Buying a PC is easy. You go into Best Buy and pick one up. Ifyou don't want to do that, you call up Dell or Gateway and orderone.
Buying a Mac isn't quite as easy. Yes, a few years ago Best Buyand Circuit City sold a limited selection of Macs, but it was neveras complete as their selection in the Wintel market. (Maybe this isanother reason Apple has a small market share, or maybe that's agood thing - I think I'll rant about that next week.)
Anyway, all of this difficulty poses the one question: Where doyou buy Macs?
Mail Order: Getting the Best Deal, but not Quickly
Catalogs and online websites, such as MacZoneand Club Mac, are best for getting new Macs at good prices. You canoften get a deal on a Mac with nice accessories. Most times you canget 256 or 512 megabytes of RAM and a free printer, among otherthings, with your Mac purchase.
Be careful with rebates and "installation fees." If not sent incorrectly, rebates can quickly change your good deal into a wasteof money. "Installation fees" are often applied to the free memoryyou receive. The catch 22: The installation fees are sometimes asmuch as or more than the cost of the memory being installed.Sometimes you can save some cash if you know how to install ityourself.
Another obvious downside to mail orderis shipping. Heavier computers, especially my low-end favorite,the eMac can cost up toUS$50 or more to ship. And you may be subject to back order anddelays.
I ordered my lime iMac from a catalog and had to wait severalweeks. Back then, if you remember, this was a small wait for acandy-colored iMac. It couldtake months to get one in blueberry. But I did get a good deal.
I recently ordered my 12" iBook from a catalog, and I receivedit in less time than they quoted.
CompUSA, Local Dealers, and Apple Stores: When You Need ItNow
CompUSA iscurrently the only major retail chain that sells Macs. They've doneso for quite some time. They have a pretty good selection, with theentire current lineup and tons of accessories. Plus, the peopleworking there sometimes know about Macs, which is a definiteadvantage.
The AppleStore currently has several dozen locations in the US, withmany more planned. These places are the high-class showrooms forApple Computer. Owned and operated by Apple, they feature moderndesign and a genius bar, where you can get all your Mac problemsworked out in person with a real "Apple genius."
Stores like this are your best bet for getting a Mac quickly.The day before leaving for college this year, I purchased my eMacat a CompUSA in a rush. I was able to reserve and pay for it onlineand pick it up in the store. While I did pay retail price, I got itin good time with good service.
I should also mention the onlineApple Store. Oftentimes the only place you canget certain new things, it is a good place to get the latest bit ofApple genius. Sometimes you can even get a free printer, freeshipping, or some memory out of the deal.
Authorized resellers are usually smaller computer companies thatoffer more personal sales and service than the other stores. Sincethe people employed in such places are more knowledgeable thanthose in a CompUSA, you can usually get better answers to yourquestions. Apple helps you find one in yourarea.
eBay: Everything Mac at a Price
eBay isknown for its large assortment of garage-sale grade computercomponents. Naturally it is a great place to find obscure parts foran older Mac. For instance, I used it to get a VGA adapter for myold 
Apple monitor to use with myB&W G3. You'd be surprisedthe life those things can have in them.
This brings up another good use for eBay: finding vintage Macs.If you've recently become someone who's destined to build aMacquarium or an Apple pictureframe, you can snag a cheap all-in-one Mac or PowerBookhere.
eBay does have its downsides though. Many computers are offeredwithout a warranty or "as is." You're pretty much on your own asfar as computer quality goes when you're buying off of eBay. Also,you'll have to pay for shipping most times.
Used Mac Dealers: The Ultimate for a Real Low-end Mac.
Contrary to popular belief, most Mac users are not George Lucas.Because of this, most Mac users don't need the latest G4 or G5.Many people can compute just fine using a G3 or even lower. Butwhere does one find a reliable lower-end low-end Mac? Used Macdealers, of course.
Places such as MacResQ,Mac of AllTrades, We LoveMacs, BaucomComputers, WegenerMedia, and others are great for getting a good deal on anolder Mac. While you'll most likely still pay shipping on thesecomputers, they tend to be more reliable and in better shape thanmany Macs on eBay.
LEM, of course, has a great list of Used Mac Dealers. 
