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buying ibook - need advice ASAP

QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
Here's the situation...

Today I ordered an ibook from apple with the hard drive upgraded to 80 GB. But the ship date is "on or before the 22nd." Well, that's much too late; I need it here by Friday at the latest because I'm moving and selling my powermac. The rep on the phone said it would probably ship by wednesday and be here by friday with 2 day shipping... but what does he really know?

I'm considering canceling the order and just buying the ibook from the local apple store. Problem is, then I go down to the 40 GB hard drive, and I have 55 GB on my current hard drive. That could be significantly trimmed, but the new one would still be very full.

The final catch is that I need to decide in the next 4 hours (when the apple store closes) because today is tax free day and all told, it's going to be a significant difference in price.

So, advise me please - do I take a chance on the ibook not shipping in time? Or do I go with the ibook I can walk out with today, but the smaller HD? Help me, fast! :confused: :eek:
 
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persianpunisher

macrumors regular
Jul 28, 2005
173
0
My friend, i dont know how important it is to have your iBook in time, but HD space is INVALUABLE. Truly. Why dont you just have it come sooner, and then have the person who is at that address ship it to you?
 
QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
it's important to have it come soon because I'm leaving town this weekend to go to law school and there won't be anyone at my current address to ship it to me. Additionally, I need to transfer files from the powermac to the ibook, and the powermac will be gone by this weekend.
 
ITASOR

ITASOR

macrumors 601
Mar 20, 2005
4,398
3
I would say pay for the 2 day shipping or go get a P.O. Box quick and have the shipping address changed to there so you can get it anytime or something. You DO NOT want the 40GB HD. I got the 60GB (55GB really) and it came with about 45 left. This means the 40 (hmm 37.5 probably) comes with only 27 left?! That stinks.
 
M

mpw

Guest
Jun 18, 2004
6,363
1
If you've got to get the iBook today then that's your decision pretty much made for you. You could always just buy a larger HD and upgrade the iBook right away, there's step-by-step guides on-line and it isn't that hard to do it yourself or ask the guys at the store if they can do it for you. I've never been to an Applestore but don't they normally hold common BTO configurations in stock?
 
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persianpunisher

macrumors regular
Jul 28, 2005
173
0
mpw said:
If you've got to get the iBook today then that's your decision pretty much made for you. You could always just buy a larger HD and upgrade the iBook right away, there's step-by-step guides on-line and it isn't that hard to do it yourself or ask the guys at the store if they can do it for you. I've never been to an Applestore but don't they normally hold common BTO configurations in stock?
Click to expand...

if I may ask, what law school are you attending?
 
florencevassy

florencevassy

macrumors regular
Jun 1, 2004
204
0
Princeton, NJ
Definitely do whatever you can and go for the larger HD. I have 80GB and I see that I only have 59GB available now and don't think I have that much stuff on my computer (well, I do have a lot of photos).

Good luck!
 
M

mpw

Guest
Jun 18, 2004
6,363
1
persianpunisher said:
if I may ask, what law school are you attending?
Click to expand...
That question to me or the thread starter?

If it's to me then I've studied all the law I care to already and can't stand it, or rather the lawyers and judges that practice it.
 
rosalindavenue

rosalindavenue

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2003
855
282
Virginia, USA
WARNING-- You WILL NOT GET IT in 2 days with "2 day shipping." Check out this post and the ones surrounding it-- I ordered my BTO with "2 day shipping" on Friday the 5th. Allegedly it shipped on Tuesday the 9th; it is now projected to arrive on Tuesday the 16th. It sat in Shanghai for 48 hours. This is happening to everyone apparently. Neither FedEx nor Apple will explain why; I keep getting form emails in response to my requests; Apple has "kindly offered" to refund my $18 2 day shipping fee; big freakin' deal.

By the way, I was afraid this would happen and I wanted to try and get a bigger BTO at a store; the general consensus was that you can, sometimes; call ahead.

/tip of the hat from a fellow lawyer/
 
Lucky8

Lucky8

macrumors regular
May 18, 2005
218
0
mpw said:
If you've got to get the iBook today then that's your decision pretty much made for you. You could always just buy a larger HD and upgrade the iBook right away, there's step-by-step guides on-line and it isn't that hard to do it yourself or ask the guys at the store if they can do it for you. I've never been to an Applestore but don't they normally hold common BTO configurations in stock?
Click to expand...
I agree with mpw 100%.
I bought a stock configuration 12" iBook and planning to upgrade myself.
No need to spend the extra $$$ at Apple as they are already making a killer $$$ on us.
 
QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
thanks for the advice, all! I think I'm going to go over to the apple store now and see if they have a BTO in stock... if not, I'll make a decision on the spot. :) I *could* also keep the powermac and then the hard drive space on the ibook would be irrelevant... I do love my powermac.

I'll be starting at Georgetown Law in a week, for those curious.
 
QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
Lucky8 said:
I agree with mpw 100%.
I bought a stock configuration 12" iBook and planning to upgrade myself.
No need to spend the extra $$$ at Apple as they are already making a killer $$$ out of us.
Click to expand...

I've heard that voids the warranty tho... true?

I'm not even so much worried about the "two day shipping" (which I did spring for) but about the fact that it may not even go out until the 22nd. The "two days" is from the time it leaves, not from the time you order...
 
skubish

skubish

macrumors 68030
Feb 2, 2005
2,663
0
Ann Arbor, Michigan
QCassidy352 said:
I've heard that voids the warranty tho... true?

I'm not even so much worried about the "two day shipping" (which I did spring for) but about the fact that it may not even go out until the 22nd. The "two days" is from the time it leaves, not from the time you order...
Click to expand...

More like the 2 days is 2 days from when it arrives in the states. I ordered the exact same ibook as you and it took 8 days to arrive. 5 of those days were shipping. I really wouldn't forego the 80gig hard drive though. I would cancel this order and reorder once you have moved. The tax saving is what? Maybe $60-$70 dollars?
 
rosalindavenue

rosalindavenue

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2003
855
282
Virginia, USA
skubish said:
More like the 2 days is 2 days from when it arrives in the states. {...}
Click to expand...

Mine has allegedly been in the States (Anchorage and Indianapolis) since Thursday; it is supposedly being delivered on Tuesday-- so maybe this is correct if it means 2 business days. But given the way this has gone so far I'll believe it when I see it. :(
 
QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
so I went to an apple retail store, and they were sold out of all ibooks! :eek:

I think I'll just drive up to NH tomorrow (permanent no tax, heh heh).

Is it possible to cancel an order online? I don't see a way to do it...
 
Lucky8

Lucky8

macrumors regular
May 18, 2005
218
0
QCassidy352 said:
I've heard that voids the warranty tho... true?
Click to expand...
Just save the original HD. In case problem arise, just switch them back before you get it warranted.

QCassidy352 said:
I *could* also keep the powermac and then the hard drive space on the ibook would be irrelevant... I do love my powermac.
Click to expand...
Yes, I also love my PM G5 to death.
I think I'm in the same situation with you except I'll be moving to Canada at the end of October for job relocation and don't want to drag this beast around with me.
That's what got me in buying this iBook. But I don't really want to sell my PM G5... :( But I have to...

So if anyone interested in a 3 month old Dual 1.8 PM G5 for $1500, pm me... Spec is in my sig.

Anyway, best of luck to QCassidy352 on your law school, new iBook and have a good trip to a tax free state NH ;)
 
mpopkin

mpopkin

macrumors 6502
Nov 14, 2003
298
3
Chapel Hill, NC
it does void the warranty, apple most likely has a pressure seal on the HD to prevent these very exchanges of drives, and it states clearly in applecare that you need to have an experienced apple tech replace the HD or it voids the warranty, i wouldnt mess around with this, just order custom, i did, and while it is taking a bit of time to get here, i didnt pay for overnight shipping or anything.

QCassidy352 said:
I've heard that voids the warranty tho... true?

I'm not even so much worried about the "two day shipping" (which I did spring for) but about the fact that it may not even go out until the 22nd. The "two days" is from the time it leaves, not from the time you order...
Click to expand...
 
QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
well, cancelled the order before anything shipped, and will head north to buy in an hour or so. Hopefully they will have one with an 80 GB HD in stock, but if not, I think the 40 will work fine. I just can't take the chance that a BTO won't ship until the 22nd.

Giving serious thought to keeping the powermac now... hmm...
 
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