Apple Buyers' Guide: Where To Shop And Get SupportApple Buyers' Guide: Where To Shop And Get Support

If you want to buy a Mac -- or an accessory for your current Mac -- you've got plenty of places to go.

The Apple Store

I never felt the allure of the Apple Store until I became an Apple owner myself.

Prior to buying a Mac, I dismissed the Apple Store with a shrug. I thought: It's a store. They sell Apple products. So what? Now I realize that the Apple Store is a spa for owners of Apple products. It's a place where you can relax, soak in the healing rays of Steve Jobs, and exfoliate away the residue of living in a Windows-dominated world.

Most electronics stores are like cafeterias. They're harshly lit, unpleasant environments. The merchandise is stacked up willy-nilly and hard to find. The sales staff also is hard to find, and when you do find them, they're often off in a corner somewhere chatting amongst themselves. They have better things to do than talk to the likes of you.

But the Apple buying experience is designed to make you feel special, part of the discerning few who were smart enough to break from the dirty-fingernailed Windows herd and buy products from Apple. You can buy any Apple product at an Apple Store, and many third-party accessories, such as cases and speakers for your iPod. The products are attractively laid out on tables and you're encouraged play with them -- check your Webmail on the iMacs, or look something up on Google, using the store's free Wi-Fi (Apple was one of the first retail chains to offer free Wi-Fi). The sales staff is helpful, knowledgeable, young, multiethnic, and supernaturally scrubbed and good-looking, like they all walked out of a Benetton ad.

Third-Party Retailers

However attractive the Apple store is, if you're a price-conscious consumer, you can often find better prices by shopping elsewhere.

For example, if you don't need the in-person experience, you can find good deals on the Internet. Some sites recommended to me by dedicated Mac users include:

Your friendly neighborhood Mac dealer also is a good source. Again, some recommendations from Mac enthusiasts:

If you don't live in any of those areas, ask your local Apple user group for a recommendation. You'll want to find an Apple specialist; don't just buy at any retail chain with a few Macs in the corner, you'll be paying full retail price without getting the benefit of personalized, knowledgeable service.

Service And Support

OK, so now you've got your Apple product home. After a while, you're inevitably going to run into a problem with it. Where (besides doing a Google search, of course) do you go for help?

Well, if it's a relatively new device, you go to Apple. Macs, Apple displays, and AppleTVs come with 90 days of telephone technical support and one year of service coverage at an Apple-authorized repair center. The iPhone is covered for up to two years of tech support while you are subscribed to an AT&T wireless contract.

If you decide to go for an extended warranty, the AppleCare Protection Plan for the Mac or Apple display extends coverage to three years from the purchase date. AppleCare for the iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV extends it for up to two years. Pricing for AppleCare for the MacBook, Mac Pro, or Power Mac is $249; for the iMac or eMac, $169; pricing varies for Apple's other products.

AppleCare customers needing hands-on support can bring their computers to an Apple Store, get mail-in service from Apple, or go to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Any owner of an Apple product, no matter where they bought it or whether they have AppleCare, can walk into an Apple store and get service from what Apple calls the "Genius Bar," either on a first-come, first-served basis, or by appointment.

Business users can get ProCare service from Apple, priced at $99 per year, offering quick drop-off service and 14-day advance reservations at the Genius Bar, for up to three Macs per membership.

Do It Yourself

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, or want to get help from other Apple users, you might want to try a user group. The Internet has been hard on user groups; many regional PC user groups have gone defunct in the past 15 years, replaced by Internet forums. But Apple user groups are still active; you can find one near you on the Apple Web site.

Internet forums are a great place to get support. Personally, I often start with SFF.net, which isn't a Mac user group or even a tech forum -- it's an online forum for science fiction and fantasy fans. But many of them are knowledgeable about computers, and SFF.net has a Mac discussion area.

Other areas on the Internet where you can find online support: