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rocklee
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:15 pm Post subject: Buy a notebook in my home country or in Korea? |
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I'm looking to replace my 15.4" widescreen notebook with something newer and was wondering if it is better to buy here locally or in Korea.
Some of the things that I need for my next notebook are :
- Duo core
- Widescreen (minimum 15.4" or 17" if there is one that is 3kg)
- 2.0kg - 3.2kg overall weight (lighter is better for me as I like to carry my computer to work and places)
- S video output (most notebooks have them anyway)
- WSXGA (1680x1050) or WUXGA (1920x1200)
- Good enough for the latest games (I love the Quake/Farcry type games)
Not so important features but nice to have :
- 17" (bigger is nicer though a better resolution would be more useful since I do 3D stuff)
- Remote (I watch a lot of movies/DIVX stuff, so a remote would be pretty useful)
I don't mind having a Korean notebook (like LG, Samsung or others), but I guess what I'm concerned about are prices.
The problem is, I don't know of any Korean PC sites to compare local prices here in Australia.
Dell seems to make bang-for-buck notebooks so that would be my first choice, but if you think the Korean notebooks are better then I would like to know.
Thanks. |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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| I would consider buying one in your country. I dont know about where you live but back in America I could have got a notebook for half the price. Thats because I can get on ebay Friday or Saturday night and catch some auctions that are not being voted on and make off with a steal. I just bought a notebook here and becasue of my boss's connections I was able to pick one up for reasonable means. But it was still more than I would have paid back home. For what you are wanting be prepared to spend at least 1500.00 US on it. Notebooks here are ridiculously expensive and thats becasue everyone wants one. You'll find that when you do go to buy your notebook in Korea that they are usually backordered on all the models. |
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mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Be aware that certain companies such as Dell don't have easily accessible service centers here. HP does. I don't know about IBM or any of the others. Frankly, you should avoid buying/bringing a notebook in/to Korea unless the mobility factor is absolutely essential.
First, Korea is a notorious notebook killer due to the high level of particulates in the air. You'll find threads on this if you do a "search".
Second, you can pick up a monster desktop in Korea for under 1mil. won.
Third, having a mobile computer in Korea is like having two penises: totally overkill and unecessary. I've yet to see one single city block in Korea that did not have a PC room.
Fourth, I have two penises, and that ROCKS. |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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Second, you can pick up a monster desktop in Korea for under 1mil. won.
Third, having a mobile computer in Korea is like having two penises: totally overkill and unecessary. I've yet to see one single city block in Korea that did not have a PC room |
Mack, I dont know what you call a monster, but I would call one at least having a Pentium M. And from what I've seen you aren't going to touch one of those for under 1.5 Mil. Most notebooks I've seen here are pretty lacing in comparison to what I can get back home. Most any that are 1500.00 US all come with DVD burners, huge hard drives, and far out graphics cards. As for the PC room thing...I just invested 1 Mil in a notebook and I can say that it was the right choice. Pc rooms in the short run ARE cheaper but the advantages of having your own computer in my opinion far outweigh the "convenience" of the PC bangs.
1.In most PC bangs I've been in there aren't any computers with cd burners so its impossible to get any data off the drives unless you email it to another computer and this limits the size of files you can send.
2. I get tired of having to fumigate my clothes to get rid of the smoke smell that I pick up every time I go to a PC bang.
3. At home I don't have ouvercurious Korean kids looking over my shoulder evertime I am typing a private email.
4. I dont go back to my notebook to find that someone has reformatted the hard drive and wiped out all the data and programs I saved and installed.
5. I spent a lot of money up front for my machine but now I dont have the steady drain of all that won for the PC rooms out of my living expenses weekly. |
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mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| I just invested 1 Mil in a notebook... |
But that's not the point. The point is: buy a sweet desktop (which you will find for under 1mil, and if you absolutely need a comp. "on the go" use a PC room.
Number of times I've absolutely needed a comp. on the go in Korea: ZERO.
Number of times anyone has ever needed or used a comp. on the go in Korea: THREE (I surveyed every man, woman and child and I can tell you that number is hard-boiled fact). |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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But that's not the point. The point is: buy a sweet desktop (which you will find for under 1mil, and if you absolutely need a comp. "on the go" use a PC room.
Number of times I've absolutely needed a comp. on the go in Korea: ZERO. |
I see what your saying but none of us are going to be in Korea forever. I will be headed to Thailand after my contract here is finished and my notebook will be a whole lot easier to transport there than a desktop. And if I were to sell the desktop I have to worry about how I am going to keep my data. Were all travelers and in my opinion the notebook serves our purposes better. But then again thats just a matter of perspective based upon the different ways we use them. |
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rocklee
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks guys for the response.
Mack the knife, I was one of the few that had a desktop and notebook. Most had cheapo desktops but for those who could afford notebooks are the ones carrying them to a couple of places like work (where there is only one internet-ready staff PC). I'd rather use my own computer at work than to get in line to use the staff PC.
Desktops in Korea could be very cheap, I may consider buying one if I end up staying there for a couple of years. Do they sell SFF PCs? (eg. Shuttle PCs).
Xingyiman - Notebooks do have their benefits, though I wish they were lighter as my current notebook, books and bag weighs about 6kg on my back. |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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| mack the knife wrote: |
Fourth, I have two penises, and that ROCKS. |
How unusual...are they detachable?  |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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| mack the knife wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I just invested 1 Mil in a notebook... |
But that's not the point. The point is: buy a sweet desktop (which you will find for under 1mil, and if you absolutely need a comp. "on the go" use a PC room.
Number of times I've absolutely needed a comp. on the go in Korea: ZERO.
Number of times anyone has ever needed or used a comp. on the go in Korea: THREE (I surveyed every man, woman and child and I can tell you that number is hard-boiled fact). |
Errr, well if you do editing, having a laptop is quite nice. And you can't use your desktop on the plane.
The OP should see the Tech forum for my sticky faq on buying laptops. Long story short: laptops aren't cheap in Korea. You can get a better machine at home. Just make sure you bring ALL the original CDs with your laptop. |
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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know about Korea, but I remember people having problems buying an English computer in Japan loaded with all the English software.
To solve this problem, Toshiba was selling their English export models directly to foreigners in Japan. The prices were fair.
If I were you, I might contact Samsung or LG here and see if they'll do the same for you. |
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rocklee
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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I'm pretty good with computers and installing English software so no problems there.
OK I want a kick ass notebook. |
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mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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| OK I want a kick ass notebook |
Don't buy it here.
Game. Set. Match. |
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rocklee
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| mack the knife wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I just invested 1 Mil in a notebook... |
But that's not the point. The point is: buy a sweet desktop (which you will find for under 1mil, and if you absolutely need a comp. "on the go" use a PC room.
Number of times I've absolutely needed a comp. on the go in Korea: ZERO.
Number of times anyone has ever needed or used a comp. on the go in Korea: THREE (I surveyed every man, woman and child and I can tell you that number is hard-boiled fact). |
Errr, well if you do editing, having a laptop is quite nice. And you can't use your desktop on the plane.
The OP should see the Tech forum for my sticky faq on buying laptops. Long story short: laptops aren't cheap in Korea. You can get a better machine at home. Just make sure you bring ALL the original CDs with your laptop. |
Hey thanks for that. That sort of answers most of my questions about buying a notebook here or there.
I thought Korea would have some great deals when it comes to electronics, at least more so than Japan. Guess it varies. |
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canuckistan
Mod Team
Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Location: Training future GS competitors.....
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:14 am Post subject: |
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| I have an HP Compaq Armada that I bought in Canada with an international current converter and warranty. Even though I registered on HP's website for the warranty, HP in Korea couldn't find any record of my purchase. Luckily I had the sales receipt with me and at one point when the battery wasn't working properly I took it to HP in Kangnam and they replaced it quickly--no charge. Great service center. |
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