buy a laptop in the US, HK, or here?

[zagu]

im thinking of getting one laptop. Where is the best place to buy? im going to the US this week. is it cheaper there compared to here or hong kong? thanks

[penmanila]

zagu, i'm just going to edit your title ("where is the best place to buy mac?") to make it clearer, ok? if you didn't say you were going to the US, we would've asked you to use the search box and look for "resellers", thanks.

for starters, if you're going to get one in the US, check out the prices on www.powerbookcentral.com, which tracks current prices for new and used powerbooks and ibooks. (make sure to figure in local sales tax and shipping to where you are.)

what i often do when i know i'm going to shop for stuff in the US is to order the item online even from here, so it gets to me when i'm there; that's presuming you know what you want. you just might choose to walk into an apple store, do a hands-on test of the machines, and walk out with the one you want. you might get new units a bit cheaper elsewhere, or bundled with freebies like printers or extra ram, so study your options.

[wedge]

i don't know but i think getting a PowerBook in the US is quite cheaper than getting it in Manila. I bought mine for $1,299 plus taxes which is comparably cheaper than if i purchase it in the Philippines (though, I haven't tried canvassing the price of a PB in Manila- - -last I heard [that was 2 years ago] it costs around P150,000- - -cause i know i could not afford it).

[PatrickGaerlan]

To give you an idea, I get my iBooks and PowerBooks from a local reseller (LMK Commercial). Currently, their prices are about $120-$220 more expensive than Apple's online prices (without factoring in sales tax or shipping & handling). Not bad. Their prices are even more competetive if they still have Power/iBooks with bundled Applecare.

[penmanila]

another point: i'm sure you'll find a sweeter powerbook deal from a US reseller, one way or another, but factor in the possibility of customs duties when you arrive here. normally, the airport people will just let you through ("nothing to declare"), unless your mac is in a huge visible box just asking to be taxed; these days, laptops and cameras are taken as personal effects. but i've heard news that our customs people are under great pressure these days to hit their collection quotas, and will soon be hitting travellers for anything taxable, which a new laptop certainly is. so i suggest that if you buy it there, say goodbye to the box and just carry the laptop with you. (using something like fedex is worse--in 1997, i paid P18,000 for customs duties on a powerbook is shipped in from california through fedex; at that time, i could have added a little more and picked it up myself in LA!).

[rvaph]

That almost happened to me ages ago. The customs people asked me to open one of our luggages and they saw my new laptop still in its box. Luckily I was with a sister who is a balikbayan and told the customs people that it belongs to me. They told us that only travellers who stayed abroad for more than 6 months could bring these kind of electronics duty free. By the way, if you are trying to get an ibook or a powerbook, why not try longbeard instead?

[longbeard]

Originally posted by zagu
im thinking of getting one laptop. Where is the best place to buy? im going to the US this week. is it cheaper there compared to here or hong kong? thanks

I can get you one..

[notarius]

It's definietely cheapest in the U.S. if you purchase on-line. But make sure you buy from a reputable site. If you purchase from an Apple store, I think Longbeard's PBs out of HK are priced competitively. And you don't have to worry about being taxed at port of entry and lugging around an empty box (which I suppose you intend to keep for resale purposes).

[penmanila]

now, if i weren't going to the US, i'd just as soon get my laptop from longbeard or from a local reseller--not only to help boost apple sales here, but also to make sure that i actually see what i'm buying. i'd say a $200 markup is a reasonable charge for shipping and marketing, etc. powerbook warranties are honored worldwide so it doesn't matter where you buy it from that standpoint, but in case anything goes wrong, it's always easier to bring it back to the store you got it from (people often lose or forget receipts from foreign purchases). the one small downside i see to buying stuff within the region is the fact that they come with those huge three-prong singapore/UK plugs that completely offset the portability of the thing, esp. if you have to use an adapter with them. US plugs are small and sleek.