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Buying a mac-mini abroad...

  • 07-05-2006 9:43am
    #1
    Dont be at yourself
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭✭


    OK, I think I'm going to splash the cash on a new intel mac mini, but my circumstances have thrown up some problems.

    Right, so I'm a student currently studying in Japan. I hold an Irish credit-card, but I see that I cannot ship from the Apple Ireland store to anywhere but Ireland. I also notice that the top mac mini would only cost me about 640 (if I use my education discount) from the Japan store, as opposed to about 880 if bought in Ireland. However, I'm not sure if they will accept a credit card with an Irish billing address. Does anyone know if they do? If not, is there a way around this?

    Also, if I buy a mac mini in Japan, the OS will be in Japanese, as, I presume, would stuff like iLife and Front Row etc. Is it possible to install an english OS over this? A friend has US Mac OS discs, but they're from a power pc based ibook I think, so I guess they cant be used? Do you know if Apple's Japanese store would ship an english OSX with it if I asked?

    Thanks in advance!
    nakey


Comments

  • #2
    eth0_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭eth0_


    Yes, each country's Apple store will only ship to you if the credit card billing address is in the same country.

    Why don't you buy the mac mini in a bricks and mortar shop? I'm pretty sure there's a proper Apple store in Tokyo...
    And iirc changing languages on mac os x is just a matter of going into control panel and doing it, im sure you could work it out without knowing Japanese.


  • #3
    Dont be at yourself
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭✭Dont be at yourself


    Are the prices in bricks & mortar shops generally the same as online? And can I avail of the education discount in these shops?

    With regard to changing the language of the OS, the Japanese online store says it ships with OSX Japanese edition. Similarly, there is an option on the Irish site to choose between English and French editions, which leads me to believe that it ships with a language-specific OS.


  • #4
    irishguy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭irishguy


    Prices are the same wherever you buy off apple. Educational discounts can only be got online, on the phone or at an on campus apple store. Also try developer.apple.com they offer big discounts ( have a look for a post by me here for more info)


  • #5
    m_stan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭m_stan


    There are certain upgrades you can't get instore that you can online. I bought my Mac Mini in the US in Feb and the HDD upgrade wasn't an option, and the RAM upgrade cost x2 as much as online but I got the original chip back.

    Seems like the instore machines are pre-built and there are only a certain amount of upgrades they will do, whereas the online machines are built to order.

    Certainly was the case for my Mini which I bought in the San Fran Apple Store.


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