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Getting A Laptop With The Low U.S. Dollar
An anonymous reader submits "I am heading to the U.S. pretty soon and am keen to take advantage of the low US$ to buy a laptop. The differences in prices are astounding - on dell.com (US) you pay $2049 for a Precision M60 - in the UK this costs 1620.33UKP, or $2999. That is a fair difference! It makes it cheaper for me to fly to the US to buy it and carry it home than it is for me to buy it in the UK. Now, that said, it isn't particularly easy to find a place to buy a laptop from, since most of the places don't ship to the UK (or it takes weeks) and it is difficult to get stuff delivered to your hotel ... any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?"
First off, I'm assuming you want a mail order dell laptop. The simplest way to go is to get a mailbox in New York via a company like The Mail Box or a UPS store. They give you a full address that is not a PO box, and they will sign for packages for you. Pre-pay for 1 month. That's step 1.
Step 2 is order your laptop and have it sent to your brand new address. You are going to want expedited shipping here - probably next day shipping because it might take a few days for them to ship it.
Step 3, pick up your cheap laptop when it arrives and consider the difference as... profit!
Karma: SELECT `karma` FROM `users` WHERE `userid`=138474;
Not sure why this warrents an ask slashdot when a quick search found this:
Gateway Stores
Circuit City
Dell Direct Stores
Or if your feeling artistic:
Apple Stores
Mug a stockbroker...
Try J&R near city hall.
http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/
well, first you go to the apple store...
-----------------------------------------
Remove the Greed which plagues mankind.
Try the Apple Store in Soho. They'll have great laptops.
<tongue_in_cheek>Don't forget to declare your new laptop to customs, though--if you don't, you'll be a damned, dirty tax cheat. Nobody likes a damned, dirty tax cheat.</tongue_in_cheek>
(Oh, bear in mind--you'll be stuck with a US QWERTY keyboard. No Euro key or Pound key, among other things--you'll need to remap and remember...)
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
UPS Store or a Business Center. They'll receive your packages for a fee.
---------
AlmostFreeLinux.com
Turnaround on the best (i.e. built to order) laptops is bet. 1 and 2 weeks, so if you're only here for four days then you're pretty much screwed. If you can order it now and have it delivered to a friend here in the states, then pick it up when you get here, youll be better off. Do NOT by a lappy at the store, most store laptops are a very bad deal.
No, damn-near impossible. No company will ship to a hotel unless they want export controls to prosecute their asses into the ground. There are laws specifically to prevent what you propose doing.
That said, you'll have to find a place to buy a computer face-to-face, then you get to either mail it to yourself or explain it to customs.
REM Old programmers don't die. They just GOSUB without RETURN.
Order laptop in advance via credit card. Have the laptop shipped to a trusted friend or colleague. Pick up when you are in town.
Many retail establishments can offer mechandise on the spot here, thought not always the same level of customization that Dell offers.
Walk into a Best Buy or similar large electronics store. Buy something in stock. Usually, they have some machines at decent prices... the down side is that they may not be the machine you want. It sounds like you have some specific needs or demands.
Your other option is to buy something off Ebay, but again, you may not find what you want. Also, you may not trust Ebay/the Buyer/whatever else in that process.
Damn, I'll buy it and mail it... say $400 of the savings for me?
That in the USA we have different voltages, frequencies and plug shapes for power than you do in the UK.
Also, we drive on the right; you should catch the hang of it quickly if you cross your hands before putting them onto the keyboard.
"Provided by the management for your protection."
Wouldn't you have to pay duty on the laptop? $2k in purchases over a four day stay probably exceeds any allowance the U.K. has for computers.
Maybe Best Buy or Fry's? You know, small little niche shops like that.
Seriously, unless you're hung up on Dell, any computer store will fall over themselves selling you a laptop.
Or am I missing a US/UK difference here? Does the UK just not have these kind of "walk in and buy it" type shops?
Trying going here!
If you buy their extended warrenty, you get worldwide coverage for three years. Not a bad deal! :)
It goes without saying I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just an extremely happy customer. The inicial cost might appear steep but it's offset by your first major spend, really.
Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
if not other customs payments. So it is a little more than the $2000, but probably still less than $2999. Or you could smuggle it in, but a large notebook may be hard to hide.
***Quis custodiet ipsos custodes***
Truly an American icon.
Brand new, just fell off the truck....
Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
"...any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?"
Hang out outside a nice hotel (where there's sure to be a conference) with a plastic gun.
Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
Also depending on the value - and your opinion of smuggling of course - you might have to declare the laptop as a foriegn purchase on returning to England. In that case you might have to play duties on the laptop.
I would hate for all of your "profit" to be eaten up in random taxes - so find out what taxes, duties, shipping, etc. you will end up paying. As I recall England has a VAT tax rather than a sales tax - might be where much of the 900 dollar difference lies
I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them
It will cost you a crap load of money for customs. If you don't declare it, it would be illegal to "carry" it across your border. If customs questions you, they will want proof of purchase for your laptop, if you can't prove it, and they find out your lying (i.e. checking the serial #), then you will be charged with lying to a customs offical and be fined well over $2000. Make sure you do some research, it's not your buying a $50 sweater and wearing it across.
Mod +5 Drunk
Make a sign that indicates you have a couple thousand on your person and that you are in the market for a laptop. I helpful citizen sales rep will shortly arrive to arrange your purchase.
The biggest problem you may likely run into, is that the big online computer places will only ship to the billing address of your Credit card or an address listed as approved for shipments by your credit card company.
The second biggest problem you will run into with at least Dell (and this is really my only complaint with Dell) is that you order today...its might get approved tomorrow..."built"...then tested for 24 hours...packaged....then placed on Fedex/UPS truck for a day and THEN shipped overnight.
----- LoboSoft specializes in Digital Language Lab
The US has become Mexico.
People are coming here to exploit our weak currency!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
This
Directions here to the retail store. I can highly recommend the 12" iBook or PowerBook.
I'm going to be in the world's richest and most cultured city! The Big Apple, Gotham, The Capital of the World, The Naked City, The City that Never Sleeps! IS THERE ANYWHERE TO BUY A COMPUTER IN A CITY LIKE THIS? WHAT? Also! Where to find some recipes on Internet? But please, I need to know if electronics are available in NEW YORK FUCKING CITY because I'm a FUCKING RETARD and I honestly don't know the answer! THANK YOU!
Just don't buy from the merchants on the street!!!! You would think this is obvious, but you may be tempted after a look or two.. if you lived in New York, this would be differebnt of course... but as a tourist you will get cheated. Don't even think about it!!
Hit the stores:
CompUSA
Best Buy
Circuit City
Just about any computer store.
Just beware the guy on the corner selling that way under proced laptop.
"It could burn your hands."
Don't forget to get a jolly good rodgering whilst you're here.
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
To what extent is the price difference attributable to the VAT as opposed to the low dollar?
Seems that tech always costs more in Europe due to VAT issues.
Here in the states, you are supposed to pay the tax for items you buy from other states (pay your state tax, even though the purchase was made out of state. While most people don't actually do this, I was curious as to the laws involved when you purchase internationally. If you buy from the US, do you owe the UK VAT tax if you reside there and use it there?
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
Harlem.
Wasn't there a 110v/60Hz versus 230v/50Hz issue?
www.vanheusden.com - home of Multitail, HTTPing, CoffeeSaint, EntropyBroker, rsstail, bsod, listener, nagcon, nagi
any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?
Sure - overnight shipping on 2 back-to-back business days.
The heat from below can burn your eyes out
I believe that Costco sells Dells now...here's their computers & peripherals page. There are a few of these stores in the NYC area. Go to their site and find a retailer closest to you. It's far easier than doing it mail-order (with your specific case in mind). You'll also (unfortunately) need to get a membership there which will cost you about $75 -- unless you've got a friend in the area with a membership or are really crafty.
-Turkey
As an ex Dell laptop user and current Toshiba Laptop User, let me recomend you stop off at the nearest electronics dealer and pick up a Toshiba laptop. I've had four laptops from them, and I've never had a single problem with any of them. They are stable, WELL constructed (example, instead of the crappy laptop speakers that Dell includes they have Harmon Kardon speakers, with a built in subwoofer, not exactly audiophile status but a hell of a lot better than most.) My current laptop has a 17' lcd who's native res is 1600x1200x32 Everywhere I go the first thing that people comment on is the quality of my screen. That on top of the fact that there is a minimum of crappy software installed, and a tech support line that is actually helpful puts Toshiba at the top for me.
This is not a sig
Our company, a "techie" company decided to buy our last set of Laptops from Best Buy. Approximately the same price and features as Mail order, but we have onsite service right here in town (well, we bought the extended warranty.) I think we've been really happy with the decision...we've had a could of problems, both of which were resolved same-day by the Best Buy staff. Of course, I don't know if you have Best Buy in the UK, so this may not be an option for you.
It's been almost 10 days since last SCO post ! Slashdot is sooooo boring without SCO post !!!!
You seem to have forgotten that we still do have brick and mortar stores. Its not all about the internet.
A Mac-fanatic Democrat, in case you couldn't tell...
You're proud of your labels, aren't you?
Thanks for sharing, anyway.
(A human being, in case you couldn't tell...)
Seriously, the best place to buy stuff. I got a genuine Rollox wristwatch from a dude there.
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
Shame on you!
Doesn't Dell ask you to affirm that you will not export the computer from the United States as part of their checkout process?
From Dell's shopping cart:
Export Intent
I WILL NOT export this order outside the United States.
I WILL export this order outside the United States.
The export of any product and software purchased from Dell must be made in accordance with all relevant laws of the United States, including and without limitation, the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. This may require that you obtain a formal export license or make certain declarations to the United States Government regarding product(s) to be exported, their destination or their end-use.
Ship-To Prohibitions: Please be informed that your designated ship to address must reflect the address of the ultimate end-user. Dell will not process any order which specifies an address of a freight forwarder, warehouse, distribution center, airport, hotel or PO box.
I have an aunt and uncle jon and rosie who flew to europe to buy some fancy car, it was actually cheaper to fly, buy, and have it shipped to the states than to buy it here in the U.S. I forget what kind of car it was, probably a bmw or something.
;)
before you reply, the answer is yes you can buy cars in europe with the steering wheel on the left side.
What is slashdot?
eom
Sure! Its easy, just go to Central Park and ask for Julio, he's got laptops, small electronics... organs...
Any good hotel (4 star and up, and good chain 3 stars) will sign for packages for you; just call the hotel, tell them you have a reservation, and ask how can you send a FedEx package to them for your personal delivery when you check-in. Get the name of the concierge/manager that gives you this information and ask for them by name on any follow-up calls. Give the info to Dell, make sure they put your name and "(Guest)" on the delivery and make it c/o of the person you have the name of, if possible. And don't forget to tip.
I can't imagine a decent NYC hotel not doing this; as a long-time business traveler, it's a perk you expect and is quite common.
One thing you should consider is warranty. I've only worked for Sony so I can't speak for any of the other manufacturers, but any laptop you buy in the US will probably only be warranted in the US.
Which means if it breaks, it's your dime to ship it back to the US. And then on top of that, they are going to wipe your HD before shipping it out of country back to you.
Look for a CompUSA store. There are plenty in NYC. CompUSA carries many decent brands of laptops, all available for on-the-spot purchasing, including HP, Compaq, Toshiba and Sony. I highly recommend Toshiba, they give you the most bang for the buck.
"Black holes are where God divided by zero." - Steve Wright
The $2999 includes a 17.5% VAT ($446), whereas the $2049 price doesn't include 8.625% NY tax ($176). I don't know the UK import laws, but be prepared if they ding you with an import tax (which may be the full VAT) when you come back with your new computer.
HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
What are you talking about? Arial Sharon isn't dead.
What's gotten into you? You used to be cool, Tom.
"It makes it cheaper for me to fly to the US to buy it and carry it home than it is for me to buy it in the UK."
I'm just curious because I do not know your British ways:
Must you "declare" any big ticket items you may be bringing into your country?
Also, I recently ordered something from dell myself and noticed a checkbox I was forced to answer, before they processed my payments, which asks if I planned to take the item out of the country. I'm curious as to what kind of other stuff they ask you if you check "yes". (Or if you simply intend to check "no".)
The best reputable dealer in NYC is J&R Music and Computer World. They have a good selection of laptop computers that you can buy and take away right there; naturally they don't have Dell since Dell sells through the web only.
You can start by taking a look at their selection on their web site here. You'll pay the relevant sales taxes for New York (under 10%) but you'll get a much better deal than the Dell you are looking at.
Of course it's totally you to you whether you declare the thing when you arrive back in the UK and pay the relevant UK taxes.
John.
Won't the keyboard changes be annoying? I have a British laptop here in the US, and the British layout pissed me off for a while (even after I remapped it, I couldn't find some keys).. Anyways, if you get stopped by customs, just say you had it before you came to the US :).
Lets face it. You simply can't buy a computer over the counter in the USA anymore. It takes weeks and the security checks are hell. Anyway, there are no computer stores in New York City. They are all in Round Rock, Texas. You should really rethink buying here, since your going to have to stuff it up your butt to get it through customs anyway.
purchase your "new" laptop from the refurb pile, not only should it ship more or less immediately, it'll save you even more.
check www.jandr.com first. the store prices might be a bit higher, but they have a very decent seelction/prices
Follow this link to IBM's Authorized eBay store.
Heavily discounted new laptopts, directly from IBM. Usually 35 bucks for next day air.
They set up this site to clear old stock, old as in 3-6 mos.
There's also the IBM Ebay Global financing eBay (seach the eBay stores section) store, they do all refurbs. That's were I got my X22 almost 2 years ago, still runnning without any problems.
Disclaimer: Thinkpads are my favorite laptops.
Good Luck.
...stop in China town or the village. I'm sure you can find a Duh-el[sic] or Gatewey [sic] laptop for $5, they may even throw in a Rolex (although don't expect it to have the new USB watch connection)
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
Spec out which one you want. I will buy and handle the shipping..and set it up as a "gift" so you will be the owner of the laptop. I will need the $$$ up front to purchase the laptop.
When you get to NYC, I will meet up and drop it off to you. In exchange, I would like $300 USD. Weekend drop-off preferred.
Regards,
Brad
If it's that much cheaper, buy me a plane ticket and I'll buy the computer, then you pay me for it. I get a trip to London, you save even more money (no hotel costs in NY).
2) CompUSA. They have good prices and a decent warranty.
3) Best Buy. Good prices, but pay close attention to the fine print on the warranty. Also, their turnaround time on warranty repairs is abysmal.
Well, now you know where to spend the money you saved. :-)
go to www.apple.com/retail and find a apple store close to your hotel and buy a powerbook. best laptop ever. Muneer
In NY you will readily find hundreds of retail outlets that carry brands such as IBM, Sony, Compaq|HP, etc. You will also find Gateway Country stores that sell Gateways. Dell has a few, select retail outlets, but I'm not sure of any in NY. There's also Apple and the Apple stores, of which there are at least 6 in NY.
If you're really sold on Dell, the order it and have it drop shipped to the FedEx or UPS depot nearest your hotel. Then drive over there and show ID to pick it up.
The only thing necessary for Micro$oft to triumph is for a few good programmers to do nothing". North County Computers
That's right, buy the one that "fell of the back of a truck." Make sure to crack the screen to help back up you're story before going through customs. ;)
BTM
That was the turning point of my life--I went from negative zero to positive zero.
What is really amazing is that he's getting an all expenses paid vacation to New York city for $950.00!!!! Sign me up. A quick travelocity search shows that flight and hotel alone and planning several days in advance costs nearly $2000.00. You add taxi, food, etc. on to all that and now we're talking about some serious cost!
J&R is a good place both for new & refurb units, I'd definitely go there. The other big chains (Best Buy, CompUSA, etc) might be worth a visit, but J&R will price match any local competitors.
If you're also looking for a camera, be sure to hit B&H Photo & Video. They have the most amazing conveyor system for moving things around the store, it's worth it to stop by just to see that!
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. - Anais Nin
All Apple machines use US keyboards anyway. This is why UK customers have email addresses like toomuchmoney"mac.com .
My two powerbooks have Irish keyboards, the Swedish G5s i've used have swedish keyboards, and the '' symbol is where it belongs, over the number 2.
BUT remember NY's friendly 8.25% sales tax. When possible, it's best to buy via mail-order from a company that doesn't have a NY presence. And remember to ask about the return policy.
Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
Hey, be very careful, or Her Majesty's revenue collectors will nab you off the plane and charge you VAT on it.
I had that experience coming back to the UK during a break in working in the US, and the SOB's saw my newish Apple 5300, and whisked me off to a cash machine (ATM) to pay 300 quid (450 dollars). Which for a research assistant was a lot of money. Mofo's. They know their stuff, and the guy who got me (I wasnt hiding it btw, just wasnt declaring it either), said it is something very common to happen.
Anyway, I got the last laugh as their delaying me in the middle of a British Airways transfer from the international flight to a domestic one ending up costing BA a 2 hour security related work stoppage and a 737 sitting at its gate for 2 hours while they argued about who would take my dangerous transferred luggage off... apparently around a million quid.
Winton
any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?
You should be able to find a local crackhead, within a short distance of any major intersection in NYC. They will have plenty of information on how to acquire name brand computers and electronics at ROCK bottom prices.
and buy a laptop.
Sheesh. Compare Circuit City, Best Buy and CompUSA, and buy the best deal.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Dude, I was never fucking cool. You only thought that because you were an ignorant fucktard who didn't know fucking better.
Take pride in knowing you learned something today!
Someday, I'll have a real sig.
I have friends here locally that work in a retail store called Pc-Laptops. I am sure I could persuade them to ship to the U.K. If not I would be happy to pick it up myself and ship it over with you paying the shipping.
Find out in advance if the power socket on the power suppy is detachable. If it is, buy a UK lead for it before you go out. If it isn't buy a UK power supply for it before you go out. Also bring a US->UK plug converter. Make a CD of any of the kind of software you'd normally have installed, plus a selection of your normal documents/family photos etc that you'd have on your computer.
After you've bought your laptop, install the software and copy over some of your documents. If possible swap the backdrop to a picture of your kids or Mum or something like that. Change the regional settings to match the UK.
Then throw away all the packaging, CDs US power lead etc before you leave the hotel. Just keep the kind of things you'd normally take with you on a trip.
When you go through UK customs, it's not that likely you'll be stopped. If you do get stopped, the UK power supply and the fact that you've got lots of crap installed already will make it look like you just took your laptop with you anyway.
Lovely.
Er. I didn't say that.
I used to do business in the UK. Your laptop will work fine. Simply buy a US to UK socket adapter. You don't have to worry about the voltage as the laptop power supply is made to handle 120 and 220. The only problem you might have is with the "|" key and the EURO symbol. The "|" key can be a real pain if you are a unix admin. So you may want to remap the keyboard.
I think the price of a laptop is below the U.S. importation tax fees. I am not sure about the UK. Of course you could just fly right into Britan with your laptop and look like any other business or techi traveler. Customs has better things to look out for than a single laptop being imported.
Pay a large chunk of change to Customs...
Most, if not all, laptops use "switch mode" power supplies which can take an input voltage range from 93 - 250Vac -- this means that they will work in the US and UK.
Some power supplies have an extra lead that connects them to the wall socket (ususally with figure-8 connector) - so you can buy a suitable lead when you return to the UK and not have to mess around re-wiring plugs and still have a usable lead for when you visit the US
Thats what I did!
I had an idea like this at one time. I registered a domain name: vatsucks.com (or something to that effect). My idea was to drop-forward packages to foreign countries. You escrow $, I buy, you pay, I ship.
I'm too lazy to follow through though.
"This isn't a study in computer science, its a study in human behavior"
1) Order from a state which does not issue V.A.T., so you get the Laptop for the net price
2) Pay with your credit card
3) Have it delivered for pick-up from the carrier company (Fedex or UPS)
4) Add overnight service if you are in a hurry
My advise: www.outpost.com, Call them from the U.K.
You don't need to ship a laptop anywhere unless you need something very customized. Most chain stores and computer stores keep a number of different laptops in stock right at the store. You can buy one right there and they will hand it to you. If it's a name brand laptop (like Sony, HP, etc) you can usually get tech support anywhere in the world that supports that brand.
... but you may wish to consider a city with a lower sales tax: NYC is at 8.75%, which could make it worth your while to find a different city with lower taxes... Maybe somewhere in Virginia? The weather at this time of year is much nicer, the taxes are lower, and DC is a pretty decent tourist destination...
Oh, and absolutely do NOT go anywhere else besides J&R in NYC, except Tekserve, and only if you need a Mac. Pretty much every other place in NYC is a ripoff joint or a ripoff chain store.
Go to Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, or (enter long list of other stores here) and just buy one off the shelf.
Have one of these http://alienware.com/system_pages/area-51m.aspx sent to an American friend and have them send it to you? Cheaper than flying to the US I'm sure.
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Assuming it's available here why not come to Canada! If you want more for your money your pound gets $2.46092 Canadian (as of 4:55 Atlantic on XE.com)
Go to Halifax or you could pick one up in Newfoundland if your plane stops there to refuel.
Even Icelanders go to Halifax to Christmas shop.
...do your own shopping you lazy limey!
Have it shipped to me, in Texas. I'm sure I COULD then FedEx it to you anywhere in NYC, on your schedule.
If you know anyone here that you can REALLY trust, that is my suggestion. But, there is no shortage of places to buy electronics in NYC.
--
My offer applies only to non-Windows units.
This is definatley in access of the 145 Pound(money not weight) allowence:
When they ask you if you have anything to declare, just whip out your fingefnail clippers and say,
"I almost forgot to toss those in the trash before I left the hotel, could you take care of them?"
They will thank you, and look for anything else small and sharp, completly missing the laptop.
My Doctor prescribed daily nasal saline irrigation, hehe
Last weekend in Circuit City at Union Square (highly recommended if nature calls: contrary to the Virgin Megastore next door there are no lines at the restrooms!), I overheard this intelligent sales rep: "Yes, this computer has an Athlon processor. It's better than an Intel processor because it's more agile. You know. It can run multiple programs at once. An Intel can't do this. Also, it's from AMD, American Micro Devices. They're much bigger than Intel, so the price is lower." Anyway, they also sell laptops. :-)
wire me the money and i'll order it for you. you could then meet me to pick it up. my address is 673 west 29th street, ny, ny.
Just be aware that support service, I'm pretty certain about Dell's on-site support service in particular, will not be available to you outside of North America if you purchase your laptop in the U.S.
buy an e-Machine!
Since you mentioned going to New York, be warned that there are a lot of "electronics stores" in Manhattan that offer "too good to be true" deals. There is a reason these deals are call "too good to be true" and there have been many many national news pieces on how many people are robbed blind in these stores, yet they are still in operation. Avoid them and shop for your new computer at a National Retailer like CompUSA, Best Buy or Circuit City.
One very annoying sales pratice that you might have problems dealing with is the all too common "rebate" deals on computers and notebooks. You'll frequently find stores with one or even two $100 or more rebates on notebooks, and sometimes lots of extra goodies that are "free after rebate" when you buy them with the notebook. Unfortunately, the mail-in rebate deals almost always are limited to the U.S. and sometimes Canada, and require a street address (not a post office box). Unless you have a contact here in the U.S. (something I assume you do not have or you would not have needed to ask your original question), you may have problems collecting on a rebate offer. Maybe someone else will respond to this with some suggestions on how a traveler can work around this.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
There are nice notebooks assembled in Latvia.
IMHO, they are better than Asus and _much_ better than HP. They come without OS preinstalled and run Linux perfectly. With Knoppix I was able to listen shoutcast in three minutes after boot :) glxgears show result similar to my Radeon 7500.
After all, they are cheaper than well-known brands. 1 USD ~ 0.6 LVL.
I'd imagine that your ip has been traced, your passport has been flagged, and that you will get stopped at customs. Should have kept it a secret.
You'll spend, what 8? hours on a plane, not to mention time spent at the airport, international no less, and spend 4 days in a hotel to save $1000? How much are you going to spend on your trip? Christ, UK cheapness is as pervasive as their belief that humor = men in dresses.
Try Michael's Computers, Tom's Hardware just did a review of them. He has the BEST laptops on earth, at least in theory...
If the item has been used by the individual before returning to the UK, it is considered "personal effects". More details can be found here
It's something I'm interested in. Especially since the Dell Dimension XPS isn't available in the UK.
I think the difference in price has to do with the VAT, which you'll have to pay at the customs when you get back, unless, that is, you can somehow sneak it by (which would be illegal). When you buy the laptop in the UK, the VAT is already paid.
...and get one to go from the dell outlet store.
Sure, just send me a cheque and I'll be glad to purchase the laptop and forward it on to you after my cut. Much cheaper than a flight.
> Walk into a Best Buy or similar large electronics store. Buy something in stock. Usually, they have some machines at decent prices... the down side is that they may not be the machine you want. It sounds like you have some specific needs or demands.
I'd say the real down side is trying to convince the sales associate why you don't want the service plan. WHEN will they understand that I'm a freaking cheap-ass, Fat Wallet groupie looking for the best deals, trying to rape your fine retail establishment of any fair profit you might think you're entitled to! Good thing electroncis stores don't have facial identification scanners yet.
"Security to ops - we have a cherry picker in sector 4c!"
Why are we discussing ways to illegally avoid taxes and tariffs on this board?
Oh that's right, most readers are folks who can't afford a decent operating system.
They've been in business for years, and they have great selection and OK prices. Vaio, Toshiba, IBM, HP, Compaq, ought to be able to pick one out you like, pay the man, and carry it out.
who, me? where? with who?
GO to Best Buy, get one of these. I'm sure you can find an AC adapter for UK.
I'd get a 6807 if you could get one (DVD burner instead of the CD-RW\DVD), but they don't seem to be available yet.
'Nuff said
Spyder
If you consider to run Linux on your new laptop, you may check Linux-On-Laptops or TuxMobil - Linux on laptops, PDAs and mobile phones first. If you can not get the appropriate information there, you may take a Knoppix Linux CD to check the Linux compatibility. Just ask the salesman whether you may boot from the CD before buying.
J and R (www.jandr.com) down on Park Row (N, R train to City Hall, 2,3 train to Park Place) has reasonable prices, wide selection, etc.
Get a laptop corpse, carry it on you flight to the U.S., pitch it into the garbage, let the customs weenies think that your new laptop is the old one. Simple.
Aside from the need to buy an empty shell and flowers your new airport security friend, it's cheap and easy.
I really have no idea if this would work, and I certainly wouldn't advocate cheating the taxman. Never never never...
Why do I have this? I don't smoke.
And don't declare it either. I don't want to see your benevolent government have another penny! They'd probably just use it to protect the interests of their laborers. (That's why the laptops are cheaper here in the first place... er, wait, what?)
w00t! I love seeing an upstanding Slashdot user go downhill in a blaze of trolling.
Hit their website jandr.com to see what they're featuring this week. Also a full page ad every day in the NYTimes. Go to a shopping site to find best online price and print out the comparison chart. Take the result into the J&R store (downtown just south of City Hall) and see what the salesman can do for you. Often they have oddball configs that don't compare one-for-one with the online store's config. But if you heave your breast with disappointment and plead poverty, often the J&R floor salesmen can knock quite a bit off the posted price.
Avoid any store anywhere remotely near Times Square (Broadway, 7th Ave) -- refurb crap, gray market and ancient junk at original list price.
CompUSA (at 5th Ave at 38th or 8th Ave at 59th) has a surprisingly broad selection of laptop brands. Not crazy about their prices.
There are scores of box-builder shops around Herald Square that give you a nice price on no-name beige boxes. Never tried them for laptops, but I'd guess they have a range of private-label laptops. Signs mainly in Korean.
The Apple Store has retail locations in most major cities with nearly all base configutations available. Be a man. get a mac.
Don't worry - its just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.
The one thing I've never been able to adjust to on US keyboards is the Enter key. I don't know if it's a common thing, but they always seem to be 3 keys wide and only 1 key tall on US keyboards, whereas the UK enter key is about 1.5 keys wide and 2 keys tall.
:)
My inaccurate fingers seem to find the UK key more easily. It's not a massive thing but worth remembering.
I wonder if it's possible to a spare buy UK Dell laptop keyboard and fit it to a US model? I've dismantled a couple of laptops and the keyboard is pretty modular, you'd just need the one for the UK model. Assuming you can get Dell to sell one...
As a former Best Buy employee, I've seen this happen a lot.
It happened mostly during the holidays. People are visiting relatives in the states, and they're taking advantage of after-Thanksgiving sales and such.
Let me first say, the pricing has very little to do with the 'weak US dollar'. It's just simply cheaper to buy things like computers here. How many computer manufacturers are based in England, compared to the USA?
Basically, they'd give us the same reasons you are. They'd typically buy a machine for $2000 which would cost $3000 or more in England/wherever they were from. They'd buy a notebook bag and pack it all up and leave the box and everything at the store, so it looked normal when they went back through the airport.
We actually had some repeat customers every year, and they would buy more than 1 laptop, and sell them when they got home!
There is no import duty on computers, however VAT at 17.5% is payable with an exemption on the first 145. It is fairly easy for a dishonest person to evade this but you are risking seizure of goods and possibly a gaol sentence if you do so.
Also, there is no way of claiming back the NY sales tax (~9%).
Even with this, you will still make a saving - my girlfriend bought a Mac back in 98 and even with the dollar quite strong she still saved quite a lot of money.
You also need to note that you will find it hard, if not impossible, to make any claims on the warranty, and you will not be covered under UK consumer protection should something go wrong.
If you combine the last paragraph, with the fact that you are buying a Dell laptop, you should think twice...
Cheers,
Nick
...that your disk drives on the wrong side of the road.
Not so with a good brand offering a worldwide warranty; IBM is excellent for this, my ThinkPad broke on a trip to Beijing and they still managed to get me warranty service from a local computer shop.
so true ::wipes tears::
That's exactly what I was thinking, only I was too busy feeling sorry for the guy.
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
Buy off Ebay ahead of time and have it shipped to a friend (i.e. me ;). If you purchase used goods, most likely, you will not have to pay customs taxes.
hey, it could happen. I'm a trustworthy guy.
Look at the adapter itself. There should be something that says: INPUT 100-240V~ 1.5A 50/60Hz
Those tards at the airport are checking for bombs, not to see where you bought your laptop. As long as it is not in the original shrinkwrap, you should be fine. Like customs has the time nor inclination to check whether your power adapter fits the local plug. On the one in one million chance you get questioned about your system, just have some random CDs with you and make sure they're in the same bag, also tweak the UI a bit, and if they ask about the keyboard just say you work for an American company and they provide the equipment (so it isn't localized).
Slashdot, always over-thinking everything. You guys would make such horrendous liars.
The IBM ThinkPad (StinkPad) is the bomb. You do get a little bit more performance/$ with Dell, but the IBM is much better made and will last forever, especially if you're on the road all the time. I put 200,000 air miles on mine last year with plenty of knocks and it looks like new.
short definition is that customs service in your country is there to protect its businesses. if you can get a dell there, it's because you have a local importer. to determine whether your machine will be confiscated and destroyed at the border check, or whether you pay something close to the "savings" in duties, you should check with your domestic customs agency. check on each brand you are likely to try and bring back home.
you are out $2100 plus airfare and hostelry if you are stripped of the machine at the border.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Be careful. U.S. technology export laws may prevent you from taking your new laptop home! These laws have been tightened dramaticly since 9-11 and they include some very surprising low tech items. For example, It's illeagle to export stainless pipe!
Why buy in the US when if your in NY for four days take a trip up to Canada and get it even cheaper! Save yourself about $100 more bucks.
Just a little sugestion.
www.ecoupons.com has the latest deals from Dell and Best Buy. Since you're only staying for 4 days, probably best to buy the laptop online at Best Buy and pick it up in the store.
As long as he posted anonymously on /. and ships the box to himself he should be cool.
...but unfortunately the only overseas corporation outsourcing to the US is the Chinese Interior Ministry, and I understand that the wage/benefit package is something like "rice" and an AK-47 buttstock in your face.
How can I buck the system and defraud my country of money, risking fines and/or imprisonment? Thanks!
...unless you get caught.
go to chinatown
;-P
it's on canal street on your little tourist map
i live in nyc, and it's amazing the systems you can have custom built for you for in chinatown for the $... just pay in cash (no tax)
the system i'm writing this post on was bought in chinatown for $600, P1.5, 512M... in mid 2001
just don't expect a warranty
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
DFS has tons of laptops offered through ebay, with the added benefit of being able to pay out through the DFS storefront without needing "Paypal" or "Billpoint" garbage.
bought 2 from them - 700Mhz Celeron Latitudes, work great!
http://stores.ebay.com/Dell-Financial-Services
While this doesn't apply to you directly, as you are UK... let me tell you about my experence taking PCs cross the Canadian border.
Officer: Do you plan to leave anything in Canada
Me: A computer and some beer
Officer: What kinda of computer
me: ummmm.... Asus a7v400 (showing the manual which was on the dash)
Officer: (short pause) you know beer can't be a gift, it's only for personal use
me: umm... I planed to share it
Officer: You said you were going to leave it, i'm just telling you it can't be a gift, OK! go ahead
As usual, I was expecting to have to pay some form of duty on this pc, after all it's fair, reasonable, and the law. It's not like I didn't declair it, after all what else would you call a custom build PC with an asus motherboard. But hey, they didn't want to charge me duty on it, that's just spiffy.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
SENATOR BELLO (ESQ)
TEL: 234-803-4076279
FAX: 234-1-7594461
Dear Sir,
First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue
of its nature as being utterly CONFIDENTIAL and TOP SECRET. Though I know
that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and
worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day.
i have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.
Let me start by first introducing myself properly to you, I am barrister
SENATOR BELLO (ESQ), attorney to Late Engineer Johnson Creek. I came to
know of you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to
handle this confidential transaction, which involves the transfer of a
huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence.
MY PROPOSITION
A foreigner, Late Engineer Johnson Creek, an Oil Merchant/Contractor with
the Federal Government of Nigeria, until his death three years ago in a
ghastly air crash, banked with the Union Bank Plc. Lagos, my client had a
Dell Precision M60 mobile workstation (IntelPentium M processor and the
Intel 855 PM chipset) which the bank now unquestionably expects it to be
claimed by any available foreign next-of-kin of the Late beneficiary.
Fervent valuable efforts are being made by the Union Bank to locate his
next-of-kin without success and since I am his attorney, a letter was
sent to me to provide his next of kin or relatives, which I tried but
proved to no avail.
It is because of the perceived possibility of not being able to locate any
of Late Engr. Johnson Creek's next-of-kin (he had no wife and children) that
the management under the influence of the chairman and member of the board
of directors, Retired Major General Kalu Uke Kalu, that the Precision M60
mobile workstation should be declared "UNCLAIMABLE" until the next-of-kin
of late Engr. Johnson Creek comes to claim the Precision M60 mobile
workstation.
So my confident in the bank and I now seek your permission to have you stand
as a next-of-kin to Late Engr. Johnson Creek so that the Precision M60 mobile
workstation would be released and paid into you as the beneficiary next-of-kin,
all documents and proves to enable you get this Precision M60 mobile
workstation will be carefully worked out by me and more so we are assuring you
of a 100% risk free involvement. Your share stays while the rest would be for
my confident and myself. I will meet with you in your country to get what
belong to my confident and I upon the completion of this transaction.
My partners and I have agreed that upon the successful conclusion of
this transaction the three parties will meet for the final disbursement
of this Precision M60 mobile workstation. If this proposal is OK by you and you
do not wish to take undue advantage of the trust, we hope to bestow on you and
your company, then kindly get back to me immediately via all the above
contacts for security reason, Furnish me with your most confidential
telephone, fax number and exclusive bank particulars so that we can use
these information to apply for the release and subsequent transfer of
the funds in your favour.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated co-operation.
Yours faithfully
SENATOR BELLO (ESQ)
I will mail you a money order for $5000 sent to me by a business associate. Please deposit this and send me the laptop plus the excess funds.
Uh, dumbass!
WinXP lets you switch regions up to 5 times before you can't switch anymore.
If he's using Linux/BSD/whatever_else, it doesn't matter anyway, as DeCSS doesn't give a crap about regions.
It's Dell, so it's obviously not a Mac (duh, just CYA here, to prevent the flamers).
I liked the idea of having the computer shipped to a friend in the states, and then going to visit the friend. It gets around various issues, and you get to visit your friend and take her or him out to dinner for the trouble.
That said, if you still want to buy it yourself, try J&R Music World in lower Manhattan.
For camera equipment, try B&H near Penn Station.
While you're in NYC, go to Katz's Deli and get some pastrami. Best in NY, and plenty of local color, too.
(Be aware that you may have trouble making a warranty claim on a US product outside the US.)
Have a nice trip!
Send it to me. I'll hold it for you for a few days until you can get here to pick it up. In exchange, I ask only that you send me your bank account number so that I can transfer several million dollars anonymously. Deal?
The contest for ages has been to rescue liberty from the grasp of executive power. -- Daniel Webster
Most Circuit City stores have these in stock. You can look online for availability at a local store, then order it and pick it up yourself, no extraneous delivery hassles involved.
Notes on the machine (I'm typing on it right now):
The 802.11g internal wireless unit is 802.11b compatible, but you're mad if you don't upgrade your home to an 802.11g WAP router (or better, one of these) first thing after saving on the computer.
The PCMCIA slot is single-height (type-I/II), so any double-height (type-III) cards you have won't fit any more.
There are 4 USB 2.0 ports and 1 firewire port but *no* DB-9 or DB-25 connectors. You can buy a USB/RS-232 adapter for about $30 almost anywhere, but with the internal modem you probably won't need them.
I haven't done any gaming on the Radeon 9600 yet. No time for that right now.
The keyboard is a little goofy, but you were going to take a US keyboard and 60-Hz power supply and NTSC video back to Blighty, so you might not mind the hassle of the keyboard so much. They won't tell me how to remap it, either, so YMMV.
The 64-bit "3000+" Athlon CPU is overrated, but what else is new from Jerry's Kids. It's really running at about 2 GHz and is not any faster or slower than my Pentium 2.2-GHz desktop. Must be why these things are so damn cheap. Some day Microsoft will present us with non-beta versions of 64-bit Windows and we'll see if there's any real end-user value in the extra width.
Americans shopping in the EU get tax back and customs. People from the EU shopping in the US don't get sales tax back.
At least, I've never ever heard of such a thing.
Life isn't fair. Then again, even at the insanely high for the US rate of 8.625% in NYC, it still feels like a bargin compared to most of the EU.
Lord Pixel - The cat who walks through walls
A little bigger on the inside than out
Where's the PowerBook G5 when I can afford it? I hope the dollar keeps this low with respect to the euro until I've bought that little baby.
Instead of a Hotel/Motel you could always look into corporate housing. It's a lot more expensive then a hotel, as you pay for essentially a fully furnished apartment, but you'd have the ability to be able to receive items in the mail the normal way without worrying about laws or company policies against delivering to a hotel or about the seemingly 'unwritten policy' of a majority of hotels to hire only the most shady, untrustworthy individuals around. I don't know about you - but there's no way I'd trust a big box plastered with "DELL" to actually get to me.
But, barring you don't have a friend in the US to have it delivered to, I don't know what else you can do. I consider myself a very trustworthy individual and know 110% that I'd forward it on to you, but you don't know that - and thus wouldn't trust me. (But hey... If ya wanna give it a shot - feel free - if your CC laws work like ours, if you ran into someone that offered to ship it to ya and they reneg on the deal and keep the laptop, you could always report the card stolen and/or deny the charge - it's not the most moral way to do things, but hey, it'd get you out of all but $50 of it (If your laws are like ours, that is))
Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
WHY does it cost so much more for the same laptop in the UK? Does the UK apply a duty on foreign electronics (many countries do)? Does the cost include expenses such as shipping, additional certifications or regulations that must be met in the UK? Is the cost of doing business in the UK that much more expensive?
Obviously most of this is true, but not to the tune of $1000, a 46% increase over the original price.
I live in Canada and the dollar difference is just enough to justify SOME purchases in the U.S. Shipping, duty and tax eat up almost of all difference. It's almost like it was planned that way.
No Sales Tax
Have you thought of how the security guys at Immigration and Naturalization (or whatever it's called nowadays) at JFK would react to a passenger scheduled to be in New York for only four days who is carrying around a dead notebook?
Can you imagine what kind of security flags carrying a non-functional piece of electronic equipment of laptop size would raise? Especially if you're travelling alone, have tanned skin, or both?
Seriously, it's the kind of manouvre that could end up with a long stay in a customs holding cell followed by a quick enforced return flight back to the UK and a blacklisting to boot.
Forget the dummy/dead notebook idea. In this day and age you'd have to be nuts to do it.
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
1) Call the Apple Store ahead of time and make sure that they will have exactly what you want set aside for you when you arrive.
2) Purchase a UK power adapter from a UK Apple dealer before you go. The day before you leave the US for home, ship all the manuals and paperwork back to the UK, along with the US power adapter. Take nothing but the laptop and a UK power adapter in your bag through customs.
3) Call your credit card company beforehand and make sure that they will clear your charge for the purchase.
4) When you get back to the UK, look into buying a UK keyboard for your PowerBook. IIRC, the key faces can be detached and replaced from the notebook fairly easily.
Dell and many other vendors do not honor the US warranty in foreign countries, so your great deal on a new laptop might evaporate when a component fails and it is not covered under the warranty. I lived in England as a member of the US military and many people had probelms getting repairs on machines they brought over when they moved from the States.
If you want to take that chance, that's fine -- I'm not trying to stop you. Just pointing out a little "gotcha" that a lot of people tend to overlook in the rush to save money.
As for me -- I'd be sorely tempted to get myself a G5 from the US (except that I can't afford one anyway...)
www.michaelscomputers.com
Just buy one on eBay and have it shipped to a friend that will hand it off to you when you arrive. This is the ONLY way to get any Dell product in less than a month based on my past experience!
As many people like to blame bush for many things, i would say he is doing a great job.
I hate the low US dollar more than anyone because I can;t goto europe and but cheap italian and french goods.
Busniess in the US will be alot better now because US products are cheaper based on exchange rates. How much is a pair of Levi's in Europe?
I'm sure American Express will accept and hold the parcel for you. This is one of their services for cardholders.
I haven't done it in a while, however.
MM
--
By including this sig, the copyright holders of this work or collection unreservedly place it in the public domain.
nothing like paying ~30% of your income regardless of whether you choose to spend it or not. And being punished for success by paying an even higher percentage rate, while the poor, who only get stuck with ~10-20% lambast you about robbing from them when congress drops your taxes from 49% to 48%
Just purchase the laptop online and have it shipped to my house. I'll meet you in NYC and hand it over. Really. Trust me.
But what do you do if it breaks. Will Dell support you in the UK buying from the US store?
Just a thought.
This only applies if you've owned it for more than 2 years (last time I checked).
Carrying it through yourself you have an allowance (which is more than the shipped import allowance), but it's no more than 200 IIRC.
Unless you are dead-set on a) Dell and b) New York, consider flying to Boston, MA (or better yet, Manchester NH) and buying your laptop in that area. There is no sales tax in NH, and there are CompUSA, Best Buy, Circuit City and Apple stores all nearby.
Timothy, why in the hell would this lame ass story get posted to slashdot??? /. instead of this.
What kind of a newbie question is 'where can I buy a laptop'... If you can't google for that, why bother signing on to slashdot? Please maybe filter what you actually post a little bit, it would be nice to have relevent topics on
kisses karma goodbye
No I didnt spell check this post...
Please explain.
...Because mac keyboards have the same layout in the UK as they do in the US.
The reason why your laptop is so much more expensive in the UK is partly because of rip-off Britain but mainly because the people who imported the laptop in the first place have paid the UK's import duty, VAT and any other taxes as well as shipping costs.
If you import goods into the UK yourself, you are also expected to pay those VAT and tax charges for anything over the value of 250. If you try to avoid it, or lie to customs officials about the nature of the goods you're carrying, they'll not only seize the goods but slap on a hefty fine. For something expensive like a laptop this is a big risk. You can't necessarily get away with saying that it was your property and you brought it with you; they can still seize it while they wait on you to provide proof (receipts or a letter from the retailer) indicating you owned it.
In the UK these customs and excise folks absolutely do not dick about. I read a story about a woman who (probably innocent of the regulations) filled up her car with cheap wine, beer and spirits from France and drove it back across on a ferry (some people are under the misapprehension that there is unrestricted alcohol trade between EU member states - but without a trading license, the booze must be "for personal consumption"). Not only did customs seize the booze, but they also fined her and worst of all - seized the car she was driving at the time.
read about another example
Apple Store. Make the right desision, buy a Mac and you can take it out of the store the same day. The apple store is also available online but it takes considerably longer to get your computer that way.
411 Y0UR 8453 4R3 8310NG 70 U5!! -NSA
But you don't! I found visiting the US highly confusing because I'd expect to pay the price on the tag, instead of the quoted price plus some awkward percentage that varied from place to place... You never know quite what you're going to have to pay.
Instead, here in the UK everyone quotes the price you actually pay, including VAT! (They have to, by law.) After all, that's the most important thing at the checkout. You can work out how much of that goes to the government if you want to, but that's hardly a major concern when you make a purchase.
VAT is hardly exploitation. It's not as if we don't know it's happening. Look on it as a public contribution to ensuring our country is run reasonably well and that it looks after its people. After all, you generally get what you pay for -- if you don't pay much, then you get a country that doesn't look after its people very well, as the US has found...
(Oh, and please don't call all other governments 'socialistic'. It doesn't do much either for international relations, or for your image here.)
Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.
You mean the Pope?
The law of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) states that an arbitrage (risk free) profit cannot be made by purchasing a good in a different country. A basket of goods MUST cost the same price in one country, in terms of purchasing power, as in another country. If one country is experiencing inflation while another isn't, then the inflationary currency will fall.
The reason why dell notebooks are more expensive in the UK has NOTHING to do with depreciation of the dollar, it has to do with frictions of the transaction. Right off the bat, an airfare from the US to UK usually is ~$700, so that eats up all but $200 of your "profit". Furthermore, additional barriers such as import duties and fees, plus the fact that he has to buy a plug, elminates the rest of the "profit" and might even put him at a loss.
The only way he will make a "profit" on this venture is if the airfare was paid by somebody else. Then, one of the frictions would be removed and he would gain a $600-700 arbitrage profit from purchasing here.
Again, to say that currency exchange has ANYTHING to do with cheaper goods in one country is stupid. The same good will cost the same in one country as in another if you take into account all costs, NO MATTER WHAT THE EXCHANGE RATE.
Although I haven't researched US prices, I live in the UK and ordered a laptop from Dell this morning, using promotional codes to get a low price that I suspect isn't all that much more than the US equivalent.
While it might make sense to fly over and buy something simple like an MP3 player, I feel that a laptop is simply too complicated, too many parts any one of which might go wrong. You're better off not dicking around with hare-brained schemes to save money, get it in your own country and use the next business day onsite warranty if anything goes wrong. Don't forget that your time is valuable too.
This is want I ordered today, I will be receiving it next week:
I'm paying GBP 1391.51 inc. VAT (UK sales tax, 17.5%) and delivery, a saving of GBP 667.09 on the GBP 2,058.60 list price. GBP 1391.51 is currently $2,570.23. Here's what that bought me this morning in the UK:
Dell Inspiron 8600 1.7M
60GB 7200 HDD
1024MB DDR PC2700 (333mhz) (2x512mb)
15.4" WUXGA Ultra-Sharp Wide-Aspect Screen 1920x1200
128MB ATI Radeon Mobility 9600 Turbo Pro
4x DVD+RW
TM1300 WLAN 802.11 a/b/g 54Mbps MPCI
Integrated 10/100 Network card
Internal Bluetooth
3 Yrs International Next Business Day On-Site
MS XP Home SP1
MS Works 7
Norton Anti-Virus 2004
DVD Cyberlink decoder software
I'm also paying an extra GBP 96.35 inc. VAT for the Deluxe Leather Carry Case AND the Rucksack Pro (one for business, the other for cycling to the beach and working there) but that didn't affect the basic GBP 1391.51 deal.
If I have time later I'll write a follow-up post explaining step-by-step exactly how I got that price.
My wife is from N.Ireland and she says things at home are generally more expensive, and especially so for the more out-of-the-way items, like clothes for big and tall people... which her mom is, and so whenever she comes over she buys as much clothes as she can afford.
Be sure that your Dell Laptop has a slightly used look to it before you bring it back to the U.K. because the British customs officials may look at it and say that you must have bought it in the United States and will make you pay duty on it.
I'm not sure about this, but it does seem plausible.
Why did I lurk so long before registering for a Slashdot account? I could have had a Slashdot ID of less than 100000.
Hang on, if you bring a $2099 laptop back through customs, won't you have to declare it (the "red channel") or are you just planning to smuggle it back to the UK? If you do declare it, that's a few percent import duty and, here's the killer, 17.5% VAT please (why should you have to pay UK VAT on goods bought outside the UK - I really don't agree with that !) - so that $900 you "saved" now becomes about $500, which may not have paid for your flights...
If you are buying a laptop to take home to India, do not worry about duties, since according to new regulations, a single laptop is permitted per passenger. (which means that it won't be written down on your passport).
"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." - Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
Another alternative you have is to visit J and R Computer World and buy a laptop from one of the best computer stores in the city.
Those who trade freedom for security will lose both, and deserve neither" -- Ben Franklin
I'd buy it there from a store that sells over the counter then go to a UPS store and ship it to your home.
That way you don't deal with customs at all.
Corporatism != Free Market
Grey market is a term for goods bought in another country that may or may not carry the same warrenty as goods bought localy. I know in america for example it's very common to find goods bought over by people in Asia and sold over the counter at a discount.
You save a good deal of money... but sometimes the warrenty is no good. After all, part of the pricetag is warrenty service, and they are not paying for people all over the globe to service your goods. My experence with this is primarly cameras rather then laptops.
It is something to take into account when buying goods overseas.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
Try the local Apple Store.
-Never read a book with a wet monkey.
I'll give you a P.O. Box that will accept it. Talk to me offline.
The Terrorists we will always have with us, but you will not always have a good deal on dell laptops.
There's a growing sense that even if The Future comes,
most of us won't be able to afford it.
-- Lemmy
Like someone mentioned previously, the Apple Store in SoHo will happily sell you a brand new PowerBook or iBook G4 and let you walk out with it that day (assuming, of course, they're in stock which they should be).
Not only that but I know for a fact that Apple's portable power supplies for their laptops are auto-switching for both US and UK (and other) power standards -- the only thing that needs to be adapted is the physical plug itself and you can get those adapters either in the store or at any major electronics store or travel agent.
Also, Apple's laptops rule.
The only state where foreign shoppers can get sales tax refunds is Louisiana. However, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no sales tax at all.
Personally I think you should always put you conclusion first. That way the reader reads it, sees a whole shitload of text beneath, decides their too lazy to read it, and thus takes the default position of assuming you position is correct. That way you win. On slashdot this is sometimes called not RTFA.
On a greater note, we have no interest in doing your your homework for you. And if your post did have a conclusion I didn't bother reading it cause it wasn't in the first paragraph.
There's a growing sense that even if The Future comes,
most of us won't be able to afford it.
-- Lemmy
> D) Giant software companies hate open source (and yet, most of there developers probably use tons of open source software)
Minor(?) chill point:
most giant software companies can't organise their way out of a paper bag. (one exception. hint: succeeded rather better than most) And their motivations are nowhere near as commercially driven as you assume (everyone outside the yankee senior corporate environment assumes). Inside these monsters it's like being inside a cyclone-- the damage is all being done a long long way away from you, and apparently has no connection with what you are yourself doing. The goys and birls on the front line of devel are quite aware of OSS & use it happily. But they are no the ones making the decisions, and the ones making the decisoins have trouble taking seriously anything which states as an objective: zero profit.
--
Sal
Writings: saltation.blogspot.com
Wravings: go-blog-go.blogspot.com
that's why I said to buy flowers. I mean as long as the security people insist on being that friendly.
It does seem reasonable to allow extra time for a lot of anoying questions and a detailed search of luggage and person. But, so far as I know, bringing in a dead laptop isn't a crime, just good conversation starter.
I wonder if the whole issue could be avoided by putting it in checked baggage? Hopefully the U.K. people are still thorough, but a little bit more reasonable than our guys over here. Allow them plenty of time to poke thru and x-ray your stuff and maybe they won't hassle you. I'm guessing here, but it sounds likely.
Why do I have this? I don't smoke.
fuck the laptop, everyone from the UK that goes to the US should be taking advantage of cheap iPods. And you could just hand over the cash for a powerbook while your there ;)
"Pushing little children, with their fully automatics, they like to push the weak around"
nb: if flying thru germany, ensure you have either a charged battery or sufficient spare time for them to pull you luggage apart plus plug your charger in: as part of their safety tests, not only will you be hoover-sniffed for TNT/semtex, you'll also be required to demonstrate that it's a real laptop by starting it up.
--
for future reference:
Singapore is your best bet as a UK resident: you get the best of:
ps Sorry, forgot to say why: the reason for the customs faff is they'll stick you an extra 17.5% as you walk in the door IF it's "new", which sharply reduces your discount. The remainder of the discount is due to the UK's stalwart protection of monopoly/oligopoly premia, the reason for e.g. Renault historically earning 50% of its profits out of the UK despite making only 10-15% of its sales there by unit.
--
Sal
Writings: saltation.blogspot.com
Wravings: go-blog-go.blogspot.com
This is probably the best electronics store in the city.
The prices are reasonable; you can usually beat them on the net, but never by much. They're well run as these stores go and have always treated me fairly, nay impeccably, if I had problems with something I bought there. I couldn't say either of these things about the major chains in the city.
After enough years of experimenting, when I need something "today," I'm comfortable just heading straight to J&R.
I bought a Verisign SSL certificate last week from US, which is us$2xx for two years. But back in Australia you will have to pay au$9xx for the same thing. It is about 3 times difference! Same with Digital camera, lense, book, CD...etc. BTW, I just ordered two C# books from Amazon which are us$66 in total, about au$100 including shipping. In Sydney's bookstore, they are being sold at au$210. Faint is the right word. Damned lucky Yankee...
The information in the drive is actually just a number that says what region the drive is supposed to be. The drive will still read all of the information off of the disc. A software player is supposed to read the variable from the drive and refuse to play an out-of-region disc. All licensed players are required to do this. However, it is true that Linux/BSD/etc players that are totally unlicensed won't care what this variable says.
I've actually used a locked region 1 dvd-rom drive to rip region 2 (Japan) DVD's with no problems. DVD Decryptor doesn't care at all either.
My other first post is car post.
My computers are the fastest. 3dmark2003 score 17,355. .16db of noise. Boot windows in 4 seconds. 8 year warrantee. As seen on Tomshardware.com and slashdot.org. Goto http://michaelscomputers.com for more info. What would you prefer? I can ship one or you can pick it up. I'll put together something really big. Should know something this week after my guys and some other people get back to me.
Well if you don't mind deleting someone's meeting schedule and a handful of corporate secrets I am sure there are some nice Italian or Russian gentlemen that could get you a laptop rather inexpensively. The dark brown stains you ask...just paint.
You want to spend $2000 on a Dell? For those two thousand you can have an Apple PowerBook, and Apple deliver in one week. Call ahead and order it from a mom and pop reseller, then pick it up when you arrive.
the Latitudes do come with service warrnty honored in the UK. ( as they are business class machines). Just make sure this policy applies to personal bought machines. This policy applies to Latitudes bought for businesses, thats what our rep told me recently. I asked if service would be honored if i buy here and ship to our UK office.
I came from the states and currently work in the UK. None of the above-mentioned problems are that difficult:
All you actually need is a socket with a US pinout. All dell laptop power adapters have been 50/60hz and 110-240v adapters for quite some time now.
Most everything these days comes with dual-voltage power supplies: I run a projector, computer, two musical keyboards and a laptop - all from the US - off UK mains. Some might say the easiest solution for the laptop power is a travel plug adaptor but for long term use the best idea is a replacement power lead. Most computer stores should have replacement leads that will plug into the power adaptor.
I agree totally on the mappings bit. Pain in the ass to use certain keys "If you know how to touch type, it's not a problem. I switched my UK keyboard at work to the US layout and there was not even a day's worth of annoyances. I'm sure it's not that different going the other way.
You will have to do the "make it look used" trick to your laptop. I guess it depends how badly you want it to look the part.
Obviously, the first thing to do is get very sticky fingers and make sure the keyboard key crud buildup looks "authentic". Add to this the "used"laptop bag, and you've got a good start.
Wipe down the case with a dirty, slightly sticky cloth. Then use your sticky fingers again. But don't be too obvious about it. You dont want to see streaks, but you want to get rid of the "new plastic" sheen - all over, if you can.
If you're feeling adventurous and don't care too much about looks - stick some old stickers on the case, maybe scuff an edge or corner a bit with some rough sandpaper. Stick on a sticky note or two inside, beside the keyboard. How about a coffee cup or soda can ring on the flat area by the keyboard?
If there are paper stick-ons (i.e. on the power supply or somewhere) the tear and roll the corner so it looks like you did a bad job of tearing it off. Hold a wet towel over the paper so it wrinkles, and let it dry. Then get it dirty/sticky and wipe that off. If there are strategic plastic bits you can snap off and keep somewhere so it looks like you lost a bit, then maybe do it. (Plastic cover of the metal lid hinge is a good one).
Don't forget the accompanying CD's and manual. Thumb a corner of the manual, open it wide so the back spine is wrinkled, etc. Roll the covers a bit - but don't overdo it. Make the CD envelopes look like they've been opened a few times and carried around in a laptop bag.
Be creative, but don't be too obvious. It's gotta look like you've had it for a while, but not like you played football (yours or ours) with it.
Above all, get rid of unecessary documentation. If it's receipts, or other important papers, mail them to yourself - but letter post, not as a parcel or something Customs might open.
Don't be like the maroons I heard of, who went shopping in Buffalo and came back to Canada. "Shopping all day - nothing to declare?" Customs Canada went through their car, wallets and purses, and found the receipts from the current trip, and the previous one! They still had last weekend's Visa slips in their possesion, and ended up paying double duty (duty plus equal penalty) for the total of both trips.!
If they get curious enough to check the serial number, you're screwed. Another hint is to buy some other stuff, so you can declare (or not, if just under your limit). However, I recall any Hearthrow arrivals I had were pretty much walk right thru without any stopping.
I just arrived home to Sweden this morning after 4 nights in New York. It is really nice to combine touristing (St. Patricks day, Liberty Island, USS Intrepid, etc...) with cheap shopping. The iPAQ 4155 that costs $710 in Sweden (7.5SEK = 1USD) became mine for just $490. And that was at Compusa on 420 5th Ave. Some things that are really much cheaper in the US than in Sweden are GPS receivers. For example the Garmin GPSMAP 60C that TheGPSStore sell for $449 (and delivers to your hotel) can be found for as much as $930 in Sweden. One thing I am really annoyed at for not buying is the extra battery to my iPAQ 4155. Compusa sells it for $60 and here it costs $127. One thing I'm really glad I bought is NyQuil since I got a cold from this little trip. But that is ok since now I have a good excuse to stay home from work tomorrow and watch the DVDs with all episodes of Dilbert.
Go to the Apple Store: http://www.apple.com/retail/
Dissecting DELL: The Real Story
There is an EU wide custome directive which sets duty at about 4% for such goods (computers aren't affected by the recent tarif war). On top of that you pay 17.5% VAT (I think, for the UK). If you know how to order a laptop w/o paying sales tax then overall with the current weak dollar, it is still possible to save money.
See my journal, I write things there
No, damn-near impossible. No company will ship to a hotel unless they want export controls to prosecute their asses into the ground.
Do you speak from experience? If you do, you've had a very difference experience than I have. Having computers shipped to hotels is INCREDIBLY common and having done it twice with Dell myself, neither the shipper nor the receiver had a problem doing it.
By your logic, computer stores in NYC should be reluctant to sell to you "unless they want export controls to prosecute their asses into the ground". What's the difference?!
You offered a theory, but I'll offer my experience here... Twice, I've purchased and had Dell ship laptops (once with an LCD projector) to the Chicago Drake hotel because I had an industry conference in that city where my company had a booth. Everything at the shipping end (Dell) and the receiving end (hotel) went smoothly. The box was waiting for me when I checked in. (Yes, I tipped.) And YES, I was coming from New Zealand and returning back there after my trip. And YES, my company ended up getting the new equipment at a significant discount in the process. I shipped the gear back FedEx before I left, truthfully declaring it to be used computer equipment since it had been well-used at the trade show for 3 days.
Can you share evidence of your "export controls" theory?
Take the 6 Train to City Hall then walk downtown to the electronics store J&R Computer World.. Note there are 5 different J&R stores on that block selling CD's, Audio Equipment etc.
I went through UK customs from Miami late last year, being the only person to do so in the entire flight and thus had the opportunity to talk to the Custom Official behind the vast calculating machine they use to total up their ill-gotten gains.
I had purchased a nice little Sony Clie and I decided that rather than risk getting it confiscated I'd pay for it. The taxes were just 'VAT' (17.5% of the original cost) and although it was painful it was easy and I didn't even need a receipt. (They believed me!)
However the official explained that one of the other reasons to pay taxes was for insurance purposes. I don't know how much of this is true, but those uniforms sure give the impression of trustworthyness! (But do nothing for the figure.)
It seems that the first thing that your house (or goods) insurers will ask about 'foreign' goods is - Did you pay the custom charges? (Cause they'll demand receipts!) If not, it's not insured. You break it, lose it or have it stolen - it's gone!
For a laptop that's a lot of money, but hey you could always nip to the good ol' USA again and buy a new one.
There are also UK flights to Philadelphia. The airport is some 10 miles from the Delaware state line, where you'll be greeted with the sign, "Delaware, Home of Tax-Free Shopping", just before you come to the mall.
Shit! Nobody else but me knows Do U Want It
Not quite.
We have where they have #, I believe. In fact # isn't marked on a UK-English Mac keyboard at all.
Sorry, that was really dull, wasn't it?
Here's a link for you!:
http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/
And quite possibly, the PowerBooks will have a G5 processor in them if you come Stateside within the next week or two...
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
Walk into an Apple Store, but laptop.. leave country.
Americans would birth a bovine if any politician suggested a 22% sales tax.
MATSUSHITA drives eg. the infamous UJ-815 and UJ-816 DVD-R drives found in Powerbooks will not read data off the disk if region codes do not match. This unfortunately prevents you from ripping; it prevents you from using decss.
More info to be found on the rpc1.org forums, by the people who disassemble and patch firmware. If Slashdot is anything to go by, your average hacker has more knowledge than your average open source coder these days.
This is not a signature.
What's the obsession with online ordering? Here is how to spend your 4 days in New York.
Day 1. Arrive, unpack, get in a hotel. No online orders. Go to a computer store. No, they may not have Dell but may have Vayos, Thinkpads, HP/Compaqs, Toshibas etc. (Dell, IMHO, is not really the greatest choice anyway.) Go to a display of several brands. Press the buttons, play around with features, try keyboard feel, compare displays crispness, peripherals and so on.. Get your notebook in the store at the lower price - that's the where the profit part comes.. *and* you know what you're getting.
Days 2 - 3 - 4, enjoy your stay and relax, see the sights and places. No having to open of a PO box or a temp address in a hurry, no nervously waiting that the ordered laptop may get here on day 5 due to a delay, no fear of finding that a wrong configuration was shiped, no incorrect billing, no spending hours on the phone with clueless reps trying to escalate your call while your plane is about to leave blah blah blah... On day 4 just pack up and prepare to leave back to U.K. in a good mood, with no stress, and with the newly acquired toy.
-vladpetersen
Got to pay the import tax on it, so off down the tax office with your invoice, and all the relevant paperwork as to the ammount you paid and sort it out, best to be on the right side of the law, don't want the inland revenue geting a free laptop.
Expect to see a lot of this... Because of current exchange rates, the United States is one big half-price field day for folks in the UK and EU.
Book your vacations early this summer... Loads of europeans will be comming to the us for vacations this year since it's so cheap. Also, many american folks who normally vacation in europe may choose a domestic location this summer, again due to the unfavorable (to those of us in the US) exchange rates.
I'd rather be a conservative nutjob than a liberal with no nuts and no job.
When I ordered a laptop from Dell in 2001, it didn't ship for a month, so I finally bought a Toshiba from a reseller, and I'm very happy with it. Customer Service at Dell wouldn't give any real answers either, after pushing real hard, it seemed like they couldn't get the displays or something, the guy had some sorry excuse like a taifun in Taiwan. And when it wouldn't ship on the day they promised me, they would just call and give me a new "definitive" ship date.
Spread, my little hegemony. Spread.
First the keyboards, then the language! Before long, we'll have them speaking English in the UK! Mwahahahaha!
I've shipped $5000 of laptops and $1500 of LCD screens (two separate orders) to hotels. The biggest issue was staying at a hotel that had the closet place to store it between arrival and me getting it, and calling the credit card company to let them know that yes, indeed, when someone tried to use my card to send $7500 of stuff to a hotel room that it was, indeed, me making the order.
Well, that and ordering through Gateway, who 1) Neglected to inform me by any means that my order had been delayed more than 2 weeks 2) After calling them up two days before I needed said items and fighting with them to find my order and having it upgraded to next-day delivery, STILL neglected to tell me that it was out of stock.
"Yes, the items we do not have to send you will definitely be there by tomorrow, or the day after at the latest."
So, now I own HP laptops and LCD screens.
On the other hand, I used a US credit card to do this, so YMMV if you're using a British card.
paintball
Maybe it would be a better idea to stay home?
Find a hotel that is winding up a computer show, and ask the loading dock/elevator guy. He should have a wide selection available at very low prices.
And for one of the members of that bi-annual convention that had the nifty passes with the chip attached...the elevator guy pinched your laptop.
If the customs officer has a sharp eye, he would notice that the newish looking laptop has a US keyboard rather than the UK layout. That would be enough to raise suspicions. And customs inspectors for countries with high tax rates tend to keep a close eye on their residents on the way home.
The dollar sign was created by superimposing a U on top of an S (for United States) and then half of the U was removed to leave the current "$" sign. "US$" is therefore, "USUS" which is completely redundant. I hate it when morons use that. "$" is the US dollar sign.
...I'd be a little suspicious when looking at a keyboard with a dollar sign instead of a pounds sign, American punctuation layout, etc, etc.
Pity "export LANG=en_GB" doesn't affect the hardware. :-)
You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
I know of someone who can sell you a laptop cheap. My indian friend at "Happy America Store" across from the Empire State Building. He can get you a great deal. Bring cash. Some models are scratch and dent, very cheap. All common brands, Sony, Dell, Compaq. He can also sell you cameras, watches, video tapes. If you want another kind of "lap top", he can arrange that too. Cash only.
http://github.com/gbook/nidb
I purchased a refurb from Dell, and it came very, very quickly. That's probably the best way to do it.
Incidentally, I was very happy with my refurb, and got it at an excellent price.
American Laptops won't have the key for the pounds (as in Money) sign. Just something to remember.
While we're on the subject of laptops.
One of the things that has been mentioned here about the laptop this guy is going to be buying is that the laptop is going to have a US keyboard and not a UK keyboard.
I'm going to be buying a laptop here in the US soon as well but would prefer having a different keyboard on it. Do companies like Dell, IBM, and Apple have a way for you to get the keyboards swapped out? Exactly how much would this cost?
why don't you, you know, go to a store?
RandomAndInteresting.comdefending the world from stupidity since 1979
surely it may be possible to borrow receipts from someone in the UK who already has purchased the same laptop, of course this only applies if you are shopping for a specific model and know you can get it, also that the receipt does not detail anything specific to the original laptop, e.g serial number.
I make it your saving is under 300GBP, without taking account of the warranty, plane ticket/lost time from holiday or mailbox rental.
--
I am lookin for a new car, but they cost too much.
How do I get one cheap? Wink wink.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
If you're not totally hung up on getting a Dell, you can drop by a Gateway Country store and get a Gateway right away. Otherwise there's always BestBuy.
Ship it to my address Rick Allen RR2 450 Jackrabbit Road Waterville, ME 04901 And for 100.00 I will bring it to you in NY.
"It's so convenient to have a system where everyone is a criminal" - A. Hitler
Er, dieing.
Let me shed some light on why I believe your plan to come to the US to buy a cheaper laptop is faulty.. First and foremost, if you have vacation plans, that is one thing.. Yes, it would be cheaper overall to get a laptop. However, if your plans are to only get a cheaper laptop, then you'll be spending more money than if you had simply bought it in the UK.. Here's the logic.. Cost of laptop in us ~ 2000$ US Cost of flight to us ~ 300$ US Cost per night in us hotel - 100$ Amount of time you will most likely spend in the US.. minumum 2 days (24 hour period). Maximum (1 week). Cost of food per day ~ 10$ min.. 50$ maximum. Amount of money you would have made had you decided to stay in the UK for a dell laptop. ??? Cost of food per day in UK ~ 5$ min.. 25$ maximum.. (Cooking own meals at home). If everything works out, you might (potentially) save 100-200 dollars.. Is it really worth it??
Customs was not even a theoretical problem in my case, as there are no duties for importing computers to Germany. If you bought your iBook in a U.S. state that doesn't have sales tax [yes, my European children, there are whole states in the U.S. where there is no VAT. Remember this when your politicians try to tell you why your national sales tax has to be raised to 18 percent], you might have to pay a certain amount so they are satisfied you paid at least some sort of tax to somebody. This is the Einfuhrumsatzsteuer and German customs describes the details here. In my case, the Euro was high enough that it was still well worth it.
Other advice: Go on Apple's website (come on, you don't really want a loud, heavy, ugly Dell, do you), find a store in easy distance of where you are going to be, and email or call a few weeks ahead. IBooks are currently assembled in Taiwan, and take five to ten days if you want anything but the standard model (larger harddrive, for example). Remember, too, that America might have the most advanced stock market on the planet, but its bank system still hasn't gotten beyond the stage of sending little slips of paper around by mail: Most Americans have trouble understanding how an EC card even works, and happily go throught an 18th Century ritual called "balancing the check book" once every few days without complaint. You will have to pay cash (don't worry, these amounts in cash are not considered unusual in the U.S.), or better, get yourself a credit card.
German readers will want to take a look at this article about importing iBooks from the consumer test group Stiftung Warentest. Note that there are some minor mistakes in there, however, like the need for an adapter for the plug.
In my case, there was no question that it was worth it: In fact, I could have probably flown there and back just to pick up the computer, and still saved money. And best thing: With 220 volts, my iBook is twice as fast as it was in the States. No, really. The trouble is, it sends my fingerprints to Donald Rumsfeld every time I touch the escape button...
Get a used case.
Take your email and other files with dates on a USB thumb drive. Install them.
Instant used machine.
1000 SlashDot sigs
wow you seem to know the bible but at the same time are completely clueless as to the difference between christianity and judiasm... maybe if you actually read the bible trying to get understanding instead of flame ammo you would already know the answers to your questions... but im sure you care less about that and more about feeling good bashing people who have different beliefs than you. so in that regard job well done!
Not even close to Fry's
So what, he said NYC and there isn't a Frye's in NYC. The big stores are CompUSA on 5th and 37thish and J and R downtown. J and R is decent. Since you are going to be leaving the country and aren't going to be expecting any support anyway, why not check out one of the electronic stores around the city. Go to 42nd and 5th and work your way downtown. You will need to know what you want and what you want to pay for it. The sales men are good so do your research or you will be talked into something you didn't mean. know how much you want to spend. If you do buy, make sure you test the major functionality at the store. Buy w/ a credit card w/ a good protection policy and you should be good to go.
Alternatively, pick a manufacturer/model and search pricegrabber. I bought two laptops a month or so ago and had each w/i a week of purchase. One was from a company through ebay. If you are staying in a real hotel, do what another poster suggested, call em and tell 'em that you are expecting a package and to hold it for you.
I wouldn't expect to be able to target a mail order w/i 3 days, w/i 2 weeks is a safer bet. If you are not staying in a huge hotel that you feel safe sending a laptop to, you are going to have to buy on teh street. J and R and compUSA are both reputable and will take the machine back if there is a problem. (There is a datavision across from compusa but it seems expensive to me) Either of these reputable stores will charge a premium. Random guy electronics store will be as cheap as you can get online (in fact, if you show them online deals you can usually get them to give it to you for that) and are about as reliable as small computer stores online (maybe moreso since you know where they work) but I wouoldn't count on a return to one of these stores. But you are leaving town, what do you care about return policy? THese stores are basically everywhere. As I said above, 5th ave has a bunch. 14th str has a bunch. Times square, but I would probably check those last just b/c they get so many tourists they are more likely to try to rip you off. YOu can tell them from outside. They have cameras and computers and all manner of electronics in the window.
good luck
buy a laptop in ny and just mail it to your home address.
I'm living in Ireland and I'd love to get a mini iPod which, if I get it from apple.com, it'd only cost me 200. Are there any problems in doing so? e.g. voltage differences, having to pay lots of tax etc
Dell does have direct stores, and sometimes you can take a pre-built laptop from their store.
I don't think they have any of these stores in New York, but if you travel somewhere outside of New York, maybe you can pick one up.
you would be better off buying a mac, rather than dell.
I have a very small mind and must live with it.
-- E. Dijkstra
Try the local college, Columbia etc. Usually the on campus bookstore sells laptops for a very good price, for example:
UCSD Bookstore
Of course San Diego is not New York but close enough?
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance" -Confucius
Yup. 22%. Yeah, it's big, and it sucks, but it's not hidden, what is what the grandparent was trying to imply...
Then again, I've been living AND doing college on government money for last four years. Bit hard to see that as a bad thing.
Pay for his airfare, let him sleep on your couch, and you still come out ahead. He gets a free vacation, and you save money on your laptop.
Going home he can just tell customs that the laptop was broken, or stolen, or that he got pissed off and hit the damn thing with a hammer... It's not going to matter really, I mean how many times do people actually want your laptop serial #, and even if they get it (traveling, etc) they're not going to run a national laptop serial # search for every passenger with a laptop.
I recently did sound for a touring UK band.
The first thing these guys did when they hit NY was to head down to the Apple store. Four 12" Powerbooks and five 40gig Ipods later they were off. They had a field day buying software in Canada a few days later. The pound/Canadian dollar exchange was very favorable for them.
They suck. I work at a University and have finally given up on Dell Laptops. Out of the 15 I have here, 13 of them had to be sent in for repairs. It's great that they have such a long warranty, but you will most likely need it. It may be difficult for you to do ant warranty repairs if you purchased the machine in the US and are trying to do it in the UK. Instead, find a retailer that carries IBM or Sony and take a look at them before you purchase.
jandr computer world would seen like the sensible place to go in manhattan... you can of course browse their store online first...
The parent post was trying to point out that things cost more in the UK because of VAT, not because of a weak dollar.
Try Best Buy or CompUSA. And don't get a Dell, get a Toshiba. They do have support in the UK. And their power supplies will work in Europe with only a plug converter. (I think the UK doesn't have the same 2 plugs we do).
Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars
It's because of both.
But I don't think he was, just wondering about how big it was.
Besides, I don't live in the UK you insensitive clod.
that if you must by from a shady looking man on the street that the label does not say de1l or deil or some other close-but-not-call variant. Judging by all the watches I ever bought in new york, I think that you would not be too happy in about 36 hours.
I know more than you drink.
After you pay the taxes involved, say, sales tax in NYC for instance (8.625%), plus whatever you pay at customs entering the UK (maybe nothing?) do you still come out ahead? Is it really that the dollar is worth so little, or is it that stuff is overpriced in the UK? Hardly seems any different today than when I was there in '79.
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
Do you realize that doing this is probably a customs violation, unless you declare the purchase upon your return and pay the tax? At least, that's how it works when returning to the US, although many people don't declare these purchases. Whether it is moral to tax such things, that's another debate.
That's almost 3 Reals to buy one dollar! When this weak dollar going to help us?
So any computer here costs us, in our currency terms, a whopping 3x as much!
Brits complaining about prices? Their currency valuation is something I can only dream about, and it'll probably be that way for ever.
Does the GBP300 you paid include a fine? Or just VAT?
Lying to a custom's official can be fined, of course. But you didn't -- you told him the truth straight away. So were you fined for being forgetful/lazy and not declaring it?
J & R Music World is a really good store for that. Their prices might not be the best in the city, but they are consistently good. I have found them to be a reputable computer dealer, and they've been in the business for over twenty years. They are on Park Row, right by City Hall. You can't miss them, their various stores (Computers, cameras, music, books, videos, etc) take up almost an entire block.
----
Open mind, insert foot.
Got any friends in NYC? Have one of them the laptop for you. Once it arrives, get on a plane for a visit, fly to NYC, pay them for their trouble (take them out to a nice dinner too), see the city and then go home... what's so hard about that?
The 'Taxi Driver' NYC of your imagination is long gone what with Herr Giuliani and Gauleiter Dinkins cleaning Manhattan up. I just got back from NY and was not once panhandled or approached by a hooker or crackhead selling shit. Sure, it was cold, but that never stopped them in the past.
Comparing it to Windows will be a moot point, since El Dorado is going to have a 40% larger code base than XP.
"Can you turn the laptop on for me sir?" Er.....
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
Go here: http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/ Get a PowerBook G4. Only the very best for the best people! :)
Just buy the laptop from an american site and ship it to your address in the UK. I've had to buy tons of movies from other Region Codes from amazon.co.uk, even though I have an amazon.com account as well. I imagine if Amazon doesn't mind this, Dell wouldn't notice/mind either....Worst case that happens is they tell you know.
Which plan B would be to have a friend in the states get your laptop and then send it to you. Or just do what most people do and buy it in a store....
Ave Molech Setting
"boarder...boarder...boarder...boarder"
border...border...border...border...border
sorry, but it's just that your sig has something to do with natural language interfaces, so I couldn't let that pass.
Also, I had visions of laptops lying on top of people that pay rent.
You don't need Geeksintraining if you're on Slashdot.
Check out www.mailnetworking.com and www.myus.com.
These are remailing companies. That means they give you a US address (No, Not a P.O.Box) and they can accept packages for you and forward the packages to international destinations.
You can ship to one of those companies and ask them to forward it to you. You might have to take care of customs duties though.
Instead of going to the states, buying the laptop, and trying to sneak it back in (against protections for exactly that type of behavior), what about having a friend from states come visit you to show you the laptop they just purchased? Say, split the cost of the ticket?
What are the equivalent protections agaist that? It seems that the case where a US citizen went to the UK with a US laptop but did not return with one would be much harder to track. What am I missing?
Send it over to my house. I'll bring it right over after it gets here.
Believe it or not, Dell has sanctioned retail "outlets" of sorts. A number of malls have kiosks with limited stocks of computer equipment at their disposal. You can also check out some of the rent-to-own stores who stock Dell computers, but they'll probably overcharge, which is self defeating.
BTW, there's no reason you can't have it delivered to your hotel address. It's just a slight pain in the ass.
Absolutely false. Used to be true before 1999, but it is not true anymore. I wrote the Linux DVD Playback HOWTO, so I should know.
The interaction between region flags and CSS encryption is confusing and it is not surprising that people often get it wrong. For computer DVD players there are actually three levels of region playback enforcement:
- A player application such as WinDVD or PowerDVD will refuse to play back discs that do not match the region setting stored in the application.
- An operating system such as Microsoft Windows will refuse to read data from discs that do not match the region stored in the OS registry.
- For RPC-2 drives manufactured after 1999, the drive firmware itself will refuse to apply CSS decryption to discs that do not match the region stored in the drive firmware.
Obviously points 1 & 2 are trivial to bypass in software, but 3 is harder. In order to bypass 3 you need to actually crack the CSS encryption (assuming there is any; not all movies use CSS), or modify the drive firmware to ignore region flags. Point 3 is often used to justify CSS decryption tools on the grounds that CSS decryption is needed for out of region discs, but there's no actual dependency between region flags and CSS. The relationship between the two is just an accidental consequence of how RPC-2 is implemented.Keep in mind, if you buy a laptop in the US and take it back to the UK, good luck trying to get them to honor your warranty. And modern Dell laptops are not problem free. My Latitude D600 has an annoying bug in the power sub-system where it crashes in
if I wanted to buy a reliable laptop with Linux on it (or at least no OS) where would I shop for it?
There are plenty of links popping out of Google, but I wouldn't trust most of these places...
Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.
H.G. Wells, "The Outline of History"
After you buy your new laptop ( try J And R computers downtown.. pretty decent selection..) Walk to the neareast hardware store and buy some sand paper and apply some accelerated wear to the outside of the case. Put some cookie crumbs and hair in the keyboard. Spray a bit of soda on the lcd. (A friend of mine did this to a new mountain bike.. he just sprayed acid on it, and didn't even bother buying a lock, never got stolen while I lost 3 bikes in a short period of time...).
Then again you could do what one place I used to work for did... put cowcrap in the machine... lovely Imagine the joy of cleaning cow patties out of lots of laptops..
myUS.com looks pricy, especially if you don't make many purchases due to the $132 annual subscription!!
The Rio Karma is more expensive here in the UK, so I found someone selling them brand-new on eBay who was prepared to ship to the UK. I bought a brand-new one including shipping for GBP198. They're about GBP269 + shipping here!
But that does not apply to the devaluation of the US dollar. Americans are not seeing as big a rise in the cost of imported goods as they should be.
It's not just electronic goods and computers either, it's a huge range of consumer products: check out (eg) www.lego.com and you'll see that if you tell it you're in the US the lego will be cheaper. Lego is not made in the US, but it's cheaper there.
The problem for those exporting to the US is that the US is a huge part of their market, and is a very competitive market. So to stay competitive in the US marketplace many manufacturers are dropping their prices (in their own currency) to keep their $USD price the same for their US trading partners.
I believe this cannot last forever, and that in the long run simple economic laws will catch up and things will equalize. But as Keynes put it about the value of such long-term economic predictions: "in the long run, we're all dead". In the short term, you US consumers are getting lucky.
Sean
The Apple Store in SoHo >:)
Just buy retail. There are a lot of places to buy PC laptops. If you're not set on a PC then go get an iBook from an Apple store. They're well built, BSD core, cool GUI and apps, yada yada yada. The case is more durable than most x86 laptops (toughbook excluded). Besides, you can set it up, test it overnight and, if needed, return it the next day if it isn't right.
Does any know how the selection is at a typical Apple store? Do they normally have the full line of iBooks in stock?
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST
Unfortunately, Dell doesn't have any stores, only online/catalog/etc. My suggestion is...go to the Apple Store in NYC! :D Apple laptops rock.
Seriously, if you're only going to be there for four days, order it early approx at a date that will let it arrive within the time your at your hotel. If they send it to your hotel while your there, you should be fine. But if it comes early/late, I'm sure the hotel will help you out (assuming its a good hotel and not some shabby place!)
Those are the best!
Start in the 30s and just kind of weave back and forth across streets downwards. All those little chinese and korean "chop shop" computer stores are awesome! Dirt cheap prices, big variety, etc.
You know all those dirt cheap little stores you see on pricewatch? Well these are just like those except you can walk in and "kick the tires" on whatever you buy. J & R has it's advantages but I generally find it a little overpriced. It's good for buying a complete system or buying games (top floor has loads and loads of games) but for individual components it's much better to just kind of wander around and try out the random little asian shops.
Word of warning though, don't go in those indian ones with all the cameras and camcorders in the windows, those are always a fucking rip-off. Nothing against indians but for some reason every shady indian guy who gets to new york opens one of those. Just go in the small descrete chinese and korean places. (obviously there are good indian ones too but if you know that kind of store i'm talking about with the packed window display filled with cameras and shit then you will probably agree. Maybe they have good deals on cameras but I never found any good deal on PC hardware from them). The chinese and korean places are great though. Sometimes they just have a sign as "internet cafe" but when you go inside they have a hardware section too so keep an eye out for them.
I'll mail you a laptop , Please sir to be sending me a money order for $400.
Heheheh...
Yeah... Along those lines, avoid 42nd Street! :)
Fire and Meat. Yummy.
I ordered a laptop from dell a year ago. I waited and waited as parts were coming in.
I never recieved a shipping notice.
Unfortunately, this was all very close to finals and I was busting my ass writing a compiler. I didn't exactly have to time to screw with these guys and occassionally I checked the website. Still, every single time I checked it was in waiting.
Finally, finals were over and I decided I had better get this going. My order is still in limbo and the service rep says it got lost in the system. However, all my rebates and deals had passed now. The rep said I could build a whole new laptop, but there weren't any great specials now.
Immediately, I threated to get a toshiba. I already owned a toshiba, but at the time the Dell was cheaper then an equally stacked Toshiba. So, I chatted a bit about the toshiba model I wanted and went over the reasons I liked the Dell.
The rep finally started discouting everything and tossed in special after special. I couldn't get the model of cdrw I wanted, so they split the cost difference of the faster one. (Hell the original combo drive was free.... so I only paid 50$ more.
All in all, I don't recall paying anymore and I got a better laptop.
Sure, I had to wait a while, but I wasnt really in a hurry.
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
Hi,
I'm from Belgium and am planning to be in Tijuana later this month. I will be there for about four hours.
My employer would very much like it if I could get our company a good grid of either IBM eServes or Apple Xserve RAIDS. The Mexican peseta is cheaper than ever.
I was chosen for this assignment because I speak pretty good Mexican. I've been listening to the US president's speaches in Mexican and I can follow along pretty good.
Anyway, my question is: are there any good/big IBM/Apple outlets in Tijuana? Are there any Apple Stores there? If so, how many?
We'd like to buy somewhere between 64 and 96 units. We run an illegal gambling establishment outside Antwerp. We need to save this money if at all possible.
Slashdot, please help!
is 8.625% iirc.
Perhaps you should inquire for a friend in the US and work with them to have the unit purchased and shipped. For a few dollars, many people will help out. Maybe contact someone on ebay who has sold a lot of items and has a high rating.
"For expensive items, I believe they give you a note saying you had it with you, when you left your home country. If you can't produce such a note going back, tough luck, you have to pay a small fortune in tax."
Trivial to defeat. Have a friend deliver the laptop and the note to you. When the checkers check him on his return flight to the U.S. they find neither a laptop nor a note.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
J&R Computers are located not far from Wall St. near NY City Hall...
c ti ons.tem
http://www.jandr.com/templates/information/dire
Good selection, great prices. I've been to the store and mail-ordered, always pleased.
Oh yeah, before going there do check out the Apple Store at 103 Prince Street in SoHo (Prince St. just a block or two west of Broadway), just for the pure tourist value (nudge nudge, wink wink).
I'd also recommend buying Euro-style: have the computer plugged in and be satisfied with its performance prior to paying and walking out, and definitely ditto on ensuring transferability of warranty overseas. Being stuck with a lemon with no recourse sucks.
Mail the accessories, instructions 'n guarantee home, using USMail. Then just carry the bugger on board, odds ons customs won't even notice, particularly if you wear a business suit while flying back.
If you know anyone with the same laptop, you could ask them if you can clone their hard drive before you leave to go to the US (back in the W98 days I use to make cloned HDD backups using some Powerquest or Quarterdeck program), then when you buy your laptop you make some ghost image backup of the new Dell default install on the HDD & put it on a CD, & then install the clone. Then if on the odd chance that customs challengers you on the laptop, you can show that all those pre-trip dates on the HDD. Even better ask for a copy of your mate's receipt & stuff it in the back of your wallet & cover it up with old train tickets & supermarket receipts, then you can say "actually I haven't cleaned out my wallet since then, so I've probably still got the receipt"
Or while you're in the US you could buy a pair of official looking overalls & then have some sort of 'quarentine' marking put on it. Then you get some bong water from someone & stick it in one of those little spray things that people use to spray their indoor ferns. Then you can walk along as people are queuing up to book their luggage in, & spray the stuff along the luggage, like ailines use to have to do on flights coming into Oz about 20 years ago. Then hopefully customs in London will be destracted by their dogs going crazy with half the luggage coming through.
I use to bring professional Nikon cameras & Sony Camcorders (like the DCR-VX2000) into Sydney from abroad just by carring then in as luggage & never got pulled up by customs. Mind you'd I'd always pre declare some Asian wood carving so I'd go through quarentine instead, where they paid less attention to synthetic & mineral based products. I'm not sure you can pull the same stunt at Heathrow.
hello, dear sir:
i know my email will come as a surprise to you as we have had no contact before, but i am urging you to have no concern. i got your name and address from the girl who operates the computer.
my name is gen. imaskammer withnopekker. i have come to you with the blessings of god for an urgent and confidential business proposal to import a dell laptop computer from my home country of lagos, nigeria to your...
Just have it delivered to the hotel...Any decent hotel will take a UPS or FedEx delivery for a guest...
Is Dell still using prison labor to assemble their goods?
[o]_O
FedEx does have the option of having a package held at the FedEx location for pickup. Just give the FedEx location as the shipping address and have Dell ship it with the "HOLD at FedEx Location" option. Not sure how easy it would be to get Dell to do that.
*too lazy to login*
So christians don't believe in the old testamet?
If you are willing to accept something other than a Dell, just go to a store and buy a laptop. Best Buy, Circuit City, heck, even Sears sell them.
For all those people worrying about customs, etc., it is clear that you have never travelled. Customs doesn't check any of that crap. They make you take your laptop out of the bag for X-rays, and that is it. When you reenter the country, you fill out a little form that says you have nothing to declare. Just don't carry the thing home in the box you bought it in and you will be fine. I've been to the UK, and there is nothing that would have stopped my from selling my laptop and not returning with it, just like there is nothing that prevents you from returning with one that you didn't arrive with. They don't check watches, cameras, etc., unless you try to come back with a bunch of them.
-jdan
I take my laptop in and out of the country all the time and it is never marked anywhere and is usually exempt from declaration in most countries. My suggestion is a Powerbook from Apple Store NYC.
Their business is based on receiving mail for you in the USA and forwarding it to you, where ever you might live.
Okay, here's how the whole DELL pricing thing works and how, if you know what you're doing, you can get your hands on top-of-ranges machines (like the one I bought this morning and detailed in the parent post) at prices that completely undercut all the other manufacturers.
At first glance, Dell simply appears to have an out-of-control pricing system, with a bewildering array of conflicting and overlapping offers, often resulting in some people paying 50% more on exactly the same machine, ordered on the same day
There's actually method to Dell's madness, an ingenious, market-based logic to why certain people get certain prices and it's quite easy to place yourself in the lower-paying category.
To get the very best deal, you start online. Use Google to find a good, currently active forum dedicated to discussing laptops. A good example in the UK is whatlaptop.co.uk, your region will undoubtedly have something similar.
You'll soon notice that the forum is abuzz with talk of E-value codes. These are codes that Dell stick on everything from adverts to hardware magazine reviews. Entering the code into Dell's site will bring you directly to the configuration page of the model featured in the advert or review but with the important difference that the details will include the special offer mentioned in the advert. If you go directly to the same model without entering a code, you will get whatever that month's general special offer is (a rebate or double memory or whatever) but you won't get the special offer mentioned in the advert. With the code, you get both.
The massive public awareness of Dell's brand means that most people go straight to their site and buy without using a code. Dell make their highest margins on that clueless majority. The next level of customer are slightly more clueful, keeping an eye open for ads featuring special offers. E-value codes carried in newspaper ads tend to be better value than those on TV because people who are most comfortable getting their information from TV are considered to be less sophisticated. Likewise, the relative sophistication of a magazine or newspaper's readership will be reflected in the relative value-for-money of their E-value offers. Regardless of the media, however, you NEVER get the best codes from adverts of any kind.
The E-value codes included in magazine reviews are considerably better value than those in adverts, but still not the best deal possible. Magazines insist that machines submitted for review must be available to the general public with the same configuration and at the stated price. Getting top marks from a reputable magazine does wonders for a manufacturer's reputation and, of course, there's tremendous competition to present the best value package. Each manufacturer has to slash their margins drastically.
Obviously, they don't want to offer such good deals to ALL their customers, not when the vast majority of people are happy to just roll up to the website and pay much more. Dell's solution is to specify that the review bundle IS available to the public but, to find that exact package, they must enter a particular E-value. Of course, thousands of people do and Dell doesn't make huge amounts of money on them but, the way they see it, those clued-up bargain hunters wouldn't otherwise be Dell customers anyway, they'd be giving oxygen to Dell's competitors.
The real plus for Dell in this scenario is that, when they win that magazine's coveted "PC of the Month" award or whatever, they can plaster that logo all over their adverts, impressing tens of thousands of people who don't actually bother to read the magazines. They come away with the idea that, "Hell, if Dell is winning all these awards, they must be the best, I'll be safe spending my money on their site" - lot's more high-margin customers.
Surprisingly, review codes aren't the very best deals. On the forums you'll discover that there is a whole other category of codes that beats even them. These particularly
OH come on, even if the plane ticket to the US alone cost $4000, and the laptop, after all taxes are paid costs $2989 (ie saves $10) he is still ahead by come to the US to buy it. At least if he does anything other than grad the laptop and leave. The US is a large country with a lot of culture (despite how Europe jokes otherwise), and many wonderful things to see and do. Everyone should visit. Actually the US is large enough that one visit won't be enough to see it all, but then you cannot see the entire world in your lifetime.
Enjoy the trip. New York isn't my favorite place to visit in the US, but it is worth seeing.
Just walk into the NYC Apple Store.
The government is trying to lower the worth of the dollar on purpose, in order to stimulate trade, the idea being that imports into the U.S. are more expensive and exports are cheaper for other countries, so more foreign money will come in, and tourism as well.
Isn't this crypto-protectionism? It's like tariffs that subsidize competing domestic products, but probably with worse consequences.
Wasn't the point of globalism is that a lot of U.S. countries are building stuff and shipping it to the U.S. from other countries, where the dollar would go further, but now doing that costs more and therefore those companies are less profitable, or am I missing something? To consumers in the U.S., foreign stuff gets more expensive and domestic stays the same, so the net effect is consumers spend more and get less- where's the benefit?
It's got more features than the Dell, a bigger screen, and it's cheaper. Search google for "zd7000 review" for a couple of good reviews (sorry, I'm too lazy to make the link, especially when there are 600 comments ahead of mine...I doubt the poster will ever see this). I have one with the docking station and it's a great machine. I'm very happy with it.
You're going to have a lot of fun getting a Dell laptop in the US and then taking it home to find out that when you call tech support you will have to call the US. If a part needs to be replaced you won't get it because you do not live in the United States.
Get a friend to buy it for you on his/her credit card, get the worldwide service plan (if you push they will frequently give it to you for cheap), and reimburse your friend cash from ATMs when you get here. Carry it back in a well-worn laptop bag and stuff tons of misc junk in there (like the way it will become in 6 months). BTDT, no problem. I know tons of people who travel with laptops and never carry receipts and have never been hassled by customs. Just don't piss them off and make them *find* a reason to get you. This kind of activity is IN THE NOISE for them. Of the millions of travelers, how many are going to go through this much trouble to save a few bucks?
On my return trip to the states I not only neglected to declare several obviously Mayan instruments and a hand-carved chess set I purchased, but I also forgot that I had a bag of Coca leaves still in my backpack from the hike. When asked the usual questions going through customs, they determined that my feet and shoes needed to be decontaminated because of my exposure to "rural" areas of Peru, but never searched my belongings. After the odd foot-washing, I was given a warm "thank you" and went on my way. I didn't discover the Coca leaves until the following week when I used my Jacket again.
In the U.S. you can have email delivered to "General Delivery" at any post office. As in: Joe Smith General Delivery New York, NY 10001 You then walk up to the counter at the post office, show your ID, and they hand over anything that was sent to your name. You must use the US Postal Service for delivery to "General Delivery". You can not use FedEx or UPS or any other private shipping company to send something to General Delivery.
I have a friend who is a customs officer. If they take a dislike to you, they can make life very difficult for you immediately by ordering a body cavity search. In addition every time you ever travel by air again, you will get stopped and searched. Furthermore, in Australia, the little immigration man who checks your passport, and idly asks you one or two penetrating questions, scribbles a little code on it. When you pass the card to the customs officer he looks at the code and decides there and then on a spot check. Dumb things include: Going away for four days to New York without a valid reason and coming back with a brand new laptop. Customs guys know the street price of most electronics and the difference between an pentium III and IV. My frined catches most of these dimwits with the simple request to turn out the pockets and open their wallets. That Amex reciept is a dead giveaway. Suspicious
Just because I'm Paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get me.
The website is really busy right now, but you can try Michaels' Computers. I heard the deals are almost too good to be true!
Last November a friend had me bring him a fully loaded 17" Powerbook from the States to Hungary.
...and found that, in dollars at least, the local price for the same config was more than double what he paid (>US$6K vs US$3K).
After about a month he didn't like it anymore - he discovered that it's a giant heat sink, that the monitor hinge is a case study in bad industrial design, that the trackpad is badly positioned... in short, that the sucker is not a laptop at all but rather a "desktop replacement" meant for people who need a big pretty computer they can move easily from desk to desk. (Yes, I did warn him about all this ahead of time).
After he talked to Apple and got an agreement that he would get his money back minus shipping, we checked out local prices...
Being a nice guy, he found someone in under three days to buy it at his cost.
So my advice is to get a top-of-the-line powerbook, resell it back home for a decent profit but well below market, and use the extra cash to take either buy your real laptop at home or to take a fun-filled short trip to NYC,USA and buy what you want there.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
This Like That - fun with words!
J&R Electronics (Fulton Street station - across from where the Towers used to be). They own an entire block and it's all devoted to electronics. Anything that one could possibly be seeking in the electronics market is there. They have like 70 shops on their block. It's Mecca for geeks. I buy a lot of stuff there (most recently, a pair of Shure E2s). Pay it a visit.
So far, two out of two cities are stinking shitholes. Can't wait for the third, fourth and fifth.
I'd almost forgotten the joys of the anonymous troll...
In general in the UK everything is more expensive. In real terms. The rule of thumb is we usually pay the equivalent in pounds that you do in dollars. So obviously we pay extra what the difference in the exchange rate is. Its worse in many other parts of Europe though. You wouldn't believe what something as basic as a fridge can set you back in some parts of the world.
I know the huge retailers are never popular, but I've purchased several systems from CDW and always had a great experience with them. The prices aren't rock bottom, but they can compete with any of the national vendors. And it's *ALWAYS* there when they promise it. I once received a noon delivery of an order place the previous 5pm. It was a pricey delivery charge, but it was an emergency.
i don't read slashdot.
what a stupid question.
Nice attempt to apply a macroeconomic theory (not "law") to one guy buying a laptop.
> The law of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) states
> that an arbitrage (risk free) profit cannot be
> made by purchasing a good in a different country.
Sir After due consideration with my collegues, i decided to forward you this proposal. Due to the tremendous value of the pound sterling of great britain against the detrimental value of the dollar united states, i would like to make an investment of one of your superior laptops. I am sure you could aquire one of these laptops my late father edward george, govenor of the bank of england had told me about on his deathbed before dying of neglect when the goverment of her majesty elizabeth the second, but only the first of scotland, refused him his own american united states laptop. The shame of my mother, her sister, my siblings and my late fathers parrot of winston churchill fame suffered with the underpower european laptop was unbearable for him. Because united states of america department stores will not accept my credit card without an honest american address for snail mail i will trust you to make the deposit and arrange shipping of such great laptop. I in turn will deposit several hundred great british pounds into a paypal account of your chosing. I fully understand if you wish to donate your share of the excess to a charity as all great united states americans must do. God save the queen and all who sail in her. May your president never get caught. Yours, Edward edward george, son of edward george(tm)
Go to www.apple.com/store and click on International then pick a computer and you can see that almost if not all of them have an option for non US keyboards.
...keeping the receipt in your luggage and having customs locate it will most certainly lead to an embarassing situation.
If you want to keep it anyway, drop it off at your hotel in a closed enveloppe and ask them to send it over to you by mail (or do it yourself).
This is not intended as a Mac bashing comment, but I have been disappointed by the "worldwide" guarantee on my iBook. I have looked for Apple to repair it under guarantee, only to be told that the guarantee does not apply in Russia, where I spend most of my time. The same with the iBook "recall" for faulty motherboards. Fortunately I was able to get the computer back to the UK in the first instance, and the Russian Apple service partner gave me a cheap repair in the second. I would be suspicious about Apple's ability to deliver on their worldwide guarantee in other marginal markets, too. *sigh* If only their hardware quality control was as good as their software!
try wlaking into a gateway store, although I haven't done any compairisons with dell, they should be able to give you the laptop that you want, and you will talk with a person face to face, not to metion that you probably won't get this message
Im sorry I have to set you straight. 80% of these Slashdot fcuks don't know what they are talking about. They just try to act intelligent on something they don't know about. I don't know why I bother reading the "ask slashdot" posts... =)
I have done this already, several times.
Don't try sending it to the UK. Customs will seize even 5 year old laptops and charge you VAT and or other fines. I have seen this happen twice.
Buy it at a retail store. (Best Buy, Circuit City, ect...) There is no way in hell your going to get something shipped in 3 days.
Throw away the box. Ship the literature that comes with it to yourself or just throw it away... its pretty useless anyway. Who needs instructions? You can get manuals online if you really need them.
As someone put it, make it look used. Take all of the stickers off. Install other programs. Customize it to look like it has been yours for a while. Finger prints ect... (this tip comes from a friend who works in customs),
You will not need a voltage converter or a new AC adapter. You have two options. Get a plug adapter for less the 5 bucks which changes us two prong to uk 3 prong. The AC/DC adapter is already built for both 110 and 220 and 60 and 50 hz... Your second option which is a bit nicer and is the same as if you bought it from the uk is a lead from the ac pack to the wall. You can get one at most electronic stores, or just walk down Tottenham Road London and you will find one in one of those shops. That's where I get mine.
Remap the keyboard. Go to Control Panel > Regions and Language Settings > Languages > Details > Add then add the UK setting. Or just get used to the 3 keys that are different. And if you really wanted to you can replace the keyboard with a UK one that you can order from the manufacturer in the UK (if that brand is also sold in the UK) but this may cost a bit.
I went through customs with two laptops before in my carryon. I was never questioned. You don't have anything to worry about.
Sorry to be intrusive but I had to step in and clear up the bullshit. Unlike most of the rest of the slashdoters I have done this already.
Anyway... just trying to help =)
Also I am a fan of the Sony Vaio I have two. That would be my choice.
You don't want to tease an American customs or immigration officer as a foreigner. They can and will throw you out of the country if they get pissed on you, no appeal, no coming back for at least six months and you have to explain every time you do come back why you were thrown out that one time ("Well sir, I was teasing this customs officer and he took it badly...").
No, I haven't done it, but I read what it says just above where you sign on the entry cards.
"It makes it cheaper for me to fly to the US to buy it and carry it home than it is for me to buy it in the UK."
;-)
Might be cheaper for you, but think of all the jet fuel being burnt just to lug your corpse there and back again!
Also, what about warranty? I bought an eight inch SCT (schmidt-cassegrain telescope) from the U.S. ten years ago because they were far cheaper in the U.S. than over here in Germany, but I was told that the "limited lifetime warranty" would not be covered by European Celestron dealers. I was lucky enough to receive a well tested unit simply because Glenn of Wholesale Optics of Pennsylvania tested it for me before shipping it, but will Dell do the same for you?
All the best,
uwe
Ever wondered whats wrong with the world? http://www.ishmael.org/
As I understand it, VAT(17.5%) would be payable when importing to the UK and there is no import duty on computer hardware.
I don't get the impression that this guy is looking to declare his import, though.
Hehe, You can fire your directors at the next USA elections.
Wondering whether someone will mark this as Funny or Insightful....
Before you commit to this, if you live in London and the model you're after is sold in Tottenham Court Rd , you would be amazed how much you can reduce the price by brisk haggling. (the trick is to determine exactly what you want, ask for a package with something extra e.g extra memory, indicate that you're going to buy it today, and visit three or four shops to get your pricing right - DON'T waste time with demos & stuff - decide before you go and just talk money straight away). Discounts of a couple of hundred quid or even more are entirely possible on top-line gear.
I wouldn't personally buy a Dell. I have seen large piles of defective Dell laptops in a couple of places I have worked and the quality of the machines always made me feel uneasy - nasty cheap little plasticky things. Buy something from IBM, HP/Compaq or Toshiba. IBM by preference because their incredible service & support network is unbeatable - for instance, they put all the service manuals online and they keep spare parts for years and years unlike most companies.
Laptops are not like desktops. Important little things like reliable hinges and catches, properly-designed cases which manage the thermal and mechanical issues properly and so forth are the difference between el-cheapo machines and decent, reliable hardware. My current laptop is an HP. At one point due to a software crash, the machine locked up but the CPU remained powered up. This caused the motherboard to get HOT! but the machine survived, probably because HP engineered sufficient margins of thermal conductivity etc. to handle this. But I saw something similar happen on a Dell and the case literally melted. Then there's the cracked screens because the case is too flimsy to properly support the LCD, the nasty keyboards, the flimsy power adaptor plugs... nah! don't do it.
I did the same - bought a laptop from bestbuy to take it to israel for a significant saving. suprisingly enough after the cpu burnt out (a compaq), the warranty was even valid in Israel and they fixed it at no cost. i put stickers on the keys to handle hebrew. so it is worth checking out which companies will give an international warranty.
Actrually when I had to buy a replacement KB for a Dell laptop (last month), it was more like 95.00... (http://www.portables.co.uk, very friendly and helpful).
With the low $ and a worldwide shipment, you can also considere buying your books from the US, and you won't need to take a plane! Sites like Pricenoia.com compare prices at every Amazon store.. Well, perhaps you can save even more by buying from another Amazon worldwide store!!
last couple of times i was flying, over 50% of all travellers had laptops with them. definitely 95% of all business-looking guys.
there is no way customs could want to check them all. so as long as you look like a biz guy, i can't imagine you would have any trouble.
i have personally never been checked either, despite travelling between europe and the U.S. quite frequently. and even if they do - i carry my companys laptop, so what are they going to do? i suppose if they _want_ they can always give you trouble, but my guess is chances are very, very slim.
just don't greet the customs agent ("hi"), that's a surefire way to get checked.
In the end I paid around GBP1800, including all taxes and delivery charges. In the UK the same model costs well over GBP3000 - a massive saving. Because I bought a 'business' model from a decent manufacturer i also have the standard 3-year worldwide warranty. The power supply has a detachable lead which my PlayStation2 power lead fits perfectly, so the only anomoly is the keyboard, which i could replace but have now got used to. The main hassle was phoning the company in the states to check stock levels and confirm order details etc, but i'd now hesitate before buying a laptop (or similar) from the UK, even without the low dollar. apart from the fact that the states is a bigger market and is home to more manufacturers, UK pricing in general tends to be way more than anywhere else. Also true for cars, CDs / DVDs, clothing, etc etc, despite repeated 'investigations' by the relevant authorities.
hopefully more people will start doing this and persuade UK vendors to lower their profit margins somewhat, but it probably won't happen
Incidentally, I used to buy a lot of CD singles (I don't anymore as I object to paying GBP4 for one song), and would sometimes have to pay a premium for an 'import' product, which seemed to be common with singles several years old. When i went to NYC on holiday once I was surprised to find the same 'imports' in manhattan, which begs the question - if these things aren't being imported from the states, where ARE they imported from? I've seen them in most european countries, the UK and the US... is it just my natural cynicism or are these 'imports' just shipped from place to place to justify a higher price?
They *do* actually check for a US keyboard on laptops coming back to the UK from the US. The onus is unfortunately on you to prove you didn't buy it over there, not on them. You can argue as much as you like over this, but in the real world if you bring something through and customs think you're pulling a fast one, it's going to be confiscated until you prove otherwise or pony up.
If you are a Brit living in Europe, how is it that you know what Swiss keyboards are like? I mean, Switzerland is surrounded by Europe, however, not a part of it.
The Alt-GR key is your friend, not your enemy...Basically, there are few people who really can play the keyboard (in my experience...) however, if you can do so, you can do it with any keyboard.
I have problems using the German & Austrian keyboards, but that's just to lack of use. I find that if I have a nice, cozy command prompt, I can simply place a mental overlay and type QUERTY US with ease.
ObDisclosure:I live and work in Eastern Switzerland, but am a (now) dual citizen US-Swiss
ObOnTopic:Used to be that you had to promise Dell that you would not use the laptop outside of the USA if you were going to buy it there. Gotta keep those markets segmented, don't you know!
Head over to Central Park, the part by the mansion (accross from Beth Isreal) and ask any of the brothers pitching quarters on the wall behind the mansion where you can get a "discount laptop, very quickly" (Sup dawg? Shit, my thing is down. Needs me one a thems lapstops come-pute-hers. Shit, I means like NOW, dig?). It should not be much of a problem.
Oh yeah, don't take any money with you, you should wear $9.99 shoes from Discount Shoe Warehouse (old would be best), old clothes from salvo, and fer jeff's sake don't wear ANY jewelry.
Or, maybe you could just go to Manhattan Computer World? There are lots of stores in NYC where you can buy laptops... It only seems primative. Let your fingers do the walking!
BTW - Almost any place will FedEx or UPS to a hotel. It's done quite often, actually.
- God is pretend...
Swiss-German, Swiss-French or Swiss-Italian? They are all options.
See my journal, I write things there
If he was traveling on a tourist visa, then the odds of being pulled up would likely be higher than if he was travelling on a business visa.
Then again, customs people practice random acts of bastardry whenever they feel the need for another power trip. It's their way of feeling important.
Just to inform, EVERYTHING is more expensive in the UK. I don't know why, could be higher pay.
kelkoo.com - EU price compare
http://www.ebuyer.com -> us/uk compare
(uses cookies, perhaps use 2 different browsers)
xe.com - currency conversion
A blog I run for the wealth
I think it might be more correct to say a lower US dollar is good for American manufacturers, because the items they manufacture for foreign sale will be cheaper and more competive overseas -- but it is bad for the average US consumer, and all foreign articles they want to buy are suddenly more expensive. It is like getting a pay-cut.
As for the USA's " jobless recovery "... I watched an episode of Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street a few months ago. One of the panelists said something about US computer sales being up. And another expert set him straight. He described the way the Bush administration was computing the value of those sales to the US economy.
He didn't act outraged, and the other panelists didn't act outraged. But it was actually shockingly, outrageously dishonest. As dishonest as going to War with Iraq based on dishonest, fabricated evidence that Iraq represented an "immediate threat" of attacking with WMD.
IIRC the Bush administration was calculating the value to the US economy of computer sales not based on the actual price they were sold for, but what they would have cost several years ago. Well, we all know how quickly the value of computers erode.
It has made me wonder whether the "jobless recovery" the Bush administration is telling Americans they are in the middle of is all smoke and mirrors.
Oh yeah "Stockholm Syndrome" is the given to a phenomenon first recognized following a hostage incident in Stockholm. It was an incident of extended duration. The hostages came to identify with the hostage takers. IIRC, some of them fell in love with the hostage takers. Most unaccountable to experts was that the identification with the hostage-takers did not lapse when the incident was over.
The explanation experts came up with was that the hostages were so fearful that they would do anything to appease the hostage-takers -- even adopt their political agenda.
And I am suggesting that any American, who is not themselves a manufacturer and exporter, who sees a lower dollar as a good thing for them, and not a pay cut, is going through a similar non-functional identification.
Patty Hearst probably suffered from "Stockholm Syndrome", but they didn't call it that back then.
any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?
Yeah, it's called Canal Street
A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "Damn... We F****d up"
...if you're getting something shipped, just send it to the hotel where you'll be staying, marked HOLD FOR ARRIVAL.
Ok for the record I love Knoppix (check my journal) and I love Dell (again, check my journal) but I will recommend you mix the two with care. Seems that during shutdown Knoppix issues some fairly heavy handed low-level shutdown commands and more than one person has found themselves unable to turn their laptop back on by pushing the power button.
.. I forget) and push the power button - it comes back on.
.iso file as a virtual CD - it makes Knoppix run FAST because it is coming in at hard drive speeds (not waiting for the CD to spin up) and when you power it down it simply powers down the VM and not the real laptop.
Remedy for those too lazy to Google it up : pull out the battery, unplug it, let it sit for a few minutes, plug it back in without the battery (or is it put the battery back in without plugging it back in
Personally I highly recommend creating a virtual machine on your laptop (in Windows) using VMware (www.vmware.com - free 30 day trial, then come back here and whine about how expensive it is with the rest of us) and configure the virtual machine to use the
VMware is a good place to play with other distros also because the hardware is always the same and it does the translation to the real hardware (ie, some strange wifi card nobody has written a driver for yet.) Only downside is that I haven't gotten OpenGL to work with my RH9 install on it.
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
Be warned that some companies (e.g. IBM) won't accept online payments using an overseas credit card if you order through their US site - even if you're having it delivered to a US address. I was visiting my brother in Michigan last summer and tried ordering a spare battery for my Thinkpad. The system accepted the order, but I got a call a couple of days later from a sales rep saying that they couldn't accept that credit card (even though it was from Citibank, the account was overseas).
Do they keep kosher?
They only pay attention to the parts that tell them who to hate. Everything else they ignore.
Next time a christian babbles on about homosexuality being an "abomination" ask them if they eat pork or shellfish. Or wear cloth made of more than one type of fiber (all are prohibited).
I removed all my vendor stickers (WIndows, Compaq, etc) and there were NO SERIAL NUMBERS left on the device at all. Makes it real interesting when I have to go into government buildings where they log the beast in and out. Usually they simply write down the 3d hologram sticker on my cover as the 'identifier'.
I have always been a bit annoyed about the relatively high prices we pay here in UK for electronics.Can any /.ers from UK share any cheaper ways to get our electronics.
I am sure there are websites that ship to UK with reasonable prices and i personally would be willing to go to the continent if worth it.
Wanted : A Signature.
Ok listen up - I've done EXACTLY what the poster wants to do here myself. The only difference is that I'm Australian not from the UK. Specifically - while in the USA, I bought a Dell Inspiron 8200 in January 2003, ordered online. I was in the state of Wisconsin.
:)
The first problem you might encounter is that Dell USA won't accept your foreign credit card in payment for a laptop that will be shipped domestically. This is because the shipping address must match the billing address of the credit card used. Thus I had to use an American friend's credit card and just pay her back the cash. This of course meant the laptop was technically sold to HER, not me.
So having a colleague or friend in the US will make this process a lot easier.
After receiving the laptop (it took around 1 week) - I went to Dell's website. Somewhere on the website is a transfer of ownership form for transfer to a person/entity in a foreign country. I filled this out so as to transfer the ownership into my name, and register the laptop as being exported to Australia. Dell emailed me back the next day stating that the transferof the laptop was successful. Furthermore they converted the US warranty to a warranty I can enforce with Dell Australia back home in Oz. It was very easy.
The final issue which many posters have noted is the issue of customs. Technically yes you will have to pay import duty on a computer bought in the US and taken back to your home country. UK and Australian duty laws are virtually identical by the way. BUT in all seriousness, if you either say nothing to declare, or declare something else that is relatively minor, they will let you straight through. Carry the laptop in a backpack or a carry on bag. Do not carry it in its original packaging or a new-looking carry case. I have been on about 10 overseas trips (US, Thailand, UK, France) with the laptop and not ONCE has anyone even raised an eyebrow. Every second person is carrying a laptop these days and you will not raise suspicion if the laptop looks "in use" or is hidden away.
Hope this helps
...although it varies on certain goods/services. I think Sweden is 25%.
I was researching a new notebook for myself recently and in comparing Sony to Dell, I found that Sony offers more for your money, plus they are more readily available (ie. you can buy them from any store like Circuit City or Best Buy instead of having it shipped)...plus, they offer a 1 year Overseas Service warranty for only $49.00 USD.
You might be concerned about that last one if you're buying in the States and bringing it back to the UK. In my experience, even if you buy from a store, you can always call the manufacturer and buy the extra warranty. Here's a link to a nice P4/2.8GHz/512MBDDR/15"XGA/etc. for $1249.00 (compare that to what you get from a Dell): http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?c=1&b=g&cato id=-8026&qp=0&oid=87650
I've also had very good luck with my Vaio, so maybe I'm biased :) Anywho, hope that helps.
If you purchase the laptop and are a UK citizen, you could also be at large for felony violations within the US. I dont know what it would be in the UK. Windows XP comes, if that is what the laptop has preloaded, with IE and High Super Secret Encryption algorithms. Customs will request an inventory of software installed on the system at times too... Fines and Jail time are excessive...
-- Someone who travels for work
j & r computers near city hall
http://www.jandr.com
Laptops tend not to be very good for 3D graphics so why even purchase a new one, why not get an el cheapo TP600 ? I only buy el chepo laptops for under 500.. Anything more is a waste of money and hasn't been well tested.
Just say no to license servers!!
see once again you don't know what you're talking about... the old covenant/testament rules kept the people living in "righteousness" but even these rules weren't enough and an animal sacrifice was needed to hold off God's wrath until the fulfillment of the old testament had been complete with Jesus Christ, with this fulfillment Jesus made a "New convenant/testament" which disposes of much of the old laws of the old testament... now stop being a troll and read the bible if you truely want to understand.
...it's actually trying to detect explosives... Chocolate isn't the only problem - peanut butter and cheese can also set those machines off.
Miami Herald story
The Boston Globe article
Washington Post article
Finally, someone who knows what he's talking about, unlike that idiot who wrote that article.
-TrumpetMan
I mean, Switzerland is surrounded by Europe, however, not a part of it.
Go check a dictionary or an atlas. "Europe" is not synonymous with the political entity that calls itself "The European Union".