MacBook & MacBook Pro from Japan (User Nutts, please help!?)

[RobPink]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post with macrumors, but I have been visiting the page for ages to see the latest news with apple. I already own some old mac's a G3 ibook and a G3 iMac. I am currently travelling around the World (I am from the UK) and I have been out in Australia for a few months with my trusty iBook for company. I am passing through Tokyo on my return back to the UK for 3 days and I am wanted to get a new mac laptop.
I have checked the apple.co.jp website and the prices are a lot lower than the UK or Australia. I would like a black macbook (works out as the same price as the lowest end macbook in the UK!), but I am concerned about the keyboard layout. I know that OSX suports any langauge, so that's will be simple to change the option to UK and the keyboard is still a QWERTY, but it some things are in different places. I think that I could most probably get used to this, but it would be nice to have either a UK or US keyboard.
I have seen on the apple.co.jp site that there is the option to have either the JIS (Japanese keyboard) or the US keyboard, but is it possible to have this choice in store with either the macbook or macbook pro!?
I know Nutts entered in something a while ago about it, but I really would like to make sure of this before getting to Japan.
Thanks everyone,
Rob

 

[Sonic]

I think the Apple store in Ginza carries both... But if you want BTO they won't do it, and you're better off going to the Softmap Apple store in Akihabara...

Enjoy your trip!

Jasper

 

[Kaiser Phoenix]

Hi there,

I am in the opposite situation (Im from Japan but a student in the UK) and recently bought a macbook pro at the apple store in Ginza.

Advice: GET IT NOW because the YEN is so cheap against the pound and my MBP Core2Duo 2.33 worked out at around 1200 pounds which is far cheaper than my university institutional discount. Shocking.

As for the keyboard, you can go to ANY apple store (i.e. Shibuya, Ginza) and you can ask them to switch it to a US one (sorry no UK option). It will take roughly 30 minutes for them to do it.

Very simple, fast and friendly service. Have fun in Japan, ill be returning in June after exams!

 

[RobPink]

Thanks for that! Yeah the cost of an macbook back at home is a lot, I am currently in Australia and the price is a little cheaper here, but not that much, I can claim the 10% GST tax if I did buy it in Aus, but it still wouldn't be anywhere as cheap as Japan!!
I will be there in 1 month, so I am hoping the pound stays strong for a little longer!
Kaiser, do you mean that they can change the keyboard of the macbook and the macbook pro? Sorry to be a pain!
Cheers
Rob

 

[Kaiser Phoenix]

Thanks for that! Yeah the cost of an macbook back at home is a lot, I am currently in Australia and the price is a little cheaper here, but not that much, I can claim the 10% GST tax if I did buy it in Aus, but it still wouldn't be anywhere as cheap as Japan!!
I will be there in 1 month, so I am hoping the pound stays strong for a little longer!
Kaiser, do you mean that they can change the keyboard of the macbook and the macbook pro? Sorry to be a pain!
Cheers
Rob

Yeah basically the Apple stores usually carry some US-key models by default (Both the macbook and macbook pro, incidentally i bought a black macbook last september and a macbook pro this april, both changed to a US keyboard) but not that many. So if they dont have any by default, when you buy it, you can ask them to change it from a Jap to US one and that usually takes around 30 mins.

Have fun in japan!

PS: Many japanese people also use the US keyboard since with the jap keyboard, the 'ready' position of ur hands is slightly shifted to the left, meaning the palm of the right hand keeps touching the track pad...Cant believe they designed it like that...

 

[wildthing1994]

If all else fails learn Japanese. Took me about a minute to come up with that. But seriously good luck with that.