Steve Jobs Suckered Me…Sorta

About a month or so ago, I had to buy a new MacBook.

The good news was that Apple was running a student promotion in which you received a free iPod if you purchased a new MacBook. Since my wife is a student, she was kind enough to “buy” the MacBook for me so I could get the new the iPod Touch, which I had was salivating over for months.

At the time, there was speculation about Apple introducing new MacBooks but I really couldn’t wait for that to happen, especially since the student deal ended Sept. 15.

As it turned out, Apple introduced new iPods yesterday, including slicker, less expensive iPod Touches.

For anyone who took advantage of the student promotion, you can’t feel a bit disappointed because the new iPods hit the market with the promotion still going on (there’s six days left). This means if you could, in theory, buy a new MacBook this week AND get a newer iPod for free.

In a sense, the savvy Steve Jobs suckered me. The promotion – while still a sweet deal – likely helped Apple move a ton of iPod inventory that is now dated. But if I had been more patient, I could have had a new MacBook and a new iPod.

The upside is the new iPod Touch is not a huge upgrade over the last generation. It’s less expensive with a slicker, thin feel and a built-in speaker. but it’s a lot like the one I have. If the new model had come with a built-in camera, that would have been tougher to swallow.

It would also have been to see some cool peripherals like an iCamera or a Bluetooth keyboard but perhaps that will come when Jobs makes his annual state-of-the-nation speech.

More: Tech Check’s Jim Goldman has a one-on-one interview with Jobs about his health and the new iPod line-up.

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