NP has changed her reseller for Apple this year. It might be the worst mistake it has made.
Sapura is charging a premium from $300 and above for every Mac they are selling. Take for example the Macbook Pro.
The selling price of $3411.16 (inclusive of GST) is way above the $2788 (inclusive of GST) educational price that the Apple Store online is offering. This is the same price for educational products that Apple resellers will sell you in any Brick and Mortar shops.
There are no differences in the specs apart from the “freebies” that are given.
Sure Final Cut Express, the Dicota bag as well as Applecare sure are worth more than the $623 bucks you pay but do you seriously need all the stuff mentioned?
Microsoft Office 2008 and gang are preloaded because the school has brought the educational site license for them. You do not need Norton Antivirus for your Mac, because it will slow down your system. It only exists as part of the IT policy of the school. If I am not wrong, Final Cut Express is also available in some computer labs.
So essentially you do not need those. So what are you really paying $623 for? Applecare?
That would be bullshit because firstly, the Applecare provided is a variant of the normal Applecare you pay $503.20 for. This “educational”Applecare are Macs with serial numbers that correspond to an education sale to educational institutions with support being provided by the reseller. You could call it sub standard support even though Applecare centres in Singapore cannot refuse to fix your Mac.
Even with that, the $623 is still $119.0 too much.
[Sapura NP Link from MeL]
Updates: Same reseller, different name.
How come students from SP can get it waaaay cheaper?!?!?!
By: kenneth on March 5, 2008
at 4:15 pm
sapura = diversitec. it is the same as the distributor from last year.
I think you need to get off your lofty pedestal and find out a little bit more before shooting off and ranting away.
sure you pay $623. but the Applecare is NOT a variant because if you check, sending it to epiCentre =sending it to Diversitec. infact, most apple shops in SG sublease their “repairing” to Diversitec with the exception of iShop. it is also better than the commercially available AppleCare because you get a loan unit when you send yours in for repairs. the AppleCare you get is also 3 year international + onsite whereby they will come to you and collect your spoilt machine.
as for FCE. it is a requirement for the FMS students that have to buy Apple laptops, as FCE is required for one or 2 modules, even in year 1. the labs only have FCP (iirc).
FCE in itself is already worth half the $623 you pay. adding on “AppleCare”, it is pretty much justifiable and $623 would pale in comparison to the true “value” you get.
lastly, not EVERY brick and mortar shop will sell you an Apple at the educational discount because their margins are already very low. the discount is usually only applicable via online purchase, and perhaps at shops nice enough to sell you at that price.
maybe its time to drop the “g” in fgb after all.
By: t on March 21, 2008
at 3:18 pm