London Apple stores

[Luis Ortega]

I am planning to get a MBP and live near London.
I see that there are about 3 Apple stores near me, including one on Regent Street and another at Brent Cross and one at Kingston.
Do any of these have a better reputation for good service and knowledgeable staff than the others?
I would think that living near a major Apple store would be a good thing in terms of getting better or quicker service and support in case something goes wrong.
In terms of the initial purchase, is it better to order online or go to an Apple store? Will they have computers there to take away immediately, even if you want a faster hard drive as part of the specs?
Do the stores also give the educational discounts?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[ashokc]

I would advise you to first call up the individual stores and ask them if they have what you want in stock to save on a wasted trip. Its normally quicker to buy direct through the store rather than wait for shipping online. In my past experience of apple stores the staff have always been very friendly and informative at both bluewater and regent street

 

[Annndy!]

Not sure which of those three has a better reputation as I live in the States. But I can help with the other questions.

If you want something other than the initial specs (i.e., a larger hard drive), you're better off ordering online. As far as I know the Apple stores only carry machines with the initial specs in-store. Otherwise, go with the Apple store as they can give your advice on your purchase. They do offer the educational discount in-store, as long as you have proof that you are in school (a student ID or grade transcript will work just fine).