This weekend I will be purchasing a macbook with RAM and Hard Drive upgrades. I am a college student so I will be using the education discount, but my question is, is it better to purchase a computer online or at a store?
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Apple Store vs. Apple.com
- Thread starter afro4president
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Custom configs are probably easier with ordering online. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though please.
The only difference between ordering online and in store is the wait time. Shipping is free, so there's no "extra" cost.
Ordering BTO (ie: upping the HD and RAM) is typically done online, however. Sometimes your local Apple store can do some upgrades on the spot, but mostly they just carry and sell stock machines. I think you'd be able to get the RAM done in store, but the HD is a lot more tricky, so most likely you'll have to do that online. I'd call your local store in advance, though, just to be sure.
Ordering BTO (ie: upping the HD and RAM) is typically done online, however. Sometimes your local Apple store can do some upgrades on the spot, but mostly they just carry and sell stock machines. I think you'd be able to get the RAM done in store, but the HD is a lot more tricky, so most likely you'll have to do that online. I'd call your local store in advance, though, just to be sure.
apple store vs. apple.com
I say check out your student union computer store if you have one and if they carry Mac products. I just got a MBP 15.4 refurb for $899. The guy(student I'm sure) said they got them directly from Apple. It is a Core Duo but it does more than enough for me and at a ridiculous price, I couldn't pass it up! The price gave me the chance to upgrade the ram (add 1GB) and buy an external HDD.
I say check out your student union computer store if you have one and if they carry Mac products. I just got a MBP 15.4 refurb for $899. The guy(student I'm sure) said they got them directly from Apple. It is a Core Duo but it does more than enough for me and at a ridiculous price, I couldn't pass it up! The price gave me the chance to upgrade the ram (add 1GB) and buy an external HDD.
there are costs associated with upgrading in-store. not service fees, but additional costs. here's an example:
when you upgrade RAM online, Apple keeps the RAM they take out and puts in the RAM you want, not charging you for the RAM you're not using (the stock RAM). when you upgrade RAM in the store, the store does not keep the RAM, so you're forced to buy two sets of RAM (the stock RAM + the RAM you put in). this cost can be as much as hundreds of dollars, depending on the upgrade.
your best bet is to order online.
when you upgrade RAM online, Apple keeps the RAM they take out and puts in the RAM you want, not charging you for the RAM you're not using (the stock RAM). when you upgrade RAM in the store, the store does not keep the RAM, so you're forced to buy two sets of RAM (the stock RAM + the RAM you put in). this cost can be as much as hundreds of dollars, depending on the upgrade.
your best bet is to order online.
I was in this exact situation yesterday, discount and all. I went to the Apple Store and asked to buy a macbook with upgraded ram. They said that you had to buy the macbook, and then the of ram, which could cost up to $300 more. I ended up buying it online *at* the store and buying the applecare in the store because it helped out my salesman who needed some points or something.
Anyway, I purchased it yesterday with upgraded ram, and it's already been given to FedEx, I should be getting it on Saturday. Now that's FAST!
I dropped another $190 today on a Tom Bihn sleeve and Crumpler bag to carry my lovely new 'book in, and I unfortunately can't take my lappy to school until I have the bags... so wait I must!
Yeah, order it online, whether at home or in the store, it's cheaper.
Anyway, I purchased it yesterday with upgraded ram, and it's already been given to FedEx, I should be getting it on Saturday. Now that's FAST!
I dropped another $190 today on a Tom Bihn sleeve and Crumpler bag to carry my lovely new 'book in, and I unfortunately can't take my lappy to school until I have the bags... so wait I must!
Yeah, order it online, whether at home or in the store, it's cheaper.
Apple stores can't do hard drive upgrades on portables in store. so that should narrow it down a bit.
You can get those extra costs "waived" (for lack of better word) if you complain - they'll end up matching the online price.
But yeah, pretty sure you can't do HD upgrades in store anyhow, so that should make the OP's decision pretty easy anyway.
i completely agree with this. check your student store first. at worst, it will cost the same as apple. i usually find my student store to be much cheaper than apple's online edu discount. and $899 for a refurb mbp?? wow. that's all i gotta say.
when i got a macbook i got a basic white one with a step up upgrade in RAM, so i went in the store thinking they could do it in the store, but they couldn't so they i went online in the store and bought it and it took two weeks.
if i were to do it again i'd go with a basic macbook black 1G ram and 120 HD
With access to such deals I am surprised you don't own your own Applecentre already. You can get so rich reselling those on ebay.
apple store vs. apple.com
Our student union computer store has a limit on the amount of Mac products you can buy. For instance you can only buy one iPod per year. You can only buy one computer per year also (iMac, MB/MBP, or Mac Pro). It would be awesome if I could buy as many as I wanted.
Our student union computer store has a limit on the amount of Mac products you can buy. For instance you can only buy one iPod per year. You can only buy one computer per year also (iMac, MB/MBP, or Mac Pro). It would be awesome if I could buy as many as I wanted.
This is amazing timing because I'm in the process of emailing our University Apple store about the same thing. I want a macbook but want 2GB ram. This is a departmental purchase, though so it's much easier to buy through the store than online. I'll see what happens, maybe they'll cut me a deal.
I really wouldn't worry about the difference unless you want to have the computer TODAY. Then- the Apple Store obviously is the place.
Upgrades- like everyone else- best to do these online.
If you need help or want questions answered or need to play with the machine to make sure it's what you expect, the Apple Store is it.
Otherwise... it's all the same thing. I like to have the personal touch and develop relationships with the salespeople so that when I go back they remember me and I get more questions answered and generally get a bit more personal service. The online store just doesn't allow that very well .
Upgrades- like everyone else- best to do these online.
If you need help or want questions answered or need to play with the machine to make sure it's what you expect, the Apple Store is it.
Otherwise... it's all the same thing. I like to have the personal touch and develop relationships with the salespeople so that when I go back they remember me and I get more questions answered and generally get a bit more personal service. The online store just doesn't allow that very well
.I'm a college professor, and I frequently make use of the education discount. The only difference I've ever noticed between the retail and online stores is how much sales tax I get charged. If I go to the Michigan Avenue store in Chicago, I pay Chicago sales tax (which is 9%) whether I use the education discount or not. But when I puchase at Apple.com using my educational discount, I get charged the sales tax rate where my college is located (a suburb of Chicago)--which is only 6.5%.
So it turns out that my store would "upgrade" the ram to 2GB for $170/GB and give me the extra 512MB sticks (the BTO price difference was only $152)...if I had any use for them I'd have gone for it...anyway, they do special orders and so I ordered it and they said 1-2 weeks...the same time as ordering it online.
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