[newsushi]

Greetings,

I'm sure this is something of an idiotic question, but I know you guys have lots of experience with it. Is there any advantage to buying my machine directly from Apple (as I've always done in the past) as opposed to an authorized reseller like Amazon?

I just realized yesterday that Apple charges Tax while Amazon doesn't ... and that makes a considerable difference when you're ordering a ~$2000 machine and you pay 10% tax.

For instance, is there any difference if the machine arrives with bunches of dead pixels, or is completely DOA? Do I still deal with Apple or am I at the mercy of the reseller?

Thanks for your help!

-Newsushi

[CadetStimpy]

As long as it's in the Apple box when you buy it, warranty issues aren't going to be a problem. The one thing you might find is, in your dead pixel scenario, is simple return convenience. If you've got a local Apple Store, you just drive over and swap it out.

I purchase from ClubMac quite frequently, though, for the same reason - saving a C-Note in taxes is worth a day or two's wait, IMHO.

[Lava Lamp Freak]

One advantage is you can get it now.

I ordered from Amazon as soon as they were available, and they keep bumping the ship date. Now they tell me it'll ship next Tuesday.

I'm not in a hurry, though, I like saving the 9% on tax. They also have rebates, but they haven't posted one yet for the new iMac. If they do post one soon, I hope I'm covered.

[outdoor2extrm]

Um...it's apple...they rock! That's the advantage!

[ort888]

Does Amazon charge you tax if you live in the same state as an Apple Store? I know some other places do.

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Amazon charges tax if you live in Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, or Washington.

[soonlar]

Sometimes the non-Apple vendors will have rebates, Amazon has no tax (for most states), and free shipping. The big draw-back I can see with stores like Amazon is that they only have the standard models which means you can't customize anything. This is a big deal with an iMac as the only practical thing you can do service wise is add more ram.

I highly recommend going with the lowest amount of ram like the 1gb and then buying a more ram at OWC/macsales.com or something like that. They have the 2gb chip going for $115 which is a great deal compared to adding it through Apple's pricing.

I think anyone buying an iMac will be best served adding a larger hard-drive like the 750gb or 1tb, but that is my opinion. It is next to impossible for most of us non-service technicians to take the iMac apart to add a simple hard-drive. I wouldn't dare open this thing up (not to mention void the warranty) and I have built several of PC's over the years.

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Originally Posted by soonlar 

Sometimes the non-Apple vendors will have rebates, Amazon has no tax (for most states), and free shipping. The big draw-back I can see with stores like Amazon is that they only have the standard models which means you can't customize anything. This is a big deal with an iMac as the only practical thing you can do service wise is add more ram.

I highly recommend going with the lowest amount of ram like the 1gb and then buying a more ram at OWC/macsales.com or something like that. They have the 2gb chip going for $115 which is a great deal compared to adding it through Apple's pricing.

I think anyone buying an iMac will be best served adding a larger hard-drive like the 750gb or 1tb, but that is my opinion. It is next to impossible for most of us non-service technicians to take the iMac apart to add a simple hard-drive. I wouldn't dare open this thing up (not to mention void the warranty) and I have built several of PC's over the years.

At least the iMac comes with BT and Airport installed. If you buy a Mac Pro from Amazon and decide you want those features you have to haul it to an Apple Authorized store to do it for you.

[Veltliner]

MacMall, for example, has aways rebates, which reduces the tax advantage, at least for the more basic models, to a negligeable amount.

[Meritocracy]

If you're a student or teacher, purchasing directly from Apple may make sense at the moment as they're running their back-to-school promotion through mid-September. While the EDU discount is mitigated somewhat by taxes, one also qualifies for a free ipod nano after rebate (or $199 off any iPod).

[mavherzog]

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