pez2008 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Hi. At some point in the near future i will need to buy a laptop about £ 400 worth. My question is buy it now in UK or wait till we get to Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dpm31567 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 if your coming through dubai grab a macbook good deals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiedreamz Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 You need to be more specific on what you want to do with the laptop but one thing I have noticed here are laptops tend to be more expensive than in the UK and £400/$800 won't get you a machine with all the bells and whistles on it, the cheapest model I saw last week was a basic compaq model which cost $800 and that was the bottom of the range. If you decide to buy in the UK consider looking at a Dell, I have used them for years and have never had a problem with them also with Dell and don't tell anyone I told you. They allow you to transfer the warranty between countries for free, so if you bought in the UK and took out there 2 or 3 year extended warranty once you have an Aussie address just fill out the warranty transfer form on Dell's support website and your laptop will be covered in Oz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Easy to compare Dell prices online of course using Dell Australia: Desktop Computers, Laptops, Servers, Monitors, Printers & PC Accessories. One thing to note is that it can be frustrating using an Australian/US keyboard at work and then re-adjusting back to a UK one at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poca&Dan Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Oh i'm in the same situation, I have looked into prices in oz and it appears that you prob get more for your money over here, however i'm worried that if anything goes wrong with the computer over there then we're a bit stuck however interesting to hear about dell?! Also whats the difference between their keyboard and ours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moxy Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 They are pretty pricey here so if you can get the warranty transferred if may be better to buy one in UK. You can get some deals now and again but they would be basic ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 We bought one in the UK. We did that so that we could put everything from our desktop on the laptop, plus we scanned in our old photos etc, scanned in copies of certificates etc, etc, so that if the worst happened and we lost our computer or photos etc, we would still have them. It was great to have on the flight with our chidren, we played some dvd's for them to watch. It was also great to have when we first arrived becuase researching things on the internet was invaluable in the first few weeks. We also had my hubbys work stuff on here which he needed as soon as he started work. It has a built in webcam, so we use Skype to speak to family. Our belongings arrived three months ago, and I haven't even taken our other computer out of the boxes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyhus Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 i brought one in uk. not sure if all power leads are the same but with my HP just had to buy a new lead that fits into the power box thingy and good to go. Personally i think laptops over here are very expensive if you have a £400 budget get one there and put it through its paces before you arrive, with a built in webcam for skype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiedreamz Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Oh i'm in the same situation, I have looked into prices in oz and it appears that you prob get more for your money over here, however i'm worried that if anything goes wrong with the computer over there then we're a bit stuck however interesting to hear about dell?! Also whats the difference between their keyboard and ours? One of the main differences between a UK and Aus keyboard is the @ symbol is on the number 2 key so you have to pay attention when you type emails. Here is the link to the Dell International Ownership Transfer all you do is fill in the form when you have an Australian address, then a representative from Dell Asia will email you a few days later to confirm the transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Oh i'm in the same situation, I have looked into prices in oz and it appears that you prob get more for your money over here, however i'm worried that if anything goes wrong with the computer over there then we're a bit stuck however interesting to hear about dell?! Also whats the difference between their keyboard and ours? Wikipedia: The UK variant of the IBM Enhanced keyboard commonly used with personal computers running Microsoft Windows differs from the US layout as follows: an AltGr key is added to the right of the space bar the # symbol is replaced by the £ symbol and a 102nd key is added next to the Enter key to accommodate the displaced # @ and " are swapped the ~ is moved to the # key, and is replaced by a ¬ symbol on the backquote (`) key the \ key is moved to the left of the Z key On laptop computers, the | and \ key is often placed next to the space bar Can be a real nuisance if you are a s/w developer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 I'm still on the email mailing list from PC World and also get all-too-frequent mail shots from some of the Aussie electronics chains. Laptops are slightly cheaper in the UK though I don't find as much difference as some people seem to be implying. At today's exchange rate, you get maybe one processor model more or 3 gig of RAM instead of 2 gig for the same money. That's at the present rate--if it ever gets back to $2.40 to the pound the situation might be reversed. Buying in the UK would let you get up and running before travelling, bring important files with you and, as noted above, save a little money. The downsides would be the plugs on the mains adaptor will have to be changed and you may find warranty problems. However, on this last point, some manufacturers will offer some form of world wide warranty on laptops--I used to have an Acer and they did it. I suspect others will as well. If you can find a suitable machine with the traveller's warranty, I'd probably buy in the UK. I know I was happy to have a working laptop from practically the moment I landed...I seemed to be on line a lot at first researching lots of things I needed to know. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanky Lad Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Oh i'm in the same situation, I have looked into prices in oz and it appears that you prob get more for your money over here, however i'm worried that if anything goes wrong with the computer over there then we're a bit stuck however interesting to hear about dell?! Also whats the difference between their keyboard and ours? Keyboards basically dont have the £ sign other than that you can change configuration in Windows. Picking a computer: Stay with a Global brands and check International warranty. Dont listen to a salesman....pick the brand and check online - top brands usually have an FAQ or helpdesk contact. To me, computers and similar cost more in Oz - but then again so does basically everything else! Having said that we just got a very big melon fo $0.99 = 50p ! Its easier in the UK to play one against t'other to do a "price match" deal. Here, you get these "High STreet" chains Bing Lee - "Everything negotiable" means nothing and usually gets you $ 2 - $5 off anything over $100 - but the starting price can be higher than others! Good Guys " Pay cash its cheaper" not really - depends on item, deals goind and the guy dealing with you. We humm'd and ar'd with one guy - went back next day and got anothe $200 of the quote for big double fridge /freezer, washing machine and dishwasher Harvey Norman. Basically a collection of individual franchise's with a corporate baseline, so it depends on who and where you deal There are other "chains" and a lot of "smaller" stores doing deals. They all have websites which you can search in the UK. Dont worry about plug changing, Woolworths, Big W and others sell plugs at about $2-$5, easy to change. Same goes for all UK electricals. voltage is compatable. L.L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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