babysinead

Got a Sony Vaio, 4 years old not worth much but is still in good working order.

Shall i sell it and buy a better one in Singapore on my overnight stay or wait until i get to perth........or buy a newer one in the uk with an international warranty

moneypenny20

If you've got one in good working order there's no reason not to bring it. One thing you will want constantly when you land is internet access. To be honest computers are not any cheaper really either in Singapore or here compared to the UK. Bring it, use it and only get a new one when you need to. You'll have better things to spend your money on when you first arrive.

bcworld

If you want a new one, I'd buy it here, prices are competitive if you shop around.

Amazulu

Agree. I find this kind of thing cheaper here than in the UK

bcworld

Yup, I've compared a few and they always work out cheaper here, and that's even converting at $1.60.

I recently picked up a great spec little netbook for $340, which I can't find for the same number of pounds! Lower spec model is 260 quid in Tesco.

Amazulu

Officeworks consistently have great electronics bargains - sometimes radically so. Which is somewhat surprising as they are owned by Woolworths

I bought my netbook there

deb68

We are glad we put ours in our suitcase, it's been a life saver for us really. Especially while your waiting for the container to turn up with the desktop etc.

Beoz

I find electricals in Oz are on par with the UK in terms of cost. Visited Singapore recently and went on the hunt for electricals. Could not find a bargain anywhere. Cheaper in Oz or UK.

GarryP

In straight number terms, a vote here for buying in Oz, if you are going to buy a new one. Things have got better in the exchange rate terms.

eg Samsung i5-480 15" laptop
Oz (officeworks) $879.00 = £549
UK(ebuyer) £653

Mind, in the UK you'll know where to get the laptop you want, cheap. Here, you are clueless and will pay a premium as a result. Also the selection in the UK is usually better.

Best bet is if you can find a store that will do the VAT back, so you can save an extra 20% on the price. Not easy unfortunately, the system is weighted against you.

Also, further hint. Buy a cheap TV dongle to go with the laptop. Generally they work worldwide (so will work here) and will enable you to watch the wonderful aussie TV on the laptop while you wait for your stuff to turn up. Expect to need to buy an multifunction printer/scanner/fax when you get it - for paperwork mucking about.

Oh, and look into getting a UK Sipgate number while you are in the UK - so you can give friends a UK VOIP number to dial to keep in touch - its free and you need to do that in-country.

PS If you can, sort a Sat Nav in the UK with Oz maps - you'll need it as soon as.

PPS You will want to sort out VPN access to the UK and iPlayer, bear it in mind.

Amazulu

I agree. Specialised stuff like AV receivers and speakers can be expensive here but that is offset by cheaper big screen TVs and computers. Appliances, overall, are very similar.

fish.01

If buying new I would buy in oz. I found it very annoying having a uk keyboard at home (laptop) and a us keyboard at work.