Shipping times in Canada for iMac 20" Intel Duo?

[ozone]

Hi... for all fellow Canadian iMac Intel Duo 20" owners... did you have to wait long for your iMac to come?

I'm considering purchasing an iMac duo 20" for home use (my wife is getting tired of her aging TiBook!). I know Apple Canada lists "ships within 24 hours" on its website, but the university I work at has reported 5 weeks delay for the unit to arrive for business purchasers - and it's now a full 2 months since the iMac Intel was announced. These purchases are done via purchase order through Apple Canada' corporate channels. I don't know if this shipping delay applies to individual purchases directly off the Apple Canada website, but it's not encouraging.

I'm also considering ordering through our university bookstore for personal purchases, but again I have no idea how the shipping channels work.

My last alternative is just going down to BestBuy, forgetting about the $150 educational discount, and just buying one. At least if there's a problem (noise, poor wifi reception) I can return it in 2 weeks without any hassle.

Advice, opinions? Thanks.

p.s. Anybody in Canada get their MacBook Pro yet?

 

[CanadaRAM]

It's obviously not possible to comment on your university's anecdotal evidence, or whether that applies in any way to your purchase... Apple does have restrained supply when a model is first released, and Canada gets new models about 2 weeks after the US. But neither fact are relevant now on the iMacs.

Also, a Build to Order machine can take longer; generally it is better to choose a stock model. Certainly, buy your RAM from a reputable third party RAM seller who guarantees compatibility with the iMac, and install it yourself (takes 45 seconds) -- rather than paying Apple's inflated prices.

The machines are in stock at authorized independent Apple dealers, so there should be no delay in getting yours. If you have a good independent dealer near you, you'll get it at the same price as the retail Apple Store, and perhaps get better personal service. If you are in a remote location, then Apple's free shipping may make it more attractive to buy it online from them.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

 

[ozone]

Thanks... unfortunately, where I am, it's pretty much just BestBuy and one or two others. I was only thinking of a stock model anyways. Not too interested in excessive ram, etc. I'd put that in myself later on anyways.