.:i think i thought a thought:.

I am wondering if it is time to move on to being a Mac person? Well, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I’m yet to meet an unhappy Mac user. I’ve seen it as a favourite amongst the tech savvy as well as the not-so-tech-aware.

Just a bit of research here on how the Mac is priced in the US [NY] and UK [LONdon]. I cover the 2 models that I am interested in + the warranty costs:

1. iMac, 17inch
17-inch widescreen LCD
1.9GHz PowerPC G5 processor
512MB memory (533MHz DDR2 SDRAM) [I’m changing this to 1.5 GB RAM 2 slots]
160GB Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load 8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon X600 Pro graphics with 128MB DDR memory

UK:
Price: £884.26
VAT: £154.75
Subtotal: £1,039.01
Apple care protection plan: £139.00
Total: £1178.01

US:
Subtotal: $1,499.00 [£861]
Apple care protection plan: $169.00 [will have to get this from UK - so keeping at £139]
Total: $1668.00 [£1000]

So there’s a saving of £178. That means its mainly the VAT one will be saving on. Though transporting and custom charges have not been included. Not really easy to move a desktop computer.

Let’s look at the Powerbook now.

1. Powerbook G4, 15inch, 1 GB RAM (single slot)

Specifications

* 1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 - 1 SO-DIMM
* 80GB Ultra ATA drive @ 5400 rpm
* SuperDrive DL (DVD+RW/CD-RW)
* AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
* Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
* ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
* 15.2-inch TFT Display

UK:
Price: £1,309.79
VAT: £229.21
Subtotal: £1,539.00
Apple care protection plan: £279.00
Total: £1818.00

US:
Subtotal $2,199.00 [£1263]
Apple care protection plan: £279.00
Total: £1542

That’s roughly £300 saved in this case.

There is no import custom duty on computers and peripherals inported into the UK, however you are legally bound to pay your VAT! That explains why the price difference is roughly equal to the VAT.

So if you can get your computer VAT free in UK, then it’s roughly as good as getting it from US.