how to get a (theoretical) bargain

Last week, I used some of my egg money to get in on the very last day of a deal wherein one may purchase a computer and an iPod at the same time, and thereby receive a $179 rebate. My items have arrived, and I now have an excessive quantity of technology.

I figured that, between the rebate and the sale of my old iBook, I would recoup a substantial portion of the costs of this purchase, but it turns out my old iBook (which is a 2003 model, outwardly identical to the new iBook) is only worth about $350.

I discovered, however, that my new iBook, for whatever software/OS related reason, has the added benefit of being compatible with this essay-grading system that my job uses to allow its teachers to make extra money by grading student essays online. We make $1/essay, averaging about $20-30/hour.

So, I did the math -- If I sell my old iBook for $350, sell my old digital voice recorder (which has been replaced by my iPod-plus-accessories) for $30, and get my $179 rebate, I will only need to grade 1,072 essays to break even!

I hope a lot of wealthy kids sign up for SAT classes.