Vodacom Macbooks

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Kimosabe

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I was thinking about getting a Macbook for me and another for my Mrs.
However after visiting the Vodacom office in Midrand it came out, that the price that we had been offered on day one, was not the same as what they wanted at the office.
They said that they wanted R689 a month for 36 months.
With that you would get the
Macbook MB402b
a 3g Card and 500 megs a month

after doing the math shortly after talking to them.
It came to R24 804 in total over those 3 years.
The Laptop through any other store costs about R12 999.
Where the hell Vodacom think that they can charge more than a 100% interest is insane.
Thus the mrs and I wont be getting a Macbook any time soon.

Heres the math.
R689 x 36 months = 24 804
now two people would be purchasing a laptop each that would come to a total of R49 608.
Now if I had to purchase the laptops cash it would come to R25 998.
Plus, now if i had to go purchase one at incredible connection it would only cost. Paying it off over 36 months on 28.5 interest thats what the incredible corruption credit interest is.
R16 704 in total
So now Vodacom can justify that 18 gigs of data over the 3 years can cost
R8100.

Am I being silly or is this a rip off?
 
Well R8100 over 36 months equates to R225pm which is not too far off what you would pay for 500MB with a modem.
 
you would seriously have to be insane to do this?
not just because the interest is ludicrous etc etc

but say after a year and a half, ur logic board pops....u now are paying off a laptop and gonna have to throw 7-9k to get it repaired...

If u get a mac, get an extended warranty.
 
Look the trick is this Vodacom are offering you a 36 month interest free loan to buy a laptop with.

With some of the deals you get a discount on the retail price of the laptop and others not.

Actually it isn't interest free but they are using the subsidy they give you to pay the interest on the loan.

And its just like any other thing you buy on HP, you run the risk of it dying halfway through the term and you end up paying for something you don't have.

So extended warrantees are a good idea.
 
I really dont know. Cos I really need a computer as I have work that needs to be done.
I am behind deadline due to not having a computer. So i really dont know any more I am up to my neck in freaking out. Its a large sum of money that could disappear should i not file asap. So really I dont know. I have no credit history, cos in the past I paid cash for everything. Now sadly that is impossible. So I dont know.
freaking out.
Should I get a mac or what
 
If you where to purchase the Macs on your credit card over 36 mths and you took a seperate 500Mb bundle, you would come out to the same price.

edit: (Interest @ 30% pa will give you a payment of 551.87 for R12999)
 
Kimosabe said:
I really dont know. Cos I really need a computer as I have work that needs to be done.
I am behind deadline due to not having a computer. So i really dont know any more I am up to my neck in freaking out. Its a large sum of money that could disappear should i not file asap. So really I dont know. I have no credit history, cos in the past I paid cash for everything. Now sadly that is impossible. So I dont know.
freaking out.
Should I get a mac or what
Click to expand...

macs are awesome, but do u REALLY need it?
do u even need a laptop?
u can get a desktop that does general work for under 3k?
 
True, this is true.
However I write a tech blog. So I need something with a little power behind it.
Also I work as a full time reporter. So picture and video editing is something i do on a daily basis
 
u can still get something decent for half the price of a macbook???
especially if you are willing to go non portable...

Portable will almost certainly double ur costs..
 
I am thinking that.
However I've got to get it on credit. Which I am worried about. You never know what the month might hold ahead of you. And being out of money is a sure fire way to having a heart attack.
I am really no sure.
Cos if i get it on credit I will have to go to incredible connection or something like that
which we both know wont give you the best bang for your buck
 
Kimosabe said:
I am thinking that.
However I've got to get it on credit. Which I am worried about. You never know what the month might hold ahead of you. And being out of money is a sure fire way to having a heart attack.
I am really no sure.
Cos if i get it on credit I will have to go to incredible connection or something like that
which we both know wont give you the best bang for your buck
Click to expand...

almost any company accepts credit cards, u can put it on budget up to 60 months i think...unless u dont have a credit card? in which case u could apply, they approve it frighteningly quickly.....i got one when i was still a student...
 
Logic Board

thealluseless said:
Say after a year and a half, ur logic board pops....u now are paying off a laptop and gonna have to throw 7-9k to get it repaired...

If u get a mac, get an extended warranty.
Click to expand...

How common is it for logic boards to fail? R7-9K is a LOT! :eek:
A friend is selling his white MacBook for R8k, its 6 months old. I'm tempted but I don't want any nasty surprises like logic board failure a year or 2 down the line...
I don't need the latest most powerful R16,000 unibody MacBooks.
 
Kimosabe said:
True, this is true.
However I write a tech blog. So I need something with a little power behind it.
Also I work as a full time reporter. So picture and video editing is something i do on a daily basis
Click to expand...

I'm a mac fanboi myself. :)

My advice to u is to rather get a pc / notebook instead.
They can do what u want.

You can pick them up very cheaply, finance is obviously the main issue here.
And right now you are just WANTING a mac, u don't NEED one.
You NEED to look after finances more.

Maybe later on u can get one.

For now, rather a sub 5k pc/notebook, and month to month internet connection.
 
Last edited:
There is another option. Buy a Mac Mini, The cheapest is R6.6k and most expensive is R8.6k it's small. You just need a screen. Then you got awesome Mac Power and cheaper. My father has is a journalist and has the R6.6k mac mini, it runs like a charm.

http://www.applecart.co.za/store/macmini/
 
Last edited:
robert222 said:
How common is it for logic boards to fail? R7-9K is a LOT! :eek:
A friend is selling his white MacBook for R8k, its 6 months old. I'm tempted but I don't want any nasty surprises like logic board failure a year or 2 down the line...
I don't need the latest most powerful R16,000 unibody MacBooks.
Click to expand...

thats hard to say, its pretty much luck of the draw. Logic boards can last 6 years+, if u have bad luck it could pop straight after warranty...
 
Kimosabe said:
True, this is true.
However I write a tech blog. So I need something with a little power behind it.
Also I work as a full time reporter. So picture and video editing is something i do on a daily basis
Click to expand...

Wait you write a tech blog so you need power?
Maybe to be able to say you are technical but not for word processing of any sort!
Macs are overpriced, why not just buy a netbook and have done with, it will happily do everything you want it to.
 
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