Just Ordered my macbook pro, under interesting terms. Also a question...

[watchmainspring]

I study/research at Boston University and, as I made a post about before, I really don't want to just spill $2000+ on the apple store website. It's hard on the bank account, and using credit is sketchy with that odd bank on the site.

Instead I took my business elsewhere, The Boston University "University Computers" store allows students to build computers to order, and simply put down 10%, and pay the rest when it arrives.

I ordered:
1.67
512mb
100gb 7200rpm

I will order:
2X 1GB memory from Crucial....soon.


This is new to me. But it brings me to a question for future purchases:
Can you make BTO at the apple store? Do they make you put money down?

 

[Josh396]

In store you can do some BTO options, such as RAM, Hard Drive and wireless configurations (not BT), but you can't do video cards, except maybe on the Power Macs. I'm not entirely sure about the HD in laptops though. However, I've been at the store when they have had "super" models that come with an upgraded HD, wireless, RAM and higher VRAM on models that it was available. But those models you weren't able to choose what to add, they simply had everything upgraded on it from the factory.

 

[maxterpiece]

my apple store (short hills, NJ) wouldn't allow me to upgrade my hard drive on a new purchase.

 

[masterjedi73]

my apple store (short hills, NJ) wouldn't allow me to upgrade my hard drive on a new purchase.

This is off topic, but I go to the short hills apple store too and they have some real idiots working there. They've sent me home with add ons they said would work and clearly didn't.

 

[Josh396]

my apple store (short hills, NJ) wouldn't allow me to upgrade my hard drive on a new purchase.

Did it happen to be for a laptop? I remember when I was at an Apple store in the summer they offered to upgrade the HD in a mini and an iMac. I'm sure they would do it for a Power Mac no problem but I could understand them not doing it for an iMac since it's supposed to be harder to get to now. I'm kinda surprised they offered to do it on the mini.

 

[andiwm2003]

i find that a very poor service at the apple store.
you simply can't go there, order a mac to your specs, pay it in advance (i wouldn't mind doing that) and they call you when it's there.
it would be like ordering online without the hassle of waiting for UPS and with the benefit of help by a sales rep (a few of them actually know what they are talking about).
they really should change that.

 

[echeck]

Did it happen to be for a laptop? I remember when I was at an Apple store in the summer they offered to upgrade the HD in a mini and an iMac. I'm sure they would do it for a Power Mac no problem but I could understand them not doing it for an iMac since it's supposed to be harder to get to now. I'm kinda surprised they offered to do it on the mini.

Oddly enough when I went to the Portland Store back in June to get my PowerMac I tried to upgrade the hard drive and they said they couldn't do it. The only things I could upgrade was the RAM, video card and wireless options. The guy I talked to seemed to be knowledgeable too, so it wasn't like I was just talking to some idiot.

The overall experience was a very positive one though. My only disappointment is that they didn't have much of a selection of video cards, all they had to upgrade were the $300+ cards, which was too spendy. Of course the RAM you never upgrade through Apple, it's way too expensive.

In regards to the question posed by Winstonp, yeah, you can upgrade a few things on the Apple Store Online, but you still have to pay in full when you order.

 

[After G]

If you order at a university computer store, they do Apple BTO orders.

In my case, the store waits until your computer arrives, and then they let you pay. You don't have to make a deposit or anything.

 

[ITASOR]

The apple store online does BTO's. Most stores do not. If you order a BTO, you don't have to put anything down, but I'm pretty sure that once it goes into production you cannot cancel the order, and I know you cannot return it.

 

[maxterpiece]

This is off topic, but I go to the short hills apple store too and they have some real idiots working there. They've sent me home with add ons they said would work and clearly didn't.

Yes, sorry for the tangent, but I've had some pretty frustrating experiences with them as well. Not only are there a lot of people who don't know what they are talking about, but the genius bar is always understaffed. I've had to sit and wait for 30 minutes just to pick up a repair - all the while interupting geniuses left and right to ask them if they could just run back and grab my computer. That's not even my worst experience though, but the worst one could be a thread in itself. I guess it's short hills though - you have to expect people to be annoying and superficial, even at the apple store.

Did it happen to be for a laptop? I remember when I was at an Apple store in the summer they offered to upgrade the HD in a mini and an iMac. I'm sure they would do it for a Power Mac no problem but I could understand them not doing it for an iMac since it's supposed to be harder to get to now. I'm kinda surprised they offered to do it on the mini.

Yes it was for a laptop. How come they'll upgrade desktops and not laptops? Anyway, he's talking about a macbook pro, so that definitely fits under the laptop category.

 

[Counterfit]

i find that a very poor service at the apple store.
you simply can't go there, order a mac to your specs, pay it in advance (i wouldn't mind doing that) and they call you when it's there.
it would be like ordering online without the hassle of waiting for UPS and with the benefit of help by a sales rep (a few of them actually know what they are talking about).
they really should change that.

Actually, you can order a BTO machine online from within the Apple retail store, then pay when it gets delivered there. I think

 

[TMA]

You should be able to order BTO's from an Apple Store. We do them and we're a reseller, so they've got no excuse.

 

[liquidh2o]

any of you guys remember the names of the people that helped you at short hills?

I usually divide my trips between the Short Hills and the Menlo Park stores.

For awhile both stores had the same manager.... also both the original Asst. Managers from Menlo work at Short Hills now as well as one of the Genius'.

I know Short Hills has a huge staff, so you may be getting a couple of people that are just starting out.

And to Maxterpiece... that comment about Short Hills being superficial is a bit off considering most people working there aren't even from that area.

From what I remember, it's just not a simple process of a genius dropping what he's doing to go and get your machine. What if you have questions? What if you want to see them run it up before you take it home? I know you may be the exception, but believe me when I say I've seen people come in for a simple pick up only to have it turn into an hour long conversation about the History of apple and why Steve Jobs is so and so's hero and did you hear the rumor about the new macs!?!?

If they started making an exception for you, everyone else would expect them to drop what they're doing to cater to their needs... not trying to hate, just trying explain why the process is the way it is.

 

[liquidh2o]

i find that a very poor service at the apple store.
you simply can't go there, order a mac to your specs, pay it in advance (i wouldn't mind doing that) and they call you when it's there.
it would be like ordering online without the hassle of waiting for UPS and with the benefit of help by a sales rep (a few of them actually know what they are talking about).
they really should change that.

you should be able to talk to the staff, and if you're ready to order something BTO you can simply order it in the store using their storefront on the applestore site. You won't be charged until the unit ships, but the only caveat is that it'll arrive at your doorstep.

This also gives the store credit for the sale.