New Kid on the Block

Five years ago, during a tax break weekend in Georgia, my mother went on a mission on my behalf. I was jumping into the world of Apple and I asked her to purchase a MacBook for me, the idea being I'd save some cash. I ended up saving far more than she and I had even anticipated (no one will ever say she and I are not bargain shoppers!) and a week later my little brother boarded a plane to visit me for a week in New York City, MacBook in hand. When he left, he took back a significant check to reimburse my mother. It was an even exchange.

My white '06 MacBook was a beauty, straight out of the box. She knew it too, with her shiny white keys and glimmering screen. She made me work for her love, as it took me awhile to come around to a few of the Apple quirks, (no right click!) but oh, we all know the Apple koolaid is strong. And now, I will admit, I doubt I'll ever go back to the world of PC's in my private life. My poor little MacBook has been dragging as of late though. She's tired, her memory is maxed out, she is s-l-o-w to process my most basic requests and her stunning white shell? It's more of a muted gray now-a-days. I'd had it in the back of mind to get a new computer for some time now, but never felt quite ready to hand off my credit card, knowing it would be handed back with a new, significant charge attached. However, last weekend was our state's tax-free weekend. And if there's ever a time to be tempted, lured, and otherwise swayed...well, that's the weekend.

Last Saturday I drove over to my nearest Apple store and took my place in line along with the rest of the state of Massachusetts. The staff handed out bottles of water, answered questions while we were in line, and before I knew it, I was debating pros and cons of the MacBook Air versus the MacBook Pro with my own personal sales guru. (Up from my home state of New Jersey for the weekend to help with the crowds! Kismet!)

In the end I did shell out a serious chunk of change. But, I walked away with a very good deal, and ultimately saved myself about $400. Plus, my new laptop? She is a total looker.