It figures. New ones come out right after purchase.

[geocritter]

Hi all,

New to Macbooks here...got the 15" MBP on April 2. Make no mistake...I'm a pc guy (even technician certified), a linux user, and very familiar with the *nixes. I thought Win7 was pretty nice (for a Windows version), until I got the mac. Wow. Fast, flawless, very nice. Put the Applecare plan on it, too.

Except...this morning they announce the NEW ones. Sooo.....my question is...: is this newer model worth the hassle of returning my new laptop (which is still within it's return period, is it not?), getting refunded, and re-purchasing the newer model, at $100 more? (and so far I've spent quite a bit...so cash is getting like hen's teeth). Only real difference I'm seeing are maybe a faster graphics display and processor...but not by that much.

Or should I just shut up and enjoy my Mac (which is a thing of beauty) and save up for the next one in a couple of years?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[dan828]

I believe you can take it back for the upgraded models if you've bought one within two weeks of a new model coming out, without any restocking fees. So I'd get the new one, i5 is a pretty significant upgrade from the core2duo.

 

[firesidedog]

If the package has been opened, I believe there is a 10% restocking fee.

 

[geocritter]

called the store

Nope, just called the store. Within 14 days on same model it's a like-for-like swap. At the old price. I.e., I just bring it back in and walk out with the upgraded version.

All I gotta do is put it in the box with the cord & bring it in. This, my friends, is what I call Customer Care.

Oh, yeah, they'll take care of transferring that, too.

 

[DarkestRitual]

OMG YAY! New toys!!!! I'm excited haha.

 

[MYmacROX]

Nope, just called the store. Within 14 days on same model it's a like-for-like swap. At the old price. I.e., I just bring it back in and walk out with the upgraded version.

All I gotta do is put it in the box with the cord & bring it in. This, my friends, is what I call Customer Care.

Oh, yeah, they'll take care of transferring that, too.

No upcharge for the better specs? How much difference would it have been from what you bought originally with what's in the Apple store today?

 

[geocritter]

not that I know of.

The lady I spoke to in the store said that it would be an even swap, as long as I was in my 14-day return period from date of purchase. That seems to be the policy: if a new version of that model comes out within 14 days of purchase, they'll upgrade it for free.

The difference seems to be 100.00, if I'm looking at it right.

EDIT: And if they lied to me, and there IS an up-charge, I'm gonna be ticked. And, I won't do the swap. The new upgrades look good, but I've spent about as much as I can already on the thing, and I don't think they're worth the extra 100.00.

 

[MYmacROX]

I see. So if you bought the low-end 15" MBP, you could swap it for the newest low-end 15" MBP. It just has to be in a comparable position on the "totem pole".

 

[geocritter]

bingo

I see. So if you bought the low-end 15" MBP, you could swap it for the newest low-end 15" MBP. It just has to be in a comparable position on the "totem pole".

You hit the nail on the head. It has to be the EXACT same model on the totem pole. You just get the newer specs found in the same model.

Frankly, my new machine runs so great that if the Apple store wasn't right up the road from me, I don't even know that I'd go to the trouble of boxing it up, getting the paperwork back together, and all that stuff. You guys know what I mean...it's a hassle. But, if they're gonna do an even swap and take care of my paperwork and all, then why not, if for no other reason than to get the better battery.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Just for the fact that they'd possibly do the even swap, you'd be well advised to take in your Core2Duo and walk out with the i5. This will make your MBP significantly future-proof than the C2D..

Regards

 

[geocritter]

ya

You're right. I just hope they don't try the restocking fee thing; she didn't mention it. That would be a deal breaker (i simply don't HAVE $170 to put back into the thing) for me. I'm going to call again on my way home and verify that part, before I go to the effort.

 

[iBeldar]

I did the same thing. June 2008 I bought my white Macbook Intel graphics. Wasn't long after that when they released the unibodies with nvidia graphics. I was a bit upset needless to say lol.

 

[Eric559]

I love these posts.

 

[geocritter]

update

Well...I did it. They had just gotten them into the store in the afternoon shipment, so I had them snag one for me. Ended up, I *did* have to pay an extra $105.00. They waived the restocking fee, and they would have worked out the cost difference, but we had gotten a discount on the first one anyway, so in the end there wasn't much way around it. But for the better battery, i5 processor, and (I forgot about this part) the larger hd (320 gb, vs 250 gb), it was a big upgrade.

And, the wife didn't kill me for spending YET ANOTHER $100+ bucks on it. Score one for me! LOL

Performance-wise (after I got everything reinstalled), I haven't noticed a LOT of difference, yet, but I haven't really given it a workout yet, either. It seemed to install things a little faster. Once I get parallels on it and start running virtual machines, that will probably show some of the power.

Oh, and the power plug is a little different now. Same connector, but it's angled at 90 degrees, and has a metal cylinder shaped back on it. The plug itself is the same square box. But the upshot is the new connector end matches the case, and doesn't stick out as far. Just a little "attention to detail" kind of thing.

Now I'm just waiting for Apple to update my Applecare warranty to match the new machine. I was able to upload my receipt to them, I just hope that they don't get confused with it because it shows both machines...

 

[87vert]

So a co-worker of mine just bought a MBP 13" last week. After reading this thread I told him to to call the local apple store to see what they could do for him and they said since he bought it online he would need to call back the apple online store and they could give him a refund since he had upgraded the ram to 4gb which is now standard.

So he called Apple and they said they can give him a refund on the ram upgrade or he can mail back the MBP and they could credit him and he could buy the new one. Since he just got it he didn't want to be without it for 2 weeks while everything was being exchanged so they gave him what they called a "one time exception code"

He called back the local apple store and they said they will accept his exception code and for him to drop by and they will even swap him for a new one.

(Im assuming they are doing an even swap since the refund from the ram upgrade and the 10% restocking fee almost equal out.)

 

[87vert]

So I just spoke with him, they actually gave him a refund for the ram purchase and didn't charge him anything for the swap. So he bought a KB cover and a magic mouse. Not a bad deal.