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redd
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:23 am Post subject: notebook - Hong Kong or Seoul? |
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I can't seem to do a search, so I'm sorry if this has been asked before (i only had time to check out a few pages).
I'm looking to buy a laptop and don't know a whole lot about these things. I want a CD-RW/DVD (DVD-RW preferably) and just want it for music, downloading tv shows, internet, and sorting and playing with my digital camera pics. No big graphic games. What should my minimum requirements be? I might be heading to Hong Kong in a few weeks - would it be better to buy there?
I get too overwhelmed when I go to Yongsan and I'm sure it shows, so I was hoping to go armed with advice the next time. I'm not fussed about buying a second hand computer either - but have no idea what reasonable prices I should consider.
Thank you SOOOOO much for any helpful replies. |
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Eunoia
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Location: In a seedy karakoe bar by the banks of the mighty Bosphorus
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 4:50 am Post subject: |
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I'd suggest buying one here in HK.
If I may, I'd also suggest, based on what you've said you want it for, you should consider the Apple Powerbook. I've got the 12 inch model and it's perfect for all that stuff. Comes with iLife 5, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand... great stuff.
Here it'll run you HK$14,900 (but the stores usually throw in a 10% "discount"), which equates to a little under 2 million won (about 1.8 after the "discount"). Consider that the same Mac will run you about 2.6 mil in Korea. Also, when I got mine the shop loaded MS Office and and Photoshop onto it for free.
If a Mac isn't your thing, I also know that you can get an equivalently equipped PC laptop (DVD burner, 15", 60 gig HD, 256 RAM) for about HK $13,500, if you shop around. I'm fairly sure that's less that what you'd pay in Korea.
If you want to know where to do your shopping in HK, feel free to PM me. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Consumer electronics are no deal in Korea, even the domestically produced items. You can buy them cheaper as imports in the USA than locally in Korea. Someone made an excellent point that because Korea has such high duty on Japanese electronics, Korean electronics can keep their prices high in Korea. They only have to be just a bit cheaper than the inflated Japanese item. |
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Wangja
Joined: 17 May 2004
Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Two factors, not price-related. One, if you want to type in Hangeul, it is much easier to have Hangeul characters on the keyboard and two, it is sometimes hard to get an English manual when bought in Korea. |
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redd
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| thanks!! I'll try to scare up the cash in time for my trip and look into them in Hong Kong. |
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Randall Flagg
Joined: 01 Oct 2004
Location: Talkin' trash to the garbage around you
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:02 am Post subject: |
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| Eunoia wrote: |
If I may, I'd also suggest, based on what you've said you want it for, you should consider the Apple Powerbook. I've got the 12 inch model and it's perfect for all that stuff. Comes with iLife 5, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand... great stuff.
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I have to agree. Macs are great for mulitmedia and that sounds like what you want it for. They are a little more expensive though. When it comes to typing in �ѱ�, it is a breeze. There is no need to download anything special. Many Asian alphabets are already loaded on. Your keyboard won't show the characters but you can open a window that shows you where everything is. Macs are also notoriously user friendly. |
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kprrok
Joined: 06 Apr 2004
Location: KC
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:35 am Post subject: |
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| Randall Flagg wrote: |
| When it comes to typing in �ѱ�, it is a breeze.....Your keyboard won't show the characters but you can open a window that shows you where everything is. Macs are also notoriously user friendly. |
How is that a breeze? You have to have a window open to type something everything you want to until you memorise the keyboard? That'd be annoying as hell! Imagine having to keep two windows open and switch between them just to type a freakin' letter! this is about as un-user friendly as you can get!
KPRROK |
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ulsanchris
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: take a wild guess
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| buy stickers of the characters for the keyboard. this applies to both macs and ibm compatibles. |
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Eunoia
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Location: In a seedy karakoe bar by the banks of the mighty Bosphorus
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:24 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| How is that a breeze? You have to have a window open to type something everything you want to until you memorise the keyboard? That'd be annoying as hell! Imagine having to keep two windows open and switch between them just to type a freakin' letter! this is about as un-user friendly as you can get! |
To switch input languages in any application needs no more than hitting 3 keys, or clicking the little icon at the top. The keyboard map window pops up (if you want it) and stays on top of whatever application you're using until you switch back to English. It's small enough to be unobtrusive and it's movable.
...and by the way, it just took me a little less than 2 minutes to figure this all out, and I'd never used a Mac until about 5 weeks ago. Nothing to reload or download, no reboot, no disc required. Just hit the System Preferences icon, and follow your nose!
��! |
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Randall Flagg
Joined: 01 Oct 2004
Location: Talkin' trash to the garbage around you
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:31 am Post subject: |
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| kprrok wrote: |
| Randall Flagg wrote: |
| When it comes to typing in �ѱ�, it is a breeze.....Your keyboard won't show the characters but you can open a window that shows you where everything is. Macs are also notoriously user friendly. |
How is that a breeze? You have to have a window open to type something everything you want to until you memorise the keyboard? That'd be annoying as hell! Imagine having to keep two windows open and switch between them just to type a freakin' letter! this is about as un-user friendly as you can get!
KPRROK |
I see Eunio already beat me to it but...
You hit Command-Spacebar....done
It is SO user friendly. You can buy a mac with hangul on the keys, but for those who don't have them, this is a pretty handy feature.
What is Microsoft's solution to not having Hangul on the keys?
edit: not trying to ellicit an argument here, i'm just curious  |
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the saint
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: not there yet...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:14 am Post subject: |
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| Randall Flagg wrote: |
What is Microsoft's solution to not having Hangul on the keys?
edit: not trying to ellicit an argument here, i'm just curious |
You're kidding right? Windows doesn't need to provide its users with a solution. You just learn where the keys are by typing. I've learned to type in Hindi and Korean on Windows machines without anything except simply learning as I go. In the end, you are a much faster typist because you effectively learn to touchtype. Also learned to type in Japanese but that is a piece of cake anyway.
If you need someone to hold your hand while you do it well you can go ahead and choose one of the following options: buy a keyboard for almost nothing in Korea and plug it in. It has Hangul on it. Failing that, print out a pic of the keyboard layout from the web. Failing that, press the keys and write out what they show with a, wait for it... pencil! The simplest solution is to wander into any decent peripherals shop in Yongsan and purchase a set of key stickers for around W2000. Rumour has it these are also compatible with Macs.
With WinXP you don't need to do anything to enable these languages either. Asian languages are enabled in IME and are as easy to switch to as with a Mac.
Why do Mac users always harp on about how easy they are to use? Are they all technologically challenged or something? Like to see them attempt to replace their motherboard and then tell me how easy they are to use... don't get me started here... |
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Randall Flagg
Joined: 01 Oct 2004
Location: Talkin' trash to the garbage around you
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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| the saint wrote: |
| Randall Flagg wrote: |
What is Microsoft's solution to not having Hangul on the keys?
edit: not trying to ellicit an argument here, i'm just curious |
You're kidding right? Windows doesn't need to provide its users with a solution. You just learn where the keys are by typing.
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Your pretty bitter towards Macs. What happened? One of them steal your girlfriend? 
Windows doesn't NEED to provide a solution?? Or it just simply DOESN"T do it? Sure you can learn to type as you go but I'm sure most people would appreciate being able to see what they are doing rather than guess and take ten minutes to write an otherwise simple paragraph. But, to each his own.
And Saint, why all the attitude? Is the same way you would reply if an XP user were to ask the same question?
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| Why do Mac users always harp on about how easy they are to use? Are they all technologically challenged or something? |
Easy to use = technologically challenged?? I think you have this a little mixed up. If a person found them difficult to use then OK, they are challenged. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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There is software for the Windows platform that lets you see the Han-gul keyboard on the monitor, but it's not an integrated part of Windows. I can't see why it would be and if I were writing Windows, I wouldn't make it a part of the package either. It's just not their responsibility in any way to provide this type of support. Windows is already big....can you imagine if they had to provide support for every users possible liguistic preferences in terms of a layout screen? Just adds superfluous baggage.
Let's not forget that MAC OS has everything in it because no one else provides it. It was convenience born of necessity, that's all. Another sign of its overall inflexibilty, IMHO.
I think the "attitude" comes from years fo seeing an "attitude" from each and every MAC user on every forum I have ever seen. They are even in defence mode with each other on the MAC forums. This comes from being initially inferior, and now, regardless of the reality (whatever that is), MAC users have a syndrome.....it's reflex to expect it from a MAC user. 
As far as ease of use...well, Windows, as millions and millions of users will agree, is easy. For many, "it just works".
Funny how MAC has to sell itself on their percieved Achilles heel of the competition. To bad they don't sell themselves.
I don't mind MAC, just the users bug me. |
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ulsanchris
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: take a wild guess
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:42 am Post subject: |
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I find the windows language pack for east asian languages doesn't work that great. For certain types of windows on the internet i can't write hangul in it. not to mention its a bit of a bother to set up. have to put the disk in and install it. Then configure it. Then not have it work properly and have to do it again.
Sounds like the mac way is easier.
i'm a little sick of windows os. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| ulsanchris wrote: |
| have to put the disk in and install it. Then configure it. Then not have it work properly and have to do it again. |
Wow...this is problematic for you? Most software on the Earth needs these steps. 
Oh well.....move to MAC...or a distro. |
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