Best way to buy a macbook pro?

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Zyzzyva

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Hi,

I'm think of getting myself a macbook pro in the next month or two. I've heard some talk about importing them rather than buying them from zastore.co.za. With the 3%(lol) educational discount that zastore give, i can get the base model for around R16799.

If i went the importing route, how would "support" work. If for instance the thing broke under guarantee, where exactly would i take it to get it fixed?

Are the potential problems worth the money that i stand to save by importing it, rather than getting it from zastore.

Also, do you know of a good international online store to buy from?

While speaking with someone from zastore the other day, they told me that they will (hopefully) be offering the 3 year apple plan here in sa by the beginning of next year.

Taking all into consideration, what would you do?

Perhaps i should just skip the whole apple thing at get myself an asus g1s ;) From what i read, hardware problems seem quite normal throughout the life of an apple laptop nowadays. What is local apple support like? Can i live with just having a 1 year guarantee if the 3 year applecare plans don't pan out for zastore? Would driving an asus g1s to rectron be easier than the apple alternative?

So many questions.... so little time... :D

I'll be interested to hear your views

thanks in advance...
 
Apple laptops have a global guarantee. It may have the US keyboard layout though - and the US power supply (not a problem I don't think).

Remember that Leopard is not out yet. Best to wait a bit longer.

A long guarantee is always advisable for an Apple. But don't get caught up in paying over the odds for an extended warrantee that you may never use. They covered this a few years back in the UK where shops were using it as an excuse to squeeze more money out of customers.
 
jak3 said:
Perhaps i should just skip the whole apple thing at get myself an asus g1s ;) From what i read, hardware problems seem quite normal throughout the life of an apple laptop nowadays. What is local apple support like? Can i live with just having a 1 year guarantee if the 3 year applecare plans don't pan out for zastore? Would driving an asus g1s to rectron be easier than the apple alternative?
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Local support is fine. I never had any hassles personally. On the rare occasion that I've had a problem they've made the arrangements to courier the machine to jnb (as we have no apple repair centre here in PE) and have returned it promptly.

Hardware problems are hardly the norm but if you'd feel more comfortable settling for an asus then go for it. You have to use it - not me. :)
 
As far as repairs in Cape Town go. The Waterfront store will help with software updates and advice, but they send repairs off to JHB>

There is a small repair facility in Project3 Apple Centre (Claremont), but I would NOT recommend it (In fact, avoid this shop altogether).

DigiCape has a centre too which seems to be the place to go.
 
Would you advise importing over buying from zastore?

How much money do you think i could save going that route?

thanks..
 
Quite funny really.

I'll wait till the end of october for leopard. But we all know what that means.

January will see apple release the all knew macbook pro, with coffee maker, kitchen sink, and for good measure, seat belts. :)

Lets hope that by the end of october the rumors are coming at enough pace, and at regular intervals, to sustain me that little bit longer, if you know what i mean.

I can see my future already..

23 june 08 -- macbook pro purchased
24 june 08 -- apple releases new "stellar" macbook pro's

I think i must make january my cut off point, and only that long if the rumors are strong enough.
 
The MBP is mid-cycle right now so if it was me I probably wouldnt wait for Leopard.

Also, Tiger is running so well that the idea of upgrading is kind of daunting. I'll probably only install it on my powerbooks and mini and leave it off my MBP for the short term.

. . . Or I might just plonk a larger hdd in the mbp and upgrade anyway. :D
 
I'm definitely going to wait until the next update before ordering my MBP. I'm hoping it will coincide with Leopard's release, or at least before december (in time for my xmas present to myself...), but either ways, I'll wait. Having enough fun with my Mini as it is, and on my HP I have a massive task of sorting and cleaning out all the documentation I have collected over the last 10 years scattered about in millions of text files, mail, unsorted/untagged music, etc - I'd like to sort out this mess before getting a new notebook :)
 
My main hope with the next update is a chassis update. The wonderful thing with the macbook pro's is they never seem to change the exterior. So if i can jump on the next bandwagon, I'll be pleased with the esthetics's for years.

I was pretty sure the last update would bring with it the chassis update. That never panned out.

But surely, the next update will bring with it good news.

....Finger crossed
 
Yeah, I am considering waiting until the new year for my new Macbook now. Leopard should be polished by then and an upgrade will happen to make me happy.

I really want a new one now, but can get by with my current setup for 6 months more without any real issue.

I should start importing Apple laptops into SA. Anyone want to buy at close to US prices? ;)
 
I'd still buy a new one tomorrow. :)
 
bwana, my greed for speed would have me order that new shiny MBP today. Coming to think of it, I can go the the Apple Store in Regent stree tonight and buy it straight off the shelf so I can play with it tonight already. And I'm going to get the family pack of Leopard when it comes out anyway, so that's not too much of a consideration.

The big thing, of course, is money. As much as I want it right now there are other things I have to do first...
 
koffiejunkie said:
bwana, my greed for speed would have me order that new shiny MBP today. Coming to think of it, I can go the the Apple Store in Regent stree tonight and buy it straight off the shelf so I can play with it tonight already. And I'm going to get the family pack of Leopard when it comes out anyway, so that's not too much of a consideration.

The big thing, of course, is money. As much as I want it right now there are other things I have to do first...
Click to expand...
Speaking of money UK prices are as bad if not slightly worse than here. Keep that in mind before heading down to Regent Street. ;)

All the mac laptops are mid cycle right now. They might just push out new ones in October with Leopard. All my machines, with the exception of the misus' iBook and my mini, are company property and I dont think they'll be letting me upgrade anytime soon. :(
 
bwana said:
Speaking of money UK prices are as bad if not slightly worse than here.
Click to expand...

I know! I wish I could understand why - is imported to both countries after all? I thought I'd go for the top-of-the-range MacBook until I saw that it costs the same here as the entry-level MacBookPro in the US. In fact, for the entry MBP price here I can fly to New York and buy it there, and come out even.

Fortunately my house mate goes to New York at least once a month for work, so it's easy enough to buy one in USD. But I'm just wondering if they will be able to supply one with a UK keyboard there?
 
koffiejunkie said:
Fortunately my house mate goes to New York at least once a month for work, so it's easy enough to buy one in USD. But I'm just wondering if they will be able to supply one with a UK keyboard there?
Click to expand...
You could buy a UK keyboard and ten have it swapped out but for that money I'd sooner remember the the £ key its alt+3.
 
bwana said:
You could buy a UK keyboard and ten have it swapped out but for that money I'd sooner remember the the £ key its alt+3.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, this is starting to look good :D

Speaking of which, how do you make a # character? I throught it was alt+4 but the other night I was working in terminal.app in a ssh session to a linux box, and I could not make a # no matter what I tried.
 
koffiejunkie said:
Hmmm, this is starting to look good :D

Speaking of which, how do you make a # character? I throught it was alt+4 but the other night I was working in terminal.app in a ssh session to a linux box, and I could not make a # no matter what I tried.
Click to expand...
Have you tried alt+3?
 
koffiejunkie said:
Didn't you just say alt+3 makes a £ sign?

Sorry, I'm working on a microsoft keyboard at the moment (at work) - yuk. Can't check my Mac stuff...
Click to expand...
For a US layout alt+3 makes the £ sign. For UK it should make the # symbol. :)

Kind of confusing for me too as I have a US keyboard on my mbp but have mapped the UK layout on it. :confused:
 
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