On the heels of Apple’s announcement last Thursday of this year’s “Back to School” promotion, the tech giant was on the receiving end of much criticism for discontinuing the established tradition of giving away a complementary iPod touch with the purchase of a qualifying Mac during the annual summer-long promo.
This time around, students will receive a $100 Mac App Store gift card when they buy a new MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, or Mac Pro.
Over the weekend, however, published reports surfaced that mega consumer electronics retailer Best Buy has begun matching Apple’s promotion. Not only can students purchase a Mac at a discounted price, they will also reportedly get a $100 Best Buy gift card when they do so.
This promotion through Best Buy, however, isn’t being publicly advertised. As we understand it, this one you have to ask about when you’re in the store.
Unfortunately, we can’t yet confirm that this deal is universal across all Best Buy stores, so shoppers are being encouraged across the blogosphere to ask about the promotion before you head for the cash register eager for a deal and a gift card.
Although there is no word on how long the Best Buy promotion will last (the company hasn’t even formally confirmed the promotion matching program yet), Apple’s “Back to School” special spans June 16th through September 20th.
For the time being, it appears that Best Buy may ultimately gain a leg up on Apple, as many prospective Mac buyers will all but certainly find a Best Buy gift card more attractive (given the diversity of purchasing power it provides) than a Mac App Store gift card.
