[Brits] Non base models in retail stores?

[Westyfield2]

Following https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1041609/ today I've decided to buy a 13", 256GB, 2.13GHz, 4GB RAM. If anything was user upgradable at a later date I'd do that, but as it's not I'm gonna take the £££ hit and get the top model now.


I've read on here of people getting the 'ultimate' model in retail stores. In my thread above gwsat said that a nearby Apple Store to him had 2.13Ghz 4GB 13 inch and the 1.6Ghz 4GB 11 inch.

Obviously for the retail stores to stock every single combination would be a right pain for them, but most people are either going for the base model or the maxed out model - and that's what gwsat's store had.


In my local Apple Store today I was told "The two hard drive capacities of each screen size is all we're getting, we're not stocking any with the upgraded processor and/or memory.".

Soo... was:

• The person I spoke to ill-informed - I should speak to someone else
• The person I spoke to correct, but that it varies per store - I should try another store
• The person I spoke to correct for the UK. Only USA retail stores are carrying the upgraded models - I should move over the pond (but lose my lovely health service )

Cheers,

 

[AppleSimon]

I'm also wandering this! I went in to the Leicester store the following day after launch and the lad I spoke to said they were getting in 6 models. 4 of which are obviously the base models so I would assume that the other 2 are the 'ultimate'. I hope so anyways. I am going in store tomorrow so I will report back.

 

[GreyMatta]

Why not just order online?

 

[TPMann GB]

I live in the South West, tried Exeter, Bath and Bristol but none had anything other than the base model in stock.

So I ordered 2.13/4GB 14" MBA + 27" Cinema Display online... now constantly refreshing Aople Store Order Status page on my iPad waiting for it to ship! Very excited!

 

[The Samurai]

I live in the South West, tried Exeter, Bath and Bristol but none had anything other than the base model in stock.

So I ordered 2.13/4GB 14" MBA + 27" Cinema Display online... now constantly refreshing Aople Store Order Status page on my iPad waiting for it to ship! Very excited!

Nice one!

Was in the Glasgow store earlier and they only had the stock versions on display. First time I seen the 11"ers and man, their ricockulously small and lightweight.

 

[jahman]

I enquired at the Covent Garden store last week and they thought they might be getting them in this week. Was in the Lakeside store tonight and the girl I spoke to claimed they didn't have them. I'm not sure she checked very hard though. She asked someone else and didn't check the stock system. They seem to be spectacularly understaffed and useless there.

Cheers,

jahman

 

[Westyfield2]

Why not just order online?

I have reservations about the screen being glossy. Love the antiglare on my MBP and would pay whatever extra Apple want to have it on the MBA, but alas it's not to be.
If buying retail I've got the option of using it for 14 days and if I find that I just can't get on with the glossy screen I can return it to any Apple retail store. Whereas purchasing online (which I'll do if no Apple retail stores have them) there'd be the hassle of having a courier collect it.

I live in the South West, tried Exeter, Bath and Bristol but none had anything other than the base model in stock.

When was that you checked?

Was in the Glasgow store earlier and they only had the stock versions on display.

From what I've read the USA boys saying, their stores too only have base models on display but if you ask one of the salesman they do have the maxed out (CPU & RAM & HDD wise) versions of both the 11" and 13" out the back, but stock of those is a lot lower than the base models.

I enquired at the Covent Garden store last week and they thought they might be getting them in this week. Was in the Lakeside store tonight and the girl I spoke to claimed they didn't have them. I'm not sure she checked very hard though. She asked someone else and didn't check the stock system. They seem to be spectacularly understaffed and useless there.

In Bath there were a decent number of staff, but they were all just sticking together talking to each other. Most of the 'customers' were just killing time or checking Facebook.
I was there for like 15 minutes poking the 13" MBA and thinking to myself "Um guys, I'm actually gonna buy one of these. Anyone of you actually gonna come over and take my £1,509.02 or not?".
When I was finally approached by a salesman I explained that I'd nearly ordered a 13", 256GB, 2.13GHz, 4GB RAM one online but had noticed the lack of a AntiGlare screen option, so had come to the store to see if the glossy screens were as hideous as those on the MBP. I then said that I'd decided the screen was OK (but I'd pay the extra for AntiGlare if they did it ) and asked if they have any instock. The bloke just flatly said that the upgraded models are online only. When I replied that I'd seen online people saying that whilst their store didn't have every combination it did have an 'Ultimate' all options ticked one he still maintained that the retail stores only sell the base models.

 

[Westyfield2]

I am going in store tomorrow so I will report back.

How'd you get on?

 

[AppleSimon]

How'd you get on?

Not to good....

Firstly, I phoned the store to which the woman had no clue to what I was talking about. She said they had the 32GB model but not the 64GB so I think she might have mis-understood me when I said MacBook Air!

Secondly, I went into the store, and I think I must have got n00bs! 2 of them, not wearing any Apple uniform whatsoever. The first one, actually knew what I was talking about some what but not 100% by any means, but said she would check for me, when she went the other one started chatting to me! He went on about how they could upgrade the RAM instore but not the processor so I should just buy the base model and upgrade the RAM instore because I wouldn't need the .2GHz processor! He then tried to sell me one2one, and AppleCare, and I kept asking about the 'ultimate' model, but he either dodged the question, said I can upgrade the RAM instore or that it was online only! To be honest, I had had enough of his sales pitch, so ended up walking out.

Thirdly, I got in touch with a friend who works at Apple and he was pretty sure they didn't have any in his store!

So I'm afraid to report that it looks like it's online only!

 

[Westyfield2]

Not to good....

Firstly, I phoned the store to which the woman had no clue to what I was talking about. She said they had the 32GB model but not the 64GB so I think she might have mis-understood me when I said MacBook Air!

Secondly, I went into the store, and I think I must have got n00bs! 2 of them, not wearing any Apple uniform whatsoever. The first one, actually knew what I was talking about some what but not 100% by any means, but said she would check for me, when she went the other one started chatting to me! He went on about how they could upgrade the RAM instore but not the processor so I should just buy the base model and upgrade the RAM instore because I wouldn't need the .2GHz processor! He then tried to sell me one2one, and AppleCare, and I kept asking about the 'ultimate' model, but he either dodged the question, said I can upgrade the RAM instore or that it was online only! To be honest, I had had enough of his sales pitch, so ended up walking out.

Thirdly, I got in touch with a friend who works at Apple and he was pretty sure they didn't have any in his store!

So I'm afraid to report that it looks like it's online only!

Not wanted we wanted to hear, but thanks for replying anyways!

I've got no lectures until the afternoon tomorrow (Yes, a 4PM lecture on a friday - just great ) so I'm gonna ring a few stores in the morning. Wish me luck!

How come all the Apple employees we're encountering seem to be useless and know less about the product they're selling than we do .... and even about to miss-sell you one on the promise that the RAM's upgradable later on!

 

[koobcamuk]

How come all the Apple employees we're encountering seem to be useless and know less about the product they're selling than we do .... and even about to miss-sell you one on the promise that the RAM's upgradable later on!

Because they have fewer A-levels than you.

Seriously, I haven't had a problem if I needed to get something fixed, but in terms of sales, they all drive me nuts. I know far more than them and they just never shut up.

 

[Westyfield2]

Progress!

This morning I got the phone numbers of the three Apple Stores I'd go to, Bath (my local), Bristol Cabot Circus and Bristol Cribbs Causeway.

So 10:30 I ring Bath and the bloke was very helpful and said that they'd just had a delivery this morning, and for the first time there were some different ones to the standard configuration..... off he went to check and they were 13", 256GB, 2.13GHz, 4GB RAM . He said that they didn't have many of them, and all the staff frontofhouse won't know they've got them as they've literally just arrived.

So 45minutes later I go into town and as predicted the staff up front (who were better today ) didn't know they'd got them. But as I'd spoken to <name> a short while ago they went and checked and yep they had them .

So the member of staff that sold me mine is now the only one upfront to know they've got them, and I'm the first one they've sold.

Price is £1509 (yes, 2 pence cheaper than online!). With the student discount and AppleCare it came to £1344 (yes folks, that makes it cheaper than the £1349 stock 256GB one! ).

I haven't opened it yet, but below are two quick snaps. Note that the specifications look like they've been stuck on top of something printed on the box, and that the barcodes bit looks like they've given this configuration a proper stock/part code MC905B/A.

No doubt when I open it I'm gonna find that it's got loads of dead pixels and a whopping dent or something, but for now I'm a happy bunny .

 

[koobcamuk]

Get it open and post pictures and impressions

 

[jahman]

So 10:30 I ring Bath and the bloke was very helpful and said that they'd just had a delivery this morning, and for the first time there were some different ones to the standard configuration..... off he went to check and they were 13", 256GB, 2.13GHz, 4GB RAM . He said that they didn't have many of them, and all the staff frontofhouse won't know they've got them as they've literally just arrived.

Good news. Any idea how many they had? The question for me is: say "Sod it" and buy one or wait for Black Friday and see if there's a minuscule discount! Very tempted just to go and do for the sake of £50 off or something.

Cheers,

jahman

 

[AppleSimon]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

This morning I got the phone numbers of the three Apple Stores I'd go to, Bath (my local), Bristol Cabot Circus and Bristol Cribbs Causeway.

So 10:30 I ring Bath and the bloke was very helpful and said that they'd just had a delivery this morning, and for the first time there were some different ones to the standard configuration..... off he went to check and they were 13", 256GB, 2.13GHz, 4GB RAM . He said that they didn't have many of them, and all the staff frontofhouse won't know they've got them as they've literally just arrived.

So 45minutes later I go into town and as predicted the staff up front (who were better today ) didn't know they'd got them. But as I'd spoken to <name> a short while ago they went and checked and yep they had them .

So the member of staff that sold me mine is now the only one upfront to know they've got them, and I'm the first one they've sold.

Price is £1509 (yes, 2 pence cheaper than online!). With the student discount and AppleCare it came to £1344 (yes folks, that makes it cheaper than the £1349 stock 256GB one! ).

I haven't opened it yet, but below are two quick snaps. Note that the specifications look like they've been stuck on top of something printed on the box, and that the barcodes bit looks like they've given this configuration a proper stock/part code MC905B/A.

No doubt when I open it I'm gonna find that it's got loads of dead pixels and a whopping dent or something, but for now I'm a happy bunny .

Congrats dude.

I just phoned up another store but they never seem to know what I'm talking about. Maybe I'm wording it wrong!!

I think you should phone up for me seen as you've had the good luck this morning on getting one!!

Leicester and Milton Keynes if you don't mind hahaha!!

 

[AppleSimon]

I've got mine

Typing this on it now - the keys are an absolute delight to use!

I got it from Cambridge, not sure how many they have though.

It's the 11.6" 1.6/4GB/128.

 

[Westyfield2]

Get it open and post pictures and impressions

So far I love it .

I'll grab some pictures of it tomorrow. Just been to use my 15" MBP after spending a few hours on the MBA and it's made my MBP feel like the 27" cinema screen in comparison!