Travel Technology - Best Location to buy MacBook

Where would it generally be cheaper to buy an Apple MacBook or similar ?
Hong Kong Airport duty free . Hong Kong downtown . Sydney airport duty free . Or NYC ? Or someplace else ?

Where are you based? The cheapest prices for Apple hardware are usually in the US - and Amazon is often a great choice (if you can get it shipped to a state where they don't charge sales tax).

Duty Free prices are usually not worth the hassle.

Thanks ScottC . I am in Israel and soon going to Oz via HKG . However , I understand from you , it would be better to wait for a trip to the US , or possibly find some way of shipping here from the US . Assuming I did so , what do you think would be the chances of there being any problem with the product , as shipping back would be more or less out of the question .
When you mention hassle of duty free - what exactly ?

If you choose to buy in NYC, you might want to go to Tekserve, vs going to an Apple store. Until Apple opened it's own stores, it was where everyone went to buy. The prices will be the same.

Apple employees are muzzled in what the can tell you about imminent products, etc. If a new product is going to be available tomorrow, Tekserve people would tell you to wait a day. I once asked in an Apple store about a product that everyone knew was in their storeroom, due to be available the next day. I was told "I have no knowledge of what you're talking about".

Shipping to a friend in another state is a good answer. The tax rate just went up today. I think it's now something like 8.87% in NYC.

amazon is great, no tax and often rebates, but macmall is beating them these days with rebates on everything, especially macbooks.

you might consider buying at a bestbuy. they should price match any price elsewhere. Also, they have a warranty that will protect against water damage.

you might consider buying at a bestbuy. they should price match any price elsewhere. Also, they have a warranty that will protect against water damage.

I'd NEVER recommend getting any kind of warranty at best buy. Their sale staff will promise things they can not deliver on. Plus, with someone living in Israel, the chance of getting Best Buy to honor their warranty is next to nil.

Also, the best buy price matching policy is a crock - they won't match most online retailers, they'll only match authorized dealers (and THEY pick who they think is authorized) and they won't match prices after rebates, prices with freebies or any other kind or promotion.

Plus, I'm pretty sure Apple products are one of the few brands they will try and exclude from their price matching policy. More on their crappy price matching here:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15707-Best-Buy-sued-over-price-matching-denials.html

Where are you based? The cheapest prices for Apple hardware are usually in the US - and Amazon is often a great choice (if you can get it shipped to a state where they don't charge sales tax).

Duty Free prices are usually not worth the hassle.
You mean that you don't pay the sales tax on your state income tax return at the end of the year? :)

Other than that, good advise. It's hard to go wrong with Amazon.

Thanks for all the helpful replies everyone .

amazon is great, no tax and often rebates, but macmall is beating them these days with rebates on everything, especially macbooks.

Amazon is great if you want a stock item with no upgrades, changes, additions. No tax, free shipping.

MacMall or MacZone are both great if you want to add more ram, get additional software (eg Parallel and WinXP installed), etc. No tax, small shipping fee.

BestBuy - only as a last resort but stay away from their extended warranty BS and just buy AppleCare. In fact, if you're considering Best Buy, you're better off going to Apple Store - brick & mortar or on-line. They'll charge you sales tax but free shipping.

Thanks ScottC . I am in Israel and soon going to Oz via HKG . However , I understand from you , it would be better to wait for a trip to the US , or possibly find some way of shipping here from the US . Assuming I did so , what do you think would be the chances of there being any problem with the product , as shipping back would be more or less out of the question .
When you mention hassle of duty free - what exactly ?
Welcome to FlyerTalk aviwil!

What model and price in Israel are you looking at? This will give everyone more of a perspective. I have a feeling you may want to reroute your trip through BKK as the prices on MacBooks there don't look half bad. My gut tells me Australia won't be any better than Israel. What about TLV duty free? What is the price there?

Also keep in mind if case you are eligible for any of the student/education discounts. That is why I have bought directly from Apple in the past.

I have a feeling you may want to reroute your trip through BKK as the prices on MacBooks there don't look half bad

Where in Bkk? I'm here and always up for window shopping :)

Thanks again all and yosithezet for the welcome . As for a re-route , well , it's a bit late already , I much prefer HKG to BKK , it could well be more expensive via BKK , and I'd never re-route for something like this anyway . Haven't checked TLV duty free - I'd imagine the options mentioned here are better .

Thanks again all and yosithezet for the welcome . As for a re-route , well , it's a bit late already , I much prefer HKG to BKK , it could well be more expensive via BKK , and I'd never re-route for something like this anyway . Haven't checked TLV duty free - I'd imagine the options mentioned here are better .

A couple of my associates bought the macbook in hk and it was about 10% more than states. if you factor in shipping and state taxes, probably comes out the same.

Where in Bkk? I'm here and always up for window shopping :)

The prices in Panthip at the Mac Shop on the 3rd floor don't look bad when compared to the prices in Israel.

Thanks dtsm . Would they have bought in the airport duty free , or in Kowloon ?

I'd NEVER recommend getting any kind of warranty at best buy. Their sale staff will promise things they can not deliver on. Plus, with someone living in Israel, the chance of getting Best Buy to honor their warranty is next to nil.

Also, the best buy price matching policy is a crock - they won't match most online retailers, they'll only match authorized dealers (and THEY pick who they think is authorized) and they won't match prices after rebates, prices with freebies or any other kind or promotion.

Plus, I'm pretty sure Apple products are one of the few brands they will try and exclude from their price matching policy. More on their crappy price matching here:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15707-Best-Buy-sued-over-price-matching-denials.html


Best Buy's warrenty is quite good, also internationally. Bought a laptop at Best Buy and had it repaired in the Netherlands. I just sent the bill to the US and the reimbursed me!

The corporate/govt/education discounts at apple.com are pretty good, but they charge sales tax, so depending on your state, the entire discount can be eaten up by the tax unless you have it shipped to someone you know in a tax free state who can reroute the package for you.

For almost everyone, the best choice is amazon.com simply because of the free shipping and no tax.

I wouldn't even buy a printer ink cartridge at Best Buy...stay away.

Unless you absolutely must have the latest version, which is maybe 5 percent faster than the one before and will be "the one before" in six months, and it has to be pristine with no prior human contact, check out closeouts of discontinued models and/or refurbs on apple.com. I've bought several that way, including the one this is being typed on. Big savings, full warranty, never a problem.

(I don't know what the story is regarding shipping outside the US, but if you can buy one in New York, presumably you have somewhere for them to ship it to in New York.)

New Hampshire, no sales tax...

Thanks dtsm . Would they have bought in the airport duty free , or in Kowloon ?

In Causeway Bay, across from Park Lane Hotel is the Windsor Building (or Towers), I believe 13th or 14th floor is where the computer stores are located. If you can make it, pm me and I'll try to get the exact name and address.

Without any discounts, HK is still the cheapest place to buy Mac stuffs. But if you have a friend who can get either the Student or Employee discount, then it would beat prices in the US by a few hundred bucks.

New Hampshire, no sales tax...
Oregon is another no sales tax state.

I'm not sure how you get that Hong Kong is so much cheaper, I compared online prices between the Apple HK and US stores, and the US was cheaper by a couple bucks.

I'm not sure how you get that Hong Kong is so much cheaper, I compared online prices between the Apple HK and US stores, and the US was cheaper by a couple bucks.



Might be referring to grey-market merchandise, or haggling, both of which can occur in the Mong Kok stores.

I'm in HK right now and am contemplating a trip up to Mong Kok to see if I can get my hands on a legit iPhone 3GS with no carrier restrictions. These "legally unblocked" phones are available for sale in HK directly from Apple, but unfortunately you have to have a HK-issued credit card with a HK billing address. :( Clearly, Apple doesn't want these carrier-free iPhones accessible to visitors!

However, I've heard that some of the iPhone 3GSs sold in those Mong Kok shops are actually U.S. (or other international) models that have been jailbroken/unlocked against Apple's desire, instead of being legitimate HK models without a SIM lock. There's apparently no easy way of telling, except that the legitimate ones tend to cost more, have Chinese as the default language, and have a British 3-flat-pin plug adapter included in the package.

Any suggestions?

I'm in HK right now and am contemplating a trip up to Mong Kok to see if I can get my hands on a legit iPhone 3GS with no carrier restrictions. These "legally unblocked" phones are available for sale in HK directly from Apple, but unfortunately you have to have a HK-issued credit card with a HK billing address. :( Clearly, Apple doesn't want these carrier-free iPhones accessible to visitors!



Any suggestions?

Pay in cash? ^

Might be referring to grey-market merchandise, or haggling, both of which can occur in the Mong Kok stores.

I'm in HK right now and am contemplating a trip up to Mong Kok to see if I can get my hands on a legit iPhone 3GS with no carrier restrictions. These "legally unblocked" phones are available for sale in HK directly from Apple, but unfortunately you have to have a HK-issued credit card with a HK billing address. :( Clearly, Apple doesn't want these carrier-free iPhones accessible to visitors!....

What is the asking price of the legit unlocked phone?

Also keep in mind if case you are eligible for any of the student/education discounts. That is why I have bought directly from Apple in the past.

^ to that. If you have kids in school or you or your spouse work in an educational establishment or even if you home school you'll get 10% off buying direct from Apple. You need to show proof if you buy at a brick and mortar Apple store but if you buy online they take your word for it.

What is the asking price of the legit unlocked phone?


The official prices at which Apple sells the unlocked iPhone 3GS:

16GB = HK$5388
32GB = HK$6288

store.apple.com/hk


Shipping in 1-2 weeks only within Hong Kong. Export not permitted. :(

The official prices at which Apple sells the unlocked iPhone 3GS:

16GB = HK$5388
32GB = HK$6288

store.apple.com/hk


Shipping in 1-2 weeks only within Hong Kong. Export not permitted. :(

Yikes! Over $800USD. Much cheaper to buy from ATT and use a SIM chassis or other device to 'unlock' the phone.

I wonder if the locking mechanism is hardware based - if it's software based, I'd think someone could start a thriving business re-flashing foreign/locked phones with the unlocked HK-based software.

Thanks for all the replies everyone .
dtsm , thnaks for your kind offer , I have 5 hrs in transit , and think I'll just play it safe and stay there for that time .
Excuse my ignorance , but can someone explain to me in simple terms what the "unlocking" means and it's implications ?

Thanks for all the replies everyone .
dtsm , thnaks for your kind offer , I have 5 hrs in transit , and think I'll just play it safe and stay there for that time .
Excuse my ignorance , but can someone explain to me in simple terms what the "unlocking" means and it's implications ?

Typically when you buy a mobile phone in the west they are set up so that you can only use it with a SIM from the mobile provider you got it from. So if you got a mobile phone from Orange Israel on a plan where you pay 45 shekels a month for 36 months for the phone (don't do the math, just made that up) then putting a SIM from another provider using the same technology (i.e. GSM) wouldn't work. The phone won't be able to use that SIM to make calls.

In Asia typically you often don't buy phones from the mobile provider on a plan but walk into various shops that have phones that will work with any provider. These are considered to be 'unlocked' phones.

Apple decided to sell iPhones only through specific providers (i.e. AT&T) IIRC in order to share some of the ongoing revenue. Many countries won't allow you to lock phones in that way. Apple doesn't want these unlocked phones to flood the market since it'll piss people like AT&T off and lose them both revenue. So in HK the only way you can legally buy an iPhone, which happens to be unlocked as that is they way it is in HK, is to show HK residence.

The prices in Panthip at the Mac Shop on the 3rd floor don't look bad when compared to the prices in Israel.

Ok, I stopped in today and here are some of the local prices in Panthip Plaza at the iStuido shop.

Mac Book, 2.13GHz, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD - THB 37900 / ~ USD1115

MacBook Pro 15-inch, 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB HD - THB 64900 / ~USD 1908

MacMini - 2.0 GHz, 1GB RAM, 120GB HD - THB 23900 / ~USD 703

If you are taking them out of the country then you can get back 7% VAT at the airport.

So how does this compare to HK, AU, IL?

Thanks yosithezet . What appears to be the second product is selling at about 2600 USD within Israel ( not duty free) here http://www.bug.co.il/prodtxt.asp?id=7714&perur=2&t=1&c=525 . You know this shop to have original products , and not something other ?

Thanks yosithezet . What appears to be the second product is selling at about 2600 USD within Israel ( not duty free) here http://www.bug.co.il/prodtxt.asp?id=7714&perur=2&t=1&c=525 . You know this shop to have original products , and not something other ?

Yeah, they are an Apple Premium Reseller. It is the branch of a chain, not a stall.

http://www.istudio.in.th/

FWIW, the base Macbook is $999 from Apple in the US, plus tax. The even better deal is the 13" Macbook Pro at $1199, though.

One thing to note is that the Apple warranty and AppleCare Protection Plan are worldwide. However, phone support and authorized service providers may not be available in all locations. For example, there is no phone support in much of the Caribbean. However, there are service providers available for carry in service. On the other hand, there are no service providers in much of the Middle East.

I took my Powerbook to New Zealand on a study abroad in 2004 and had no trouble with getting phone support or having several repairs there.