welshwales

This old black box of a computer needs renewing but should i buy one over here before i move out there or are they cheaper over there???

Is there anything you would have bought new to take with you i.e Washer, Fridge, Settee,

Spacecake799

We bought our Mac in Singapore, saved loads compared to the UK and got it in black!

jueinnz

If you have the English pounds buy when you get here, get it made up to what you need, will be ready in less than a week...no shipping costs and no waiting for the container to arrive.
Also is the old one good enough to pass on to a relative who you want to be in regular touch with but doesn't have a computer.....thats what we did.

P2L

BUY HERE

I'm really thankful that we had a laptop to bring with us, cos waiting for the container would have been a nightmare.

We used the computer to sort all sort of stuff like comparing prices for white goods, looking up places etc and we have internet banking too so would have been lost without it.

Also a valuable lifeline for keeping in touch with the important people in your ( or your kids!!) life!!

jennifer45

This is one of the worries I have. I'm taking a lap-top for the same reasons as you, but can't afford a mac. However my main comp is a mac so everything is configured to mac format. I will need an ISP that supports mac platform. Lot of stuff out there that's not mac compatible
Did you get a new ISP straight away? If so which one would you recommend in Nelson/Tasman area? I've managed in past to keep up with banking etc through library IP etc and family's IC but have been paying UK ISP charges by DD all the time.Would I lose this ability if I closed my UK ISP account? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

Can someone out there talk me through the steps (slowly)of how and when to change ISP. Forgive me if I'm appearing dense. Sometimes I really can't see the wood for the trees. The brain is beginning to shut down with overload these days!

Jennie

PaulGent

Hi Jenie

Heres what we did.

We shipped our PC to NZ in our container. When we arrived in NZ it was 2 months before our container arrived so I went to a little computer shop and bought a $100 PC from them. It wasn't flashy but it cam with a screen, keyboard and mouse and the guy even threw in an new set of speakers!
We then got Telecom here to give us a dial up connection so that we could get online and keep in touch. It also gave us the chance to do all the online price comparing for our new stuff for the house.
We kept our email on line by using the internet mail from BT. We sare still using these email addresses now even though we have been in NZ for 18 months.
When our PC got here from UK we got cannected to Broadband. My ISp is Compass. I am not sure they are the cheapest but I was working for them so it seemed to make sense to go with them. The service has been 100% reliable and doesn't seem to expensive. Their number in NZ is 0800 640 840.
If you've got and ADSL router (modem) then make sure you bring it with you because I am sure it will work fine here.
Hope that helps

Paul

jennifer45

Thanks paul, noted name and number. Reliability/service is what I'm after.
I'm with BT now but I'm worried that when I close my UK Bank accounts and cancel DDs I'll lose my BT e-mails.
I don't have a separate modem (it's integral with my mac) I don't have an ADSL router 'cos I'm not on broadband. Too much hassle for me to set up (even though BT offered a really good deal -cheaper than what I'm paying now)
Stupid I know but I'm reluctant to attempt it in case I mess everything up and lose the use of it. Sad - but of all the 'things' I'd miss most, my mac is high on the list. The 'brain' is on a walk about at the mo! I'm trying to function without it!

Herm

Just been to the States and bought a Mac - half the price of buying one in NZ so if your flying via the good ole US of A might be an option for you.

Cheers

welshwales

Just been to the States and bought a Mac - half the price of buying one in NZ so if your flying via the good ole US of A might be an option for you.

Cheers[/QUOTE]

Forgive me for being stupid but i thought USA were 110volts electricity and NZ and UK 240.

happynz

If it's a laptop it won't matter.

Herm

Forgive me for being stupid but i thought USA were 110volts electricity and NZ and UK 240.[/QUOTE]

Input on laptops (plus many other appliances) is 110v - 240v so will charge anywhere. Just need a US/NZ conversion plug (approx 10 NZ dollars) or buy a ipod/imac 2 pin when here and slot in to the laptop supplied cable.

lardyl

You could get a Dell from the outlet store in the UK and get the international transferrable business next day service package. That is for three years and they are uber cheap if you get the right one! Then buy a decent bag and bring it over as hand luggage.
I paid £800 for a £1700 model and it was far cheaper than the Dell eBay store - the one with scratched ones that cant be sold on the Outlet.
Just google "dell outlet"
good luck, Ian

brussels_sprout

If you look carefully on any laptop you will see a Voltage switch 110-240V, they are on many shavers too. You do not need any US adaptor for laptops and shavers, only a different mains plug !

lardyl

many laptop power supplies just take a generic IEC 2 pin (called figure of eight) cable - these are universal, or some (like my Dell Precision) use a 3 pin "cloverleaf" connection - with an earth and not the same as the kettle lead you have for your PC/monitor. You can get these leads from suppliers on eBay or via computer suppliers. Cloverleaf ones are more difficult to find and I'd recommend you get one from the UK before you leave if you want to cut the plug off and replace with a NZ/Oz one as I've not seen one advertised here and given the other hardware prices I'd wager they will be expensive!

Happy Wanderer

Hi There

This is what we did before we came over to Asia and it's been brilliant. We paid about the same as you, but ordered it over the phone after deciding on the spec using the internet. I think we got a fair discount ( I can't remember exactly how much) and they delivered it to the house within a couple of weeks. We also ordered the rucksack carrier, so it was easy hand luggage to take.

It was also a godsend because it doubled up as a radio/cd player which was lovely in an empty house. The children also watched DVDs on it while we were travelling, in hotels or in the house waiting for the TVs to arrive.