Would you buy a MBA if it costed $2632

[GreatestDane]

Hi.

A couple of days a go I posted a thread where I asked if I should buy a MBA 13 or a MBP 13. And I think that I maybe have sort of decided to go for the ultimate MBA. In Denmark, where I live, the price is 14,213DKK, and I wondered: What is that in US dollars?

It turns that it is 2632 dollars. So my question now: Would you have bought/ buy it if the price was this high?

Edit: New question: Do you think it is extremely bad value?

 

[highscheme]

Hi.

A couple of days a go I posted a thread where I asked if I should buy a MBA 13 or a MBP 13. And I think that I maybe have sort of decided to go for the ultimate MBA. In Denmark, where I live, the price is 14,213DKK, and I wondered: What is that in US dollars?

It turns that it is 2632 dollars. So my question now: Would you have bought/ buy it if the price was this high?

No but assuming you are living in Denmark and getting paid in DKK, it's not really an apt comparison.

You should take a vacation to NYC and buy your new computer

 

[DoFoT9]

You should take a vacation to NYC and buy your new computer

good idea, normally if you dont put it in the box and have it in a carry bag they dont charge import/export fees either

 

[GreatestDane]

Actually I am going to the states this summer, and I won't need a mac until after summer vacation.

 

[DoFoT9]

Actually I am going to the states this summer, and I won't need a mac until after summer vacation.

perfect! why not get it then?

 

[GreatestDane]

In Denmark we have three little letters that look like this: æ, ø. å.
I don't think that you have them on your english keyboard, and if I can't use these letters on my mac it would be worthless.

 

[DoFoT9]

In Denmark we have three little letters that look like this: æ, ø. å.
I don't think that you have them on your english keyboard, and if I can't use these letters on my mac it would be worthless.

you can change the keyboard lanugage - it will work, however the keys will not change over to what you are used to.

 

[GreatestDane]

I could live with that, especially if I save 784 dollars!
What about power cords. American ones are different from those in Denmark. Is there a place to buy additional or other cords?

 

[DoFoT9]

I could live with that, especially if I save 784 dollars!
What about power cords. American ones are different from those in Denmark. Is there a place to buy additional or other cords?

if you could live with it then its a go!

for the power cord, im not too sure your local denmark store would have power adaptors no doubt! maybe its worth looking on ebay? the cord itself is probably $5 if not less! the transformer box itself is compatible anywhere in the world, so you just need the right plug.

 

[GreatestDane]

Transformers! Of course, I completely forget about them. Thanks for the advice!
I think that I when I am going to the states next is buying myself a computer and an iPad.

 

[DoFoT9]

Transformers! Of course, I completely forget about them. Thanks for the advice!
I think that I when I am going to the states next is buying myself a computer and an iPad.

yeh totally! do it! just make sure you throw out the boxes and act as though you came into the country with a computer

 

[SidBala]

No transformer is needed. Just a simple travel adaptor is enough(<$5). The magsafe runs dual voltages for both Europe and USA.

As for the keyboard, get one of those keyboard protector membranes and a permanent marker and mark out the keys you want. Or just live with it.

 

[Nyeland]

You can get the keyboard changed!

I know that it is possible to get the keyboard changed to a Danish keyboard and sometimes for free, which is what a couple of my friends did when we lived in Canada. I'll be surprised if they don't have the same kind of options in the US.
It might take a week or two, so it depends on your travel plans.

I know several people who have bought there computers overseas without any problems, so it is for sure and option.

Good luck.

 

[Pressure]

If price is an issue, why not just opt for the 13" MacBook Pro or even MacBook?

I know the 25% VAT in Denmark is stingy but we also earn more.

 

[rylin]

Hi.

A couple of days a go I posted a thread where I asked if I should buy a MBA 13 or a MBP 13. And I think that I maybe have sort of decided to go for the ultimate MBA. In Denmark, where I live, the price is 14,213DKK, and I wondered: What is that in US dollars?

It turns that it is 2632 dollars. So my question now: Would you have bought/ buy it if the price was this high?

Edit: New question: Do you think it is extremely bad value?

You're doing it wrong.
You need to compare with Purchase Power Parity if you'll pay for it with taxed money.

Of course, you could always work around the system ;-)

Being from Sweden, I have a fairly similar situation.
My MBA is 13655 SEK, or 11000 DKK - so 2050 USD.
(11in, 1.6/4/128)

Of course, as I need it for work, I immediately remove the VAT, bringing the cost down to 10924 SEK.
After that, I pay for it on my salary, which means I don't pay income tax on that sum.

All in all, I expect the MBA to cost me 4500 SEK in actual cash after all deductions.
In other words, $674.

The only caveat is that the computer officially belongs to my company, but that's not a problem, as I fully intend to keep it for the 1-2 years it takes to write it off.

Most of the added cost here in Scandahoovia is, in other words, taxes.
Since you live here, you should e fairly proficient at avoiding taxes

 

[jcesl2]

Apple makes a World Travel Adaptor Kit for $30. Amazon sells it too. It has all the plugs you need for anywhere. The Mag Safe has removable plugs, so you just swap out the plug. The kit comes with a little 10W power adaptor too.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB974ZM/B?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY

 

[h00ligan]

Hi.

A couple of days a go I posted a thread where I asked if I should buy a MBA 13 or a MBP 13. And I think that I maybe have sort of decided to go for the ultimate MBA. In Denmark, where I live, the price is 14,213DKK, and I wondered: What is that in US dollars?

It turns that it is 2632 dollars. So my question now: Would you have bought/ buy it if the price was this high?

Edit: New question: Do you think it is extremely bad value?

You can't just do flat conversions like that..if you are going to, you need to post how much you make for a given job converted to us as well.

I'm an expat and I get tired of hearing the Brits talk about how expensive evereything is when they compare it by converting...what they don't talk about is that their salaries are higher for a given job, they get a lot more vacation time and shorter hours, and the ones Fu...ng them are the government they vote in with taxes.

Comparing one item cost converting between currency and bemoaning price is an invalid argument. Period.

 

[eba]

It's a good deal if everything else is comparably priced. In other words, assuming every other computer suffers from the same US to Denmark price inflation, then the MBA is still a good deal. It's all relative.

 

[omgitscro]

This is what the keyboard layout will be if you change the keyboard language to Danish through the Mac OSX Settings:

Keep in mind that the actual keyboard will still be the US layout, and that you will need to memorize the Danish layout.

Edit: That picture isn't really showing up for me; here's the link: http://flic.kr/p/8QdDc3