Vesper Guide: Should you Purchase a MacBook under Apple for Education?

It is amazing that other countries get very good service, such as giving discounts and rebates to students to help them own their first aircraft in a relaxed environment. Because let’s face it, technology products are quite expensive and some students take part-time jobs to be able to buy their equipment. I know the feeling because I used to be a student saving up to buy my own laptop, which was painful.

But when it comes to Malaysia, it is scary to look at the prices of technology products in general. Plus, it’s even harder now to find a part-time job to buy a laptop of your choice. But if your parents want to help you finance a new laptop and you feel at home in the Mac ecosystem, Apple is the place to go. But the question is whether you should consider it.

P.S. Thanks to a friend, Lynette, for this article popping up when we were talking about the laptops that can be purchased with the education plan in Malaysia. 😃

Apple for Education

Apple has world-class offerings that customers can access. There are several reasons why we recommend students consider it. First, Apple’s product offers the longest lifespan – both in terms of support and experience. This means that the likelihood of you switching to a new laptop in the near future is very low, as the closed-loop MacOS system provides an overall enjoyable experience. Second, MacBooks as a whole are built like a tank. The construction is strong enough to take a beating, and the wear and tear it undergoes over time will not be as severe as with a polycarbonate laptop.

Yes, the choice of an operating system is of course subjective. If you are looking for Windows Machine under the education platform to save a few dollars, stay with us for another article. But if you prefer the macOS system, continue to the end.

What are the requirements for making purchases under the “Apple for Education” program?

All you need is simple. You must be an active student at your university and have a (dot)edu email address. You may be asked to add this email with your purchase. But if you’re taking out a warranty and such, you’d better have your email address to check. The only way to buy an Apple laptop for education is through the official Apple website.

They cannot store under the Premium Retail program in Malaysia because they are not eligible for educational discounts.

How much can I save on my education purchases from Apple?

This is undoubtedly an important issue for me, and I’m sure it is for you as well. In this example, we’ll take the new MacBook Air with the Apple M1 chip and compare the normal SRP price on Apple.com to the education price. Before we get into the pricing, let’s look at the following configuration.

13-inch MacBook Air with Apple M1 chip (as of February 7, 2021).

• Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU
• 13″ retina display with True Tone
• 256 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM combined

Since the Air has built-in memory and RAM, don’t forget to upgrade if you need additional storage.

So the above variant is their basic offering. With the normal retail price, it costs RM 4,399. But with the Education plan, you can buy the same configuration for RM 3,959. This means you can save about RM 440 (about ~10%). For example, if you want to buy a configuration with more storage (512GB option), the recommended price is RM 5,399, but with the Education plan, you can buy it for RM 4,959, which means you can save 440 RM (~8%). This raises another question.

Is the discount the same or different for other Apple products?

If you look at the discount in the MacBook Air example we used, the discount for both options is about RM 440. Therefore, we also looked at other devices, such as the MacBook Pro and the iPad, and put together the table below to show how much you saved thanks to Apple’s educational program.

There are other devices, such as the iPad and iPad Mini. As for MacOS-based devices, there are the iMac, the Mac Pro and the Mac Mini, but we decided to leave these out because they clearly don’t offer a portable experience and the point here is to invest in a device that you can take anywhere and use for a long time, especially after this pandemic is over.

We are sure you want a machine that will fit in your pocket to take to your courses and workshops. Among the discounts we have looked at, you will notice that depending on the range of machines, the discount varies accordingly. So it is not really a percentage discount, but a fixed amount deducted from the recommended price of the product.

Another benefit of the Apple for Education offerings is bundles by application and other additional discounts.

Designers and students who are heavily involved in production do not always have the budget to afford a monthly subscription to an editing package. Apple offers a range of professional programs that students can purchase for a one-time fee of RM799. These include :

• Final Cut Pro
• Logic Pro
• Offering
• Compressor
• MainStage

Honestly, it’s probably the best student production I’ve ever seen.

Remember that Final Cut Pro costs the impressive RM1299.90 in the Mac App Store alone, so this kit is much more suited to students’ budgets than anything else. Compared to Adobe’s subscription model, students have to pay about $27.00 per month until the last day of study.

When you sign up for the Apple Music Student Plan, students also get free access to Apple TV+.

So is it worth buying it cheap?

For us, it’s simple: any discount is a good discount. Apple for Education gives students the opportunity to own an Apple device for their studies and future activities. The fact that you can get a discount on a recently announced new product is a win for me. In fact, the money you save on these Apple devices is a good thing for the reasons already mentioned: they are solidly built, have good support, and offer a better experience over time. Personally, we strongly recommend favoring a laptop over a tablet, due to its limited multitasking capabilities and ease of use. Just make sure you install it reasonably and get a laptop that will meet your needs for years to come.

Click here to visit the Apple Store for Education and purchase your own Apple device to start or even expand your education at home.

Again, a special thanks to our friend Lynette for the conversation that led us to write about it.

Frequently asked questions

How does Apple control the 2020 student discount?

An Apple specialist will verify your eligibility for the program based on your college transcript or your admission certificate.

How do I get an education discount from Apple?

To purchase discounted education products from Apple, go to the Apple Store for education pricing, select your devices (there is a limit to the number you can purchase per year) and place your order.

Does Best Buy apple have education awards?

Education pricing is still available to students through Apple’s online store and retail for pre-orders and regular orders, but no education pricing is available on Best Buy’s website for the new Macbook Touchpad Pros, which will ship through Best Buy through November 16.

Related Tags:

apple back to school 2020, apple student discount proof, apple education discount 2020, apple student discount 2020, macbook air, how to get apple student discount, apple teacher discount, apple store