So how does BTO "work?"

[blairlee]

I ordered my BTO 15" PB yesterday (my first new Mac in eight years!). The order status is currently "Open," and it has a ship date on or before 4/27 like many others here.

How does Apple produce BTO machines? I know that a number of the preconfigured computers were air freighted from overseas, and I assume that Apple will just ship those to customers who order them. Do they also order a number of "bare" computers, then build them to order somewhere stateside, then ship them out? Or do they pass the order info to the manufacturing plant, where the computer is built and then air freighted before being shipped to the customer?

Just curious about how Apple handles order fulfillment. I still remember the teaser graphic on apple.com the day that Jobs announced the online store, and it never occurred to me to think about just how they deal with the orders.

[Le Big Mac]

When I ordered a BTO iMac, I assumed they actually installed the extra memory and bluetooth on the assembly line in Korea (or wherever). I had Fedex tracking from there, so I assume it was built after I placed the order, not in ancipation that someone would order one with those specs. Of course, it would make sense for them to do some of that as well, given that a lot of the BTO options are pretty limited.

[krisjon]

Almost all BTO machines come from the assembly line in Taiwan and are shipped from there.

[Horrortaxi]

My iBook was a BTO and it shipped from Taiwan about a week after I ordered it. Seems to be the standard.

[Frohickey]

Its even more complicated than that.

First, they take a DNA culture from the frozen Oompa-Loompa that Apple smuggled from a certain sugar water factory. I don't know how John Sculley got his hands on an Oompa-Loompa, but it prolly took a lot of money and bribes.

After taking the DNA culture and putting it into the clone growth acceleration chamber...

:eek: :D :D

[blairlee]

Interesting. So does the computer ship directly from Taiwan, or does it first make its way to some clearinghouse in the USA?

[krisjon]

Interesting. So does the computer ship directly from Taiwan, or does it first make its way to some clearinghouse in the USA?

Straight from Taiwan, but it doesn't take too long. They usually send via FedEx.

[MacNut]

When i ordered my BTO it shipped in about a week from Taiwan, Got stuck in customs in Alaska than arrived barely on time after fling all-night across the country.

[0s and 1s]

Wouldn't it make more sense to send some of the stock models stateside, and focus this batch mainly on BTOs? In the end, it's a quicker turn around and less cost for them. I'm not sure about the % of BTOs in comparison to stock models, but I'm sure it's not a lot, considering the amount of Apple stores and their supply of stock models.

[MacNut]

I think right now all new computer BTO or stock are being shipped from Taiwan as they are right out of the factory.

[Frohickey]

Wouldn't it make more sense to send some of the stock models stateside, and focus this batch mainly on BTOs? In the end, it's a quicker turn around and less cost for them. I'm not sure about the % of BTOs in comparison to stock models, but I'm sure it's not a lot, considering the amount of Apple stores and their supply of stock models.

No, because those stock models would be sitting around somewhere gathering dust and not selling.

[Le Big Mac]

Wouldn't it make more sense to send some of the stock models stateside, and focus this batch mainly on BTOs? In the end, it's a quicker turn around and less cost for them. I'm not sure about the % of BTOs in comparison to stock models, but I'm sure it's not a lot, considering the amount of Apple stores and their supply of stock models.

Why stock anything that's not ordered, BTO or not? Obviously the Apple Stores need some stock models on hand, and so does CompUSA, etc., but since they have to ship them anyway, why not wait to ship until they're ordered? The only savings would be if they can put them on a boat rather than a plane and get them here more cheaply.

[josepho]

Wouldn't it make more sense to send some of the stock models stateside, and focus this batch mainly on BTOs? In the end, it's a quicker turn around and less cost for them. I'm not sure about the % of BTOs in comparison to stock models, but I'm sure it's not a lot, considering the amount of Apple stores and their supply of stock models.

So, that means that if I order a stock PB it won't come any quicker than a BTO iBook? I was kinda hopin' that if I ordered the PB it would just come from somewhere inside Europe, rather than the Far East... Alas no.

I wouldn't mind so much if the shipping to Europe wasn't so retarded. The company who transfers it from Taiwan to Europe is called Keuhne & Nagel and they take forever. My iBook shipped 2 days after ordering (the 6th I believe), then it took a few days to get to Luxemboug. It then sat there for like 2-3 days. Then they took days (again 2-3) to get it to the Netherlands... which is really really close. Once TNT had it they delivered it VERY quickly (they collected it from Holland at 11pm, and were at my door at 10am the next morning...).

I guess I'll just have to wait 2 weeks... doh!