Apple wants to keep me from buying a PB...

[doemel]

OK, here's the full story:

I would like to buy a 1GHz PowerBook with a Combo drive instead of the Superdrive. So far so good, you can get that from Apple directly from their online store. But... I am from Switzerland, staying in Canada at the moment. I don't want that PB from the Swiss Apple online store because I want the US keyboard. So that option is ruled out. OK, there's an Apple online store in Canada, too. But... they don't accept credit cards from outside of Canada ( as if my MasterCard wasn't good enough for them...). OK, last option I found: There's actually companies in the US selling the BTO PowerBook as I want it. But they are not allowed to ship ouside the US (Apple policy)!
This is how I have reached the conclusion that Apple doesn't want me to buy the PowerBook that I want! I mean, come one, there's gotta be a way! It can't be that hard, can it?
Does anyone here know any other option I haven't tried yet? There's no Apple Store in Canada yet unfortunately (it's about friggin' time they open some outside the US!).

[CheesePuff]

This doesn't help - but I just purchased a PowerBook G4 1 GHz with ComboDrive from MacZone (www.maczone.com) and they called it a BTO purchase, but they already had many in stock.

[doemel]

Originally posted by CheesePuff
This doesn't help - but I just purchased a PowerBook G4 1 GHz with ComboDrive from MacZone (www.maczone.com) and they called it a BTO purchase, but they already had many in stock.

Thanks for the hint, but that's actually what I already did in my "last option" (see original post). MacZone doesn't ship at all outside the US according to their policies

[kendall]

get it off ebay or pay me the money and i'll send it to you.

[JetwingX]

you have any friends in the US? If so thne the money (plus S&H twice) and get it that way

also, can't you chose an english keybord someware on there??? YES :::just looked::: under OS and Keybord you can choose international english!!! (did that help any?)

[doemel]

Originally posted by Jet
also, can't you chose an english keybord someware on there??? YES :::just looked::: under OS and Keybord you can choose international english!!! (did that help any?)

I might be mistaken but I strongly believe this option refers to the OS only. They write "local" in brackets after "Tastatur" (keyboard) if you choose the int'l english version on the Swiss Apple online store. I know OS X comes for different languages on the same CDs but OS 9 doesn't. And that particular PB model might not be available anymore when I get back to Switzerland. Since Apple tends towards Superdrives now I don't want to risk not being able to get my hands on one of those Combo drives (one reason being the region hacked firmware available for that drive). And I really want to replace my good old Wallstreet workhorse now.
I might just try to find a reliable person in the US that's willing to verify and re-route the PB for me... But first I'll call Apple's online store and try to convince them that my CC is as good as it gets and well covered, too.

[JohnnyV]

There is an online store that sells just the keyboards for powerbooks and iBooks. Don't know if they have keys for new models though. I learned from the from appleturns.com, try seraching their archive for 'missing key'. I'll try to find it and post here too.

[OmegaMan]

Doemel....one thing you can do, is get someone in Canada to buy it from Apple Canada (in Markham, Ontario btw). Then just pay them back. Or, sneak accross the border....go to the apple store and bring it back into Canada. hehe

Just remember that they're pretty powerful machines! There are laws against exporting supercomputers. *l* Fortunately Switzerland is friendly. :->