Help With Touch Import

Hi,
I live in Ireland and I want to get a 32GB iPod Touch, but I've obviously been deterred by the steep (€470/$725) price tag. Luckily I know somebody who is heading to the States for a short break, and I'm keen to get one brought back. I just want know of any possible pitfalls that might occur.

Will WiFi work fine on an Irish network, despite the American model?
Will I have any issues connecting to my Mac, or using a component AV cable to play videos on my TV?
How is my warranty affected?

Finally, where would be the cheapest place to get one? Apple.com, or a real store? I'm not keen on using eBay.com, due to the short(ish) length of the person's stay and the possibility of complications.

Thanks a lot!

 

Having just bought a 16gb in Las Vegas to get it cheap, here's what I discovered. I don't know the pricing on the 32gb, but I bought the 16gb for $399 which represented a saving of around £50 sterling. However on return to the UK, I discovered that Ebuyer have reduced the price on the same thing to £199 so I actually didn't save anything at all given the exchange rate.

As for problems: the touch screen worked fine when I tested it in Vegas, but it developed a fault on arrival back in the UK (see thread http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=478550 ) so I was naturally worried about the warranty and differences. Before it went wrong, everything worked perfectly - wifi etc.

I bit the bullet and took it into the nearest Apple store - Milton Keynes where I had to book an appointment with a "Genius" to help out (if you're going to an Apple store for techy help I recommend booking an appointment online through the webby - I got lucky and they weren't busy so I was seen straight away).

Have to admit I was expecting to have to pay for a repair because I got it in the US. The Genius took a look and said the fault was definately the hardware and asked if I wanted it replaced. I then owned up and showed him the Vegas receipt, to which he replied it didn't matter - it's a global warranty!

He said the only difference between the US and the UK models is that the US models are louder! The EU has it's strict nanny state regulations and restricts the maximum volume to a "safe" level. If I wanted a louder one I'd need to take it back to the US, but that's not an issue for me. I left the store 10mins later with a replacement that works fine

So I'd say - anything bought in the US will work and be covered by the warranty. But check the prices of online retailers here first - the US price may not be as big a bargain as you think.

 

Wow, I didn't realize the 16GB was so much in the US. I live in Canada and our electronic prices are usually higher.

I just purchased a 16GB Touch from Futureshop here in Canada and only paid $299 plus taxes so arround $340 total. It was the old model without the iPhone apps but that is nothing jailbreaking can't solve.

 

Thanks for the comment JayBloke, you've really helped put my mind at ease.

Prices for a Touch here a bit ridiculous, so I actually stand to save €145 (£110) by getting it abroad. Thanks again

 

Any new iPod comes with a one year warranty, no matter what country it's purchased from.
Also, every iPod anyway is an "American" model; unlike some electronics iPods are not made in specific places for specific regions. They are all manufactured in Asia for Apple, which then distributes them worldwide (I believe the only difference is, under European law, any iPod commercially available in Europe must have it's software tweaked so that the volume limit is lower). It will work fine on any Wi Fi network.