free ipod touch with mac purchase 2011

Hi there, I'm new to the forum so I apologize if this thread is posted elsewhere and I just didn't see it.

I was wondering if anyone may know--is Apple planning on doing the "free iPod Touch with Macbook purchase" this year?

I know that it only works with the education discount, and I know it's actually a $200 rebate and they don't just hand you a free iPod (which is great because I want to get the iPod Classic rather than the Touch).

Furthermore, if this promotion is happening this year, anyone know when is usually starts? I've heard that historically it has begun mid- to late-May.

I really hope it happens because I'm planning on buying my first Mac computer soon! It'd be great to get the rebate since my current iPod is 5 years old, has an embarrassingly short battery life, and--oh yes--a large crack on the screen. I'm also planning on doing a package deal and getting the iPad 2.

Please help if anyone has any information!

Thank you

Hi - I moved your thread to "The Lounge", since we have very specific criteria for posting to the Apple News and Rumors section.

Yes, typically every year Apple runs a "back to school" promo, which typically includes a free iPod Touch with the purchase of a new Mac. I don't recall the specific timeframe, but I'd imagine it will be sometime before the end of July.

Unfortunately, this site has no official affiliation with Apple, and since no one would know for sure (aside from Apple employees), any advice you get here would be mere speculation.

Good luck.

Apple sucks 2011

Unfortunately, Apple is not going to do the "free ipod Touch with MacBook purchasing". Instead they are offering a $100 gift card for app store. It sucks! Since there is a new tech; iCloud. Apple must recovering from the loss in $$ from the new production.

I highly doubt that. They are after all, the richest company in the world. I think it’s just to encourage use of the Mac App Store.

The rebate program this year is $100. That includes the educational back to school promotion. As the other post stated, you'll receive a gift card.

It's $100 for the app store instead this year. Way less cool!

Last year when they were giving away the iPod Touch, you had to pay for it up front, send in the rebate paper work, and then wait around 6 to 8 weeks for the check to show up in the mail.

When we purchased our new iMac we also received a free Epson printer. However we had to pay for the printer first and then wait around 2 months for the rebate check to show up from Apple. I'm not crazy about waiting that long for a rebate and would prefer an instant rebate instead.

However, you can understand why Apple doesn't do it that way.... it's because of returns.

I got a free iPod with my MB and to be honest, I'd rather have the $100 gift card. First, as chscag noted, you have to pay for the iPod and the rebate they gave me didn't include the tax so I ended up paying $360.47 for the iPod and got a check back for $319. So, it wasn't really all that free.

Second, the $100 gift card can help you pay for some software for school that you otherwise would have had to pay for.

To be brutally honest though, I think you should be happy you're getting anything. Apple isn't obligated to give you a discount because you're going to school.