We start the day off with Apple’s five just-introduced MacBook Pro laptops. The units each included the new 10Gb Thunderbolt i/o port, as well as Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors. The machines start at start at $1,199 for a 13-inch 2.3Ghz i5 product. We also take a look at the latest batch of iPhone App Store freebies, including “Fruit Slayer,” a fruit-slicing game. We wrap up the daily deals spotlight with more price cuts from the iPad App Store, including “Lars,” a ‘retro-platform’ game.
Along the way, we take a look at hardware deals and more apps for the iPhone and iPod nano. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.
Apple introduces five new MacBook Pro Laptops from $1,199
Today, Apple introduced five new MacBook Pro models, as listed below, all using the new line of Intel Sandy Bridge processors. Notably, the 15″ and 17″ models sport a quad-core processor, the first ever in an Apple notebook. All models feature the new Thunderbolt port, which doubles as a high-speed data and display port. (More information on that can be found here.) The new MacBook Pro line:
Apple MacBook Pro Core i5 Dual 2.3GHz 13″ Notebook for $1,199
Apple MacBook Pro Core i5 Dual 2.7GHz 13″ Notebook for $1,499
Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 Quad 2GHz 15″ Notebook for $1,799
Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 Quad 2.2GHz 15″ Notebook for $2,199
Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 Quad 2.2GHz 17″ Notebook for $2,499
The iTunes App Store offers downloads of several applications for Apple iPhone and iPod touch for free, as listed below. With a savings of up to $20, each is at the lowest price we’ve seen. Note that these apps are compatible with the iPad but will run at a significantly lower resolution. (Check the individual apps for further information.) The deals:
Fruit Slayer: Fruit slicing game
Round Traveler: Action puzzle game
Ringtones Maker: Ringtone creation software
Little Journey: Love adventure game
xFighter Classic: Top-down vertical shooting
Alpha Wars Orion: 2D arcade game
Mouse Club: Action game
The iTunes App Store offers price drops on downloads of several Apple iPad applications, as listed below. The deals:
Animation Desk for iPad for 99 cents ($2 off): Animation assistant
Read It Later Pro for 99 cents ($2 off): Offline webpage saving
Demolish HD for 99 cents ($1 off): Physics-based game
TypeDrawing for iPad for 99 cents ($2 off): Text-art creation
Little Things for 99 cents ($2 off): Seek and find game
Lars (pictured) for 99 cents ($1 off): Retro platforming game
Today only, the iTunes App Store offers downloads of Digits Calculator for iPhone / iPod touch / iPad for free. That’s a $2 drop and the best deal we’ve seen for this calculator app.
The iTunes App Store offers downloads of Read It Later Pro for iPhone / iPod touch / iPad for 99 cents. That’s $2 off and the lowest price we could find for this app, which allows you to save webpages to read later.
Below are downloads of several applications which have dropped in price and are available for a limited time from Apple’s App Store. These apps are created for the iPhone and iPod touch; they’re also compatible with the iPad but will run at a significantly lower resolution. (Check the individual apps for further information.) Each is the best deal we’ve seen on that title. The deals:
What Cocktail? for 99 cents ($1 off): Cocktail selection assistant
Crystal Soul for 99 cents ($1 off): Puzzle game
7 Cities for 99 cents ($2 off): Tower defense game
Business Card Reader for 99 cents ($5 off): Business card recognition
National Park Maps HD for $4.99 ($5 off): Trail maps
All Of Wikipedia – Offline for $8.99 ($1 off): Offline wikipedia database
The Apple Store has stock of factory-refurbished 3-lb. MacBook Air notebooks. Plus, each system qualifies for free shipping. At up to $250 off, each model is at or near the lowest total price we could find. Sales tax is added where applicable. Each item carries a 1-year Apple warranty, the same as new units. Items are removed from The Apple Store when sold out. The laptops:
Refurb MacBook Air MC505LL/A Core 2 Duo 1.4GHz 11.6″ 64GB SSD w/ 2GB RAM for $849
refurb MacBook Air MB233LL/A Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz 13.3″ 120GB HDD w/2GB RAM for $849
refurb MacBook Air MC506LL/A Core 2 Duo 1.4GHz 11.6″ 128GB SSD w/ 2GB RAM for $1,019
refurb MacBook Air MB234LL/A Core 2 Duo 2.13GHz 13.3″ 128GB SSD w/ 2GB RAM for $1,099
refurb MacBook Air MC503LL/A Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz 13.3″ 128GB SSD w/ 2GB RAM for $1,099
see all refurbished MacBook Air laptops
Today only, The iTunes App Store offers downloads of Hasbro’s Boggle for Apple iPhone / iPod touch for free. That’s a $1 drop since our November mention and the lowest total price we’ve seen for this word game. It’s also available for iPad for free. That’s $1 off and the best deal we’ve seen for this game on this platform.
Today only, MidnightBox.com offers the refurbished, 4th-generation Apple iPod touch 8GB MP3 Player, model no. MC540LL/A, for $179.95 plus $3.99 for shipping. That’s $11 under our mention from last week and $26 less than the lowest total price we could find for a new unit. It features a new high definition Retina Display, 3-axis gyro, iOS 4.1, front- and rear-facing cameras (the latter capable of HD recording), FaceTime, Game Center, and more. A 30-day MidnightBox.com warranty applies.
The Apple Store continues to cut the price on a selection of factory-refurbished Apple iPad WiFi Tablets. With free shipping, it continues to be the best deal we’ve seen for most of these iPad models. (The 32GB and 64GB models are up to $100 under what Apple charges for new ones.) Sales tax is added where applicable. This 0.5″-thick tablet weighs 1.5 lbs. and features an Apple A4 1GHz processor, 9.7″ 1024×768 LCD touchscreen display, 802.11a/n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, accelerometer, compass, up to 10 hours of battery life, and more. Each carries a 1-year Apple warranty, the same as new units. The iPads:
Refurbished Apple iPad 16GB Wi-Fi for $429
refurbished Apple iPad 32GB Wi-Fi for $499
refurbished Apple iPad 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G for $579
refurbished Apple iPad 64GB Wi-Fi for $599
refurbished Apple iPad 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G for $679
refurbished Apple iPad 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G for $779
