Buying whilst overseas, good idea?

Looking at moving to mac for studio and live audio recording. Im currently looking at purchasing imac 24" 2.93 and macbook pro 15" 2.93, 320g @ 7200rpm.
Soon to travel to malaysia for holiday. Was wondering peoples opinions on purchasing the mackbook pro in malaysia. Cost of AU$4600 (youch) when specd on oz applestore site, OR (once currency converted from malaysian ringit) AU$3760 if specd on malaysian applestore site.
SO: a saving of almost AU$1000. Is it worth it. What may present as problems were i to buy overseas? Experience anyone?

Is AU$1000 worth it to you? I'd do it, but that's me - I try to spend LESS than I have to. If you can, get someone to buy it in the US - it's cheaper. There's no problem buying overseas: the power adapter will work (you might need to buy a prong adapter), and Apple's warranty is worldwide - unlike many consumer electronic products.

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Is buying in the US a good idea?

Hello,
I currently live in the Netherlands, a small country next to Germany. In about 2 years I will go to college and will need a laptop. As I'm going to an industrial designers Academy I am going to need a laptop with quite some graphic capabilities. Apple intermediately invaded my mind with their super laptops, the mac book pro in particular. Now my question is if it's a good idea to buy the mac book pro 15" in the US? From what I've heard I won't have any repair warranty for in the Netherlands. But is this a big issue? I don't know if the mac book pro brings a lot of issues with it because it will be my first apple computer. I only have experience with apple through my ipod touch 1st gen. Whenever I had problems with that I just went to the internet and found an answer there to my problem.
It is a big difference if I buy it in the Netherlands or in the US because the price differs from the dutch price 2100 euro's (3108 dollars) for the mac book pro 2.8 GHz and in the US 2300 dollars (1554.05 euro's).
That differs 808 dollars or 545.95 euro's.
So does the mac book pro have some problems and are these easily fixable by yourself with a little internet help?
So what will it be?
buying in the Netherlands with a higher price but a active warranty. so with lower risk of a unsolvable problem?
or buying in the US with a much lower price but a chance on unsolvable problems?
please help me and give arguments.
thank you.
Message was edited by: Davinovic

Hi and welcome to both these forums and when you arrive to the United States. Your question concerning the warranty should be addressed to Apple Support just to make sure, but I would agree that wherever you purchase your Macintosh the warranty should be world wide. Considering the price difference I'd recommend the US. I suspect the difference in price has more to do with EuroUnion VATs than anything else. We don't have VATs here in the states, though you'll have to pay any local sales taxes (I know, the difference escapes me). Though once you're here buying online often avoids even that tax. In the US taxation is largely voluntary (ok ok, think about it). That means if you order online from a company in California and have the item delivered in, say, Indiana the California company will inform you that you have to pay Indiana sales tax on the item, but will not collect it at the time of sale. The burden of paying the tax is upon you, voluntarily submitting the tax to the Indiana Dept of Revenue. While some states are really trying to tighten this up it is still very common practice to simply not pay the local sales tax as no one is tracking this information. This sort of thing relates to the unique relationship between the Federal government and those of the individual, nearly sovereign, states.
Now as for the MBP I contend you cannot buy a more solid, reliable, fast laptop, period. Firstly, Apple is the number one computer company in consumer satisfaction. AppleCare is worth it. I've had several experiences personally and with friends and family with Apple's warranty fulfillment and it is totally awesome. The MBP itself is state of the art, sleek, and the best industrial design out there (OK Sony comes close, but no one else does). The OS is virus free and very easy to use. You can run Mac OS X, Linux, Unix, and Windows of any flavor, so if you absolutely have to use some vertical market Windows based program it's easy as pie to launch bootcamp or other VM OS and you're in windows.
I got my first Mac back in '86 and haven't even considered another OS (I did have a PowerComputing clone for a while and frankly even then Apple was better built). The average PC lasts about 2.5 yrs. The average Macintosh about 4.5 years, more than enough to get you through college.
Keep hitting these forums as you'll find a wealth of information and thousands of helpful hands.
Again, Welcome!

What SSD do I need to upgrade my 2011 i5 2.3 is it a good idea to change both will that make it faster then just changing 1 of them and what model or kind of SSD do I need to buy I want to change it myself

I have a 2011 Mac mini I. Want to up the grade the SSD is it a good idea to change one or both of them would it make it faster if I changed both also what model or kind of SSD should I buy what is a good make and model

Here is a good place. I order one last week and it should arrive this Thursday.
Try:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/
Two is not any facter than one.
If you have one SSD and one rotating drive you can set them up as an integraded Fusion drive
AnandTech | Understanding Apple's Fusion Drive

Why does it take so long for microsoft to incorporate good ideas into programs, but then after they do no one elses software will work on the system?

Case in point: I can not use Xp any longer since it is not supported by microsoft, and latest lan driver requires xp service packs which are no longer available for XP or Vista. So my old software as of April 2014 is now worthless as internet access software(microsoft
will not provide support or service packs for xp). So I get a new pc with WIN7 op system installed and try to do traditional backups to protect myself should my system crash in the future. (usually this means cloning a hard drive or installing Faronics Deep
Freeze to protect my op system in case of catastrophic failure.) I try to install and use some of these utility software types including Acronis Disk Director 12, Avanquest Perfect Image, Partition Commander 10, and others True Image Hdd utility for cloning
hdds. Most of these I try to run turn out to be useless, and I get pop-up messages saying my software is incompatible with win 7 op sys! I am wondering if it is the software or the fact the op system is 64bit (not 32 bit) which means that if you buy any other
software to help with utilities it will be worthless because most are written for 32 bit systems not 64. No one tells you these warning signs when you buy the pc with the 64 bit software already installed. But for a Toshiba 15" computer that normally
costs 400$ and I can get it at Goodwill used computer store(1stStreet and Fairview in Santa Ana, Ca.) for 175$ I can not complain. Being an unemployed electronic technician, I have to stretch my dollars as far as they will go...Another frustrating thing is
I buy this device made by Apricorn Driveware that allows users to hookup a second hdd using a usb cable and a three connector module that will allow the user to connect any hard drive sata or ide or the 3rd type. I try to run it and make a backup copy of internal
hdd but I get error messages saying it can not copy hdds when there are minor differences such as total mbs on each drive or slightly different hardware issues such as my pc has 580 gb internal drive and replacement backup drive is 380gb. Such as shame because
hardware setup is a good idea but without compatible software it is useless! Perhaps if I was using it on my old xp op systems I would have fewer problems with software compatibility issues. I really hate the fact that MS does not provide support for known
good op systems like xp say 20yrs? When the products and markets change so fast they run the risk of alienating customers who can not financially keep up with technology changes especially during an economic depression such as the one we are in now( they predict
it will last 20 yrs). a curious thing about the Acronis disk director 12 software I installed. It seemed I could not get partion size on hdd to change no matter what I did. I found out that if I CHANGED THE DATA BLOCK SIZE ON THE NTFS PARTITION FROM 4 KB TO
2 KB THAT I WAS NO LONGER LIMITED BY THE SOFTWARE FROM SHRINKING THE HDD PARTITION FROM 300GB DOWN TO 100GB. Once this item was changed on the hard drives the Disk Director 12 software (Acronis) was able to shrink the partition size to what I wanted.

Due to phenomenal development in Windows, Microsoft released 4 generations of operating systems, succeeding Windows XP. Hence, on various aspects, Windows XP becomes too old to be used practically these days. So the support was pulled out.
I do agree that Windows XP is the most successful operating system ever, so far. But, later versions added more features, enhanced security and compatibility. Moreover, at this point, Windows XP becomes more vulnerable, although security patches are made.
Ultimately, we need to move to a more secure, feature-rich and highly compatible operating system.
With improved features in newer versions of Windows, the NTFS filesystem has also been improved, adding new features. Hence, certain feaures that are not availble in Windows XP are available in Windows 7, again, in Windows 8.1. So is the disk management
features.
As for Acronis Disk Director, it's a third party software and hence we can't comment on the features/its working.
Balaji Kundalam

I want to use a fantom diamond as an external hard drive for my mac, is this a good idea?

Using a Macbook pro, with Snow Leopard (I think), and my memory is full so I want to store my stuff on an external hard drive. I found a 2T Fantom Diamond EHD, but I'm now learning that I have to convert to NTFS-3g. I'm not computer savy so I want to know if this is a good idea, or should I look for something different. Also, can I set up the EHD as the default path for itunes?

This is not the forum for MacBook Pro owners.
You just need to reformat the drive in Disk Utility and erase the drive and have Mac HFS.
If you did need to use NTFS then you would not want -3G but Paragon NTFS for OS X x. 10.0
Or buy something that isn't pre-formatted to Windows NT file system.
First though make sure you have backups of your system. TimeMachine being used now?
http://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-TimeMachine-drive.html
http://www.apple.com/support/timemachine/
Maybe cleanout some files you don't need.
Install a larger notebook hard drive even.
http://www.macsales.com/firewire has a lot of choice in Mac compatible drives and enclosures so you don't need to worry about Fantom not working at some point.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/mac_os_x_v10.6_snow_leopard

What is the lifespan of a Macbook Notebook Hard Drive, and is it a good idea to replace them more then once?

In specific, I own a 2007 Macbook Notebook, and it is an Intel Core 2 Duo MB21.00A5.B07. Last year, it became necessary to replace the hard drive, and was informed that the reason for the replacement was that the hard drive had reached the end of its lifespan.
My question is how long do Macbook notebook hard drives typically last? This also is in the context of frequent use of the notebook.
Additionally, is it a good idea to replace the hard drive more then once, or will the hard ware on the notebook, after I'm assuming about six or so years, be too out of date to accommodate a second or third hard drive replacement?
Also, since the replacement was still covered under an applecare plan (it's expired now), the general cost of replacing a Macbook notebook hard drive is not known? What is the cost generally expected of a hard drive replacement? This is in relation to repairs conducted at an applestore location (as opposed to a third party repair center).

justinfromlos angeles wrote:
Also, this means that, the settings of a system like Snow Leopard, in addition to all other personal settings from a current hard drive, can be copied to and from an external hard drive?
Your entire system can be copied to an external HD in bootable form. It's generally referred to as cloning, and there are a number of applications available to assist in the task.
SuperDuper
CarbonCopyCloner
LaCie Silverkeeper
To name but three.
Furthermore, once cloned, should you have to replace the internal drive, it's easy to boot from the external and clone the system back to the internal.
justinfromlos angeles wrote:
If so, do you know where one can purchase an external hard drive and a replacement hard drive?
As I don't live in the US, it's difficult for me to reccommend retailers, but any computer store (including Apple) can supply external HDs. Be aware that not all HDs from some manufacturers will play well with Macs; Western Digital I believe needs careful selection of the correct model. There are plenty of contributors who can no doubt help on that front. Personally I use LaCie and Iomega. Note that these are purpose built externals and come with their own enclosure and all cables reqd.
One thing you will need to do with most of them is to use Disk Utility to partiton them correctly (GUID system for Intel Macs) and set the file system to Mac Extended (journaled) before cloning.
justinfromlos angeles wrote:
There is one last question. Say I've replaced the hard drive on the same computer for nine years or so. Despite the hard drive being new, would the hardware of the computer be too out of date to accept an up to date replacement hard drive?
The hardware of the computer dictates what sort of internal drive you buy; earlier models used IDE interfaces, current models use SATA and these are not interchangable. However System Profiler will tell you what sort you have. It's still possible to buy compatible HDs for the early iMacs, c. 1998/99 so there's no reason to believe your model will suddenly become defunct.

Is a time capsule a good idea for a college student living in a dorm?

Is a time capsule a good idea for a college student living in a dorm?

Before you buy......you need to check with the school to see if they allow wireless routers in the dorms, or on campus at all.
Most schools prohibt the use of wireless routers due to interference issues.
Even if the school might allow this, there is no way to know in advance how well this might work....and frankly this type of setup is difficult, even if you have a friend who "knows computers".
If it were me, I would purchase a hard drive for backups....just like you do now.... and send an email once or twice a week to the student to remind them to "backup".

Need to get a mibile computer and i am considering the macbook pro 15". Is that a good idea?

Need to get a mibile computer and i am considering the macbook pro 15". Is that a good idea?

The 15" is the ideal size, the 17" is a bit larger and more comfortable.
The 13" is a bit cramped, the 11" forget it.
The 11 and 13" have the poor Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics (solely) which are not good at 3D gaming/video and tend to overheat as the CPU is also doing the graphics.
The 2.0 Ghz 15" MacBook Pro has a slightly better video card that does average on most current 3D games.
The 2.2Ghz MacBook Pro (and higher) does excellently on 3D games with the powerful 1GB radeon 6750M and "future proofs" your computer investment for 3, 5, 7 years or longer.
It all depends upon your portability and use needs.
If your not a 3D gamer and can afford to replace your machine in shorter time periods and all you need is a basic laptop, then one of the smaller thinner machines will do. In fact even a Windows PC laptop can do. There really isn't any advantage of going for a Mac laptop at the lower end excpet for status symbol appeal. Your going to be paying $1500 for a laptop that a $800 PC will do just as well.
However if your needing more of a portable workhorse machine the 2.2 Ghz MacBook Pro or better is ideal, it can run jsut about all the operating systems out there well, bootcamp into Windows and everythng with it's strong hardware and decent sized screen.
Also the 15" and up have the optional ANTI-GLARE screens which is great for classes and at work where you can't control the enviroment to reduce reflections.
If your on the go a lot, you can get a iPad in addition to the 15" MacBook Pro, if you need a larger screen you can buy that and use the MBP as a desktop machine sort of.
The smaller Mac machines don't drive a larger monitor very well, really you need a dedicated graphics card.

External battery for iTouch. Are they a good idea?

I'm thinking about buying a really cheap 1,500 mah external battery to charge my iPod Touch 5g. Do you think it would be a good idea to do so? Or does it damage the battery and possibly reduce it?

No, 110v and 220v are voltage from your wall socket, not current, and only appies to an AC adapter. An iPod touch requires, I believe, 5V at 500mA. Again, just make sure that the battery pack is certified for the iPod touch and, assuming that the pack is of good quality, you should be fine.
Regards.

Is LG TV a good idea?

I want to buy a new TV for my daughter whose getting married soon. The TV should be 55 inches at the most, with smart TV features so she can watch her favorite cooking shows on demand and browse the web for recipes. Is an LG TV a good idea?

hereisjenna wrote:
SlimJim77 wrote:
The 55LM7600 is an impressive display. I have pretty high standards.
I second that. Even though the LM9600 and 8600 have a slightly thinner bezel, the 7600 is more than enough plus the price difference isn't too appealing. The speeds good. I also got a chance to see their plasmas. Panasonic still owns them in that department though. LG = LED.
Spot on.
Disclosure: Former BBY employee.

Appcelerator Titanium? good idea? bad idea?

So in my attempt at learning Objective C and the iPhone SDK to build my own apps i have been directed to The Appcelerator Titanium program for Mac. Is this thing a good idea? It uses Javascript from what i understand is a bit easier to get behind than Object C or Java (which id like to eventually do Android apps to).
So any opinions on this? good? bad? any input would be great.
Thanks

My iPhone started acting "loopy" in March. Locked up while I was on the road; had to buy a Go phone. After a complete restore... well, it continued to act flakey: would randomly ask for SIM PIN, would randomly restart itself, would loose signal which it regained after restart. Trip to the Genius bar in Tampa: replaced the phone, then had AT&T replace the SIM card. Problems returned. Trip to Genius bar in Orlando: another phone but problems persisted. Call to Apple: conference call w/ 2 Apple techs, AT&T tech and decided to get another SIM card from AT&T store but not turn on SIM PIN. Problems persisted. Another call to Apple on Saturday, May 3. Apple tech Lynn asked "Do you have a belt case w/ a magnetic clasp?" I said "Yes." She said "Get rid of it." Her daughter had similar problems w/ iPod which were caused by case w/ magnetic clasp. So I stopped using the case w/ magnetic clasp and my iPhone has been rock solid ever since. Kudos to Lynn. Note to other Apple techs: That should be the 1st question you ask.

I have qualitynet either wired internet. I buy a card good for a month at a time, I can only log into one device at any one time. Are there settings I can adjust on my airport express to allow all my devices to connect to wi-fi without having to log out.

I have qualitynet either wired internet. I buy a card good for a month at a time, I can only log into one device at any one time. Are there settings I can adjust on my airport express to allow all my devices to connect to wi-fi without having to log out of one devise before using another?

Some Internet providers that limit access to a single device at a time do so by the device's hardware MAC address. If your ISP is one of those, you may be able to substitute the MAC address of your AirPort Express base station for the computer. I would suggest that you contact them to find out if this is allowable.

HT1222 I like the new iOS 7 for iphone... But i think it's not a good idea to allow switch the iphone on flight mode when it is locked.. What happens if your iphone is stolen or lost? You couldn't be able to locate it using find my iphone... Can i remove

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And have your phone set to require a passcode before it can be accessed.

I want to install os x lion but the app store doesn't offer a 'buy' option. Any ideas ?

I want to install os x lion but the app store doesn't offer a 'buy' option. Any ideas ?

Do you see a price next to Lion ($29.99 or local equivalent)? Click that to purchase and download it. You'll have to sign in if you're not already.
Also, your profile is wrong if you don't already have Lion (which IS 10.7).
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My name is Mike. I live in New Zealand. My username is waipukurau1. I downloaded MacBook booster from the prompts. Was this a good idea and good for my MacBook Pro? Please answer.

My name is Mike. I live in New Zealand. My username is waipukurau1. I downloaded MacBook booster. I write to ask was this a good idea? Was this good and correct for my MacBook Pro. Please answer.

ashish35,
No one from Apple here - we're just users like you. All I can tell you is that electronic fail and with MacBook Pros (and most notebooks) the components are so integrated as to make a repair to the logic board practically impossible, hence the high prices charged for repairs.
Only you can decide if you want to have your computer repaired or put the money towards the purchase of a new computer. If you do decide to purchase a new unit I would suggest that you also purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan which increases your warranty from one year to three years.
Sorry and good luck,
Clinton

Buying whilst overseas, good idea?

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