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What is the best place to buy a MacBook...

ryanflucas

ryanflucas

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 28, 2006
146
17
Milwaukee, WI
besides Apple of course? :)

I'm 75% sure I'll buy it from Apple, but I haven't decided if I want to buy in store or online. I want a white MacBook 2.4 Core2Duo, 250GB Drive. I figure the hard drive upgrade is a custom, so I would need to order it online?

I see them selling Apple products at other stores lately. I wouldn't dare buy it from Best Buy, but I see Clubmac.com and Amazon.com, sometimes with rebates. Has anyone bought from these instead of Apple?

I don't really need the printer, but I won't turn down free so I'll most likely get one of those all in one printers with the mail in rebate. I'm also planning on buying the apple remote, both adapters for monitor (mini dvi to dvi and mini dvi to vga), and the Applecare warranty. I also have plans for upgrading the ram myself 3rd party (Kingston, Crucial, Corsair, or similar to the full 4GB). :D

Anything else I should know about and/or suggestions?:cool:
 
ryanflucas said:
besides Apple of course? :)

I'm 75% sure I'll buy it from Apple, but I haven't decided if I want to buy in store or online. I want a white MacBook 2.4 Core2Duo, 250GB Drive. I figure the hard drive upgrade is a custom, so I would need to order it online? :D

Anything else I should know about and/or suggestions?:cool:
Click to expand...

You can get the same specs configured at any Apple Store. Just be sure it is a authorized Apple seller/reseller, that way you can deal with AppleCare and the Apple Store at the same time. You don't want to have to "send" it back via UPS, Fedex, or USPS and have to wait a couple of weeks for your computer to return home. Good Luck. :cool:
 
I got mine used on ebay but looked at Amazon and MacMall before I made my purchase to get a feeling on the prices of refurbs. If I was buying new I would have gone with Apple store or Amazon.
 
MacMall.com

No tax, and they usually have sweet rebates.

I purchased my Mac Pro, my MacBook Pro and an iPod from them. All hassle free and perfect.
 
SFStateStudent said:
You can get the same specs configured at any Apple Store. Just be sure it is a authorized Apple seller/reseller, that way you can deal with AppleCare and the Apple Store at the same time. You don't want to have to "send" it back via UPS, Fedex, or USPS and have to wait a couple of weeks for your computer to return home. Good Luck. :cool:
Click to expand...

Actually, I am not sure he can get the white MacBook with a 250GB drive at an Apple brick and mortar without paying more than he would online.

With AppleCare (I assume that you are getting it), you should be able to take it into any Apple Store when you need repairs, so don't buy from somebody who offers their own warranty.

You'll love it. Great notebooks.
 
I also got mine from Macmall. I got a $100 rebate, no tax, and a free HP F4180 all in one printer.
 
apple/ mac store for me i go to this place called machelper.com there a athorized seller of macs only oh and if u want a 250gb it might be cheaper than mac so u could buy it after and its really easy to swap so it wouldnt be any trouble
 
Amazon.com all the way. I've ordered two MacBooks from them and have never had issues with their customer service when I sent one back for a new one. Their prices are also one of the lowest around.
 
I would definitely buy the hard drive separate as Apple charges way too much for hardware upgrades. This alone will save you a bunch- I just bought a Macbook with an 80 gig hard drive- they wanted 150 bucks more to upgrade to the 160 gig one- I bought a 320 gig for 150 so basically got double the storage for the same price. RAM is even worse with them.
 
Hankster said:
Amazon.com all the way. I've ordered two MacBooks from them and have never had issues with their customer service when I sent one back for a new one. Their prices are also one of the lowest around.
Click to expand...

I'm an Amazon junkie too. Good prices, good customer service, I always find the stuff I want with free shipping, no tax of course, and the stuff ALWAYS arrives much faster than they say even with the free shipping option. Just bought a 24" Imac and the experience was great, as usual. And that's not to mention their 30-day price guarantee.
 
I'd actually avoid MacMall.

I made a number of purchases through them a few months ago, and their customer service is absolutely terrible. In the 3 out of 4 times you won't need to call them, it's fine, but in that 1 time you do end up having to call them, you'll never want to deal with them again.

A number of other people can confirm this, as I vented on this subject when it happened a few months ago.

Anyway, I'd probably stick to Apple or a local, official Apple retailer in your area. And, I think it would just feel weird to buy a Mac from BestBuy :p
 
CKtoph said:
I'd actually avoid MacMall.

I made a number of purchases through them a few months ago, and their customer service is absolutely terrible. In the 3 out of 4 times you won't need to call them, it's fine, but in that 1 time you do end up having to call them, you'll never want to deal with them again.

A number of other people can confirm this, as I vented on this subject when it happened a few months ago.

Anyway, I'd probably stick to Apple or a local, official Apple retailer in your area. And, I think it would just feel weird to buy a Mac from BestBuy :p
Click to expand...


You had a bad experience with Macmall. I on the other had had a great experience with them. Great price, nice rebate, and a free printer. Go figure.
 
Bobioden said:
You had a bad experience with Macmall. I on the other had had a great experience with them. Great price, nice rebate, and a free printer. Go figure.
Click to expand...

Like I said, as long as you don't have any reason to deal with their customer service, it's fine. A quick search of the forums will confirm this for ya :p
 
Don't forget about the Education or Government stores available through the Mac Store. If you qualify for either of them, it can save you some money.
 
Why no tax?

I don't understand the "no tax" comment. How do u avoid paying tax? I'm from Toronto, but do have a friend living in Florida that I visit a couple of times a year.

Any way that I can avoid the tax is great, even if it means shipping it to Fla.

Thanks-a-ton,
audiobill

krye said:
MacMall.com

No tax, and they usually have sweet rebates.

I purchased my Mac Pro, my MacBook Pro and an iPod from them. All hassle free and perfect.
Click to expand...
 
audiobill said:
I don't understand the "no tax" comment. How do u avoid paying tax? I'm from Toronto, but do have a friend living in Florida that I visit a couple of times a year.

Any way that I can avoid the tax is great, even if it means shipping it to Fla.

Thanks-a-ton,
audiobill
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how it works in Canada, but here in the states Amazon does not have to charge sales tax on shipments to most states, since it does not have a physical place of business in most.
 
audiobill said:
I don't understand the "no tax" comment. How do u avoid paying tax? I'm from Toronto, but do have a friend living in Florida that I visit a couple of times a year.

Any way that I can avoid the tax is great, even if it means shipping it to Fla.

Thanks-a-ton,
audiobill
Click to expand...
Online or mail-order resellers don't have to charge sales tax unless they have a retail presence in the state where the item is being shipped (if the state has a sales tax). The Apple Store online does charge sales tax since they have retail stores in most states. B&H Photo doesn't, so don't charge sales tax except for purchases shipped to New York.
 
Wow! I didn't know that. Here, in Canada, we are dinged for sales tax either through an online store or brick'n'mortar; either way, they ding us.

It may very well be worth purchasing it online at amazon or clubmac and picking it up while I'm in Florida, in early July. Although I do get an educator's discount here, in Canada; I believe, it is a better discount to forego it, get the rebate and save the 13% taxes I would pay, in Canada, on such a large i.e., $1900 purchase.

Thanks-a-ton for your insight!

audiobill

Hmac said:
Online or mail-order resellers don't have to charge sales tax unless they have a retail presence in the state where the item is being shipped (if the state has a sales tax). The Apple Store online does charge sales tax since they have retail stores in most states. B&H Photo doesn't, so don't charge sales tax except for purchases shipped to New York.
Click to expand...
 
Recently went with Amazon on a new MB and got the $75 rebate. Heard
too many negative stories on Macmall.

Also, if you have a Discover card they just started a 5% credit when
you connect to the Apple store FROM the online Discovercard site (and
obviously use your Discover card). Takes 8-10 weeks to get the credit,
but is worth considering if you want to custom order. Just started recently.
 
Let me put in a vote for Mac Connection ( www.macconnection.com ). I know they don't have it in the configuration you're looking for, but I think it wiser and cheaper to just get the 2.4Ghz, 160GB combo and then just get 250 GB or even 320 GB hard drive and then put the 160 GB in an enclosure and use as an external.

Saw way too many rebate horror stories with Mac Mall. Mac connection gives you the similar deals, no tax (depending on where you live), super fast delivery ( my macbook delivered 2 day faster than quoted), good customer service and support even with rebates. People on the whole seem happier with their Mac Connection purchases.

Another problem with customized macbooks...I understand there are difficulties returning these macbooks, because of the different configuration.

You sound like you're going to DIY the RAM...the hard drive is not much more difficult.

2.4 Ghz Macbook, white, 320 GB HD, 4 GB RAM
 
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