Best place to buy new iMac G5

[Dave00]

Ok, so after much consternation, my wife has convinced me that a new iMac 20" makes more sense in our small apartment than a desktop G5, and admittedly, I do love the simplicity/minimal cords. The dilemma is where to buy my new machine. The main problem is that I'd like to have a larger hard drive, more ram, bluetooth and airport. I've installed ram in my pismo, so I think installing my own ram/airport shouldn't be a problem; i'll probably stick in 2 one-giggers, although I'm not sure if I should just go with 2-512's for now. Here are the options:

(1) Amazon.com. iMac 20"/160GB HD/256MB ram/no BT or AP
- $1895+31 ship = $1926, $100 rebate, final price $1826.
- so, I'd have to get my own BT & AP and replace the HD

(2) Expercom.com. iMac 20"/160/256/BT keyboard bundle
- $1999, plus $80 for Airport would be $2079; basically, the apple price but without tax

(3) Apple.com. iMac 20"/250/256/BT Bundle/AP
- $2177 + Tax (7%) = $2329

(4) Powermax.com. iMac 20"/250/512/BT Bundle
- $2199 + $37 shipping = $2236

Any advice?

Dave

[jackieonasses]

With 100 dollar differences like that, i suggest sticking with Apple. If it is faulty, you don't have to go through the middle man.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Register for a class at your community college, and save even more!

$2,049.00 or $2192.43 with tax.

And you might just learn something too. :)

[iGary]

Do you have any Apple Stores within an hour drive?

Why not buy it there, so they can plug it in and check it before you take it home.

I've never ordered a computer online - everything else yes, but computer, no.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Do you have any Apple Stores within an hour drive?

Why not buy it there, so they can plug it in and check it before you take it home.

I've never ordered a computer online - everything else yes, but computer, no.

If he was willing to take a stock unit, yes. But he seems to prefer having some options built-in.

[maya]

If he was willing to take a stock unit, yes. But he seems to prefer having some options built-in.

I can see him sending it right back to Apple for faulty parts and repairs. ;) :) <--- then he will come here and say why I didn't tell him so, stay away from the iMac G5 they have too many problems they might work at first wait a week even two and then all the problem surface. :( I feel cheated out of my time.

[CanadaRAM]

The PowerMax upgrade from 256 to 512 is not worth particularly much. If they are simply installing another 256, then you are going to have to remove one or both 256's to get it up to a comfortable amount of RAM. If they are putting in a single 512, that's a bit better -- it'll be a third-party 512 so find out what the upgrade to 1 Gb is.

Do you have any local independent Apple dealers? They'll give you better service at the same price as the Apple Store, and the ability to choose your upgrades.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I can see him sending it right back to Apple for faulty parts and repairs. ;) :) <--- then he will come here and say why I didn't tell him so, stay away from the iMac G5 they have too many problems they might work at first wait a week even two and then all the problem surface. :( I feel cheated out of my time.

I believe that the reports on iMac G5 faults are not as deep as some may think. It is the age of the internet that magnifies the problems that some have.

[cluthz]

I believe that the reports on iMac G5 faults are not as deep as some may think. It is the age of the internet that magnifies the problems that some have.

I'd agree. Apple is having problems with supplying europe with iMac, so they have sold many.. They ones that have had "the bad apples" are often shouting louder than the ones which got the good ones. I've got a perfectly running 20-inch BTO, the only thing I can complain about its that I had to wait over four weeks before I got it.

[Dave00]

The PowerMax upgrade from 256 to 512 is not worth particularly much. If they are simply installing another 256, then you are going to have to remove one or both 256's to get it up to a comfortable amount of RAM. If they are putting in a single 512, that's a bit better -- it'll be a third-party 512 so find out what the upgrade to 1 Gb is.

The PowerMax upgrade is a single-512, so it is worth something if I decide to just put in an extra 512 and wait on upgrading further until prices come down on 1-gig sticks. Unfortunately, they don't have a package where I can just get the other upgrades and stick with the 512 ram.

Do you have any local independent Apple dealers? They'll give you better service at the same price as the Apple Store, and the ability to choose your upgrades.
Well, the problem is, apple doesn't seem to be supplying local retailers with the bluetooth iMacs, just the stock units. The real question, for me, is whether I should get the base unit at Amazon for $1826 and upgrade it or get the unit from Apple with everything included for $2329. A $500 difference for bluetooth built-in/bluetooth keyboard, a 250GB hard drive, and airport. I suppose I could try to finagle the educational discount, but I've benefited from those before when I was a struggling student, and I feel that people like me taking advantage of it might hurt the availability of the discounts for future students. Perhaps a little too altruistic, but that's me.

So, are the above add-on's worth $500? (I'd also have the benefit of being able to return it to my local apple store if there were a problem.)

Thanks!

--D

[CanadaRAM]

Personally I would forget the Bluetooth and go wired. Then if I wanted wireless later, I'd get a Logitech wireless combo.

Is Bluetooth even installable later? I thought it was a BTO option only.

[iGary]

If he was willing to take a stock unit, yes. But he seems to prefer having some options built-in.

I had custom options built in, too, but ordered and sent to the Clarendon (yes we're close-by) store for pickup and purchase.

I just like the option of being able to plop the thing in front of a human being if something goes wrong.

Just my two cents. :)