Bonkers MacBook Air shipment route revealed
Global gathering
Stories of weird iPad shipping routes have been cropping up a while on the web and there's usually a perfectly logical explanation for why our precious tech takes so many diversions en route to our homes. This one regarding a MacBook Air is really strange, though.
One bewildered Reg reader sent us shots of his tracking information, which shows his recently-ordered MBA taking part in a world tour before it heads off to Blighty. Here's a screengrab of his UPS tracking details.

As expected, the computer starts off in China. Then when data has been processed - in Germany? - the clearance is accepted and the hardware shipped off to Incheon, Korea. Forty minutes or so later, it departs again, this time to Poland.
While that seems logically closer to home, the MacBook doesn't appear to leave Poland. Instead it presumably teleports itself back to Korea and departs again, heading off to Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Air by name, air-bound by nature.
The MBP didn't stay there long, though, taking-off a few hours ago, but where it will end up next is anyone's guess. We'll update the story if it lands in another strange location, but hope - for the sake of our dear reader - his Macbook Air is heading off to its final destination now. ®
Thanks to reader Stuart for the tip
COMMENTS
There could be tax advantages?
Or a bargain Kazakh logistics contractor ;-)
Yeah
Koeln, Germany 28/07/2011 1:21 Import Scan
Koeln, Germany 27/07/2011 23:40 Arrival Scan
Warsaw, Poland 27/07/2011 22:05 Departure Scan
27/07/2011 18:00 Arrival Scan
Koeln, Germany 27/07/2011 17:55 Package data processed by brokerage Waiting for clearance / Released by clearing agency Now in-transit for delivery
Almaty, Kazakhstan 27/07/2011 16:47 Departure Scan
27/07/2011 14:32 Arrival Scan
Incheon, Korea, Republic of 27/07/2011 12:42 Departure Scan
Warsaw, Poland 27/07/2011 4:30 Arrival Scan
Incheon, Korea, Republic of 27/07/2011 10:56 Departure Scan
27/07/2011 9:42 Arrival Scan
Shanghai, China 27/07/2011 6:25 Departure Scan
Shanghai, China 26/07/2011 16:39 Export Scan
Koeln, Germany 26/07/2011 10:27 Package data processed by brokerage Waiting for clearance
Shanghai, China 25/07/2011 21:30 Departure Scan
25/07/2011 16:34 Origin Scan
China 25/07/2011 2:51 Order Processed: Ready for UPS
I've been wondering what the game is with that. While there's some amusement value in seeing which timezone my new laptop's appeared in this time I think I'd rather have the damned thing to actually use instead.
Look at mine...
Koeln, Germany 28/07/2011 1:19 Import Scan
Koeln, Germany 27/07/2011 23:40 Arrival Scan
Warsaw, Poland 27/07/2011 22:05 Departure Scan
27/07/2011 18:00 Arrival Scan
Koeln, Germany 27/07/2011 17:55 Package data processed by brokerage Waiting for clearance / Released by clearing agency Now in-transit for delivery
Almaty, Kazakhstan 27/07/2011 16:47 Departure Scan
27/07/2011 14:32 Arrival Scan
Incheon, Korea, Republic of 27/07/2011 12:42 Departure Scan
Warsaw, Poland 27/07/2011 4:30 Arrival Scan
Incheon, Korea, Republic of 27/07/2011 10:56 Departure Scan
27/07/2011 9:42 Arrival Scan
Shanghai, China 27/07/2011 6:25 Departure Scan
Shanghai, China 26/07/2011 16:49 Export Scan
Koeln, Germany 26/07/2011 10:27 Package data processed by brokerage Waiting for clearance
Shanghai, China 25/07/2011 21:30 Departure Scan
25/07/2011 16:34 Origin Scan
China 25/07/2011 2:51 Order Processed: Ready for UPS
Beat me to it
Would be even shorter/better for the environment still if it was German -> UK, or even UK -> UK.
But I still doubt we'd get them as "cheaply" (and I mean that in Apple terms), given the manufacturer & labour costs of the UK and/or Germany.
