Lord knows that Apple can't go a week these days without running some sort of flat-panel display promotion, so thank heaven that a new one has finally arrived; we were starting to get a little antsy, what with the "Screen Saver" promo having ended on March 31st and nothing showing up to replace it. You may recall that "Screen Saver," which offered customers a $100, $300, or $500 rebate if they purchased any Power Mac G4 together with a flat-panel display, itself replaced the "Crystal Clear Savings" promo-- which surfaced in late October and was extended in mid-December. Yup, Apple's had rebates on LCD displays running for over five straight months, so when "Screen Saver" ended and nothing rushed in to fill the void for nearly a whole week, well, we got a little nervous.

But we're right as rain, now, folks, because faithful viewer Oded Helman filled us in on "Big Deal," Apple's latest installment in what has become an enduring tradition of offering cash back six to eight weeks after customers shell out beaucoup buckage for an LCD display. Effective immediately, people who buy a Power Mac together with a "large flat-panel display" qualify for cash back-- either $200 for a 17-inch Studio Display, or $300 for the big mama 22-inch Cinema Display. Note that Apple said "large," and not "gi-normous," because if you opt for the 23-inch behemoth known as the Apple Cinema HD Display, you won't qualify for squat. Well, other than the undying envy of your peers, of course, but envy doesn't pay the rent, unless you've got a really interesting landlord.

It's probably also worth noting that "Big Deal" is actually a smaller deal than "Screen Saver," which offered $100 more on a 17-incher and $200 more on the Cinema Display; apparently Apple wasn't kidding when it said that flat-panel component prices are on the rise. Also, if you're wondering why this promo doesn't cover the 15-incher, well, think about that for a moment. What hitherto hard-to-find but immensely popular Apple product also happens to use a 15-inch LCD display with a 1024x768 resolution? Hint: it's not the iPod. And the last thing Apple needs to do right now is increase the demand for its limited supply of 15-inch screens.

So there you have it, kids: the latest example of Apple-flavored Rebatey Goodness. If you can take advantage of this offer, we strongly recommend that you do so-- not only because an extra couple hundred bucks means you can buy more AtAT merchandise, but also because it's a real kick to get a check in the mail with the Apple logo on it. You can pretend you're blackmailing them or something. Seriously, it's fun.