Buy now, or wait?

Jesse714

Jesse714

Tech In Training
Today is August 16th, Snow Leopard is to be released September 11 (i think), If i were to buy a MacBook Pro Now, I would have to buy SL when it comes out for 10 bucks, right? Could i just go into my Local Apple Store, or would i have to order it from apple? Should i just wait a month, until it is out, and buy one then? It will also come with the Snow Leopard Restore Disc's won't it? That way i will have the actual Snow Leopard Restore discs for my MBP, instead of having the factory Leopard discs...

Can anybody throw out an opinion?

Thanks guys

I cant wait for the official SL!!!
 
I would wait because it is right near when Apple refreshes their iPod line and as a student you can get an iPod with a Mac Book purchase.
 
I think i am just going to wait.
You still have to pay for the ipod, but you then get a 'mail in rebate' right?
What do you mean by refresh?

Anybody have an idea what my current MacBook could be sold for?
I just had the Palmrest replaced.
 
http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/

Customers who purchase a qualifying new Mac computer or an Apple Certified Refurbished computer from the Apple Online Store on or after June 8, 2009 that does not include Mac OS X Snow Leopard can upgrade to Snow Leopard for US$9.95 plus tax. Remember your completed order form must be postmarked or faxed within 90 days of the date of your purchase of a qualifying computer (described in this offer) or by December 26, 2009, whichever is earlier.
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In other words, yes I would wait. Unless you really _need_ that free iPod. (Is that still going on? I'm not sure when that promotion usually ends...) The SL restoration disks will be very useful later on, although with a time machine backup, you probably won't need to actually first install 10.5, no? I'm not sure, but I'd still prefer waiting a little while to get the real disks. But make _sure_ you get the full package and not a box with upgrade discs inside, because that's what they'll quite probably have available the day SL is released!
 
Right, that was my only concern, i'd rather have a set of SL restoration discs, made just for the MBP.

I think i am also going to buy SL for my current macbook, and then upgrade it, and SELL!! :)

Does anybody know how many times the SL disc can be used?
 
There is only one rule for buying computers: wait as long as you can afford. New machines are coming every week.
 
Jesse714 said:
I think i am also going to buy SL for my current macbook, and then upgrade it, and SELL!! :)
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Why? Legally, you can't install Snow Leopard on it, sell the MacBook, and keep the Snow Leopard disks. To stay in line legally, if you installed Snow Leopard on the MacBook and sold it, the Snow Leopard disks would have to go along with the computer (or you would need to remove the Snow Leopard installation on that MacBook) -- you can't keep them.

Does anybody know how many times the SL disc can be used?
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As many times as you want, technically. Legally, once (with the exception of the family pack).

Apple does not use serial numbers or track how many times OS X has been installed, but that doesn't many it any more legal to use one set of disks to install on multiple computers.

The general rule of thumb is that one install disk set is good for installation on one computer (as many times as you like, as long as it's the same computer). If you had eight computers that you wanted to upgrade to Snow Leopard, legally, you'd be required to purchase 8 individual licenses of Snow Leopard. That breaks down the most cost effective way of one family pack and three individual licenses.
 
Eldiablo, what are you talking about?

I said buy SL for my macbook upgrade it, and sell it, i said no where along the lines of upgrading it and keeping the restore disc.
 
Jesse714 said:
Eldiablo, what are you talking about?

I said buy SL for my macbook upgrade it, and sell it, i said no where along the lines of upgrading it and keeping the restore disc.
Click to expand...

But... why would you do this? The MacBook isn't going to sell for any more with Snow Leopard installed than it would without Snow Leopard... so why go through the added expense of purchasing Snow Leopard to install on the MacBook when you won't be able to recoup that $30 in the price of the MacBook when you sell it?

Why not just sell the MacBook as-is?

So you decide to sell the MacBook at $800. Cool.

You go out and buy Snow Leopard for $30. Cool.

You then sell the MacBook with the Snow Leopard disks -- total profit is $770.

Or, you decide to sell the MacBook at $800.

You use the original restore CD/DVD to restore the MacBook to its original software for free.

You sell the MacBook -- total profit is $800, a full $30 higher than if you bought Snow Leopard.

...am I missing something?
 
About the technical and legal stuff:

1.) The upgrade disks (29$ for Leopard owners, 9.95$ for recent-buyers) are intended for _one_ machine only. Technically, they'll probably install on any intel Mac with Leopard installed. It's not difficult to circumvent any limitation, technically, but it's legally wrong to "give" another computer SL for which a license hasn't been bought.

2.) The "family pack" disks are for up to 5 computers in the same household. And no, that does not include that nice girl's computer living in the apartment next door or a friend's computer that just happens to be in the same household on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It's meant, as the name says, for families primarily, and its use is extended to "households" that are not, strictly speaking, families.

As a computer sales person I find it hilarious (I'm not saying you're thinking like this, btw., it's just an anecdote), when for example the father of a student comes to our store to buy a student edition of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium. It's obvious that _he_ wants to use the software as soon as he's asking about whether he (yes he) would be able to install the software on more than one computer in his (yes his) household. To people like that I want to scream: Pirate the f***ing piece of software already! Why pay Adobe a couple of hundred dollars instead of a couple of thousand dollars when you can simply download a cracked version of the same thing? It's in *no way* "more legal" to abuse his daughter's student card than to directly steal. In a strange way, pirating seems *MUCH* more honest to me, personally, than abusing a student discount in this way.

Similarly, I find it hilarious how I recently came across a few kids (classmates, I guess) who decided to buy the Mac Box Set Family pack, so they could install it on all their computers. I know it's wrong, but I sold them the single-user license instead after it became clear that they planned to neglect the terms of the license, anyway.

End of rant. Sorry to hijack the thread like this. ;)
 
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