Microsoft Promo Offers Free Xbox 360 For PC Purchase

Earnest Cavalli

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Microsoft Promo Offers Free Xbox 360 For PC Purchase



Hoping to capitalize on the well known affection college students have for not actually studying, Microsoft is giving away Xbox 360s with the purchase of Windows 7-equipped PC computers.

Before you rush out to the nearest computer vendor, you should probably know that this offer comes with a few caveats.

First, the PC must retail for at least $699. Next, you must be able to prove your status as an actual student, either by presenting your student ID to the retailer, or by ordering the computer online via a .edu email account.

Lastly, and this is the big one, that Xbox 360 you've been salivating over since you read the lede up there isn't one of the a 4GB, $130 model [http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-250GB-Holiday-Bundle/dp/B0047Y9BGE/ref=sr_1_5?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1305833800&sr=1-5].

So far the deal is only available to residents of the United States, but Microsoft claims the promotion will soon extend to France and Canada.

Promotions like this aren't at all uncommon, but I am curious as to the intentions behind this PR stunt. Despite Windows PCs being the dominant platform essentially everywhere in America, Apple's computers and laptops have been making serious inroads in recent years, particularly among college students. For the average student spending daddy's cash the choice between a non-descript Dell and a shiny MacBook guaranteed to draw the admiration of one's peers isn't much of a choice at all.

Of course, Apple doesn't have a market-leading gaming console, so perhaps Microsoft sees that as its best hope for winning back whatever miniscule chunk of the market Apple snatched up purely by virtue of its social cachet.

Regardless of its motivation, this plan would have been a lot more compelling with a 250GB hard drive.

Source: Windows Experience Blog [http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2011/05/12/students-we-ve-got-you-covered.aspx]

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Fayathon

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Nov 18, 2009
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Even the promise of a free console isn't enough for me to stop my custom building ways. I'll take my awesome custom computer and buy whatever I want with the money I save.
 

Sabrestar

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If ordering online with a .edu address is considered sufficient by their standards, how are they going to prevent faculty and staff of universities from taking advantage of the offer too? Or is that allowed?
 

Alpha Maeko

Uh oh, better get Maeko!
Apr 14, 2010
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Fayathon said:
Even the promise of a free console isn't enough for me to stop my custom building ways. I'll take my awesome custom computer and buy whatever I want with the money I save.
Amen.

A custom PC built with your own hands is allot more appealing to me then some premade PC that's probably going to be a laptop if you're a student.
 

Podunk

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Earnest Cavalli said:
Instead the gratis console is a 4GB, $130 model [http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-4GB-Console/dp/B003O6JKLC/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1305833800&sr=1-1].
The link attached contradicts this statement. According to Amazon the 4GB is 199 bucks. Even used they aren't going for as low as $130. So yeah.
 

de5gravity

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OH YES PLEASE COME TO FRANCE I want to play Alan Wake and Limbo sooo baaad. Oh and LA Noire also.
 

Assassin Xaero

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Or you could build your own computer of equal specs, and then use the money you saved to get said console...
 

monstersquad

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I was initially excited about this. Now significantly less so. Especially since I live in Canada. When will people realise that most people who are students already have the opportunities open for them. I'm not just talking about deals, there's other things like jobs and internship opportunities that are only geared towards students. I kind of feel excluded as an erudite, well-read university-aged person who is penalised for choosing not to attend university but community college instead.
 

BrotherRool

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I'm detecting a Mac disliking undertone. On the escapist of all places?

On the other hand, for the price of a Mac you could buy a 250GB 360 to go with your as powerful-as-a-mac computer and complimentary free 360 :D
 

Treblaine

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And you can sell the 360 and get a decent graphics card!

Now you'll have a REAL gaming system, and before you all doubt PC gaming I have two words for you:

Steam Sale
 

Archemetis

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Buy an expsensive PC, get a giant flash drive!

That's literally all this deal says to me...
 

Treblaine

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believer258 said:
and it isn't quite as easy to get it plugged up in your room.

Also, you can't play split-screen Call of Duty on computers either, whereas you can on 360.
Actually it really is IDENTICAL. PC and Console have identical video output, HDMI and DVI are just different shaped plugs, the same video signal. You can play a PC on a HDTV or a console on a modern PC monitor.

And excuse me but doesn't split-screen suck?

I don't buy that it's a problem segmenting from your friends going with PC, you are already segmented from your friends online between PSN and XBL unless you get BOTH consoles.
 

Baresark

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Haha, Microsoft, you crazy bastards. It doesn't help that MS has turned it's back on PC gaming. Haha, buy this PC, then use Games for Windows Live.... I dare you.
 

Earnest Cavalli

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BrotherRool said:
I'm detecting a Mac disliking undertone. On the escapist of all places?

On the other hand, for the price of a Mac you could buy a 250GB 360 to go with your as powerful-as-a-mac computer and complimentary free 360 :D
This post was written on a $3,300 MacBook Pro.
 

Waaghpowa

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Alpha Maeko said:
Fayathon said:
Even the promise of a free console isn't enough for me to stop my custom building ways. I'll take my awesome custom computer and buy whatever I want with the money I save.
Amen.

A custom PC built with your own hands is allot more appealing to me then some premade PC that's probably going to be a laptop if you're a student.
+1 rep to both of you.

When I read this offer, to me it said "Buy an expensive paper weight, get another one free!"