Can you buy a build to order mac in South Africa?

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CPTBoy

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As the title states. I'm looking at getting the new iMac, but since I've had my MacBook Air, there is no way I'm going back to a 5400rpm drive.

Can one order a iMac with a SSD drive in it, locally?
 
CPTBoy said:
As the title states. I'm looking at getting the new iMac, but since I've had my MacBook Air, there is no way I'm going back to a 5400rpm drive.

Can one order a iMac with a SSD drive in it, locally?
Click to expand...

Yep, the iSores will do custom orders for you.
 
Yup, they will do custom orders. The new iMacs come with what apple calls a "Fusion" drive. Its a combination of a 128GB SSD and a normal mechanical hard drive. The SSD caches frequently used data to speed the machine up. I saw a couple of reviews online that show the fusion drive is almost as fast as a pure SSD, but you get the added benefit of additional disk space. Up to 3TB if you want.
 
Thanks guys, much appreciated!

creeper, yes I only buy from Digicape, so that's good to know.
 
Go onto the US website http://store.apple.com/us and spec out the computer you want. Print out the order summary page and take that to iStore, Digicape etc and then they will provide you with a quote.
 
The only thing I didn't manage to get here is US layout keyboard on the macbook pro :cry:
Otherwise, custom builds are available (takes a bit of time since ordering but gets here)...
 
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5 to 6 weeks. After you have been given a quote you are required to pay half the amount as deposit and the remainder when you come and collect the machine. Istore
 
ozziej said:
Yup, they will do custom orders. The new iMacs come with what apple calls a "Fusion" drive. Its a combination of a 128GB SSD and a normal mechanical hard drive. The SSD caches frequently used data to speed the machine up. I saw a couple of reviews online that show the fusion drive is almost as fast as a pure SSD, but you get the added benefit of additional disk space. Up to 3TB if you want.
Click to expand...

Better IMO is to go with the cheapest stock option and order a real SSD from OWC. (Macsales.com) Use the thunderbolt / USB 3 with an external drive/drive array for the 3TB and up, of storage.
 
Space_Chief said:
Better IMO is to go with the cheapest stock option and order a real SSD from OWC. (Macsales.com) Use the thunderbolt / USB 3 with an external drive/drive array for the 3TB and up, of storage.
Click to expand...

The TB drive is good advice if you don't object to a big outside box, which sort of defeats the point of an iMac. If speed is not a priority, you might even go NAS. But reports from iFixit et al indicate that installing an SSD into the new iMacs is going to take a real effort. As in, there's no place to put it and no connector. I'm sure somebody will think of a way around that, but even then, opening up an iMac is not a job for amateurs and the latest design makes it even harder.
 
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clasqm said:
The TB drive is good advice if you don't object to a big outside box, which sort of defeats the point of an iMac. If speed is not a priority, you might even go NAS. But reports from iFixit et al indicate that installing an SSD into the new iMacs is going to take a real effort. As in, there's no place to put it and no connector. I'm sure somebody will think of a way around that, but even then, opening up an iMac is not a job for amateurs and the latest design makes it even harder.
Click to expand...

OK, I didn't realise that. I know it's possible and easy to install an SSD into the MBP Retina, but I didn't think it was harder to do that in an iMac. It seems to me that an iMac is not that great a machine. It's better to buy a Macbook Pro or a Mac Pro plus Cinema Display/Dell/HP/Iliyama/cheap 2560x1600 Korean display from Ebay like Catleap, display.

If you plan to keep your machine for >6 years, a Mac Pro is the better option. Of course the current ones are outdated terribly.
You can add more RAM, sometimes a faster CPU, better GPU, different HDD, PCIe SSD cards, PCIe RAID cards, PCIe USB3/eSata cards, etc. You can have a bluray drive, even 2. You can have up to 6 internal 3.5/2.5 inch devices. The initial price is way more, but your machine will last at least 6 or 7 years.
 
Space_Chief said:
If you plan to keep your machine for >6 years, a Mac Pro is the better option. Of course the current ones are outdated terribly.
You can add more RAM, sometimes a faster CPU, better GPU, different HDD, PCIe SSD cards, PCIe RAID cards, PCIe USB3/eSata cards, etc. You can have a bluray drive, even 2. You can have up to 6 internal 3.5/2.5 inch devices. The initial price is way more, but your machine will last at least 6 or 7 years.
Click to expand...

As far as I know - you cannot change the CPU on most MacBooks (if not all of them) same goes for the GPU. On the new MacBook Pro (Retina ) You can only change is the RAM. (You can change the SSD but, since its in a RAM-type-stick, it will be expensive )
 
Tander said:
As far as I know - you cannot change the CPU on most MacBooks (if not all of them) same goes for the GPU. On the new MacBook Pro (Retina ) You can only change is the RAM. (You can change the SSD but, since its in a RAM-type-stick, it will be expensive )
Click to expand...

Hi Tander,

I was earlier referring to a Mac Pro. You can often change the CPU on that machine, as well as most other components.

On the Retina MBP, you can only change the SSD, AFAIK, the RAM is soldered in. OWC is the only company which makes such an SSD at the moment, and it's cheaper (and faster) than the original Apple Samsung one. It's pretty simple according to the site and iFixit. You only need a torque screw driver and OWC supplies that in the kit. They also provide an external enclosure for your original Mac SSD. I trust OWC as I've got an older 480GB SSD (SATA3), Guardian Maximus eSATA RAID 1, eSATA and USB 3 for Mac Pro, external 2.5/3.5 inch USB3 enclosure and 8GB of Mac Pro RAM from that company. They usually ship the same day and FedEx shipping is very cheap. Only the Supaswift delivery sucks but that's because it's a lousy local replacement for FedEx.

The cost of this device is $580 with FedEx shipping of $35 and then VAT and clearance charges locally. You get a few bucks off if you use Amazon checkout and there is also a free gift of some licensed software for download.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Retina_2012

TA.
 
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