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Recommendations: best place to buy new PMac G4?
- Thread starter jrosen
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Re: Recommendations: best place to buy new PMac G4?
Most retailers will give you a deal if you ask them. I got 256MB ram free when I bought my iBook from Di-No computers in Pasadena.
MacMall, MacWarehouse, etc. have deals. No one really sells new Apples discount, I think Apple has various price controls on their machines...
Most retailers will give you a deal if you ask them. I got 256MB ram free when I bought my iBook from Di-No computers in Pasadena.
MacMall, MacWarehouse, etc. have deals. No one really sells new Apples discount, I think Apple has various price controls on their machines...
where to avoid
Just don't go to CompUSA. Here's my story:
I bought my PowerBook there a month ago. I took it in about 10 days later beause there was a dead pixle right in the viewing area which was quite distracting. I knew they wouldn't excahnge it on that basis alone, so I also cited the "clicking" sound which has been discussed here. I assumed that no one there would be aware that that was an OS issue and they'd give me a flyer on that basis. NO WAY! They claimed they couldn't see the dead pixle and that they heard clicking noises. Well, there was about as much ambient sound in there as a Vegas casino, so of course they didn't hear it. I couldn't return in (and then buy a new one) because the ridiculous "restock" fee would have cost me a chunk of change. (We need to take a consumer revolt to the streets on that one.) I looked at the "service" employee like he was a moron, and he got the message. Still, the best he could offer was to send it back to the manufacturer. Sorry.
So, that's why you shouldn't go there. Bite the bullet and go to the Apple Store. It's such a pleasant environment and you feel like you just conquered the world leading that big cart with your new boxes through the mall.
Just don't go to CompUSA. Here's my story:
I bought my PowerBook there a month ago. I took it in about 10 days later beause there was a dead pixle right in the viewing area which was quite distracting. I knew they wouldn't excahnge it on that basis alone, so I also cited the "clicking" sound which has been discussed here. I assumed that no one there would be aware that that was an OS issue and they'd give me a flyer on that basis. NO WAY! They claimed they couldn't see the dead pixle and that they heard clicking noises. Well, there was about as much ambient sound in there as a Vegas casino, so of course they didn't hear it. I couldn't return in (and then buy a new one) because the ridiculous "restock" fee would have cost me a chunk of change. (We need to take a consumer revolt to the streets on that one.) I looked at the "service" employee like he was a moron, and he got the message. Still, the best he could offer was to send it back to the manufacturer. Sorry.
So, that's why you shouldn't go there. Bite the bullet and go to the Apple Store. It's such a pleasant environment and you feel like you just conquered the world leading that big cart with your new boxes through the mall.
There are pluses and minuses to buying a computer on the internet and at a store.
If you buy online, you can shop easier, don't have to deal with sales people, don't have to pay tax. But downside is you have to pay shipping, go through waiting, and you might have to go through a lot of trouble clearing things up if your machine arrives damaged or with other problems. Personally, I mostly buy online and experience so far has been good. You should also check out,
Clubmac
Smalldog
Macconnection
Maczone
Amazon
MemoryX.net (for RAM upgrade)
If you buy a computer at a store, you can ask (or convince) them to open and check for dead pixels, dents, etc on your computer. But the downside is you have to pay tax and sometimes service can be frustrating. I don't recommend CompUSA either because I find their people not very knowledgable about Macs and their sales tactics can get very annoying. I once bought an iPod at CompUSA and even bought their Return Policy because sales guy convinced me that if iPod broke down I will receive replacement, no questions asked. Well, iPod eventually broke down and when I came in for replacement, there were a lot of redtapes, the whole thing took over 3 weeks before I got a replacement. If you want to buy your mac at a store, you should go to Apple store.
If you buy online, you can shop easier, don't have to deal with sales people, don't have to pay tax. But downside is you have to pay shipping, go through waiting, and you might have to go through a lot of trouble clearing things up if your machine arrives damaged or with other problems. Personally, I mostly buy online and experience so far has been good. You should also check out,
Clubmac
Smalldog
Macconnection
Maczone
Amazon
MemoryX.net (for RAM upgrade)
If you buy a computer at a store, you can ask (or convince) them to open and check for dead pixels, dents, etc on your computer. But the downside is you have to pay tax and sometimes service can be frustrating. I don't recommend CompUSA either because I find their people not very knowledgable about Macs and their sales tactics can get very annoying. I once bought an iPod at CompUSA and even bought their Return Policy because sales guy convinced me that if iPod broke down I will receive replacement, no questions asked. Well, iPod eventually broke down and when I came in for replacement, there were a lot of redtapes, the whole thing took over 3 weeks before I got a replacement. If you want to buy your mac at a store, you should go to Apple store.