Aside from the fact that summertime is almost over, heading back to school can be fun – especially if that fun comes with a $100 gift card from Apple. If you happen to be a student (any kind of student will do), and you are in the market for a Mac or iPad, Apple will give you a $100 gift card between now and September 21st. This gift card can be used towards apps, books, music, and movies. What better way to kick off the year than with a $100 gift card? If an iPad or Mac proves to be out of your budget, here are some more back to school device deals that you can’t pass up.

Best Buy Back to School Deals

The mega electronics retailer Best Buy is currently offering three computers for less than $500. Right now, you can purchase a Toshiba Satellite 15.6-inch laptop for $499; an Asus 15.6-inch laptop for $399.99; or an Acer Desktop system for $429.99. These deals are available to all, so even if you’re not a student you can take advantage of Best Buy’s current fall offers.

Dell Twelve Days of Deals

Dell has been offering deals since July 23rd on a number of different devices and systems. There are a ton of different laptops that are offered for less than $1000, and various other Dell devices that are largely discounted. Make sure to do your reviewer comparison homework before buying a system, and you should be able to find one that’s easily affordable and will get you through all of those late-night cram sessions.

Microsoft Goes Back to Gaming

Microsoft has revamped an old offer, but it’s still a good one: buy any Windows 7 PC between now and September 3rd, and you will get a free Xbox system. This offer applies to both high school and college students (you must show ID). In the U.S. the average price for a Windows 7 PC is around $699+ and in Canada that number drops to around $599+. If you need a new PC and you love to game, why not get a free Xbox when you purchase that new desktop or laptop? Just keep in mind that Windows 8 is coming out, so you might have to upgrade at some point (a $14.99 charge, so not really a big deal).

Alienware Discounts

Alienware is owned by Dell (did you know?), so it’s no surprise that Alienware laptops will gain a significant back to school discount soon enough. Those details are not yet known, but I’m betting the Alienware site will display some deep discounts within the next few weeks.

Prices for All
You can’t escape the fact that you will need a desktop or laptop when you head back to school. You don’t need a system that will out-perform the rest, but make sure you buy something that will last for the next year or so. If you happen to get a free $100 coupon, gaming system, or seriously deep discount on top of that purchase, well, that’s just icing on the cake!