Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rather_Dashing]

- Did you bring your own from wherever you're from? (I would assume a laptop)
- Do you have your own computer at your apartment? With an internet connection?
- Do you use the computers at those cybercafes?

I hear that the cybercafes in Korea are pretty cheap, and that you don't even need a system at home if you live close to one. I once shipped my system across my home country and after seeing the price tag I'm not too keen on sending my system over to Korea or buying one there and sending it back. I guess I'd have to buy one there and sell it before I leave?

Any information would be appreciated!

[Hobophobic]

without allthe fixins you can buy a home comp cheap here...no monitor and such...but xp and top of the line at a local comp shop is about the big tag of 190,000W or so....the rest of the goods cost next to nothing in yongsan electronics market

[Thunndarr]

Internet cafes are cheap and ubiquitous. Also, they have pretty decent computers in most of them, because the kids like to play games on them. It'll cost you about $0.85 U.S. an hour to use them.

However, they can be smoky and noisy. I still like them though, for some odd reason.

I actually brought my desktop computer over in my luggage. Maybe not the greatest idea in the world, but it worked out ok. I bought a cheap used 19 inch monitor for about $100 when I got to Korea.

Internet service here is pretty good, and cheap in my opinion. My first year, I had internet + cable for about $30 a month which I didn't think was too bad. My second year I paid a bit more, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter. Oh, and you'll have DSL or cable pretty much wherever you go. (I once told my students that a lot of people still use dial-up in America, to be met with incredulous disbelief.)

And, as the previous poster said, you can build your own machine here pretty cheaply, depending on what you want to do with it.

(Another option if you have a desktop system at home...just bring the guts of it in your luggage and reassemble it here. I've heard some people do that, and it's probably a better idea than what I did. )

[Bulsajo]

[Falstaff]

I did the same thing as Bulsajo. Dropped my power supply, monitor and speakers. Replaced them all when I got here. Packed my case with socks to provide a little extra cushion.

A word of warning though. Make sure your power supply isn't proprietary. 'Cause if it is and you leave it behind, you'll either have to have it shipped later or you're screwed.

[Bulsajo]

Proprietary power supply?!?!
Which company would do such a pain-in-the-ass thing?
DELL?
Compaq?
HP?

Never heard of it but wouldn't put it past them.

DELL used to make cases the way VCR cases used to be made- make it damned hard for the average person to open so that only 'authorized repair persons' could get into the things. You bought it, you own it, but you're 'not authorized' to look inside it.

[whew, glad I got that mini-rant off my chest]

[agraham]

[Demophobe]

Bought and built here. In my home, with VDSL. Shipped it to Canada and back to Korea via ship and it was cheap...also it was insured up to $10,000....it's a desktop.

[Derrek]

Bring your Hard Drive, Ram, and DVD Burner/CD Rom with you. You might want to skip the third one if it's just a cheap burner or CD Rom.

When you get here, ask me to build you a new system using your parts and new parts for around 200,000 won.

I like doing this just for fun as a hobby.

Bring a copy of your OS, or we can find you another copy here, maybe.

[Demophobe]

Did the OP say they had those parts?

[Derrek]

[antznyopantz]

Is it better to bring a laptop from N. America or buy one in Korea/Japan? or if you arrive without one, to have one shipped?

[hogwonguy1979]

bring a laptop from NA, MUCH cheaper there than here, power supply isnt a problem

better yet get one built here nuch cheaper and you get a better quality machine

[SuperHero]

[Demophobe]