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From: pfr654@csc.anu.oz
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Can I take a Mac to Australia?
Message-ID: <637@csc.anu.oz>
Date: 16 Aug 89 17:46:30 GMT
References: <11457@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Organization: Computer Services, Australian National University
Lines: 46

In article <11457@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, cathy@seismo.gps.caltech.edu (Cathy Smither) writes:
> A friend of mine is moving to Australia in December.  The Australian
> dollar, being what it is, makes it economical> here in the states rather than waiting till he's there.  Is it
> possible to buy a Mac here and be able to use it in Canberra without
> too much hassle?  The voltage, of course, is different -- is it possible
> to used a voltage converter, or is there some way to fix up the
> Mac to run off 240V?
> 

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU GET TO AUSTRALIA!!!!!!

Prices of Macs here are horrendous unless you can get Consortium prices.
Some Samples (In $A, which is about $0.75 US at the moment)
	Mac Plus	$2800
	Mac SE/30	$7500 (2 MB, 40 MB HD)
	LaserWriter IINT$7000
	ImageWriter II	$1100
	HP DeskWriter	$2600
      (consortium prices are about 20 to 30% less)
Software is the same. Take the US price and at least double it, if not triple
it (e.g. WriteNow at MacWarehouse USA is $109, in Australia it is $A290 at a
cheap place).

Macintoshes from the SE onwards can be plugged into the Oz voltage no problem,
probably LaserWriter II's can also. Even if a particular item cannot be, the
transformer is only $20 - $50, as compared to $1000s. Most stuff is OK with the
different frequency of the power, (Oz is 50 hz, US is 60 hz).

It is because of this huge price that IBM compatibles are outselling Macs in
Australia at the rate of about 20 to 1 - we are closer to Taiwan, Japan and
Korea, so a PC/AT with 40 MB internal, 80386, colour, sells for around $4000,
versus the $7500 SE/30. A Cheap clone is can be much less.

BUY IN THE USA, many people in AUSTRALIA do so also, and have stuff AIR
FREIGHTED, and it is still cheaper than the Australian price.

Australia is a great country, but we do not have cheap Macintoshes.

Hope this advice is useful to people.

Phil Ryan
ANU Dept of Physics and Theoretical Physics
CANBERRA  AUSTRALIA
(p.s. my SE, 2DD, cost me $4000 in 1987 through the consortium, my 40 MB HD
internal cost me $2000 in 1988, but has come down to around $1400)
pfr654@csc.anu.oz