How To Get A New MacBook Pro For Free.

As much as I love a bargain, there’s something in my genetic make up that prohibits me from being this clever.

Yes, I want a new MacBook Pro. Am I willing to do this to get it?

No, I’m not selling my firstborn, though there are times the thought crosses my mind.

I’m not sure a not-quite-toddler would bring enough cash to buy a fully tricked out MacBook Pro.

What would I need? Probably $3,500 or so. Big hard drive, 17-inch display, loads of RAM. You get the idea.

So, how can you get your hands on one of Apple’s most prized Macs? It’s remarkably easy, and no soul selling required.

But there is some selling required. It’s not Amway, either. What? You didn’t think of this either?

A foxy looking blonde name “Leah“ came up with an excellent idea to finance her new dream Mac.

The details are in ArsTechnica, but what Lead did was so simple it’s amazing it’s not done more often.

She sold ads. Ads on her new MacBook Pro.

Not just any ads. Engraved ads on the top of the Mac’s aluminum case.

Leah sold square inches of ad space for $150. Ads on the top of the MacBook Pro.

Do the math. A 15-inch MacBook Pro is about 9 inches by 14 inches, or a total of 120 or so square inches (I’m rounding down).

At $150 per square inch, that’s $18,000. Take away some footage for space between the ads, give away a few prizes as incentives, and there’s plenty of dough left over for a fully loaded MacBook and a box of accessories.

What a story that MacBook Pro will tell for years to come. “Hey, Leah. Nice Mac. What’s with all the logos on the lid?“

She managed to sell about 35 ads, all of which are emblazoned on the top of her shiny MacBook Pro.

Who bought? The likes of Firefox, Digg, Technorati, and others with logos and names sufficiently unknown as to be in need of advertising.

Will this start a trend? AOL and others have subsidized the price tag on cheapie Windows PCs for years. Why not Macs?

For my near term, I see a mass emailing to every Mac software developer who may be willing to part with some coin for mobile advertising.

Would you mind a few dozen ads etched into the lid of a new MacBook Pro if it was yours to keep, sans any expense on your part?

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