I bought and next-day shipped my new MacBook Pro from Amazon on October 19.

On October 24, Apple announced a new line with Core 2 Duos and other upgrades.

This afternoon, by sheer chance, I noticed that Amazon had dropped the price of the model I bought by a few hundred dollars. I sent customer support a request to refund the difference - why not?

Six hours later, a friendly email arrives in my inbox. Refund granted.

Amazon does something amazing: they combine the purchasing power and logistical expertise of a massive retailer with the kind of customer support you can expect from a neighborhood store. I get my impulse purchases overnight for a few bucks (Amazon Prime), competitive pricing, a monster selection. Except for niche purchases, I’m finding it harder and harder to shop anywhere else online.