[Iain & Liz]

This may be a dumb question to the tech heads but I am happier with a set of spanners than a keyboard. :roll:

As our ancient computer is slowly dying, and we hope to be going to NZ sooner rather than later is it worth us buying a laptop to take with us? Will it blow up the minute we plug it into an NZ socket? It should certainly get used as we hope to complete the sale of house our fairly soon at which point we will have to go live with the outlaws. :uhoh

Thanks

Iain
:nice1

[veronica]

We have brought the laptop with us and no it hasn't blown up. If your not a tech head get someone to download or to save on disc all the old stuff from your computor that you want to keep.

[bbq]

This may be a dumb question to the tech heads but I am happier with a set of spanners than a keyboard. :roll:

As our ancient computer is slowly dying, and we hope to be going to NZ sooner rather than later is it worth us buying a laptop to take with us? Will it blow up the minute we plug it into an NZ socket? It should certainly get used as we hope to complete the sale of house our fairly soon at which point we will have to go live with the outlaws. :uhoh

Thanks

Iain
:nice1

Iain

Not sure, but some people I have seen somewhere that you can buy laptops dirt cheap in Singapore if you fly that way.

Just an idea

all the best

alex :D

[Diny]

That's exactly what we're doing. Ditching our home PC (very much on last legs) and buying a laptop in Singapore.

Don't worry - it won't blow up (much).

Diny

[Iain & Liz]

We would need/ want one before we went so will probably but it here, just checking out prices on pricerunner (great site for looking/buying loads of stuff).

Didn't mean any offence by using the term 'tech head', just showing my ignorance to these things.

Iain :nice1

[veronica]

would the term grease monkey offend you, or bean counter or sparkie,chippy etc wouldn't me.

[Iain & Liz]

Spanner monkey, thats me that is

[bbq]

Didn't mean any offence by using the term 'tech head', just showing my ignorance to these things.

Iain :nice1

I think I'd only worry if I was called a a different 4 letter word before 'head', i.e. one starting with 'D' and ending in 'K'

;)

alex

[Tara Sage]

We dumped our old PC on the in-laws and bought a laptop with us!

The e-mail us from our old comp but it does what they want and our laptop is great and susrvive the journey

[Diny]

Alex

There's nothing wrong with being called a dark head :D

Diny

[art]

That's exactly what we're doing. Ditching our home PC (very much on last legs) and buying a laptop in Singapore.


Well, if you're interested, two places to shop for computers/laptops while in Singapore would be Sim Lim Square and Funan Centre - both not too far from the central city area.

[bbq]

Alex

There's nothing wrong with being called a dark head :D

Diny

:D :D

alex

[Iain & Liz]

Just a couple more questions,

how much cheaper are laptops in Singapore?
&
What are good recognised brands in NZ? After shopping around I have found what look to me to be good laptops! But I do not want to take a laptop with me break it and then not be able to get any new bits or repairs for it. I have been looking at Dell, Toshiba and H.P models.

Thanks Iain

[Carol]

I've just got my first Apple ibook G4.


And I lOVE it.
:clap

I'm leasing it as part of the Ministry of Education's scheme "Laptops for teachers"
$33 a month.
Fab.

[art]

how much cheaper are laptops in Singapore?

Well, this amazing site shows the latest (and usually most competitive) PC/other related electronics prices that can be found in Singapore and where to buy them:
http://hardwarezone.com.sg/priceguide/cat.php?id=191

The laptop prices are here:
http://hardwarezone.com.sg/priceguide/priceguide.php?id=71

How do these prices compare with NZ?

[art]

Forgot to add that current exchange rate is approximately:
1 SGD = 0.9 NZD

[Michelle and Richard]

Hi

We bought a lap top in Singapore a TR5MP saved about 400 pounds on UK price. Have to register it with Sony here to get full year warranty and that cost 90 singapore $

Well worth it so far we were up and running on the internet in about 15 mins here, dial up though. We pay $16 95 a month for 150 hours, connection 27.95 connection.

Michelle

[Iain & Liz]

I have ordered a DELL inspiron for £680 comes with a printer and a real mouse!! :yes
I did some research and found dell are recognised world over.

Has any one had any experience with the world travel adaptors, I have seen them for sale in tescos just wondered if they were any good?

Iain
:cheers

[richsadams]

Hi Iain :cool

If you're talking about the travel adaptor for your Dell laptop, you won't need one (it will automatically switch to the appropriate voltage if you go to the U.S., Japan, etc. and NZ is 220V - 240V, 50Hz the same as the UK). The only thing you will eventually need in NZ are a mains adaptors for the laptop and printer. :nice1

[Iain & Liz]

Hi Rich,

The mains adaptors are what I meant, However I have had a bright idea in the meantime I should be able to order NZ power leads from Dell.

Thanks
Iain
:nice1

[xanctus]

I've just got my first Apple ibook G4.

Carol, congrats on your new compie...wow I have seen that new ibook G4, it's amazing machine... :nice1

[Pakeha Boy]

OK, here is a 1000 quid.
I want to buy a laptop. It must have a centrino, or M processor, don't want it to run hot, or noisy. CD/DVD combo, and say around about 40 gig.
Primary use will be internet video conferencing, secondary use, games (ofcourse!) so a good graphics card will be required.

Theres a whole bunch of IT gurus here, and seeing as theres about 10 zillions of different brands and configurations out there, what you buy if you had a grand in your hipper, and why?

I'll probably be buying sooner rather than later due to "she who must be obeyed" banning me from this forum for the next 28 days come Tuesday!!

Thanks in advance..................... :cheers

[Diny]

So you're going to get one on the way home duty free eh?

Well ok - you can have this PC in the nice warm comfy office .... I'll have the new laptop !!! :nice1

Diny xx

[Iain & Liz]

Hi,

I read some where (can't remember where) that NZ telephone connections are the same as British ones!

True or False?

Iain & Liz
:nice1

[dphillview]

Hi Pakeha Boy

Well this weekend we went to PC world and bought a Toshiba satellite A50-542, mainly because I've done some ersearch in the Net and the reviews for Toshiba's seem quite good. the only thing with this model is 'Techie@ wise it could be a bit outdated, but here's the spec
1.5 GHZ
Centrino Pentium M 715
512 MB Memory
40 GB Harddisk Drive (4200 RPM)
64 MB Intel 855 GM
2 Mb Cache
15 XGA TFT Screen
DVD-R/-RW Drive
56k Modem / Lan
Wireless Lan 802.11B/G
MS Windowa XP Home Edition
Up to 4 hrs Battery life
weight = 2.6 kg

This was £899.98 from PC world / Currys or Dixons. Searched other shops on the internet for a cheaper price but no can do, so have a feeling this model has been superceeded (sp) with possibly the Tecra range or something else.

Anyway have only got it Saturday and am very pleased with it.

Hope that may help a bit!! :hopeso

[aroundtheworld]

We are moving to Auckland around december/jan..I bought this laptop here in US..its a toshiba A55-S326...It supports 110-240V..so i guess i'll be needing just the Socket converter for NZ...

BTW what are the charges for cable internet..I was paying like 40$ per month here..

[jhsay]

Things are actually cheaper in HongKong than in Singapore so why not try it out. One thing you should consider is the availability of warranty/post-sales services of that brand in NZ.

-jinkee

[Robert]

To confirm - UK and NZ phone jacks are the same so your UK laptop/modem lead will work here without modification or adaptor.

The easiest way to convert your laptop to NZ plugs is to buy a plug from a hardware store ($3.50 in Bunnings or Warehouse, $7 in some other places). Simply cut off the UK plug and fix on the NZ one. (! they call the Live wire Active here and it is marked, logically, A in plugs)

[Woz]

Things are actually cheaper in HongKong than in Singapore so why not try it out. One thing you should consider is the availability of warranty/post-sales services of that brand in NZ.

-jinkee

Also one other thing to thing about is regonalisation.

If you want a UK keyboard layout or an English version of Windows then buy BEFORE you leave.

The HK/Singapore versions will have a different keyboard layout than you are normally used to and you might end up with a version of Windows that you cant actually read.

From my experience of Singapore duty free I could actually get cheaper a PDA cheaper in the UK.

Do your research

[art]

Yes, I believe the Singapore versions would use a US layout - e.g. without the pound sign. As for Windows versions, though, it would most likely be the English (International?) version.