Apple Computers ..where In Bkk ...?

[Mumbo Jumbo]

I don't know Bangkok too well, can any one tell / recommend an Apple Computer Shop which may have a good range of equipment to look at and give good after sales service in Bangkok ( went to the IT mall in Pattaya , at the Apple shop but only had a Two machines to look at ( no Mac Mini ) .I am toying with the idea of the new Apple Mac iG5 with this spec.......

17-inch widescreen LCD

2GHz PowerPC G5

667MHz frontside bus

512K L2 cache

512MB DDR400 SDRAM

160GB Serial ATA hard drive

Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (double-layer)

ATI Radeon 9600

128MB DDR video memory

56K internal modem

or may be the Mac Mini.........

• 512MB DDR333 SDRAM - 1 DIMM

• 80GB Ultra ATA drive

• Combo Drive

• Internal Bluetooth + AirPort Extreme Card

• Wired Keyboard & Mouse Set - U.S. English

• 56K v.92 Modem

• Mac OS X - U.S. English

• 1.42GHz PowerPC G4

Does any one know if you order an up grade ( say 1GB memory ) would it be orderd from the factory or would the local Bangkok Apple store do the up grade..?

has any one purchased any Apple Mac computers in Bangkok, and can comment on the back up and service, also I don't know if it would be worth buying the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP). .... The AppleCare Protection Plan includes up to three years of onsite service for desktop computers.* The plan also provides global repair coverage for portable computers and Mac mini, which can be very important if you travel abroad. Apple-certified technicians perform repairs using genuine Apple parts.

knowing that the standard of back up here with computer companys in Thailand it can be a bit let's say not too good, would paying for the The AppleCare Protection Plan be worth the " risk " ...?

does any one know if its possible to purchaase the up grade memory , your self and get an Apple shop to install it for you..? would this effect the computers warranty ..? any comments on the above please .

Thanks .... Mumbo

[Firefoxx]

There are three apple dealers at IT Mall, one near the middle escalators, 4th floor, another on the 4th floor, towards the mall area, and another on the third floor, right above Lotus. Between the three you should be able to find what you want. The main Apple distributor is (I think) somewhere on Sukhumvit.

The Mac mini is a pain to get open, but I've seen it done at the apple dealers. I doubt that you would get it "factory installed" since there aren't any factories around here. The stores carry generic models and upgrade as necessary.

From what I could see, you can use third party memory, but it might depend on the store (if they stick stickers on the memory upgrade compartment, or their warranty policy).

[waldwolf]

Mumbo Jumbo - What do you plan to do with this new Apple? (There a big difference between the G5 and a Mini G4, both in price as well as performance.)

By the way, are you aware Apple will be switching to Intel processors in all their computers, starting next year? (Now don't breath a word of this, but my sources tell me Apple will have their first Intel laptop on the market in January. It will use the Centrino M processor. )

Re: the additional memory, for best price, suggest you negotiate same at time system is purchased. (They may throw-in the additional memory as a bonus.)

Take the time to study all your options, before making a decision.

good luck

[Nordlys]

http://203.151.217.14/databases/applestores/applestores.html

Here's the list of Apple stores in Thailand.

Copper Wired in Siam Discovery (BTS National Stadium station or Siam station) and their branch at Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) in JAvenue (Soi 15) are probably the biggest apple stores in Thailand. And MiniMac in Fortune Tower (Rama 9 subway station) is also big enough. MiniMac has two outlets in Fortune (and one in Panthip), one of them is fairly big. I think Apple Center in Thonglor (Copper Wired branch) has all apple models on display. They have a good selection of third-party accessories as well.

You can not buy any Apple models BTO in Thailand, which means you will have to have the shop install the RAM for you if you can't do it yourself. 1GB RAM is expensive in Thailand. I don't know about the desktop, but for PowerBook it costs around B10,000 and Copper Wired would charge around B850 to do RAM installation for you (maybe cheaper for desktop), which I found to be ridiculous so I did it myself for my PowerBook.

Apple Care Protection plan is nothing more than extended 3 years warranty. It doesn't give you 'on-site' privilege, if you are expecting a technician to come fix your desktop at your home/office. And I don't know about desktops but as for PowerBooks and iBooks, you get worldwide warranty anyway even if you don't buy Apple Care Protection plan. Usually, what is covered under Apple Care Protection plan is what you get under normal warranty for Windows laptops like IBM ThinkPad without having to pay anything extra, so not worth it in my opinion. I paid B15,000 for extended warranty for my first PBG4 (Titanium) and the machine never had any problem in three years I used under extended warranty period.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

Thanks Guy's for the info, some thing to think about, I am not really up on computers, although ive been using this old (7 Years / 75MB RAM ) second hand computer for a year now , running Windows 98, and now its time to treat myself to a new machine, my Thoughts were get the best I can afford with the largest Memory and hard Drive,

I want to use the new computer for e.mail, web surfing and photos, nothing too fancy but as with all things as soon as you buy some thing that you think will meet your needs, ... after using it for some time you see that you should have purchased the better model as you have learnt /want to do more with the machine than you first thought, hence get the largest memory / Hard drive you can afford ...? am I correct in thinking that...? or am I going overboard with this way of thinking...?

Ive never used an Apple Mac , but all the comments about the brand seem to be very positive, and just looking at the comments by other Apple users the machines seem to have few problems..? your comments / advice would help me in my choice of Brand Etc ...

Thanks again Guy's ........ Mumbo

[Nordlys]

Ive never used an Apple Mac , but all the comments about the brand seem to be very positive, and just looking at the comments by other Apple users the machines seem to have few problems..? your comments / advice would help me in my choice of Brand Etc ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have owned 6 - 7 Macs in the past and I've never had any hardware trouble (except for cases that can be attributed to my mishandling of the product). Apple service in Thailand isn't always friendly/helpful, but I guess that's what you can get with any other brands.

Apple products in Thailand is quite expensive btw. I found Apple price to be about 30% more expensive here than in Japan, so never bought any Apple hardwares in Thailand. I might buy MacMini or iMac in Japan soon which I plan to hand carry with me to Thailand. If you haven't been a Mac user, do you really need to buy an apple when Windows PC of equivalent specs are much cheaper in Thailand?

Edited July 15, 2005 by Nordlys

[buadhai]

I've owned quite a few Mac's over the years and have found them to be trouble-free, hardware wise. I would recommend against buy the extended Apple Care unless you're buying a laptop.

As pointed out, Mac's are a lot more expensive in Thailand than equivalent WinTel machines. If price is a major issue, you may want to reconsider; especially if you've been a WinTel user all along.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

Thanks Guy's,

Not knowing too much about computers , and the fact ive been using Windows for the past year, your comments( you may want to reconsider; especially if you've been a WinTel user all along.) (do you really need to buy an apple when Windows PC of equivalent specs are much cheaper in Thailand? )

makes me think, can any one give me some ideas what moving over to the Apple OSX would be like, and may be some comments as to For / Against staying with Windows , and forgetting about the Apple Mac idea...?

Thanks .... Mumbo

[buadhai]

Have a look here for Apple's take on it:

Switch

I've been a Mac user at home since 1984 and a PC user at work from about then until I retired this year.

I happen to like Mac's better, but, these days, that's largely a matter of personal preference. Both platforms offer modern operating systems. Software you need to do almost any task is available for either platform. There are more viruses and other mal-ware written for Windows largely because there are more Windows machines out there to attack. (Another reason may be that the authors of the Windows OS have had to make more compromises in terms of supporting legacy hardware.)

I think that Mac's are more fun, that the user interface is superior and that the overall experience seems tighter and more integrated than that of a Windows machine.

When my girlfriend and I started living together I brought an iMac, she a Sony VIOS with XP. Within a few weeks she had ditched the VIOS and bought herself a PowerBook. (Great little traveling machine, by the way.)

My advice is that you go to one of the Apple outlets mentioned in this thread and just play for a while. See how you like the feeling. But, have a look at the Apple site mentioned above first so you know what to expect.

Above all, have fun.

[Firefoxx]

I second buadthai's comments... there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Basically, because of the much larger user base of Wintels, there are a lot more programs to choose from (especially games), but also a lot more spyware/viruses/worms to get infected with. Otherwise, both are roughly equal. Of course, Macs do get lots of points in the "style" department, which is the major reason why my sister bought one for personal use (she has a wintel laptop for office use). On the other hand, Wintels are considerbly cheaper. This might change a bit when Apples make the change, and become... what... Mactels?

If you're going to be using it for normal things like surfing and office, then the Mac's a good choice. If you're into PC games, well, there's really no alternative.

[xbusman]

I have used both Macs and PCs extensively over 20 years. The day I can throw my PC out the nearest window(s) will be a day to celebrate. The MAC is just a far superior machine in every way. The OS is superior in every way.

If you just use the computer to check email or play games, the PC is less money and usually gets the job done. Most PC users have never booted a Mac and are perfectly happy, but most people I have met who have in depth experience with both systems use a MacIntosh and like me are rather strongly opinionated about it.

The Mac OS is easier to use, more intuitive. Hooking up any periphial is much much easier. There are much less conflicts and resultant crashes with the software (less software variety available too). Setting up networks with Mac is a snap, unlike PCs which require a master degree in Binary billing. While viruses have begun to appear for the Mac, I spend an amazing amount of time purging my windows machine of viruses and/or spyware and thats without downloading much from the net. The list goes on and on. Its just a much superior machine in about every way a user can imagine with exception of software selection and price.

Like a Chevy versus a Porsche, you generally get what you pay for.

If you look at the software, for every application except for games you can pretty much get a compatible program for your Mac. There are even emulators that can run PC programs on the Mac but last I checked they were slow and buggy.

So its really an easy choice in the end.

If your into games or have a company required program that only runs on PC or perhaps are on a limited budget and just want something to check email every day, enjoy the worms, viruses, spyware, malware, crashes, conflicts, and eventually the blue screen of death with the vast majority of us PC users secure in the knowledge that everyone else is so abused.

But if you want to do anything graphically or never wanted to be a hardware and software technician or just enjoy the feel of a porsche because you can afford it over the chevy, do yourself a favor and buy a Mac.

All PC users can flame away as their needs require. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

[Firefoxx]

As always, there is a point of view from each camp, and the views tend to be rather opinionated towards that camp, with few facts and little regard to "maybe, if, then, but". A very rosy picture is painted for one's camp, while the other camp is depicted as a rotting, worm-infested ######-hole. I have a reasonable counter-argument towards every point made from the Mac camp, but it's been said and done, and I doubt anyone wants to witness yet another endless Mac vs PC war at TV.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

Many Thanks for the replys, Guy's .... Firefoxx sorry but did not intend to start the Apple war, .......Juts one more point I have thought of is that if I go for an Apple, and some thing dose go wrong with the machine, it seem's there are not too many places ( only in Bangkok ) to take the machine to fix any problems...?, with a PC there's just about a repair shop on every soi corner or is it that the chance of an Apple needing a repair are so low its not worth thinking about...?

Thanks ........ Mumbo

Ps. any first time switchers about ......?

[buadhai]

The chances of needing a repair on an Apple machine are small, but still worth considering. Where are you located? Isn't there an Apple dealer that does repairs up in Chiangmai?

I've owned nearly a dozen Apple machines in the past 20 years and only needed one repair. I was living on Saipan at the time. A kid broke the drawer on the CD drive. Shipped the machine to Los Angeles for repair and had it back in about two weeks. You'd have a much easier time here.

[Nordlys]

Many Thanks for the replys, Guy's .... Firefoxx sorry but did not intend to start the Apple war, .......Juts one more point I have thought of is that if I go for an Apple, and some thing dose go wrong with the machine, it seem's there are not too many places ( only in Bangkok ) to take the machine to fix any problems...?,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you're getting a PowerBook/iBook, they'll send you a large box specifically designed to protect your machine from shock/vibration/scratch, for you to ship it to the service center. Once I broke my PowerBook G4 (Titanium) and they sent me such a box for shipment..... to Singapore. I don't know about the new aluminum PowerBook, but their policy is that all PowerBooks in Thailand should be serviced in Singapore as far as titanium models are concerned. If under the warranty they sure will bear the shipping cost.

As for the desktop, I think you can bring your machine to the nearest Apple dealer/retailer which in turn will ship it to Apple Service Center in Bangkok (next to Rama 3 Tesco Lotus). I've seen people leaving machines at apple stores for repair even in Bangkok.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

Thanks to all, for the comments, I live in a small village about 1-1/2 hours from Korat, so may be if I go with an Apple , and some thing does need to be looked at then a trip to Bangkok's not too bad...? I am still undecided !!!!!!!.

Thanks ..... Mumbo

[bendix]

I'm a first time Mac convert, having just bought a G5 imac with 17 inch monitor, combo drive and upgraded to 1gb RAM. I bought it from Copper Wire two months ago, after around 20 years of using Windows machines.

I feel like the world is a better place. Why didnt someone tell me about this wonderful machine before? Putting aside the sheer beauty of the thing, it is so much easier to use, quicker, more intuitive and soooooo much more fun.

Windows? Never again (except at work )

[GoodHeart]

A question for Firefoxx: How much time have you actually spent using machines running OS X?

[Firefoxx]

Hmm, I'm guessing that this question is to directly compare me with those who've "switched". Oh, well:

Straight answer is, not much. My friend has one (mac fanatic, through and through) and my sis has one (to her, it's a fashion accessory). I did the setup for my sis, so I had the mac to play with for about a week. I occasionally see a mac in my line of work, but it's once in a very long while. My honest opinion of OS X is: It's pretty, it's nice, but it's not anywhere near compelling enough for me to switch. Another friend got a mac, gave it away, and went back to using PCs.

Will I ever switch? Not in the forseealbe future. I use quite a few programs that do not exist or are limited on the Mac (including quite a few games). I like the range of hardware I can use with my PC, and I use quite a bit of strange hardware configurations. I also don't have the extra money lying around to spend on a mac (case in point, the little plug attachment for the power adapter of a mac costs... 600 baht.. a little piece of plastic and metal). I like the way my PC works, and can live with the occasional once-a-year malware infection, that I take care of without using any anti-spyware programs.

I say this "Live and let live". Don't force your religion on others, and don't scorn another man's religion.

[buadhai]

I agree. No point in arguing this; especially here. It's about as worthwhile as arguing politics. Those who agree with you will continue to agree and those who don't will continue to consider you to be ill-informed.

As I've posted elsewhere, I've used both platforms, almost on a daily basis, since 1984, when the Mac's first arrived on the scene. I have a personal preference for Mac's, but always used PC's at work.

In the final analysis, I think Mac's are easier to use and set up. But, I certainly got plenty of work done with PC's.

I suspect that Apple will continue to innovate, will continue to be costly and will continue to be happy with less than 5% of the market share. And, why not? They are a profitable, admired company.

We're lucky to have an Apple around that has the cash necessary for the innovative R&D that they do. We're lucky to have MS and the commodity PC makers around to bring technology to the masses at a reasonable price and with decent quality.

[Firefoxx]

I agree, Macs are a good choice, but they're not for everyone. Both Macs and PCs have their good points and their bad points. It's good that there is a choice, otherwise it would be just all WinTel, and there would be nothing to compare to (linux is still a bit away from being mainstream).

In a perfect world, there would be a perfect platform and a perfect OS. Until then, let's allow everyone to choose whatever suits their needs.

[bendix]

I'm confused.

Very confused.

A Mac versus Wintel debate that is being conducted with intelligence, courtesy and respect for the rivals' opinions? Such a thing has never been heard of.

What's going on with the world?

I KNEW there was a reason I finally registered with ThaiVisa.

PS . .Macs kick WinTel's butt.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

Well Ive now got the latest Apple Price ...17''

Apple Mac iG5

1.6Ghz

256

80GB

CB

NV34

56K

* ACPP INCLUDED 3 YEARS ( new )

Price ...Cash --- 54,430

to up grade to 1GB = 13,500

....

Apple Mac Mini

80Gb

1.42Ghz

256MB

ATi Radeon 9200 with 32MB

... 27,900 Baht

what can I say.... Mumbo

[Nordlys]

Well Ive now got the latest Apple Price ...17''

Apple Mac iG5

1.6Ghz

256

80GB

CB

NV34

56K

* ACPP INCLUDED 3 YEARS ( new )

Price ...Cash --- 54,430

to up grade to 1GB = 13,500

  ....

Apple Mac Mini

80Gb

1.42Ghz

256MB

ATi Radeon 9200 with 32MB

... 27,900 Baht

what can I say.... Mumbo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Go for iMac Mumbo.... but 1GB RAM price seems too expensive. Can't you get the RAM outside Thailand and install it yourself? Just last month I bought 1GB RAM for my PowerBook in Japan which cost me only B7,000. Should come cheaper for iMac.