View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
DCJames

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
|
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:50 pm Post subject: Is Fast Internet the Only Thing Korea has Going for Techies? |
|
|
Buying the latest electronics / computers is alot more expensive here than back home. Also, the availability of the latest electronics / computers is pretty lame.
Is fast Internet the only thing Korea has going for techies??? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
eamo

Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
|
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Now that I think about it, yes.
99% of Koreans, even those who use PC's a lot, tend to shy away from anything high-end. The amount of times a Yongsan dealer has expressed total confusion at my refusal of cheaper components. They really don't seem to understand why anyone would pay more for performance when mainstream is cheaper.. They also tend to use software and games well beyond their sell-by date.
Korea can be a frustrating place for the genuine computer geek who likes to be bang up-to-date.
I've yet to experience a Korean computer store where the staff understand performance and think the same way as me. In fact, more often than not, the staff know a lot less about the latest advances in computing than I do. They're all stuck in this, 'if it's good enough to run Starcraft, it's good enough' rut. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
kprrok
Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC
|
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
eamo wrote: |
They're all stuck in this, 'if it's good enough to run Starcraft, it's good enough' rut. |
Until Starcraft 2 is finally released and the bar is raised for another 5-10 years. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
SeoulnPepe
Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Location: Seoul
|
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Actually, I think Koreans have a "The more expensive it is, the better it has to be" mentality. Don't believe me? Check for yourself.
9,000W for three avocados...in Japan you can pick them up for about $1 a piece (or is that 110Y). How is it that only a boat ride away the same product is three times cheaper?
Then again there's golf gear, camera gear, snowboarding gear...it all seems ridiculously overpriced for the demand. High end computer gear is the same.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a D80 Kit at COEX going for 1,200,000W. They're averaging 450-500US on Ebay. It makes no sense, but when you believe that the more expensive something is, the better it has to be, I guess vendors will prey on that. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You gotta be kidding me OP.
Consumer electronics here are light years ahead of the US. The DMB/PMP players put to shame anything the US has to offer. I can pick up a DVD player with flash memory slots/USB ports, and enough builtin codecs to play everything I throw at it for less than 100,000w.
They have so called "electronic dictionaries" that are more powerful than the top of the line PDA's. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Temporary
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
Sorry Pkang your smoking crack.
Electtronics here are a joke. They are expensive and not that good, except for couple exceptions in the PMP department. To be honest with you I didn't see very many people use PMP's in Canada anyway.
When I was in Canada about a month ago. Samsung, LG TV's were at least 200 - 300 dollars less. Computer equipmentlike mobos, cpus, gpus, were cheaper and a larger variety and better quality. Not to mention consoles were a lot cheaper. Don't even get me started on the cell phone department. Not only were the Korean brands more feature rich in North America they were also cheaper. To knock Korea down further down the pedistule in the Cell phone market North America has supperior brands and models. Only thing Korea has going for it is the reception quality is better.
In Canada I have a couple SnapGear routers.. Try to find them here for a reasonable price.
Then we get into speciality electronics like, switches, Routers(no shity little home ones), NAS devices. They are outragously priced here. Not to mention you can't even get them here. Not to mention printers and other accessories, like mice, keyboards, powersupplies, headphones, speakers, Notebook computers.. etc...... |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
JustJohn

Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Location: Your computer screen
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
Fast internet
Phones tech is generally a couple years ahead of the states
PMP stuff generally better
Basically everything else is going to be better/cheaper in the states. That's been my experience anyway. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
DCJames

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
pkang0202 wrote: |
You gotta be kidding me OP.
The DMB/PMP players put to shame anything the US has to offer. |
Is that why you're the proud owner of a iPOD Touch???  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
OneWayTraffic
Joined: 14 Mar 2005
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well it's better than NZ for sure.
One advantage is that here I actually have the ability to buy stuff rather than just looking at it due to disposable income being higher for me.
In general America has the cheapest stuff. But many gadgets are released here and in Japan that never make it Stateside. Good for companies like Dynamism. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Temporary
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
OneWayTraffic wrote: |
Well it's better than NZ for sure.
One advantage is that here I actually have the ability to buy stuff rather than just looking at it due to disposable income being higher for me.
In general America has the cheapest stuff. But many gadgets are released here and in Japan that never make it Stateside. Good for companies like Dynamism. |
Your comparing a nation of what 2 million to a nation of 50 million.
There is only 32 mil in Canada and we still have a way better selection and prices. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The electronics and gadgets in Korea are on par, if not ahead of the US. They are more expensive though. Electronics in Japan are pretty expensive also.
If you want price/performance, best bang for your buck deals than no country can beat the US. If you want the latest/greatest gadgets then no country beats Japan.
Korea just falls somewhere in the middle.
The selection and the products are here in Korea. Just because your wallet is tight you say, "everything here is crap because its more expensive than back home." |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Gaber

Joined: 23 Apr 2006
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Temporary wrote: |
OneWayTraffic wrote: |
Well it's better than NZ for sure.
One advantage is that here I actually have the ability to buy stuff rather than just looking at it due to disposable income being higher for me.
In general America has the cheapest stuff. But many gadgets are released here and in Japan that never make it Stateside. Good for companies like Dynamism. |
Your comparing a nation of what 2 million to a nation of 50 million.
There is only 32 mil in Canada and we still have a way better selection and prices. |
Ahem. That's 4 million, thank you very much. We're as big as Busan!
I was about to express the same sentiment. NZ sucks for electronics. When the NZ dollar is strong importers don't tend to adjust for it, it's just 2 to 1 all the time. Anyhow, one great thing is the local brand 4850/4870s with the Zalman aftermarket coolers. They run much quieter and cooler than the standard ones at pretty much the same price. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Temporary
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
pkang0202 wrote: |
The electronics and gadgets in Korea are on par, if not ahead of the US. They are more expensive though. Electronics in Japan are pretty expensive also.
If you want price/performance, best bang for your buck deals than no country can beat the US. If you want the latest/greatest gadgets then no country beats Japan.
Korea just falls somewhere in the middle.
The selection and the products are here in Korea. Just because your wallet is tight you say, "everything here is crap because its more expensive than back home." |
No thats the thing the selection is not here. Try to find me a Thecus or SnapGear. Its not that I am cheap. Sorry but some of the stuff you just can't get here.. I would put Korea no where near close to the US or Japan when it comes to gadgets.. Japan is cheaper for gadgets anyway.. Sorry to bust your bubble. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
SeoulnPepe
Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Location: Seoul
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Temporary wrote: |
Not to mention printers and other accessories, like mice, keyboards, powersupplies, headphones, speakers, Notebook computers.. etc...... |
Too true.
I bought my parents a Canon multi-function laser printer (scanner/copier/fax/printer) for about 150US. The same model here is going for 350,000W. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
DCJames

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
|
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
pkang0202 wrote: |
Just because your wallet is tight you say, "everything here is crap because its more expensive than back home." |
You assume alot, don't you? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|