Buying a PowerBook in the States

[wilco440]

I'm going to be in the States in January, and want to buy a new 15 inch PowerBook. My problem is that I'm only going to be in California for a week, and then NY for another week, befoire heading to Europe.

Not anything just announce, whatever MacWorld in early January, just one of the current PowerBooks. (Mind you, and price reduction of the current model thanks to MacWorld might be advantageous . I'll be in LA that week same week....)

But my schedule rules out anything like mail delivery. What are my chances of walking into an Applestore (or anywhere else) and just buying a stock Pb straight off the shelf. Does anyone stock enough of these sort of things anymore, or will they just take my order and promise me that it'll arrive within the week?

 

[davegoody]

Off the shelf is EASY

I'm going to be in the States in January, and want to buy a new 15 inch PowerBook. My problem is that I'm only going to be in California for a week, and then NY for another week, befoire heading to Europe.

Not anything just announce, whatever MacWorld in early January, just one of the current PowerBooks. (Mind you, and price reduction of the current model thanks to MacWorld might be advantageous . I'll be in LA that week same week....)

But my schedule rules out anything like mail delivery. What are my chances of walking into an Applestore (or anywhere else) and just buying a stock Pb straight off the shelf. Does anyone stock enough of these sort of things anymore, or will they just take my order and promise me that it'll arrive within the week?

I live in the UK and go to NY most years for a week or two - Have family out there. On at least 3 occasions (probably more) have been to the HUGE applecentre in Pallisades Mall, West Nyack NY and purchased stuff straight off the shelf. Stocks MAY be lower just before a stock refresh though but worth a try. . . . . Saves us Brits a fortune buying Apple kit in NY and bringing it back - the exchange rate makes it very favourable for us !

 

[Chundles]

I'm going to be in the States in January, and want to buy a new 15 inch PowerBook. My problem is that I'm only going to be in California for a week, and then NY for another week, befoire heading to Europe.

Not anything just announce, whatever MacWorld in early January, just one of the current PowerBooks. (Mind you, and price reduction of the current model thanks to MacWorld might be advantageous . I'll be in LA that week same week....)

But my schedule rules out anything like mail delivery. What are my chances of walking into an Applestore (or anywhere else) and just buying a stock Pb straight off the shelf. Does anyone stock enough of these sort of things anymore, or will they just take my order and promise me that it'll arrive within the week?

Yeah mate, should be fine. The larger stores carry quite a bit of shelf stock so you should have no trouble. For a basic in-box, no extra configuration I reckon the worst that would happen would be that you wait a day for them to overnight one in.

 

[mfacey]

Once you get it be careful when you take it back into your home country. If customs catches you and identifies it as a newly bought laptop (its up to YOU to prove that it isn't!), you'll be slapped with a considerable fine as well as having to pay your local VAT.
That would most likely make it more expensive than it is in you own country.
If you declare it you only have to pay the VAT.

Its a gamble. Chances are you're manage it fine. But there are some that are unlucky...

 

[Chundles]

Once you get it be careful when you take it back into your home country. If customs catches you and identifies it as a newly bought laptop (its up to YOU to prove that it isn't!), you'll be slapped with a considerable fine as well as having to pay your local VAT.
That would most likely make it more expensive than it is in you own country.
If you declare it you only have to pay the VAT.

Its a gamble. Chances are you're manage it fine. But there are some that are unlucky...

Yeah, I got mine, booted it up, downloaded a few things, put some pictures on it and got a laptop bag so that when customs asked to have a look at it (only asked me once to boot it up, all the other times they just did the usual swab test thing). I'd advise you to do the same, carry a CD of pictures from home and load them into iPhoto when you get it running, some music to wouldn't hurt.

 

[wilco440]

Once you get it be careful when you take it back into your home country. If customs catches you and identifies it as a newly bought laptop (its up to YOU to prove that it isn't!), you'll be slapped with a considerable fine as well as having to pay your local VAT.

Won't be a problem as I'll be away from home for several months, and no doubt it'll be and look well-used by the time I get the thing back to Oz.

I plan on making a couple of DVDs of important stuff before I leave, and load her up the moment I buy the thing...

 

[adk]

There are a bunch of Apple stores in the LA/NY areas. I would recommend just calling ahead to make sure they've got one. Also they probably wouldn't have models with big HD's and extra RAM ready to go.

 

[Macky-Mac]

In Los Angeles there are quite a number of Apple stores and there are also resellers too....you shouldn't have any problem just walking in, buying and leaving with your purchase......and if you want something like additional RAM installed, they'll ask you to come back in an hour to pick it up......it should be quite easy and simple for you......and remember that in the USA prices are typically shown without the tax added on so be prepared for that