Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sejong]

So I'm considering getting another Laptop to replace the one I currently have, but I'm having trouble deciding exactly what I need in a new machine. I have a Toshiba right now, which I bought second hand - seemed like a good deal at the time, but the DVD drive crapped out promptly, and I had to replace the hard drive last summer. Anyway, it's been running fine lately, but I've been downloading a lot of TV and movies off of bittorrent, and have been managing most of my music off of it, so the 40 GB of hard drive doesn't seem adequate (not to mention space for all of my digital photos).

Aside from more memory, I'm not sure what exactly I should be looking for in a new machine. I don't game; I don't do a lot of typing beyond emails and so on; I don't plan to edit video or anything like that; I just want something I can use as more of an entertainment centre. It doesn't need to be particularly light, but I do plan to move to SE Asia next year, so I'd rather not get a desk top.

Basically:

1) What brand names would you recommend for reliability - Sony, HP, Dell, Compaq, Samsung, etc.? Any particularly good models?

2) What should I expect to spend in Korea (I'm aware that Korea doesn't exactly offer the best deals, but what can you do?) ? Should I head for Yongsan or else to a brand-name storefront?

3) Is there any place crazy enough to take my current Toshiba as a trade-in?

Any specific advice is very, very appreciated...

[Wrench]

I would go for a Dell the Latitudes D810 seems like a good buy, but you will need some one Korean to help you. I would avoid HP, compaq and LG Xnote. Oh not to mention avoid Toshiba or also known as Trashiba.

I am actually importing one under the education clause and the specs are Higher then any that I have seen in Korea. Avertec makes cheap laptops but they have a problem with quality. I personaly would go for a Dell, reliable good price and international warranty.

[hari seldon]

If you've recently replaced the hard drive and the DVD, then you practically have a newly refurbished laptop. Why not save a bucketful of bucks and just add an external hard drive?

[redbird]

I think I'd suggest the Dell, too.

I echo the suggestion of the poster above, though. If the ram on your laptop is sufficient, an external hard drive might be a good choice. You could likewise price replacing the DVD drive or getting an external drive. One nice thing about such a plan is that these new investments would be modular-- you could take them with you if you decide on a new machine eventually.

It seems like laptop hard drives fail far more often than desk top hard drives, so you could use your laptop hd for your operating system and data and programs that you want to be portable. You could devote the external hard drive to archiving these video files you're describing and anything else you don't want to be taking with you everywhere you go.

And, one additional idea here is to burn a lot of stuff to DVD. How many files do you have over 4GB? With the price of writeable DVDs falling, they're a cost-effective alternative to a larger hard drive for some situations. I've made great use of this idea. DVDs degrade less drastically than hard drives fail.

Unless the ram on your laptop is insufficient, I'm not so sure a new laptop is the best choice.

[Derrek]

Heck, you've replaced half of the computer already -- it's almost new.

But if you really want a new one, take a gander at www.dell.co.kr and then choose the ENGLISH button.

The prices aren't too awful, either (for Korea).

[mindmetoo]

I totally have an external HD. They're cheap. $140 you can get one set up at Yongsan. It's great for backup purposes. It's amazing the peace of mind, knowing your data or even your entire HD is mirrored on another drive.

[Sejong]

Thanks for the advice. I had been thinking about getting an external hard drive before, but I replaced the DVD-RW that died with an external CD drive, and I don't enjoy having peripherals cluttering up my desk, especially since I'm planning a move next year. Also, I'd enjoy having a wider screen and some other minor improvements. Eh, I just want a new machine, even though I know I could get the same performance by adding some components to the one I have now. Irrational, I know...I want to do my part to keep the economy going, I guess.

I clicked over and looked at the Dells - a couple of questions - I've heard a lot of people say that Dells are pretty crappy (although the more I research laptops, the more that seems to be true for just about every make) - Have you had a good experience with them?

Second, the specs quoted on the website said that they came with Windows XP in Korean, and I'd of course want an English version - is this difficult to get in Korea, and does it add to the cost significantly?

[keninseoul]

for what you are doing,I would NOT use a laptop as the cheaper models will not hold up under continuous use. for other options, see

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-7963_16-5114565-2.html?tag=tnav

My usage was different than yours, but I found the life span rarely exceeded 3 years. Same can be true for desktops, but they are a LOT cheaper to get repaired/upgrade.

[Hater Depot]

I would recommend considering Averatec. As far as I know they make the thinnest, lightest laptops available (when folded mine is no higher than an upright quarter) but still have DVD-RW and some nice features like built-in wireless LAN. They also run nearly silently. Mine cost $1000 (well, before a sweet store discount).

The downsides: it's not much use for playing recent games; the screen is only 13 inches; the TV-OUT function reportedly doesn't work very well. Maybe the biggest drawback is that the DVD drive is built-in, so you can't easily replace it. Those quibbles aside you can't get a better deal for the money.

[trevorcollins]

[hari seldon]

[Demophobe]

[FUBAR]

I've had 2 laptops while in Korea. The first one was a Compaq Presario and it was a piece of crap. The outer case cracked twice on me, the motherboard fried, and the HD failed twice. Maybe I bought a lemon, but I won't make the mistake of ever using that company again.

The Dell that I purchased last September has been working without problem for me. It's a Lattitude (I forget the model number). THe only thing I suggest is to make sure you check to get the correct LCD. Some of the LCDs must be used to view one type of resolution resulting in some smaller images appearing blurry. Other than that, I have no problems. Personally, I think most people have a preferred brand and shoot down all other companies that they are not familiar with.

[Wrench]

I just ordered a laptop from US.
I will let you know how hard it is to get one here..
So far I've spent about 1.87 mil won incl shiping. You can't even get this laptop here.

[Hater Depot]