New Mac computers too pricey? Wait a bit

Apple announced updates to its line of Mac computers at its annual developers' conference in San Francisco on Monday -- the big news being a 15.4-inch super-thin MacBook Pro with a retina display, offering four times the resolution of previous models (2880-by-1800 pixels).

But such beauty doesn't come cheap.

The new MacBook Pro starts at $2,199 and is available today. For those that don't have a couple of grand lying around, there are options.

First off, wait a couple of days before purchasing this system, Louis Ramirez who covers technology for DealNews, told us. "It's hard to tell when we'll see the first discount, but we could see a modest discount or two soon," he said.

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The longer you wait after a new product introduction, the more money you'll save. But don't head to your local Apple Store. Authorized resellers like Amazon, MacMall and MacConnection frequently undercut Apple Store prices, DealNews advised in their April Mac report.

Apple's MacBook Pros usually see deals quickly compared with other Mac computers, perhaps as early as Wednesday, if history repeats itself. (The previous generation 15-inch model saw a $100 discount on the same day of its release, Ramirez said.) If you can hold off for three months, you could save as much as $300. The new Mac Book Pros start at $1,199 for a 13-inch laptop and $1,799 for the 15-inch model, priced the same as previous models. As expected, the 17-inch unit was discontinued.

For a new MacBook Air, the second-most discounted Apple computer, wait one day and save $50 or wait four months and possibly save $150, he said. Both Best Buy and Amazon offered deep discounts (deep for Apple!) on the smallest MacBook Air released last July, so start there. A new 11-inch MacBook Air starts at $999, while the larger 13-inch model starts at $1,199 — equivalent to the previous units.

Already, Amazon has marked down what are now "old" Mac laptops, from about $25 to $150, and Ramirez said to expect even deeper discounts. Currently, Apple is offering about 15 percent off most refurbished Macs, and occasionally as much as 26 percent off the price of a new unit.

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