I kind of can’t believe that I’m typing this on a brand new apple laptop. I just did a quick search and been over a decade since I last got a new laptop (of my own, I mean – all other devices have been issued by work).

If you know me at all you’d know how hard I’m geeking out over this right now, LOL. You’re probably thinking: “no big deal, a new laptop. SFW”. But the thing is, much like the 2008 MacBook, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time.

Saying Goodbye to My Old Friend

The 2008 MacBook (which I’ve affectionately named Shadowfax – QUICK! let me know in the comments if you get that nerd reference!) was perfect and wonderful and everything that I ever expected from a personal laptop. In fact, it’s still working to this day. Sure, the battery’s dead so it’s got to be plugged in all the time but in a pinch, I can still use it for normal stuff because it still supports MS Office for Mac and can still connect to the internet.

But, and there’s the big annoying but, because the way Apple works, they stopped updating the thing ages ago. Everything in that computer is out of date and doesn’t support the newer versions of things like Flash Player. I tried plugging in my OnePlus 3T phone once and it couldn’t read it. So while Shadowfax is still perfectly useable, it doesn’t provide the optimum experience. I think I stopped using it when I got my 3T in 2017.

The (New-but-Old) Dream

After realizing that my beloved Shadowfax isn’t quite up for the modern challenges of normal computer use (online shopping, YouTube and Netflix bingeing), I realize that while I didn’t necessarily need a new laptop, I sure as hell wanted one.

Every year when I would list down a rough list of goals, somewhere in there would always be “buy new MacBook”. It never happened because: 1. I’ve never actually prioritized saving for the thing, and 2. none of the new releases really appealed to me. Of course Apple was releasing perfectly useable machines but deep down I knew that I was waiting for something special.

When the Stars Align

Sometime last year Apple decided to put their own computer chips in their laptops (they’ve been using their own chips for their phones and tablets) and released their first MacBook Pro line with the M1 chips in November. I think they were supposed to release these to the public at around April but because of the pandemic, this too got pushed back.

I wasn’t actively looking to buy a laptop last year but when YouTube recommended that I watch GregsGadgets’ review of the M1 laptops, I basically fell down the rabbit hole. You best believe that I must have watched at least twenty videos over that weekend and I was surprised that almost everybody who bought the M1 loved absolutely loved and was making it their primary work machine. I was very much intrigued.

A couple of days after Christmas, I was taking stock of my financial situation and realized that I could actually afford to buy one at full price. I guess this is one of the few perks of being in a pandemic: I couldn’t travel so I got to save money. After sleeping on it for a couple of nights, I knew that there was no backing out of buying this thing.

First Time to Buy from Apple.ph

As much as I would have loved to buy it from a physical store and bring the MacBook home with me as soon as they ran my credit card, I couldn’t because at the time (December 26), the M1 machines were only available from the official website. Right now I think a couple of distributors in the Philippines are already offering it but, read on and I’ll present to you the pro’s and con’s of buying from Apple.ph.

Pros:

1. At the time, it really was the only option available.
2. You’re sure that you’re buying from a legit item and (theoretically) shouldn’t have any problems if you need to have the item serviced under warranty.
3. The Education discount that nobody talks about but is apparently an open secret. If you scroll down any Apple website, there will be a link where you can buy laptops and tablets with a student discount. I trawled through reddit to check how Apple verifies if the buyer is a student but I have yet to come across a post saying that they had to send in their student documents. Supposedly Apple does a random audit and the worst case scenario is that you pay full price for the item. I thought it was a fair risk so I bought the M1 MacBook Pro and upgraded the RAM to 16GB and the memory to 526GB.
4. No taxes or custom fees and the delivery is free.

Cons:

1. Apple.ph ships from Singapore so it took a while for my order to arrive. I placed the order 26 of December and in the email the estimated date of delivery was 25 January. Thankfully, the item was shipped early so I received the package 18 January. I read on reddit though that sometimes it takes longer so your mileage may vary.

That’s basically it. Aside from the lengthy shipping, I’d totally buy from Apple.ph again if only because of the Education discount because I definitely wouldn’t have been able to avail that from a reseller. The package was delivered by DHL, if that makes any difference.

A New Beginning

2021 will be a challenging year for me (more on that later) but hopefully this M1 laptop will help out a bit when I try my hand at freelancing.