buying a macbook from america??

[mike_allison]

if i bought a macbook from america. would there be any problems bringing it back here and using it?? i was at the apple store in new york earlier this year which was amazing. and am thinking of goin back soon

any help would be much appreciated

 

[Pavey]

None at all. Just change the US cable part of the charger for a regular UK figure of eight lead. A couple of bob from Woolworths, or the official one from Apple, 20 quid.

 

[Trist]

This thread might be of interest to you...

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659906

 

[mike_allison]

thanks guys! been a brilliant help! now just got to wait til i go there!

 

[jont]

Mike - similar question asked a couple of hours ago ...

take a look at my reply here http://www.avforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6165320&postcount=24 and do the math before you go - IIRC i think the NY sales tax is a little higher than Vegas so the £ savings are even more if you can buy at Dixons taxfree at the airport in the UK ...

You can always get a funky coloured case at the NY Applestore - they stock the speck ones - http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru/13-macbook/24

Jon

 

[mike_allison]

o rite some good info there! wil have to see. because it is most likely i will be leaving from aberdeen airport. and they aint got much in the way of electronics there but will have a look! cheers

 

[jont]

You going direct from Aberdeen to NY ? ... if you are routed through Heathrow then you can pick one up from Dixons in T1 or T3 between flights ...

Jon

 

[Marmite]

Whats the score with the keyboards then? Obviously they are different on the UK and US models, but how would this affect things if you were to then use an external UK keyboard on a US mac? Would the buttons be all out of sync?

 

[mike_allison]

no would be going from aberdeen to amsterdam then to new york. same on the way back unfortunalty. there is a dixons in aberdeen airport might give them a ring first

 

[jont]

Ah the delights of going east to Skiphol to go west to NY !!

You should be able to get Dixons to order one in for you so you can collect at the airport ...

Jon

 

[Deleted member 27989]

Ah the delights of going east to Skiphol to go west to NY !!

I've done that many a time Several times the flight from Schiphol took me straight back to Heathrow to then continue to the US! A bit of hassle but was able to save nearly £2k on business class tickets that way!

 

[pytter]

Keyboard is no issue - the only thing you won't have is a pound sign above the number 3.

If you select UK keyboard in the system preferences it will act is if it is though (ie if you press shift 3 you get a pound sign)

I bought an iBook some year back in the US (Florida). the only thing they refused to sell me was the Applecare for it. You can buy this for Apple Uk though so no probs there either.

P

 

[Deleted member 92943]

Come september i may be going to Florida to work for Disney for a year. Because i love macs, i'm thinking of selling my imac (newest model) and getting a macbook air in the US.

At $1800 which is what..... £900?

That's a whopping £300 saving right there

 

[jont]

Don't forget Florida sales tax !! ... but yes will still be cheaper and AFAIK you won't need to worry about customs tax/VAT in UK if you have used (or will use) product for more than six months out of the country ... I'm sure our friendly HM Revenue & Customs mac-fan can clarify/confirm ;-)

Jon

 

[towelie]

I got my macbook in new hampshire last october and it cost me $1100. got the UK charger on ebay for £20 and it all works fine.

 

[Tenex]

You can always get a funky coloured case at the NY Applestore - they stock the speck ones - http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru/13-macbook/24

Jon

You can get those Speck cases from MyMemory for the same/less.

 

[richard plumb]

and UK apple stores sell them. Don't understand hard cases for macbooks or ipods TBH. they are designed to look nice. If you cover them up to stop them getting scratched, you never seem them how they were meant to be. I just got a simple incase sleeve to protect it when not in use.

 

[fmanness]

I just bought a macbook air in the airport 2 weeks ago at Dixons in NY. No problem at all. And god, how I like the keyboard when working late at night in bed!

I also bought an iPhone and I feel really glad that almost all the cost of my flight was paid with the discounts I got buying my lap and phone in the US. Should go there more often maybe!

 

[Deleted member 27989]

and UK apple stores sell them. Don't understand hard cases for macbooks or ipods TBH. they are designed to look nice. If you cover them up to stop them getting scratched, you never seem them how they were meant to be. I just got a simple incase sleeve to protect it when not in use.

I couldn't agree more with that statement. I have a few friends/colleagues who have them covered up in unsightly rubber sleeves and they say it is to protect them. My argument is that if you can't see it, then why bother protecting it. The design is beautiful enjoy it and show it, don't hide it away and wastes it's 'lifetime'....In three years time nobody is going to say oh it looks beautiful and scratches, they just say I give you 50p as it is old technology