With the education season about to start up again, here are a few tips on purchasing a Mac as a student or teacher.

Firstly, anyone connected to education should purchase through Apple's Education Store (Ireland or UK). This is not open to the general public, but is instead a way for students and teachers to buy Apple products at a discounted price.

Here are a few examples of prices:

MacBook Pro: 13-inch: 2.26GHz
Apple Store for Ireland: €1149
Apple Education Store for Ireland: €1080

Apple Store for UK: £899
Apple Education Store for UK: £845


iMac 24-inch: 2.66GHz
Apple Store for Ireland: €1399
Apple Education Store for Ireland: €1315

Apple Store for UK: £1199
Apple Education Store for UK: £1127


Mac mini: 2.0GHz- 120GB
Apple Store for Ireland: €599
Apple Education Store for Ireland: €563

Apple Store for UK: £499
Apple Education Store for UK: £469



There are also offers available, such as the iPod/Mac rebate, where you can purchase a Mac and iPod together and get money back. Normally this rebate covers most of the cost of the iPod (depending on the model you choose). The rebate for the Irish store is up to €185, and for the UK store is £145. This offer closes on September 8th. Full terms and conditions, including the amount of the rebate per iPod, is available here: Ireland or UK.

University students should also check with their computer services department to see if Apple have an agreement in place with them. Sometimes the discounts given to individual universities can be better than on the general education store.

Tags: Education | Mac | iPod