[mhuk01]

hi there,
i live in the uk and am torn between the mac mini and imac. I need a monitor, keyboard and mouse so the is part of the attraction for the imac (along with the better specs). In the uk the price is £899. Over in the U.S. it is $1299. This means the the U.S. price is about £750, which is 150 quid less than the UK!
Has anyone ever had any success with ordering from the US Apple Store in order to get things cheaper? Is there any difference in 'what's in the box'?
Also, I realise shipping would be alot. But it wouldn't wipe out the 150 quid saving completely would it?
To sum up this post, I don't need the nice specs on the imac, and a mac mini with added monitor etc. wouldn't come anywhere near to 899. However, if the imac was 750 (as it is on the US store) then i think i could just about justify getting such a sweet machine

Thanks,
Martin

[mattf]

Well, you'll have to get an electrical convertor as well, to go from an American AC plug to a UK one. You'll probably also lose out on any warranty claims you made need to make. Finally, you face the risk of having to pay import duty (17.5% of £750 = £131).

Just buy it from the UK.

Oh, if you really want to get one cheaper, try checking out the refurb store on Wednesday at 10am. They're likely to be the previous version (i.e., no remote, front row, lower spec. processor etc.), but they'll be around £700

[mhuk01]

yeah your probably right, it's just so annoying dont' you think?!
another big deciding factor between the imac and mac mini is how quiet it is. I've heard the mac mini is really quiet, how does the imac compare?
Thanks

[chucker]

Originally Posted by mhuk01 This means the the U.S. price is about £750, which is 150 quid less than the UK!

No, it's not.

1) UK price includes VAT.
2) UK price includes EU importing duties.
3) UK price includes localizations, such as the power adapter.

Also, I realise shipping would be alot. But it wouldn't wipe out the 150 quid saving completely would it?

If you were to get past customs (quite a crime to commit, mind you), you may come off a little cheaper, but then you still have to buy a new power adapter anyway.

[Bryson]

You wouldn't get away with it with an iMac. You might get away with it if you bought a Powerbook or iBook, went and fetched it yourself, and were willing to throw the box away. (I...ummm...know a guy who did... )

[byzantium]

The power adaptor issue is insignificant - it's just a cheap £2 plug converter you need! The power supply itself is 100-240v and will work virtually anywhere in the world.

Second, Apple USA will not ship you a computer outside the US. Sorry. You could always buy one in Duty free in the airport though (after say a £150 holiday in Paris , if you want to save the VAT.

If you look on the Apple Support Discussions site, you'll see people reporting that the iMac is whisper quiet - quieter than the Rev B edition. Plus, you want that damn remote; you can wake up and put your iMac to sleep with it

The mini really cannot compare with the new iMac; it's not in the same era of processor. The iMac at £899 (with VAT) is a GOOD deal; you'd be hard pressed to find a more elegant powerful machine in the Windows world.