Where to buy an iMac?

[savar]

Where's the best place to buy a 24" iMac? I wanted to BTO some extra RAM, the big HD, and the nicer video card, but if I can save a lot of money on sales tax by buying somewhere else, that might sway my opinion?

Where do people here generally buy new computers from?

Is anybody aware of a tax-free holiday for computer purchases in virginia, maryland, DC, or west virginia?

Thanks!

 

[puckhead193]

if you want BTO you have to go through apple....(unless if all your upgrading is RAM)

 

[iKwick7]

www.amazon.com and www.macmall.com both have no tax and free shipping (macmall free ship is after rebate). Macmall also gives you other stuff for free (after rebate) that you may be interested in, such as a laser printer. Both also offer a $150 mail in rebate on the 24" iMac, making the price $1999 at purchase and $1849 after rebate.

 

[bluewire]

Where's the best place to buy a 24" iMac? I wanted to BTO some extra RAM, the big HD, and the nicer video card, but if I can save a lot of money on sales tax by buying somewhere else, that might sway my opinion?

Where do people here generally buy new computers from?

Is anybody aware of a tax-free holiday for computer purchases in virginia, maryland, DC, or west virginia?

Thanks!

You can't get the upgraded graphics card from anyone BUT apple. And the HD too. But then again, to be honest, with firewire 800, I'd just as well go with the 250 and set up an external drive if you need more space down the road. Memory always gets cheaper and firewire 800 is blazing.

I just ordered my 2' iMac and its coming on Thursday. I upgraded the RAM and graphics card to the 7600...the small HD I can remedy externally.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

yep, for the upgraded video card, must do it with apple.

but for the rest, you can do it elsewhere, easier to get external HD, but it is messier.

your choice. enjoy your new computer.

 

[bluewire]

yep, for the upgraded video card, must do it with apple.

but for the rest, you can do it elsewhere, easier to get external HD, but it is messier.

your choice. enjoy your new computer.

Its messier but it also has it advantages...can use it as a scratch partition for video editing...or boot camp...

IMO the advantages outweigh the negatives...you can hide the drive behind the desk or something too. Just a thought.

 

[agentphish]

you asked about md, dc. va.... I'd take the hour or two and drive to the christiana mall in delaware(where they have an apple store). Delaware is completely tax free.

 

[miles01110]

You could also try craigslist. I havent had any problems buying in person.

 

[roland.g]

You can't get the upgraded graphics card from anyone BUT apple. And the HD too. But then again, to be honest, with firewire 800, I'd just as well go with the 250 and set up an external drive if you need more space down the road. Memory always gets cheaper and firewire 800 is blazing.

I just ordered my 2' iMac and its coming on Thursday. I upgraded the RAM and graphics card to the 7600...the small HD I can remedy externally.

congrats!

do you think the 500 HDD upgrade is a bad buy at $170. That's my discount.

 

[bluewire]

congrats!

do you think the 500 HDD upgrade is a bad buy at $170. That's my discount.

Thats not bad. But like I said, the main thing for me is setting up a scratch disk for video editing. I don't like to do that on my primary drive.

It just depends on your needs and your video collection.

I got a lot of music and some movies but I'm not anywhere near filling 250 gigs. In fact, I've been on a g4 lampshade iMac with a tiny hard drive so 250 and using the firewire 800 for a scratch disk for vid editing will more then suit my needs.