Shuold i Buy Laptop In U.S. or U.K ?

Hiya'll.

Thanks heaps for making this site indispensable . Wife and i will be travelling from San Francisco to London (possibly long term stay in London )...i havnt had the time to look into buying a laptop from the states but was wondering about laptop prices in the U.K.
Would i save considerably if i purchased one here from the states ? I am looking to buy a P3 with DVD drive for home use . Any advice general or specific is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Zufan

I'm under the impression most computers are cheaper on your end. And laptops should come with a transformer already (but do check) so all you'll need is a plug adaptor and possibly a phone cord adaptor. All easily obtainable. I've used US laptops here for the last 4 years with no problems. And they were cheaper.

Try www.pcworld.co.uk to see high street UK prices.

Hey balmerhon-

Thanks for that swift response.

I had read somewhere on this site that desktop computers were not worth lugging to the U.K. in general, but couldnt find much on laptops. Actually we wanted to put off buying a laptop until we settled in and figured out the other " basics " of relocating . I will check the site you recommended to see just how much higher the prices are over there . I guess if its substantialy cheaper here, then we should grab one before we leave...in 7 days.

thanks again
Kerubel

No worries. Just make sure you are looking at a UK price with VAT (17.5% tax) and comparing it to a US price with whatever your state tax is.

Another very good place for anything electrical is Empire Direct,they have an excellent reputation.

http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/

Dave

Id say your better geting one in the US. The UK keyboards ARE different so if you think you'll be more comfortable with a US keyboard a US laptop is a good idea.

I bought my laptop from Ebay ( a brand new EMachines - top of the line 2.6 processor, 40 gig mard drive, etc) and it only cost me $800 including shipping. It was brand new and all I needed was an adaptor for the plug (about £3) and it has been nothing but a joy. I tried (stupidly) to bring my Sony Vaio over. It cost an arm and a leg to ship it, then I found out the power supply wasn't standard and it would cost another £90 to get one which Sony then said they couldn't get since it was a US pc to which I am now sitting with a hunk of junk that cost me more problems than I am mentioning to NEVER use.

So.......buy in the US and buy a laptop because I have been to each and every big and small retailer here and the Ebay's of the web and found anywhere in the US has a better deal....It's especially good if you are already here and buy American because of the exchange rate.

Just my 2 cents.

You can plug most US laptops right into a UK electrical outlet.  Check the sticker on the bottom of the computer (or on the transformer).  It should say something like "Input:  112V/240V, 50/60Hz"  If it says that, all you need is a plug adaptor.  If it ONLY says 100 or 110 or 112V, then you will need a transformer, otherwise the thing will fry when you plug it into a European circuit.  But that situation is quite rare; I think all new US laptops work on all currents.

You guys are just terrific !!

Thanks heaps for the great advice.

Zufan

Just adding my agreement here - our 2 laptops were both purchased in the US for way cheaper than we could have gotten them here, and they work just fine.

What if you have owned a laptop for 1 month and you have it with you on the plane in your carry-on when you move over?  Do you need to fill out customs forms for the stuff in your carry-on and your luggage?

Liz

I never had a problem with mine but I was on a student visa so less likely to be quizzed about it I think.