I am looking to buy a 27" iMac currently the i5 model although if I order from Apple I may upgrade to the i7. I am trying to decide if I buy it from Best Buy or direct from Apple Online (from the student store). If I do buy it from Best Buy should I get their warranty on it or Apple Care? Or is the extended warranty not worth it. My local Best Buy has the iMac in stock and Apple Online Store shows a shipping time of 2 weeks right now. Any advice would be appreciated. I live in Canada if that makes a difference in any of this.
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In the market for a 27" iMac. Best Buy or direct from Apple?
- Thread starter magiic
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Get applecare if you MUST go with a warranty.
And make the purchase at BB if you want it ASAP; apple if you want the student discount. Check the apple refurb store to see if they have the model you want in stock - could save you a couple of hundred dollars, even above the student discount.
And make the purchase at BB if you want it ASAP; apple if you want the student discount. Check the apple refurb store to see if they have the model you want in stock - could save you a couple of hundred dollars, even above the student discount.
I would go from Apple and Apple Care. Best Buys warranty is a joke and never had a good experience with them and had great experiences with Apple Care.
BTW if you're looking to save some money, I foinf this 27" iMac from the Apple refurbished store and you can get Apple Care and if comes withthe same 1 year warranty:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB952LL/A?mco=MTU2MzE1ODI
BTW if you're looking to save some money, I foinf this 27" iMac from the Apple refurbished store and you can get Apple Care and if comes withthe same 1 year warranty:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB952LL/A?mco=MTU2MzE1ODI
Go With the Discount
All things being equal, if you can get a discount, buy direct from Apple. You're laying out a lot of cash, so Apple Care would seem to be a good move. The tech support on the phone really is great, and it could save you from having to box it up and go through all the shipping hassles.
All things being equal, if you can get a discount, buy direct from Apple. You're laying out a lot of cash, so Apple Care would seem to be a good move. The tech support on the phone really is great, and it could save you from having to box it up and go through all the shipping hassles.
Best Buy honor's Apple's Student Discount. If anyone in that store tells you differently then they're idiots, which we all know Best Buy employees are. Mine will honor Apple's discount, but I'd rather save some money on the warrenty and go with Apple. They must honor the discount, cuz it's their policy. 
I believe its best to let them do it, but I'm not 100% positive the Genius Bar will do it.
What you can always do is, if you buy from Apple Store, ask the associates what they have in stock. I just found out I can get my 15" MBP in matte, and I assumed it was BTO only. So ask, it won't kill ya, yet. I believe its best to let them do it, but I'm not 100% positive the Genius Bar will do it.
The Apple Store will upgrade the RAM, I went with a friend and she got a MBP and they upgraded the RAM for her at the store.
I insist doing it yourself, as you will save money and it really isn't that hard to do, and their is plenty of step by step vids on the net, including here
So then what you can do, and this is purely based off the assumption there is a Best Buy near by, go to Best Buy, say I want to buy a 27" iMac, ask if they honor the Student Discount, if you want Apple Care then get it through apple yourself, you got about what a year after the original purchase to add the Apple Care Plan on, so you don't need to do it right away, unless you want Best Buy's Black Tie, which the only benefit is it protects you from damage, dropping, spills etc..., and you should be set.
...get your applecare from Amazon.com or LAComputer.com, it will save you some $$... without the risk of ebay...
Or with his student discount he can get it from Apple for $119. Amazon is around $170.
I bought my 27" iMac from Best Buy in November and have no complaints. I even got a free 500GB Firewire external HD with a Reward Zone coupon I had. I plan on purchasing Apple Care before the one year warranty expires. Just checked Amazon and it's $154 with free shipping and LA Computer is $134.51 with shipping. I personally think the whole Buying a Mac from Apple experience is over rated. I purchased a MBP for my Wife 3 weeks befoe my iMac and the only thing I got from the Apple store that I didn't get from BB is an Apple associate telling me " congradulations on your new Mac" as I walked away from the Genius Bar.
Lots of good advice so far.
About the ram and hard drive.
For the ram, install it yourself. A 5 year old could do it. Instructions are printed on the foot of the iMac its so easy.
Add 4 gigs to the current stock ram for $109. http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/8566DDR3S4GP/
As for the drive, you should have someone else do it. However, since the i5 already comes with a 1TB drive, not sure exactly why you even need to?
If you need more "space" buy an external drive.
About the ram and hard drive.
For the ram, install it yourself. A 5 year old could do it. Instructions are printed on the foot of the iMac its so easy.
Add 4 gigs to the current stock ram for $109. http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/8566DDR3S4GP/
As for the drive, you should have someone else do it. However, since the i5 already comes with a 1TB drive, not sure exactly why you even need to?
If you need more "space" buy an external drive.
When I went to Best Buy they refused to provide me with the student discount although they gave my g/f one over the summer. So I waited a week, talked to someone else and said that an Apple rep was in there earlier in the week and told me they would match the price. Best Buy gave me no issues (maybe shady of me, I know).
Best Buy's warranty was also significantly more expensive than AppleCare if I remember correctly. For my 21.5 straight from Apple was $160 I believe, although Ive seen it online for around $120-$130 from some reputable companies. Best Buy's was $200 (shows $189 now on their website).
Best Buy's warranty was also significantly more expensive than AppleCare if I remember correctly. For my 21.5 straight from Apple was $160 I believe, although Ive seen it online for around $120-$130 from some reputable companies. Best Buy's was $200 (shows $189 now on their website).
If you buy from Best Buy, make sure to sign up for their free Reward Zone program (Atleast this program is available in the States). You should be able to instantly use it for your purchase. You'll earn a point for every dollar you spend pre-tax. For every 250 points you earn, you'll get a $5 dollar certificate for use at Best Buy. It takes about 30 days for the points to post and then you print out the certificate for use in store. You could then use the certificates to purchase the Apple Care at a discount, if you don't mind waiting the 30 days.
If I were in your shoes, I would look on eBay or craigslist first seeing as they have the best deals. I would then go to the refurb store or student discount.
If you end up going to best buy, get their warranty (covers accidental damage), but no other plan.
If you end up going to best buy, get their warranty (covers accidental damage), but no other plan.