Apple is known for its build quality and its stellar customer service though prices often end up on the high side. If we can manage to bring down the prices a little, we have a winner!

This guide is to bag the latest MacBook Pro with the following goodies at an affordable price

Intel Core i7 2.66 GHz Processor

8GB DDR3 RAM

512GB SSD

1680X1050 high resolution glossy display

NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB

Apple Remote

Other standard additions

Following are the various discounts, promotions, referrals, rebates we will be using to sweeten the deal

BigCrumbs – $60 (1.6% cashback)

Apple Education Store Discount – $385 [$4049 (retail w/o tax) – $3664 (education w/o tax)]

Apple Printer Rebate – $100

Apple iPod Touch Rebate – $199 (Apple Back to school promo, May 25 through September 7, 2010)

Sales Tax Free State or Tax Free Weekend – $280+

Read the following carefully and follow the instructions verbatim!

BigCrumbs

They are a trustworthy online referral service on your day to day purchases. They pay you back a percentage of the amount you spend at several popular retailers (Apple, Target, Walmart, ….). For Apple, they have 1.6% cashback, not bad at all!

All you have to do is click the following banner :

Click on “Join Now. It’s FREE” towards the top right corner of the page.

After you register successfully, login and search for “Apple” in the search bar at the top of this page.

Click on the orange ‘shop now’ button! Simple, isn’t it? And hey, don’t forget to use this option the next time you buy a book from Barnes and Nobles or stuff from any online store. Check here first to see the percentage cashback they offer, it doesn’t hurt and your wallet is happier than ever 😉

I have been using it for more than an year and this is proof that it works. My most online purchases go through BigCrumbs and look what I earned! You can still use your coupons and gift cards while making your purchase, just don’t forget to go through BigCrumbs!

Apple Education Store Discount

Now, BigCrumbs must have taken you to Apple’s online store. If not, try the ‘BigCrumbs’ step again, it is crucial.

Click on “Education Store” towards the left sidebar and type in your school’s zip code. Click on a school.

Now build a MacBook/Pro of your choice and add to the cart. The total discount depends on the upgrades you add ($200 ~ $385)!

Note that 8GB RAM and 128/256/512GB SSD are the cheapest upgrades for Apple laptops at the time of this writing. So pick the one that is affordable for you. With unibody MacBooks, replacing them yourself can be a pain!

Apple Printer Rebate

Add any printer to your cart. Note that you will get $100 back, so if you want that all-in-one wireless printer ($129 and up), you are essentially buying it for $29!

Rebates can be a hassle but Apple’s rebates are different. All you have to do is visit apple.com/promo once you received your order and submit your purchase information. It is all online and takes only few minutes! A $100 check, how cool is that?!

Apple iPod Touch Rebate

Apple loves students and hence a back-to-school promo is born every year in summer.

Wait till the back-to-school promo kicks off  It is live from May 25 through September 7, 2010. You will have to buy your MacBook/Pro, Printer, iPod touch – all on the same invoice and then claim your rebate online at apple.com/promo. A handsome $199 check will be yours within 45 days or less. Please note that an enhanced model of iPod Touch release follows as soon as this promo ends.

Sales Tax Free State

Sales tax on Apple’s merchandise can be a lot, particularly if you are buying a MacBook Pro. How does $291 sales tax sound to you?!

Option 1 : Some states have Tax Free Holidays to tap in on some savings. If you are lucky enough to live in one such state, good for you! Just that you may have to wait for the Tax Free Holiday, typically in August. Here is a list.

Option 2 : Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon are sales-tax-free throughout the year! If you have a friend living there, ship the order to them and either pick them up or ask them to ship it to you (drop the printer or gift it to your friend for the trouble since shipping it may not be cost effective!).

Numbers speak wonders, so here they are. Feel free to post a comment if you want to further discuss this article. I just felt a need for the new MBP but at better prices, hence this article.

p.s : Please pay your state taxes wherever you are legally required to. I take no responsibility to your actions due to this article.