$600 Apple Gift Card . . . what to get?

[JC86]

So for my birthday, my friends and family all pitched in to get me a $600 Apple gift card. I already had the original iPad but gave it to my mom because she loved playing Bejeweled on it. I really liked it but I didn't really miss it. It was convenient to web browse and check my email in bed, ditto for gaming. I have a late 2008 13 inch aluminum macbook that I use daily for work and love it. The new MBPs look great but my macbook is running great with no issues to really justify an upgrade. So right now i'm torn between waiting for the iPad 2 and getting that or splurging and getting a MBP. Thoughts?

 

[TheStu]

Wait for the iPad announcement on Wednesday, see whats what and then go from there.

 

[Kadarin]

I agree with TheStu. Don't make any hasty decisions, and buy something that will work well for you.

 

[manly]

Like many, I'm underwhelmed by the new 13" screen res and Intel IGP.

FWIW if you don't want an iPad 2, you can save the gift card. A lot of people are hoping for a powerful new MBA by July. Also we don't yet know how much Lion will cost, so hypothetically paying $100 for it might influence you wait it out.

 

[silverpig]

I'd probably spring for one of the monitors.

 

[JC86]

It is one of those dilemmas that a lot of people would love to have. I have this feeling that the iPad 2 is going to be a bit underwhelming when announced tomorrow. The whole retina display rumor that is now seemingly debunked and lack of any killer new features really puts a damper on my excitement for it. But I guess we'll just have to wait for official confirmation tomorrow before making a decision.

 

[sourceninja]

Could you sell the gift card at like a 5 or 10% loss and use the cash on something else? Providing nothing you want is on the apple site.

 

[Ka0t1x]

www.plasticjungle.com - I've actually donated a couple GC's to charities through them.

 

[Tegeril]

Like many, I'm underwhelmed by the new 13" screen res and Intel IGP.

FWIW if you don't want an iPad 2, you can save the gift card. A lot of people are hoping for a powerful new MBA by July. Also we don't yet know how much Lion will cost, so hypothetically paying $100 for it might influence you wait it out.

With Snow Leopard being only $30, I'd be hard pressed to see Apple hike the price again. They've slowly decreased the cost of their software over the past few years.

 

[Tyranicus]

With Snow Leopard being only $30, I'd be hard pressed to see Apple hike the price again. They've slowly decreased the cost of their software over the past few years.

Cheetah retail price: $129
Puma retail price: $129 (although free for Cheetah users)
Jaguar retail price: $129
Panther retail price: $129
Tiger retail price: $129
Leopard retail price: $129
Snow Leopard retail price: $29

One aberration does not a trend make.

 

[Zaap]

True. I always figured SL was only $30 because it was more of an under-the-hood improvement on Leopard. I'd be very surprised if updating by an entire 'cat' keeps the $30 pricetag.

 

[manly]

True. I always figured SL was only $30 because it was more of an under-the-hood improvement on Leopard. I'd be very surprised if updating by an entire 'cat' keeps the $30 pricetag.

There was actually a Lot under the hood, primarily for independent software developers. But yeah to the end user, Apple made it a point that for $29 you're getting a mini-upgrade.

I'm guessing Apple will go to $99 retail rather than back to 3 figures. If they're really aggressive, maybe even $79. Some of the merchandise steals we saw during the depths of the Great Recession will not return IMO.

Personally I'd wait for a new MBA, iPhone or iPad 3. Based on what NVIDIA's been up to, next year's tablets should be beasts compared to today's state of the art. If Apple can't innovate its SoC quickly enough, hopefully they're smart enough to pick one that's best of breed.

 

[intextra29]

Well, after the Apple conference, it looks like the iPad 2 is seemingly underwhelming. Camera, thinner profile, better battery life aren't really killer features that everybody would rush out to get.

 

[TheStu]

Well, after the Apple conference, it looks like the iPad 2 is seemingly underwhelming. Camera, thinner profile, better battery life aren't really killer features that everybody would rush out to get.

:\

I mean, sure it doesn't also make you a ham sandwich, but I mean... for a product that was already selling really well, making it thinner, and lighter (the battery life is the same actually), adding cameras and improving the performance are usually exactly what helps keep the people rushing out to buy them. Especially since they didn't increase the price will all that.

 

[blackdogdeek]

:\

I mean, sure it doesn't also make you a ham sandwich, but I mean... for a product that was already selling really well, making it thinner, and lighter (the battery life is the same actually), adding cameras and improving the performance are usually exactly what helps keep the people rushing out to buy them. Especially since they didn't increase the price will all that.

it should also now attract all the people who didn't want to be early adopters.

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

I would look to the used market for 1st gen ipads, they are plentiful. Lots of people unloading before ipad 2 actually becomes available.

 

[Tegeril]

Cheetah retail price: $129
Puma retail price: $129 (although free for Cheetah users)
Jaguar retail price: $129
Panther retail price: $129
Tiger retail price: $129
Leopard retail price: $129
Snow Leopard retail price: $29

One aberration does not a trend make.

I meant that all of Apple's software has declined in price since that initial Snow Leopard drop. iLife/iWork components are now dirt cheap in the App Store, Aperture, Remote Desktop...