are, the 867MHz one will do just fine for more then a few years. I fully intend to keep my 800MHz model for a total of [at least] three years now. Even those the TiBook is a svelte computer, you have to justify the cost of having a portable that costs that much. How often will you be taking it with you? If you think you might take it places, then get a desktop in stead (like a dual 1.25GHz tower ).

Just my $2 worth...

 

[MacDuff]

mousemd,
I had the same dilema. But with the ram boost, price drop, superdrive, and the fact that they just announced the new tibook model, I really really really doubt that Apple will screw everyone over by announcing a bigger price drop or new model. It's just TOO SOON. They would have people bombing their offices if that happened. So I doubt there'll be any changes.

I just bought the Tibook superdrive 1 ghz with 1 gig of ram. I'm pumped, now go do the same.

 

[Natron]

I think the only possible upgrade you might see for Power Books would be built-in Bluetooth, and even that is doubtful. However, I suspect that probably won't happen until mid 2003, when we may see a case redesign. I don't think you'll see any major revisions in the PowerBook line or the iBook line at MacWorld SF.

-Natron

 

[BenderBot1138]

That's easy...

A no brainer... get the folks who will help after the start of the new year to help you cosign a loan now for the difference... after the new year, when they can kick in the difference, you'll only pay the interest on the amounts they cosigned for (just a few bucks really).

If your quandry has to do with whether to choose one discount plan or another that are time sensitive... sorry... no idea how to solve that one.

 

[JSRockit]

Simple. If you have the money now...buy it now. Don't be scared. if you go to rumor sites and believe everything...you'll be swayed to never buy. The only reason I can think for waiting is if you want the SuperDrive model. I believe in January the TiBook will have a 2X version.

 

[Skandranon]

Do it.

Buy it. Buy it now. Today.

You will never regret it. My new SuperDrive TiBook has brought me more joy than any other Mac acquisition I've ever made.

Go buy it today!

 

[jefhatfield]

Re: Need help buy now or after Jan on Tibook

Originally posted by mousemd
Need some advice...

My dilema is this: I can get a Tibook 1Ghz combo drive w/ 40gig HD now w/ educational discount + tax for 2789 (w/ gig of memory)

OR wait until AFTER the new year when "friends & family" can kick in and save me $200 - $300 dollars depending on if I go w/ the 40gig HD or 60gig HD in the Ti 1Ghz combo book.

Problem is...the double your RAM offer will expire by Jan...AND the cost of upgrading to 1gig of RAM is $200 + since you have to buy 2 DIMMS...

What do most people think out there?

Thanks for your help

tibook just got its speed bump and superdrive...but why not wait for 4 more weeks?

there could be something significant