Now that the BTS promotion (without a free iPod) has started I ordered a new iMac to replace my now dead G5 iMac at the weekend. I went for the magic trackpad option and the shipping time went from within 24 hours to 2 business days. It takes over a day to stick a trackpad into a box???
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2 days to put a Magic Trackpad in an iMac box?
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I think you are looking at the difference between "sitting on the dock waiting for a shipping label" and "needs minor configuration". We are talking single digits worth of days here. I'd be alarmed if the shipping estimate changed from tomorrow to 14 days but one or two days for the trackpad and preinstalled software seems reasonable to me.
If you are in a huge hurry, why not head over to your local Apple store or Best Buy and pick one up there? And no, I wouldn't bother with Bento as you can get it in about 5 seconds through the OS X app store.
If you are in a huge hurry, why not head over to your local Apple store or Best Buy and pick one up there? And no, I wouldn't bother with Bento as you can get it in about 5 seconds through the OS X app store.
I would have thought putting on a shipping lable wouldn't be much faster than sticking a trackpad in a box, but I can wait a bit longer. I was more surprised that apple took a week or so for shipping, it seems much slower than most Internet orders.
I was in an apple store on saturday and did consider just buying one but they don't have the 3 Year warranty that the HE apple store has. Mostly though I was too much of a woose to carry a grands worth of computer through glasgow's city centre
I was in an apple store on saturday and did consider just buying one but they don't have the 3 Year warranty that the HE apple store has. Mostly though I was too much of a woose to carry a grands worth of computer through glasgow's city centre
They don't just "put a Magic Trackpad in an iMac box." If it's custom config, they don't have it boxed.
There are, basically, two fulfillment processes. In one, they have boxed, standard-config iMacs ready to ship. You order one, your name gets printed on a label, they slap it on one of them, and it goes onto the boat from China with all the others.
In the other, they have unboxed iMacs. You order one, and it goes from station to station along the shipping line as people check the order, put in the correct whatsit, and send it on to the next station for the next whatsit. At the end, they check it again and box it up, then they slap the label on it and it goes onto the boat.
Think of tailored vs. off the rack clothes. Even if you don't need any big alterations, it still takes way more time.
There are, basically, two fulfillment processes. In one, they have boxed, standard-config iMacs ready to ship. You order one, your name gets printed on a label, they slap it on one of them, and it goes onto the boat from China with all the others.
In the other, they have unboxed iMacs. You order one, and it goes from station to station along the shipping line as people check the order, put in the correct whatsit, and send it on to the next station for the next whatsit. At the end, they check it again and box it up, then they slap the label on it and it goes onto the boat.
Think of tailored vs. off the rack clothes. Even if you don't need any big alterations, it still takes way more time.
Not only that, but if I remember correctly, with online ordering Apple keeps some standard configs in the US for quick shipping, whereas all of the customized Macs ship from China...
The woman I spoke to from apple store said it would come from a depot in the Netherlands.