1st post from Mac Virgin

Well lets start by saying that I am planning on buying a Macbook Pro. But here is the thing. I am an American in China...and the 2010's are not here yet. So waiting aside. I do not speak or read Chinese and I am wondering if a Macbook purchased here...will only be in Chinese?

This is my first post and I have been trying to find a place to ask...because the China Apple page...well you guessed it...is all in Chinese...and the retailers do not seem to understand what I am asking. They can not even give me a date on when to expect other then in a month or so...

Any help or guidance will be appreciated. For all I know...which is nothing...is that I choose language on initial startup...Help please

Sounds like quite the dilemma....I cant help you with an estimate of when the 2010 intel processor MBP will be available in China but I can help you with the language question. When you initially start up the computer for the first time, there is an option to select your locale and the language you would like to use..if i remember correctly. I just purchased a late 2009 MBP a few months ago. Best of luck!

What I would do is try to contact the US Apple store (email maybe) and tell them you a US expat in China and you need a English Mac. And they might know who you can talk to about getting one. I'm sure you would not be the only one in China like that.

2nd thread post: please identify the subject of your concern or question in the title. Previewing this thread does not help identification due to your lengthy introduction. Thanks.

How about getting a friend in the US to make the purchase and UPS the machine to you?

Just curious as to what you do in China. I'm hoping to do some traveling as a a corporate auditor. If I can pass the CFA exam.

Calling or emailing Apple, or getting a friend to send you one is your best bet.
The reason being that if you were to get one there, even if you set it up in English, I can only assume that you will be stuck with a Chinese Keyboard, which I don't think is going to be very useful, or helpful to you!
You'd have to get an English keyboard cover.

you can go to the Apple USA site and order there with a US billing address and China shipping address. One of coworkers got a US keyboard in France so I know it is possible.

gmblnmstr:

If at all possible, buy your new MBP from a vendor in the US and have it shipped to you. If you purchase it in China, you'll have the problem of trying to obtain or special order a US keyboard for it. The language can be changed as you've been advised (during the initial set up) but the keyboard can not.

Regards.

Thanks for the help.

I managed to find a person with the shipping connection...so my new Macbook pro should be here by Monday. I will see, but what I have found is that some people have a connection...and you need to find those people. Otherwise I am told that a computer shipped from the US may carry a nice duty tax with it Everything Apple from computers to ipods are more expensive here (retail+added). The guy did have one of the new 15 in MBP's but more machine then I need and a heavy premium attached. But I was able to play with it and it had an English keyboard