cracraft@ccicpg.UUCP (Stuart Cracraft) (08/10/87)
Good, well-stocked Macintosh software outlets seem to be far and few between. The local Apple dealerships barely have 20 software items for the Mac. They say they can always order any item, but what if you want a demo first? Do other people have this experience too? Are you driving 80 miles to get good Macintosh software? I'd drive a mile for a Camel, but this is ridiculous! Stuart
sysop@stech.UUCP (Jan Harrington) (08/11/87)
in article <1810@ccicpg.UUCP>, cracraft@ccicpg.UUCP (Stuart Cracraft) says: > > Good, well-stocked Macintosh software outlets seem to be far and > few between. > > The local Apple dealerships barely have 20 software items for the > Mac. They say they can always order any item, but what if you want > a demo first? You're not alone in this experience. You might want to think about mail order. I realize that some people have had terrible experiences, but there are two or three mail order companies (i.e., Mac Connection) that have excellent reputations and that carry large stocks. Demos are a problem with mail order. Many vendors, however, will sell you a demo version for say, $10. Another alternative is to rent the software from one of the rental outfits before you buy. If you decide to keep the package, the rental usually applies to the purchase price. Jan Harrington, sysop Scholastech Telecommunications seismo!husc6!amcad!stech!sysop
hallett@macbeth.steinmetz (Hallett) (08/11/87)
In article <1810@ccicpg.UUCP> cracraft@ccicpg.UUCP (Stuart Cracraft) writes: >Good, well-stocked Macintosh software outlets seem to be far and >few between. > >The local Apple dealerships barely have 20 software items for the >Mac. They say they can always order any item, but what if you want >a demo first? > >Do other people have this experience too? Are you driving 80 miles >to get good Macintosh software? I'd drive a mile for a Camel, but >this is ridiculous! Well, I never buy anything from my local dealers anyway. Software houses are much less expensive, friendlier and faster. If you want to try before you buy, there is a place called MacRentals. You call them and they rent you a package for 2 weeks (its the real thing, no damages, full functional just like you'd buy it new except the registration card is missing) for a really low cost. If you don't like it, return it within 2 weeks. If you do, you pay the balance between the rent price and a discount price (a little larger than MacConnection, but then, you are paying for a service, but still much much cheaper than stores). If you subscribe to a couple of good mags with reviews, you can usually get buy with reading reviews and then buying from MacConnection, Programs Plus or Savings Zone (in that order). Hope this helps you. I don't have any connection with any of these companies except my purchasing accounts. Jeffrey A. Hallett (hallett@ge-crd.arpa hallett@desdemona.uucp) Software Technology Program General Electric Corporate Research and Development ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many" -- Kirk (STIII) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: My opinions do not represent my employer's, but it is his fault for giving me this thing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
jlc@atux01.UUCP (J. Collymore) (08/11/87)
In article <1810@ccicpg.UUCP>, cracraft@ccicpg.UUCP (Stuart Cracraft) writes: > Good, well-stocked Macintosh software outlets seem to be far and > few between. > > The local Apple dealerships barely have 20 software items for the > Mac. They say they can always order any item, but what if you want > a demo first? > > Do other people have this experience too? Are you driving 80 miles > to get good Macintosh software? I'd drive a mile for a Camel, but > this is ridiculous! > > Stuart Yes, it is hard to find dealerships who have much GENERAL software for the Mac. Authorized Dealers around here assume that their clientle only wants business software, etc. for the Mac. Or that when you buy something for a Mac they say: "What company are you with?" Very irritating after a while. Well, I can't help solve your problem about finding a place to get stuff demoed, but I can recommend several places to call that offer a LOT of Mac stuff and have very good discounted prices, and can at least give you info over the phone about many of the Mac things that they sell. They are: MacConnection (in Marlow, New Hampshire) 1-800-622-5472 or 1-603-446-7711 (Business Office no., avail. 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. M-F) Store Hours: 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. M-F, 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat. Computerware (in Palo Alto, California) To Order: 1-800-235-1155 (USA) or 1-800-323-1133 (Calif.) For Information: 1-415-323-7557 International Sales: 415-323-7696 Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (M-F) MacWarehouse (in Lakewood, N.J.) 1-800-255-6227 For inquiries: 1-201-367-0440 Calls from Canada: 800-255-6447 Store Hours: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (M-F) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.) I hope this proves helpful to those of you out there who are looking to save money, or get info on varios Mac hardware, software, and accessories. Jim Collymore
chuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (08/11/87)
In article <1810@ccicpg.UUCP> cracraft@ccicpg.UUCP (Stuart Cracraft) writes: >Good, well-stocked Macintosh software outlets seem to be far and >few between. >The local Apple dealerships barely have 20 software items for the >Mac. They say they can always order any item, but what if you want >a demo first? >Do other people have this experience too? Are you driving 80 miles >to get good Macintosh software? I'd drive a mile for a Camel, but >this is ridiculous! Well, maybe I'm just lucky, but I'm about four miles from ComputerWare, which is an all mac store in palo alto (they also do mail order, and happen to be a great store -- and a discount store on top of it!). The only time I've ever needed to go to mail order was for my memory upgrade, because they no longer stock memory upgrades for anything less than a MacPlus. It seems hard to believe that there isn't a good Apple store down in the Orange County area... chuq Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM Delphi: CHUQ We live and learn, but not the wiser grow -- John Pomfret (1667-1703)
newton@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Mike Newton) (08/12/87)
The Egghead software place in Pasadena (CA) has a reasonable selection
of Mac software. (Say 60%IBM 30%MAC 10%apple & others). A friend buys
a lot of software from them and reports that they will
[1] beat any price of a showroom in California
and [2] take anything back for return within two weeks.
Sounds good. I'll probably start buying stuff from them soon.
- mike
ps: usual disclaimers about everything...
newton@csvax.caltech.edu {ucbvax!cithep,amdahl}!cit-vax!newton
Caltech 256-80 818-356-6771 (afternoons,nights)
Pasadena CA 91125 Beach Bums Anonymous, Pasadena President
Life's a beach. Then you graduate.
--
newton@csvax.caltech.edu {ucbvax!cithep,amdahl}!cit-vax!newton
Caltech 256-80 818-356-6771 (afternoons,nights)
Pasadena CA 91125 Beach Bums Anonymous, Pasadena President
Life's a beach. Then you graduate.rbl@nitrex.UUCP (08/13/87)
In article <516@atux01.UUCP> jlc@atux01.UUCP (J. Collymore) writes: >In article <1810@ccicpg.UUCP>, cracraft@ccicpg.UUCP (Stuart Cracraft) writes: >> Good, well-stocked Macintosh software outlets seem to be far and >> few between. >> >> The local Apple dealerships barely have 20 software items for the >> Mac. They say they can always order any item, but what if you want >> a demo first? >> >> ... > >Yes, it is hard to find dealerships who have much GENERAL software for the >Mac. Authorized Dealers around here assume that their clientle only wants >business software, etc. for the Mac. Or that when you buy something for >a Mac they say: "What company are you with?" Very irritating after a while. > > [List of vendors deleted for brevity] I'd like to add: Egghead Discount Software P.O. Box 3007 Bothell, WA 98041-3007 (800)-237-2570 I've visited their retail discount outlet in San Francisco's Financial District and found prices WELL below what local Cleveland outlets price their Mac software at. Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion and is not an endorsement by Standard Oil, BP America or any other business entity. Rob Lake