Best Place To Shop For Mac
Apple’s iMac line has been around for almost two decades now; the first launched inside the late 90s. But the consumer-grade Mac has changed a lot in that time. Gone is the CRT display and, later, the flower pedal design. Now the latest iMacs feature a flat all-in-one design: everything is built into it behind the screen. Though iMacs feature some of the largest displays of any device in Apple’s lineup, they’re actually much cheaper than virtually any other Mac (save the Mac mini). And while it’s easy to pick up an iMac from an Apple Store or apple.com there’s actually plenty of other places you can grab one–and usually, save a fair amount of cash in the process.
IMac: Where To Buy Them The first stop most people make when considering to buy an iMac is an Apple Store or at apple.com. Both of these are excellent choices because Apple generally has some of the best customer service out there. An added bonus of popping into an Apple Store is there are plenty of demo models on hand with all the latest apps and software, so you could really play around with the machine as you would at home to see which is right for you.
Best Place To Shop For Macbook Pro
That being said, buying an iMac through Apple means you’ll always pay the retail price (unless you buy a reformed model (see below). So don’t expect even a single pound discount on any new iMac you buy from Apple. Thankfully, there are plenty of other places to buy iMacs. Online and in-store you have options like. Though these brick and mortar locations don’t have the amount of display units or software you’ll find at an Apple Store, you can sometimes get a good discount at these locations. Other places, Argos, and smaller e-tailers like specialty photography and computer stores. While Amazon rarely discounts new iMacs, it is possible to get free shipping through them, which is nice so you don’t have to pay an extra cost and not have to worry about lugging the iMac home from a brick and mortar store.
Good Places To Shop Online
Argos and other e-tailers also frequently offer small discounts and free shipping on iMacs. IMac: How To Buy Cheaper (Used) Ones Of course, to save even more money, you can buy an older generation iMac or a refurbished new iMac online. Apple has an where you can catch good deals sometimes. Also, Amazon third-party sellers frequently sell heavily discounted refurbished and used iMacs. Another great place to find. And finally, classified sites like Gumtree are a great place to snap up iMac deals right from their previous owner.
IMac: What To Look For When Buying Used But if you are planning on buying used or refurbished, there are a few things you should look out for–depending on where you buy it. If you are buying a refurbished unit from Apple directly, you’re good to go. The company makes refurbished Macs like new before they sell them again. If you buy used or refurbished from a third-party seller on Amazon, you’re also pretty safe since Amazon offers a generous 30-day return policy and it usually sides with the buy in disputes with the seller. If you want to go the reconditioned route, as you will save a FORTUNE.
The only place you need to be super-aware of what you’re buying and who you’re buying from is when buying a used or refurbished iMac from someone on Gumtree. Here’s what you should look out for:. Make sure the iMac doesn’t have any cosmetic defects other than what was listed in the ad when you pick it up. Meet in a place where you can plug the iMac in and use it for at least 10 minutes before handing over the cash to the seller. If the seller balks at this, walk away.
Best Place To Shop For Macbook
Make sure no other person is logged into iCloud in the Settings app. Go to Apple menu About This Mac and confirm the iMac actually has the amount of RAM and storage as the seller is saying. After buying the used iMac, do a full restore to erase any old documents or software that may have been left on the system. You never know if it might have keyloggers or spyware. Keep in mind most classified sellers are honest, but also protect yourself by following the steps above.
The Apple Store – Apple’s retail stores will have more available supply of iPads than any other retail location you can go to. They’ll also have every single model in every color. Rumor is that the white model maybe hard to find at non-Apple retailers, so if you’re really dying for a white iPad 2 on Friday evening then you’re probably going to have to brave the lines.
Don’t worry though, Apple employees will take care of you while you wait and usually provide waiters with water and snacks. If you don’t want a white iPad then you have a lot of better options available.
Sure, if you like waiting in line for 2-7 hours to get your hands on the latest Apple products then buying from the Apple Store is the place for you. A lot of people want things now instead of later though. If you’re one of those impatient types then you’ll want to look elsewhere. Only go to the Apple Store if you desperately want white, or desire to join the long waiting lines to feel like you’re part of the celebration. Best Buy – Information is a little bit shaky as to how many units Best Buy stores are going to have to offer. In more populated cities you could see as many as 100 units in the store, however in lower populated cities Best Buy is likely only going to be offering 20-40 units. At 4:30PM local time, Best Buy will start handing out iPad tickets to customers waiting in line. If you come a little later and aren’t able to get a ticket at least you don’t have to wait around for an hour only to find out there’s no more iPads in stock.
No solid word has been given as to whether they’ll have white iPads along with black, but that doesn’t matter as we already told you that the 16GB Wifi iPad 2 in black is the most solid choice. If it’s on the way home from work and there’s not an Apple Specialist in the area, it may be a good idea to check out Best Buy before getting in line at the Apple Store if you don’t have a Third Party Dealer in your area. Walmart/Target – It’s been really hard to gauge just how many units Target and Walmart stores will be getting.
I’ve called about ten different Walmarts in the Phoenix area and so far no one has a clue how many iPad 2’s they’re getting or if they’ll even get them in stores by March 11th. Target and Walmart receive shipments at night so they can have shelves stocked and ready to go in the morning when customers start coming through the door. Say that a few Walmart stores already have iPads on display, but I haven’t seen anything like that myself yet. Call ahead and see if they have anything available before making a trip to the store. Walmart/Target is one of the least likely places to have plenty of iPad 2’s in stock on March 11th. Better try somewhere else first before getting desperate. Verizon/AT&T Stores- the iPad 2 is only expected to be available at select Verizon Stores. Not sure which stores are considered to be select, so this is more of another desperation option if you can’t get one anywhere else. AT&T is taking online orders at 1AM PST, and will have units available in stores at 5PM local time. The uncertainty of which stores are going to have units makes these options two of the least appealing for getting an iPad on launch day.
Apple Specialists – Apple Specialists are Third Party Retail outlets that are licensed to sell Apple products exclusively. The down the street from my house is almost like stepping into an Apple Store. A lot of consumers would rather go straight to the Apple Store instead of hitting up one of the knock-off retail stores that sell genuine Apple products so this makes Apple Specialists a real appealing choice for a quick way to get an iPad. From the info I’ve gathered, Apple Specialists are expecting to receive iPads on Friday morning.
If you’re lucky, they may let you reserve one if you call in on Friday morning. You can find these under the radar stores by going to and typing in your zip code. Most of these local mom and pop shops are happy to give out information if they’ve got it, so feel free to phone ahead to ask how much stock they have and if they’re taking reservations. Despite not being a real Apple Store, these under the radar local shops are the next best thing and will probably help you avoid the lines and uncertainties of getting an iPad 2 today.
Conclusion: Waiting in line at the Apple Store can be a fun experience. I’ve done it on many product launches and Apple employees always take care of the customers and make you feel like you’re part of a grand event. The only trade-off is that you have to wait in line for hours and that doesn’t particularly appeal to everyone. Our recommendation is to check out an Apple Specialist, as they are most likely to have enough stock to meet demands without having to wait in the long lines.