Funny thing for me is I am always a really smart shopper and use the web to find great deals on higher end products and components. I don't buy cheap stuff, I just get the best price I can. With Apple that usually means going Amazon or something because there is no tax. However, every Mac I have ever bought has been a BTO (build to order), so I went through Apple because MacMall and Amazon usually don't offer those options. And I don't mind buying direct from Apple though it does make an expensive computer cost a bit more. Ironically when I bought MacBook recently I went with a stock model figuring I could upgrade the RAM later and HDD if I ever needed to, but instead of waiting on deals and such, or saving tax online, I got it at an Apple Store, which was nice being able to take it home and open it right away.