Job Discussion Forums

[guest of Japan]

As of yesterday my computer has passed away. It was a good computer and served me well and long, but now I've got to buy a new one.

My question for all of you who are up to date with technology is which computers to be looking at.

I need and English OS of course. It would be great it if came preinstalled, but I guess I could buy a separate OS and install it if that needs to be done.

I'm looking looking at laptops running windows.

Thanks in advance.

[OaklandZoo]

I just did a brief search on the internet, and found out that Toshiba sells overseas models on their website. They are all laptops, and they come with English keyboards and English versions of Windows. Unfortunately they don't seem to have the product descriptions in English, but I hope this helps. The URL for the Toshiba website is

http://www3.toshiba.co.jp/jdirect/p/c/38/

[azarashi sushi]

Hi Guest... I'm not an expert although I am looking to buy a new computer aswell... Just for the sake of ease convenience I'm looking around Akihabara. Toshiba and Sony are obviously the most readily available and there are plenty of shops selling laptops with English operating systems. They all look good and the descriptions are in English.

[azarashi sushi]

This may be of interest:

http://www.primepc.jp/goods_pc/goods_pc.php

[guest of Japan]

Thanks guys. I've just got back from Akihabara and from a visit to my computer guru friend. In a well air conditioned dotour my computer decided to work again. So, I've bought an aluminum cooling fan system. Perhaps, by controlling the heat better, I may extend the life a bit more. The internal fan no longer works. I'm typing on it now, so maybe I'll have a bit of luck.

Thanks for the advice.

[fizayded]

i just went back home to la and I bought an acer laptop. Asked a couple of friends that work with computers and they said toshiba was good. They said sony was okay for the price, but they had known people who had problems with them. Also, sony laptops you can only put sony parts into. I didnt want to get anything cheap like a gateway or hp or so. So far mines been running great, in the last week and a half. Oh yeah, prices in america seemed a lot cheaper than here, even though maybe its not the latest and greatest technology.

[SEndrigo]

Last year I got a fantastic deal on a used Toshiba laptop from SOFMAP (it had only been used for a few months, so it was basically new).

I didn't have any problems with the OS as I already had the English Windows XP CDs.

You can find some good deals here if you look around

[AndyH]

GuestofJapan,
I'm glad to hear you computer problems have passed, but just in case you do need to end up buying a new one, I've had pretty good luck with my Toshiba laptop. I bought it used in Akihabara almost a year ago, and it has been fine. The only advice I'd like to give is that if you can have a friend from North America (or Australia, NZ or UK) send you an English Windows XP OS, your options for a USED computer might be better. If you end up getting a new one, you shouldn't have any problems, but a lot of the used models I've seen for sale come with crappy operating systems like Windows Millenium. If you get something with a Japanese OS and install Windows XP yourself, you will increase your options. I hope you don't have to get a new computer, but if you do, good luck! They can be a headache, can't they?

[guest of Japan]

Thanks guys.