So I'm in the market for a new desktop. If I buy through Amazon, I have a gift cert and reward points that will lower the price a bunch. But is it better to buy directly from Apple for some reason?

So I'm in the market for a new desktop. If I buy through Amazon, I have a gift cert and reward points that will lower the price a bunch. But is it better to buy directly from Apple for some reason?

The main benefit from buying from Apple is if you are going to buy the Apple Care coverage at the same time - then Apple will automatically register the Applecare to the device, along with all the accessories that you bought at the same time as the Mac and Apple Care.

Given the sales tax involved, amazon's the way to go. That said, I'd still make sure there wasn't a refurb with the specs I want at apple.

I thought amazon charged sales tax in NY.

I don't see a problem with buying from amazon as long as it isn't some 3rd party seller. You can purchase Apple Care anytime in the first year.

Tax is the incentive to go with third parties now on Amazon (in those states like CA where Amazon proper charges tax, but Amazon-filled/third parties don't).

Still for something like Apple products safety with a registered reseller seems best. Dinny, a GC outweights the slight inconvenience of Applecare registration in my book. Or buy Applecare later from Apple as Shelly mentioned.

Only significant downside with Amazon IMO is the sometime long wait for new products.

Edited March 9, 201214 yr by blessingx

I've been looking around but haven't been able to find any good freeware for mac. something cheap is ok. don't want to spend too much money.

A lot of lab work requires collecting data and doing calculations with it. They don't let us save the data in usable files and we only receive print outs which make working with this stuff very annoying. So far I have been manually entering the data and using excel to do the necessary calculations so somewhat automate the process. It would save me a butt load of time if I could scan the data and have the numbers appear in a text file from where i could copy/paste them into excel.

All the machines in the house are now apple laptops and the 10 year old sony is just serving as a print server. Can't handle anything else so looking for something that is mac native or at least compatible with it.

Suggestions guys? Thanks.

http://solutions.weblite.ca/pdfocrx/

I haven't used it tho, I just spent 4 seconds with google.

i already tried that one. doesn't work with pdfs or jpegs of scanned data sheets. gives me garbage in a text file.

Although I never used it for this purpose, I believe DevonTHINK may work. There's a cheaper personal edition that may or may have the functionality.

I think I'm going with the 27" iMac. The only problem is that I will want to pop it open asap to replace the HD with an SSD. I am fundamentally opposed to paying $500 for Apple to do it. But is that the wrong approach?

I thought it was problematic with the current ones, because of the heat sensor

fffuuuu

There is a kit to add a 2nd drive to the new imacs, so you could ADD an ssd...

I'm beginning to warm to the idea of just paying the Apple tax and letting them do it.

The entire AAPL economy, from new models to refurb'd ones to the used market all lead to one thing: setting fire to huge piles of cash on the Altar of Steve. I say this having spent months trying to find a decent deal on a current or previous generation Mac Pro.

So what you're really saying is the quality and desirability of apple's products result in their holding their value for a much longer period of time than similar products from other companies.

I agree. I think it's because they're methodical with their updates, and pay attention to the details necessary to make a quality product.

I'm beginning to warm to the idea of just paying the Apple tax and letting them do it.

What slick about the Apple way is that you can have them install a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive in a speacial RAID, where OSX and apps are on the SSD but data is stored on the HD, but it acts like one drive.

^ IIRC, you can do this yourself as well if you opt to not have Apple put in a SSD.

Edited March 11, 201214 yr by Salt Peanuts

Ugh...Now I'm wondering if I need to wait for the inevitable (and possibly imminent?) product refresh...

There's always an eminent refresh

Should I buy an iMac?

The new imac won't come out til Ivy Bridge is ready. And even then, there's no guarantee it's a huge advantage over the current sandy bridge. Especially since no one is really CPU bound anymore. Get the computer you need when you need it.

But, This is HC

Get the computer you need want when you need want it.

FTFY

But it can be argued you were correct, first time

Edited March 11, 201214 yr by Grahame

Dan... didn't Apple put out Sandy Bridge machines a month or two before anyone else did with the last MBP, I think it was?

**BRENT**

They do have a pretty good arrangement with intel. IBM got the sandy bridge xeons first, tho.