July 28, 2007

• MacBook is ♥

  I got my MacBook today! I'm so excited, but I'm scared to start it up. I have this feeling that the second I start it and the set-up starts asking questions, I'll press a button and everything will go black. I'll wait until Tom's around to do anything to it.

  So I researched information on the MacBook, trying to find the best deal so as to prevent my parents from paying too much. That and the fact I only asked them to give me $500 to help pay for one and I'd pay the rest. I tell them of my plan to pay only $1,067 without tax for a MacBook that will be perfect for what I'll do with it.

  I was going to get the 2.0GHz MacBook and customize it to have a 120GB hard drive. This way, I'll still get the standard amount of memory on a 2.16GHz MacBook for $100 less. 2.0GHz is still pretty fast for a processor and, according to Tom, 2.16GHz is only about 7% faster or some relatively small percentage like that. Plus, the 2.0GHz one has a Combo drive which would allow me to play CDs and DVDs. The 2.16GHz one has a Double-layer SuperDrive which would allow me to not only make CDs, but make DVDs too. And really, when would I ever need that? I tell them that the only thing is that we have to order it online and it'll take a couple days to arrive.

  Then my Dad suggested that I just get the $1299 2.16GHz one. I should've been like "Really!? Okay!" right? But no, I actually found myself arguing with them to choose the lower model. I eventually realized the mistake I was making and just went with it. It took my mom and me the longest time to explain to my Dad what a mail-in rebate was and how the student discount was already applied to the laptop. We decide on the MacBook and the free* red iPod nano.

  We ask for assistance and Travis comes to help. [[My brother was like, "Yo, that guy's oddly ripped for an Apple Store dude." HA.]] He rang it up and it all came out to be about $1700 without the mail-in rebates. Why? Because there're a bunch of other promotional products they sell you! ..And we fell for most of them. We could've gotten three years worth of warranty and technical support for another $100ish and I declined. Tom's my tech support guy, haha. We did get the free* printer/scanner/copier and the .Mac software.

  .Mac just allows you to make your own website for a year and save files you're working on there. It serves as your back-up in case you lose a paper you've been working on for a couple months. It's an additional $100, but you get a 30% discount when you buy a computer with it. I called Tom and he said it wasn't worth it, but my parents had already accepted it.

  My Dad said he'd cover the rest of the costs, but that I still owe them the $600 I said I'd pay. I mean, we get $300 back from the purchase, but still.. I felt like I'd been jipped. Probably because they were things I didn't expect to be offered and we bought them all in one visit. I mean, really, $1700!

  I couldn't buy my lamp because my parents said Binghamton might have an issue with a lamp that uses five bulbs at 40 watts each. I don't know where to find any restrictions on what to bring to our dormitories.. Oh well, I'll find out and I'll purchase it when I get around to it. I bought hangers, cups, an umbrella, a trash can and poster putty though! Ha, I was told to wait until I speak with my roomates before purchasing anything else.

  There are some really sketchy employees at the Palisades.  Now I'm wondering if I had shit in my teeth or a booger in my nose..

  And thanks to Tom for explaining all the above computer mumbo-jumbo I came across during the course of my research.

  *after mail-in rebate

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