Apple has offered up details for this year’s Back to School promotion for students interested in buying a new computer.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Unlike past years, when buyers would get free iPods with a qualifying purchase, this year, Apple’s offering a $100 gift card.
Apple emphasizes the gift card for use in the Mac App Store, but the card can also be used on the iTunes Store, the App Store, or the iBookstore.
Terms and conditions apply, of course, and Apple has specifically excluded the Mac mini model from this promotion. (The iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Pro all qualify.) The purchase must be made between June 16, 2011 and September 20, 2011. Visit Apple’s Web site for details.
Guessing all that money they are saving over past years will go directly into the “Free iCloud” fund.
You forgot to mention the hordes of folks on other sites ‘griping’ about this change as a preview to the B/M treatment the retail staff get to look forward too.
Frankly I’m not shocked about this. Past year or two there’s been a spike in ebay etc sales of ‘unopened ipod touches’ which probably came from this promo. Sure one can argue that Apple can’t do squat because of end user sales laws so they are stuck knowing these kids are making pure profit cause they were given their money back. So doing something by not giving them the free ipod at all makes sense. Plus they probably don’t have the stock anyway since at least some of the components were made in Japan at now damaged/destroyed factories. And the MBA sales have shown that they don’t need a gimmick (unlike poor Microsoft with that xbox)