There is little doubt that we are paying excessive prices (a.k.a. being ripped off) in this country compared to overseas for certain computer related items.  Take for example Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7.  In the USA, people have been able to receive massive discounts (somewhere around 70% off) by pre-ordering Win7 between certain now-expired dates.  Likewise in Australia.

On the Apple side of things, the Mac Mini, as I have documented previously on this site, has about $400 NZD difference between the two available models, yet the actual differences in the components (hard drive and memory) can be calculated to be about $70 NZD.

But it’s worse than that. In the USA, the basic MAC Mini is about $599 USD.  We NZers can buy such a beast from BHPhotoVideo in New York, pay postage for 5 day delivery, pay the gst when the machine goes thru customs, and still have the item on our desk within a week for about $1019 NZD.  Compare that to the NZ retail price of $1400!  Keep a watch out — Apple are likely about to release new Minis and perhaps reduce the current price by $100 USD — perhaps.  Check the Apple rumor sites if you don’t believe me!

So here’s a free thought. Instead of being fleeced about $250 NZD for Windows 7, upgrade your PC and operating system by buying direct from the USA.  A new Mac Mini will probably be much faster than your old PC, be a fraction of the size, use a fraction of the power, will run Windows XP, Vista or 7, come with lots of great software, and will probably use your existing mouse and keyboard.  Oh, and they come with a free version of Parallels which retails for about $80 USD and enables MAC OS and Windows to run simultaneously.