AppleInsider Staff
Over the past week, AppleInsider has expanded its Apple Price Guide to include a new tab for Mac Bundles, where readers can find — and request — exclusive Mac hardware bundles at significant discount (currently up to $450 of list price). Separately, readers can take advantage of our 3% coupons and a price drop on a fully-loaded 13" MacBook Pro Retina to save nearly $300 on that unit alone.
The new Mac Bundles section of the Apple Price Guide is being made possible by our good friends over at B&H Photo. Together, we're working to up the value proposition for existing Mac users looking to upgrade, while presenting compelling offers for new buyers looking to make the jump to the Mac platform with the confidence they'll need for a seamless transition.
The best part of the initiative, however, is that there is no specific agenda for promoting any particular Mac bundle. We're simply starting with a few pre-designed bundles, but if there's a particular hardware bundle you'd like to see offered at discount, you can make a request (by emailing us at bundle.requests@gmail.com) and we'll try our absolute best to make it happen. In the meantime, we're kicking off with an assortment of 5 bundles that include a:
- 2.9GHz 13" MacBook Pro Retina with 3-Years of AppleCare, an 8X external Apple Super Drive, Magic Mouse, Parallels 8 (for running Windows), Bento 4, a 1-Year subscription to LoJack for Laptops, and a rugged 16.4" notebook bag for $2,344.95 ($450 savings).
- 2.6GHz 15" MacBook Pro Retina with 3-Years of AppleCare, an 8X external Apple Super Drive, Magic Mouse, Parallels 8, Bento 4, a 1-Year subscription to LoJack for Laptops, and a rugged 16.4" notebook bag for $3,194.99 ($400 savings).
- 2.5GHz 13" MacBook Pro Retina with 3-Years of AppleCare, a rugged 13 notebook sleeve and your choice of software (Parallels, Bento or 1-Year of LoJack for Laptops) for $1,659.99 ($363 savings).
- 1.8GHz 13" MacBook Air with 3-Years of AppleCare, a rugged 13 notebook sleeve and your choice of software (Parallels, Bento or 1-Year of LoJack for Laptops) for $1,199.95 ($323 savings).
- 2.5GHz Mac mini with 3-Years of AppleCare, an Apple Magic Trackpad, Apple Wireless Keyboard, and your choice of software (Parallels, Bento or 1-Year of LoJack for Laptops) for $714.00 ($233 savings).
Meanwhile, readers looking solely for a new Mac with 3 years of AppleCare can always turn to our New Macs with AppleCare section of our price guide to get the absolute lowest prices anywhere for Apple's entire Mac lineup (current savings range from $154-$427). These particular AppleCare offers expire January 31st.
Please Note: B&H Photo's online ordering system will be suspended from 4:45 p.m. ET Friday (Today) till 6:15 p.m. ET Saturday (Tomorrow). In the interim, shoppers can still browse the site and add items to their cart.
Rock Bottom Pricing on loaded 13" MacBook Pro with Retina
Separately, a recent price drop by our friends over at MacMall on the fully-loaded 2.5GHz 13.3" (8GB,768GB) MacBook Pro with Retina Display, coupled with AppleInsider's exclusive 3% coupon code (APPINSDRMWB37994) with the retailer, knocks a combined $283 off that model, yielding the best price yet for that unit ($2,715.99).
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5 Comments
Wow! The Mac Mini seems now to have retina display, **even without a monitor**. The ad from B&H reads: Save $232.96 on this bundle from B&H photo that includes Apple's current generation 2.5GHz Mac mini with Retina Display.
The only way this really works for CUSTOMERS is - as you and B&H make allowance for - is "roll your own bundles" - i.e., list everything you want in a package and get a quote on it. Otherwise, often as not your "savings" end up in products/features you neither want or will use. (Apple's been "bundling" its own features ON it devices themselves this way for decades - tho' the auto industries "packs" - where you have to buy, say, the heated seats to get the moonroof - beat them to it - and are likely the inspiration.) Rolling your own could be brilliant - equivalent to getting a volume discount. It could even be tied into "suggested" bundles from which you could add and subtract pieces. Do this right and you may emerge as a viable merchant!
Wow! The Mac Mini seems now to have retina display, **even without a monitor**.
The ad from B&H reads:
Save $232.96 on this bundle from B&H photo that includes Apple's current generation 2.5GHz Mac mini with Retina Display.
It's just invisible. 3 out of the 5 are for Retina Display Macs so I'm guessing it's just a bad job of cut and paste. It's also a "Mac mni." They got the MacBook Air ad right.
Seriously, though, some of these bundles look nice, particularly for those who want to have AppleCare. If I didn't just get my 256GB 13" rMBP from MacMall I'd be tempted by the 128GB model at $1660 with all the goodies and go to OWC for the upgrade. It's $39 less than what Apple wants and just $104 more than what B&H wants for the notebook alone. I guess it just goes to show how much margin there is for the resellers. The 2.9GHz one is a bit overkill with the 16.4" case, Superdrive, and 3 software items, though.
The only way this really works for CUSTOMERS is - as you and B&H make allowance for - is "roll your own bundles" - i.e., list everything you want in a package and get a quote on it.
The purpose of bundles is for a retailer to get rid of excess product inventory.
The purpose of bundles is for a retailer to get rid of excess product inventory.
True, though some of the bundles appear worthwhile. The base 13" rMBP bundle is pretty good. It has the Mac, AppleCare, choice of Parallels/Lojack/Bento, and a cheap case, all for $40 less than what Apple wants for the base machine. There's not much "junk" in that bundle except the case.