Job Discussion Forums

meridiann · Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 2

Hi,
Anybody out there using a Mac in Argentina? I have some questions to throw about internet access and such- I'll be leaving for Buenos Aires in a couple weeks.

I have an ibook I bought a few years ago that needs some upgraded software,etc- this will cost me about 500 bucks in the U.S.....does anyone know if it would be cheaper to wait and do this in Argentina? Or how much new ibooks are selling for in Buenos Aires?

I have an airport card so I can get wireless internet access...but should I get a router of some kind here in the US before I leave? Somewhere I read that routers were more expensive in Buenos Aires.....

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

anything to do with electronics is more expensive in argentina than in any other country in the world. tvs, computers, washing machines etc are all at least 25% and sometimes 100% more expensive than chile, england, france, usa, anywhere. don't ask me why but this country is an obscene rip off, especially as a large amount of these products is made in argentina and then sold for half the price in chile, peru and brazil.

i use a mac (ibook g4) and it was a hassle to get an internet connection at home. the guy who comes to install has to route the modem and not many people know how to do this so you can get your mac to work. also, if anything happens to your service, the fact that the technician routed the modem will invalidate customer support. if your spanish isn't fluent you'll be in for a fun time. basically, argentina hasn't cottoned on the fact that only philistines use PCs and, as such, don't give much service to mac users. there is a pretty good mac store on ayucucho and santa fe that might be able to help with any issues you have here.

veggieboy · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 32 Location: Buenos Aires

Hi-

I use a Mac.

Definitely buy anything Mac-related in the States. It will NOT be cheaper here. This really applies not just to Macs but to basically all imported electronics (because the import taxes and the IVA are factored in)

A quick example: The AirPort Express base station wireless router costs like $120 in the States (less if you get one of the refurbished ones). It's US$220 here.

There are some good Mac dealers in town, so if you do need something here, you'll be able to find it. But if you can avoid buying stuff like that down here (by getting it before you come), you should.

p.s. You may also want to bookmark http://www.wifibuenosaires.com. It's not quite live yet, but it should be up and running by the time you get here.

veggieboy · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 32 Location: Buenos Aires

In other words, what Matt said (kept getting interrupted while I was composing my reply and he beat me, dammit!).

But for what it's worth, I didn't have any trouble getting my cable modem up and running. I don't think the guy who came to set it up even knew I had a Mac . . . or if he did, he didn't care.

This was with Fibertel, for what it's worth.

meridiann · Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 2

great. Thanks for all your (quick!) replies. I guess I'll try to get everything set up beforehand, as much as I can! I am hoping that if I can't use my ibook at home, at least I'll be able to use it in cafes around town, wirelessly. Being mostly computer illiterate....I have only learned the term "wifi" for the first time this week. Do I need anything besides an airport card to be able to hook up to this "wifi" that you city folk speak of? Sheesh.....didn't realize I was so behind on my technology!

veggieboy · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 32 Location: Buenos Aires

If you want to use wi-fi in a cafe, all you need is the AirPort card. If you want to have wi-fi, for example, in your home, you'll need a wireless router (like the AirPort Express BaseStation).

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

yeah, i'm with telefonica, a truly awful company. avoid anything here run by spanish or french companies. no investment, no service, an absolute joke.

just out of interest, what connection have you got with fibertel and how much does it cost? do you have to pay telecom or telefonica for line rental for internet?

with telefonica, i have a 1mega connection and my bill, including phone line for local calls-basically internet with phone line included-costs around 130 pesos a month.

veggieboy · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 32 Location: Buenos Aires

Does that mean I can't drink the tap water? Confused

Oh. . . I guess maybe now I can.

Anyway, the Fibertel connection is via cablemodem, so there's no charge through Telecom or Telef�nica.

It's a 1Mega connection. Because I'm a Cablevision customer (it's the same company Cablevision/Fibertel), I pay $103 for Fibertel. If I weren't a Cablevision customer, I would pay about $150.

I pay Telef�nica, separately from all this, $30/month for my phone. So I'm basically paying out the same as you for Internet+phone. (The cable cost could theoretically be factored in somehow since it gets me the discount, but I am obligated to pay it as part of my building's expensas, so I'm leaving that out of the equation).

If you don't like your connection and you have it available, yeah, maybe you should switch. . . I think they're pretty much regarded as, if not perfect, the least of all evils.

And they have that $40/month promo for the first three months.

gigisehr · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

Like everyone else has said, avoid buying electronics in Argentina because they are expensive, but I just wanted to let everyone know that
1) i never had a problem
2) there is an Apple store on Cordoba a little past L.N. Alem (as in, close to Puerto Madero). the 140 bus will take you there.