best way to pack?

i'm going home to the philippines soon. i was wondering what's the best way to pack my 17" imac g5. i've already found a shipping company (suggested by Jlady) for my other things and it's fast enough but i would really hate to wait two weeks (not to mention i'd probably go out of my mind worrying) to get my mac. i'm thinking of putting it with my luggage in the airport but i'm not really confident with the way they handle fragile things there. as for bringing it as a carry on luggage, i'll already be carrying my dog with me and possibly my electric guitar :S any ideas?

should avoid to put such electronics into luggage, at least use original package (hope you saved that beautiful box, dont you?) and put the box inside your luggage between soft clothes or such. Do it only if you dont have an other option, when I was flying in long distance flight, they managed to destroy one wheel of my bag and it arrived late-total BS :(

i did save the box and was planning on carrying it that way (inside the box, inside the trunk, cushioned with my clothes). but since you said "avoid carrying electronics that way", what is the best way to bring/ship my mac with me?

I also have a dog. I assume that your dog is in a nice travel bag that fits underneath the seat. Could you perhaps find a nice travel bag for your computer and store that in the over head compartment? I have a 17" Dell, which I love, and I have a great messenger bag that I use to store it all the time, and I've brought it on a plane.

This would, of course, mean you would have to ship your guitar. So I guess the question is: how bad do you need to have your computer with you?

Companies like UPS, FedEx, or DHL, I think, would safely ship your guitar. I shipped my trumpet by UPS from San Francisco to Miami without any problems. It cost a lot, but it was worth it.

I really would not recommend packing your

I also have a dog. I assume that your dog is in a nice travel bag that fits underneath the seat. Could you perhaps find a nice travel bag for your computer and store that in the over head compartment? I have a 17" Dell, which I love, and I have a great messenger bag that I use to store it all the time, and I've brought it on a plane.

This would, of course, mean you would have to ship your guitar. So I guess the question is: how bad do you need to have your computer with you?

Companies like UPS, FedEx, or DHL, I think, would safely ship your guitar. I shipped my trumpet by UPS from San Francisco to Miami without any problems. It cost a lot, but it was worth it.

I really would not recommend packing your computer in the luggage.

hey, bob! thanks for the suggestion. just to make it sure i got it right: you brought your dog and your desktop with you inside the plane at the same time? didn't they complain about
the weight you were bringing as carry on luggage? my dog is about 4kg. i dont quite remember the weight of my mac but it's somewhere between 7kg and 10kg. and weren't they strict about bringing that kind of electronics inside the plane with you?

I thought you were referring to a laptop computer. I did not realize that you had a desktop. I am not familiar with the different models of macs. I see your problem now. My laptop is a fairly large size, so I thought that was the issue you had. A desktop computer is most likely too bulky to carry on the plane. You could always call the airline and ask.

I would still recommend UPS, etc., for shipping. I do not think it is wise to pack any expensive electronics as luggage. It's too risky. You could pay extra to a shipping company to deliver your computer within a few days.