Where to buy a French-Canadian Apple ?

[JeanJPoirier]

Hey, I'm gonna be a senior in high school this year, and I am absolutely obsessed with French, so I think I'm gonna go to college in Québec...for that, I'm probably gonna want a MacBook (or whatever they'll have out then), but it's really important to me that it have the French-Canadian keyboard. I noticed when I checked out a MacBook at my nearest Apple Store (in Minneapolis) that the keys seem to be surrounded individually by the computer's case instead of having a removable keyboard like on iBooks, so I'd have to have the computer made originally for the French-Canadian keyboard, I think. Can someone tell me if the Canadian Apple Store locations (in/near Toronto, I think ?) have in-store French-Canadian MacBooks ?

I thought about ordering mine online, where you can specify the language, but as I don't currently live in Canada, Apple won't ship it to me. I could order it once I had a Canadian address, but I'd probably want to have the computer before I even got settled in there.

Merci à tous.

 

[ender78]

I live in Canada and had a full size keyboard sent to me by accident during and RMA. It is definately a weird keyboard as a number of the keys have symbols instead of names for things like shift and ctrl. I found that keyboard really freaky. The French keyboard is a BTO option in the Canadian Apple store. I would call Apple sales and see if you can get the Canadian model shipped to the US [I dont see why not since they're built overseas anyways]. I would be surprised if the French keyboard was in stock in Toronto. On the other hand, Montreal is getting an Apple store in a few weeks.

 

[purelithium]

I personally would think the Easiest way to get one would be Ebay, but the best way might be to figure out a way to get one from an Apple retailer.

You live in minnesota, right? I guess calling up a retailer in Winnepeg/Thunder Bay/Sault Ste. Marie and getting them to order a French Canadian version, and you drive to pick it up? I can't see it being more than 2-3 Hour drive, maybe more depending on where you live in MN.

 

[cube]

I was told at an Apple shop that one can get a regular notebook, and additionally have them order a keyboard for another language and they will replace it.

 

[Flank]

Is a French-Canadian keyboard pretty much the same as a standard US keyboard, just with several functions that make it easier to make accents? I'm considering getting one as well...

 

[Yvan256]

If you want I could buy a french-canadian keyboard for you. Since you'd be paying in advance (keyboard+taxes+shipping) I'd be able to ship it as a "gift" and you should not pay any customs/taxes/etc for it. Though I'm not making any guarantee about that.

If you want to buy one locally, you don't need an official Apple store. Apple has a lot of official resellers in Quebec. Where are you going to move to, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[JeanJPoirier]

If you want I could buy a french-canadian keyboard for you. Since you'd be paying in advance (keyboard+taxes+shipping) I'd be able to ship it as a "gift" and you should not pay any customs/taxes/etc for it. Though I'm not making any guarantee about that.

If you want to buy one locally, you don't need an official Apple store. Apple has a lot of official resellers in Quebec. Where are you going to move to, if you don't mind me asking?

Oh, I've already bought a French-Canadian keyboard for my Mac mini. I appreciate the offer, though. I was talking specifically about the keyboard included in the MacBook.

Um, right now, since I'm only starting my senior year in a few days, most of my college plans are only speculation, but the top places to which I would *like* to go for college are, respectively, l'Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and l'Université d'Ottawa (or the University of Ottawa, if you prefer ) I'm kind of torn between Montréal and Québec just because I like big cities, for which reason Montréal would be better, but at the same time I really don't want to hear too much English, so Québec seems appealing...heh heh. (If I went to the Université d'Ottawa I'd try to get a place in Gatineau.)

On the other hand, Montreal is getting an Apple store in a few weeks.

Really ??? I'm sooooo excited !!! Apple and Ikea are the foundations of my decadent lifestyle, hahaha, and it'll be GREAT to have both nearby. And god forbid I should have to venture into anglophone territory to get my Apple fix, hahaha.

I personally would think the Easiest way to get one would be Ebay, but the best way might be to figure out a way to get one from an Apple retailer.

You live in minnesota, right? I guess calling up a retailer in Winnepeg/Thunder Bay/Sault Ste. Marie and getting them to order a French Canadian version, and you drive to pick it up? I can't see it being more than 2-3 Hour drive, maybe more depending on where you live in MN.

Actually, it's something like six hours to Winnipeg from Minneapolis, I think...haha...and in fact I live in Eau Claire, WI, and when I put it into Google Maps it said it would be about nine and a half hours each way. Haha, I really wanted to go to Canada (I've only been to Thunder Bay, yawn), and my friend Missi has her heart set on getting booze for Prom, so I pointed out to her that the drinking age in Manitoba is 18. Road trip !

 

[Nermal]

Is a French-Canadian keyboard pretty much the same as a standard US keyboard, just with several functions that make it easier to make accents? I'm considering getting one as well...

I'm pretty sure it's a different layout (azerty rather than qwerty, if I recall correctly).

 

[JeanJPoirier]

I'm pretty sure it's a different layout (azerty rather than qwerty, if I recall correctly).

Actually, only the French is AZERTY...the French-Canadian one is much like the US English one, except that around the usual letters there are other keys for Ù, Ç, À, È, É, etc. You can see it here. Also notable is that the French-Canadian version has symbols for things such as shift, caps lock, etc., probably to avoid the language issue. (My French keyboard had an « aide » and a « suppr(imer) » key. )

 

[Nermal]

That's my education for the day

 

[ender78]

Here is the difference between the two keyboards

http://www.ehmac.ca/attachment.php?attachmentid=1463&d=1146676820
[US-English and Frech Canadian]. I received one of them by accident during and RMA.

 

[thewhitehart]

I'm kind of torn between Montréal and Québec just because I like big cities, for which reason Montréal would be better, but at the same time I really don't want to hear too much English, so Québec seems appealing...heh heh. (If I went to the Université d'Ottawa I'd try to get a place in Gatineau.)

You won't hear much English at all in Montreal. Most of the people I encounter can't speak English very well at all, and this is the norm more than the erroneous idea that they all refuse to speak it (why should they, of course, don't get me wrong). However, if you meet people in the street, they're perfectly bilingual when they're begging for money. I love Montreal when I want to party and go to strip joints, but I don't think I'd want to live there. Not that I'm naive to sleazy city life (I'm from NY) but Montreal is like Sin City.

Quebec City is nice, but along with Montreal you will freeze your a** off! Go to France!! Paris, or Marseilles or Nice! That's where I'd go as a francophile.

 

[JeanJPoirier]

You won't hear much English at all in Montreal. Most of the people I encounter can't speak English very well at all, and this is the norm more than the erroneous idea that they all refuse to speak it (why should they, of course, don't get me wrong). However, if you meet people in the street, they're perfectly bilingual when they're begging for money. I love Montreal when I want to party and go to strip joints, but I don't think I'd want to live there. Not that I'm naive to sleazy city life (I'm from NY) but Montreal is like Sin City.

Quebec City is nice, but along with Montreal you will freeze your a** off! Go to France!! Paris, or Marseilles or Nice! That's where I'd go as a francophile.

I'm from Wisconsin, so I'm used to freezing my a** off by now !

After my disappointment at the impossibility of doing my first to years of college in France, I've found that Québec and Canada in general are much more welcoming to foreigners. Like, France makes it so difficult to study there and work there and all that, whereas Canada's immigration site talks about welcoming new Canadians and stuff, haha, and one of my counselors at French camp told me that Québec will even make me a permanent resident really fast after college because they have some policy that helps them keep French-speaking foreigners who are educated there.

I've looked up that Apple store that's coming in in Montréal, and it looks like it'll be in by the time I get there ! In fact, people estimate an opening sometime next month. So that solves my problem...I'll be able to just walk in and buy the proper MacBook with the proper keyboard. I suppose this is the first Apple store on French-speaking soil...unless the Swiss store is in a French-speaking part of Switzerland...I'm not quite sure.

 

[sikkinixx]

You won't hear much English at all in Montreal. Most of the people I encounter can't speak English very well at all, and this is the norm more than the erroneous idea that they all refuse to speak it (why should they, of course, don't get me wrong). .

I was just in mtl in June (for the F1 race) and everyone seemed to speak almost perfect English in Downtown, in old Montreal and at McGill. My girlfriend (who lives in Ottawa and is frencher than french) didnt have to speak a word of it the whole week we were there (damn good thing since I know all of about 2 words )

 

[cube]

The Swiss Apple Store will be in Zurich.

 

[i.Feature]

You won't hear much English at all in Montreal. Most of the people I encounter can't speak English very well at all, and this is the norm more than the erroneous idea that they all refuse to speak it (why should they, of course, don't get me wrong). However, if you meet people in the street, they're perfectly bilingual when they're begging for money. I love Montreal when I want to party and go to strip joints, but I don't think I'd want to live there. Not that I'm naive to sleazy city life (I'm from NY) but Montreal is like Sin City.

As someone who lives in montreal i have to disagree completely. I've gone days with barely hearing more than a "bonjour". English is fairly prevelent. I think the reason you didn't encounter this is because you were a tourist. Montrealers in general are not big fans of tourists messing up the works.

As for the french-canadian macbook. I'd just save your pennies till you get up here and get one through the computer store at the school you choose. Complete with all the software you need in french. All with your student discount.

 

[EvilMonk]

As someone who lives in montreal i have to disagree completely. I've gone days with barely hearing more than a "bonjour". English is fairly prevelent. I think the reason you didn't encounter this is because you were a tourist. Montrealers in general are not big fans of tourists messing up the works.

As for the french-canadian macbook. I'd just save your pennies till you get up here and get one through the computer store at the school you choose. Complete with all the software you need in french. All with your student discount.

Hey dude, im a french canadian and i work in montreal, i speak english every day since im working as a technical specialist for IBM and you should know that everyone who works for IBM or CGI the biggest IT companies in montreal must speak in english, these two together represents around 10 000 persons

 

[i.Feature]

Hey dude, im a french canadian and i work in montreal, i speak english every day since im working as a technical specialist for IBM and you should know that everyone who works for IBM or CGI the biggest IT companies in montreal must speak in english, these two together represents around 10 000 persons

I'm agreeing with you. 100% some days i here little if any french at all.