Taking a 21/27 inch Mac onboard
 

I am contemplating buying a 21 or 27-inch Mac computer while overseas. Would it be conceivable to carry it as a hand luggage? It seems really huge. Is there any alternative you'd recommend? Thanks.

It might work if you can get it into a roller bag.

Just out of curiousity, where is "overseas"? I've never seen anywhere that you can buy electronics cheaper than in the US. So if the US is overseas to you, have fun. Otherwise you might want to rethink.

You would need to check the carry on allowance for the airlines you intend to fly.

Both 21" and 27" in packaging are bigger than the more generous airline carryon allowances I know of.

Hence your only option would be to check it or ship it.

Thinking about buying it in Canada and taking it all the way to Iran where apple products are sold by unauthorized resellers. They come with no warranty.

Honestly, I think it's a silly idea. Because even if I had a canadian warranty, if it breaks down I'd have to take it all the way back to Canada to have it fixed!!

What to do, what to do? Buy it in Dubai? Would EK in J allow such a cumbersome hand luggage?

They do sell special roller bags for Macs but they seem to be even bigger than the original packaging.

Checking it in seems too risky IMO. I don't want to go through all this hassle to end up with a Broken Mac.

What a dilema!!

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=emirates+hand+luggage

I have often seen macs and other computers checked.

Either find an airline with a generous enough hand luggage allowance (unlikely), check it or ship it.

Taking a 21/27 inch Mac onboard
 

personally I would never check something like that.

Yeah, I don't think I would either.

A 21" iMac will easily fit in in a carry on. Just bubble wrap it for good measure. You can put the stand in your checked baggage.

Really? That'd be great. It means that I might even be able to "smuggle" it through Iranian customs without having to pay import taxes :D

Would there be any concern at security boarding the plane?

Buy it in Dubai and check it as baggage in the original box, but get some blank cardboard and tape it to each side so you have a "box within a box". It adds protection from bumps and bangs and removes the identity of the contents. I shipped a 21" Apple Cinema Display from the US to Europe like this.

There are several places in Dubai to buy what you are looking for.

Or buy it in Istanbul (or somewhere else in Turkey) and take one of the daily buses to Tehran. I travelled from Tehran to Erzurum by bus and it was very comfortable.

There is absolutely no way a 27 will go on board as carry on. The box is HUGE and it is custom made to protect the screen. A 21 out of the box and in a carry on bag, MAYBE, but you are taking a big risk not having it in a protective box. I would just put it into another box and check it. I would not try to put the apple box through checked luggage as is. It's a retail box, not meant to be shipped through conveyor belts etc.

By bus all the way from istanbul? It should be hell and it should take ages.
It'd would have been a great idea if Dogübeyazit, the first town right after the iranian border had an Apple store!!

A Mac 21 is 20" X 17" with the stand. Remove the stand. Put it in a carry-on roller bag. It probably won't lie flag but it should fit in on an angle. Pack it with socks or shirts to protect.

Problem might be when you go through security and they ask you to turn it on.

You want to smuggle something into Iran? A country that literally has a "fun police" running around arresting people for benign things like drinking, showing your hair, etc?

You're braver than me.

Yet, I have all the booze in the world at home and at the office.

It's an awful system indeed, but it's not the Gestapo either (at least in my area). It's not Saudi Arabia.

Also, the worst that can happen to me by not declaring the iMac is that they make me pay the import duties. There is no such a thing as being flagged by customs for the foreseeable future like in the US and Canada. So, I'll try my luck not to pay that stupid duty.

I should also mention that the "fun police" is also one of the most corrupt police forces on the surface of this earth. Money will wash your sins, brother.