Apple launches its Back to School promotion

It’s a day late according to the rumors, but Apple has finally rolled out their Back to School promotion, only this time it’s not an iPod touch. Instead, Apple’s giving away $100 Mac App Store Credit gift cards to students purchasing a Mac. A lot of people are going to be disappointed that they won’t be getting a new iPod touch to go with that snazzy new Mac.

According to Apple:

When you buy a new qualifying Mac with Apple education pricing* from June 16, 2011, through September 20, 2011, you’ll get a $100 Back to School Card to use on the Mac App Store, the App Store, the iTunes Store, and the iBookstore.

In order to qualify for the promotion, you must be a student in college, or be a parent of a college student, or — and here’s the kicker — a faculty/staff member at a school at any grade level. So, teachers, students, and parents of college students are eligible, so long as they purchase a MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, or Mac Pro.

While the change is probably a little surprising to most, it could be the result of Apple realizing that a lot of iOS users are purchasing Macs to begin with, with iOS devices already in tow. We’re speculating, but if iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches really are driving Mac sales, it doesn’t really make sense that Apple’s giving them a device they may already own.

Besides, who isn’t App crazy these days? A hundred dollars can go a long way on the Mac App Store. We should point this out one more time. This gift card is for the Mac App Store, and not the iOS App Store.  Frankly, I would have preferred the free software over the iPod touch had this promotion been around when I was heading into college.

Check out the promotion page

Joshua is the Content Marketing Manager at BuySellAds. He’s also the founder of Macgasm.net. And since all that doesn’t quite give him enough content to wrangle, he’s also a technology journalist in his spare time, with bylines at PCWorld, Macworld and TechHive.