Black Friday Mac discounts underway

While we patiently wait to see what Apple has in store with its traditional Black Friday sale, MacMall and Best Buy have already kicked the sale into gear. Better yet, MacRumors has created a handy summary chart that links you directly to the best possible deal. With no hardware updates expected through the end of the year and Apple's own Black Friday discounts typically falling between meager and stingy (and discounts being a rarity in general), this is likely your best-bet opportunity to hop on the switcher wagon or step up to a new unibody MacBook. Just click that read link to get started.

[Jeff R @ Nov 26th 2008 4:13AM]

eww...

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 26th 2008 4:15AM]

Still can't afford it...

[Joseph @ Nov 26th 2008 4:32AM]

That is a horrible chart. The bold is supposed to be the "best" deal. I count 6 errors in it. Other than that its still a nice side by side comparison.

[MICHAELSD @ Nov 26th 2008 4:44AM]

If you read the article, you would realize that some of the deals require you to mail-in rebates, so they made the chart taking rebates into consideration versus instant discounts.

[arn @ Nov 26th 2008 4:47AM]

It's not as straightforward as you make it out. The MacMall is instant discount + mail in rebate. So is a $119 discount in mail in rebates really better than $100 instant discount? That's why they are both bold, cause people have to make that decision themselves. For products with less than $10 difference, it goes to the instant (rather than the mail in).

[TerrorAlert @ Nov 26th 2008 4:32AM]

Still WAY overpriced....

[Kelmon @ Nov 26th 2008 5:12AM]

Look, sod off. If you think that it is overpriced then that's fine and you don't have to buy - honest, it's not a law. However, the value that you place on something may well be different to that placed by others and since a Mac does not have much competition the comparison with other manufacturers isn't useful.

[freehunter @ Nov 26th 2008 5:25AM]

Doesn't matter the value you put on it. It's a fact, it is overpriced. I have gotten waay more than $250 worth of use from my old iPod Mini. Doesn't mean it wasn't overpriced for 4GB.

[Kelmon @ Nov 26th 2008 6:11AM]

@freehunter

No, I fundamentally disagree. The whole "Apple is overpriced" argument comes solely from an evaluation of the price of basic system components relative to what is charged by other manufacturers. It never takes into consideration the construction of the total system, or the value to the user of the software running on the hardware, or other intangible aspects. If a user places value on the software then the overall value of the system increases beyond that delivered by just the hardware alone.

I will happily say that Apple's hardware prices are high when compared to prices charged by other manufacturers for systems using the same basic components. However, I disagree that this makes them "overpriced" unless you consider a bare-bones system to be better value than one that comes with the software that you need where the price of the software is less than the difference in cost of both systems.

Comparison by price is a nonsense unless both systems are identical in all ways.

[Davin Black @ Nov 26th 2008 8:35AM]

I agree with Kelmon.

The only way to really say it's "overpriced" is to be able to compare it to another company that's putting out the exact same product, for example Apple MacBook Air vs. Psystar SlimBook Light (LOL I dunno, just made up a name).

[Matt @ Nov 26th 2008 9:07AM]

Nothing is overpriced if there's someone willing to pay for it.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 26th 2008 4:32AM]

God.. this is the time I wished I'd be in the US of A.. 250$ off for the MBP? I'd buy it in a heart beat

[PaNiD @ Nov 26th 2008 4:46AM]

i rather have a stroke and save my money for something well worth the price....

[Patriks7 @ Nov 26th 2008 5:32AM]

Well I guess it's just an opinion.. I'd take a Mac over any computer any day, no matter the price.. I just like the nice and simple design and the OS is a deal breaker for me.. I was never as productive with XP/Vista as I am with OS X.. it's just much more organized for me..

[gopi @ Nov 26th 2008 4:34AM]

waiting till xmas to buy a mac book !

[tkilbride @ Nov 26th 2008 4:58AM]

I'd stay away from MacMall if I were you. You may never get the rebate. I bought from them ONCE and they cheated me out of the rebate and reneged on sending software that was supposed to be part of the deal because they "ran out." I've bought 9 Macs since then, but not one of them from those shady characters. Don't say you weren't warned.

[aznofazns @ Nov 26th 2008 4:55AM]

$150 off $2799 is still $2648 too expensive.

[AlDeezy @ Nov 26th 2008 5:02AM]

No, you can use some of that money to put toward buying vista(or xp), so you can have the best of both worlds. YAAAAAAY

[ethana2 @ Nov 26th 2008 6:36AM]

AlDeezy, they have more choice than that and you fricking know it.

[Kelmon @ Nov 26th 2008 5:06AM]

I'm rather hoping that there will be a good deal on the Apple TV. The prices came down in the US but the UK prices are still too high. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if a new model is released in January at MacWorld, so whatever discounting there is had better be good.

[aznofazns @ Nov 26th 2008 5:22AM]

Why the hell does the engadget comment system refuse to let me reply to my comments?

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 26th 2008 5:34AM]

Y2K bug

[welchb @ Nov 26th 2008 11:52AM]

sunspots?

[SSH Your Mom @ Nov 26th 2008 5:47AM]

cant all the haters just except that mac osx is the gratest than any operating system that will evar be made?

Just except the facts

[Rick @ Nov 26th 2008 6:02AM]

Has you sometime play football?

[ethana2 @ Nov 26th 2008 6:40AM]

Your hardware support is horrible, your file system is garbage, your user base is full of people like yourself, your user interface is a stroke simulator, you don't ship a centralized package management system...
Oh sure, it has its good points too I suppose, but for me, I'll just use what came on my Dell.

[Hombre Phaty @ Nov 26th 2008 11:20AM]

Some reasons I enjoy working and creating on a Mac are: the hardware support is superb, the file system is robust, the mac community is enthusiastic and helpful, the user interface is a haven in an difficult, ugly world, and it is so easy to add software and peripheries.
Boy, I sure wouldn't want to try to use what just comes on a Dell or other PC.

[David S @ Nov 26th 2008 6:11AM]

If you're a deal hunter, the better deal is a previous generation mac. You can walk away with a new previous gen MBP from Amazon for less than $1600. Refurbished from the Apple Store has awesome deals too. There they start at $1,300. You might miss that glare from the glossy screen, the NVidia 9600 for all your non-gaming, the space savings of not having firewire 400, and all the strength training you'll lose out on on not having to need a miniDisplayPort-DVI dongle... But you can get a MBP at MB prices.

[Donal @ Nov 26th 2008 6:23AM]

It looks like none of the retailers in Ireland (I rang a few today) are passing on the savings to consumers which SUCKS! They mostly responded "What Apple sale?". :(

Any idea what the discount on the iPod ranges is likely to be? $10-20? Will probably order stuff from the US as the exchange rate still makes purchases worthwhile. :)

[BuddyBoy @ Nov 26th 2008 7:55AM]

I think you miss understood...
Two American retailers are offering discounts.
There is nothing to pass onto Irish retailers.

This isn't an Apple international discount.

[Donal @ Nov 26th 2008 9:35AM]

Apple Ireland are holding the same "black friday" sale in the Republic - got an email about it. ;)
http://store.apple.com/ie/browse/campaigns/black_friday_teaser

[mjtobler @ Nov 26th 2008 6:49AM]

@article: "[...]and Apple's own Black Friday discounts
typically falling between meager and stingy
(and discounts being a rarity in general),[...]".

Apple has always had a "price-matching" policy.
If you bring in any advertised [lower] price from
an authorized Apple dealer (even online stores),
the Apple store will consider price-matching, to
be reviewed by the store manager. In pretty
much all cases, the discount will be applied.

[Jash Sayani @ Nov 26th 2008 6:51AM]

The new 13" inch MacBook is perfect for $1000.... But I am not in the US so can't get it..... Will buy it next month when I go to Dubai.....

[Sam @ Nov 26th 2008 8:42AM]

Macmall really isn't such a good deal when they don't honor their rebate and they take three weeks to send it to you. Seriously people, look up macmall reviews before your risk your hard-earned money.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/MacMall

[mjtober @ Nov 26th 2008 9:10AM]

I'm confused. I bought a 17 MBP from MacMall in Feb 2007.
I got the rebate for the MBP itself and for Parallels. Maybe
folks are forgetting to submit the rebates in time.

[Ernie P @ Nov 26th 2008 9:26AM]

I wouldn't buy one for $1000 off with that horrible glassy screen.

[Big Al @ Nov 26th 2008 9:30AM]

The deals aren't too bad but I did expect more from Apple when the country is in a recession. This sale will attract some buyers but everyone knows with the way the economy is heading down the tubes, you can bank on prices being even cheaper than this "Black Friday" sale after Christmas.

[Adam @ Nov 26th 2008 11:23AM]

WOW what a deal a $100 to $150 off a computer that costs $1,000 or more...

NOT... still expensive and am surprised anyone can call this a deal. Try taking off $300 to $500 and see what happens.

[bokken @ Nov 26th 2008 11:47AM]

Compared to a dell with comparable stats, the Macbook (not pro) is better priced. By about 200 dollars. Beat that. (SSD included, everything maxed compared to the Dell XPS with 13" monitor and everything else comparable ~2 months ago. Don't want to do the priceout again.)

[Caffeinated @ Nov 26th 2008 2:06PM]

PCConnection/MACConection/GovCoonection.com sites are eligible for $150 mail-in rebate. PLUS, there is no tax! I just got 15"/2.4 MacBookPro at pcconnection.com - for about $290 total off. It is on UPS plane now (for $32 second day delivery). I think, this is the best deal so far. PS: This $150 rebate is applicable to many more MAC models. So, hurryup before they are out of stock! Could be better deal than Black Friday (This is brand new laptop!) No, I', not sponsoring Apple. I'm a PC guy and decided to have this beauty to have both worlds (OS X and XPorVista), and it should be very nice...

[balls @ Nov 26th 2008 5:18PM]

Just lie and say you're a student.

THen it's black friday everyday!

Fuck the corporate world, BEEOTCH.

[mirakutea @ Nov 26th 2008 6:12PM]

So the cheapest 15" macbook is over $1500.. ridiculous.

[pvito @ Nov 26th 2008 10:14PM]

Yep, just got my daughter the white MacBook from Bestbuy for $899... 2.1 core2duo, with superdrive. I don't get it cause the one for $1199 is slower with no superdrive?? Anyway, she's sitting next to me now using it and she loves it! what a deal.