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Topic: Help me!  (Read 933 times)

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Help me!
« on: December 12, 2003, 07:02:14 PM »
Just got off the phone with dh.  He was talking to his Dad, who asked what we want for Christmas.

The man wants to get us a new laptop.

Which we want, sooo bad...but...we're moving to England.

His Dad doesn't know yet.

Is there any way we could bring it with us and it would work?

Has anyone else done this?

(I posted this in Techie Talk as well...just delete it if that's a problem.)


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Re: Help me!
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2003, 07:30:08 PM »
To quote my own dh and correct his spelling:

Quote
We're 99% sure that the laptop will be fine anywhere.  The laptop will have the same voltage requirement wherever, ie. Our Sony laptop needs 19.5V DC. All you need is an external transformer which produces 19.5V DC, the input
that the transformer takes will vary from country to country.

So, the answer would appear to be, if he buys you a US laptop, your transformer will be designed for the US (120V input I believe), to power the laptop in the UK, you'll need a UK transformer (240V input).  Best thing to do is buy a brand where you know you can get the appropriate accessory for use in the UK. I'm sure this wouldn't be a problem with any of the major manufacturers, but might be best to check the
price of these (the appropriate UK transformer) when looking at which laptop to buy, as some manufacturers might charge excessive prices for replacement parts.


Hope that helps, the short answer is yes, it's just the power supply will need replaced, or, to get a regular UK to US power transformer to plug the US adapter into, which can run anywhere from $10 at Target, to £25 in a UK electrical shop.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2003, 07:31:04 PM by admin »


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Re: Help me!
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2003, 09:56:56 PM »
Our home computer is a US laptop.
David's work laptop is US as well.
So yep, it can be done. :)
I'm done moving. Unrepatriated back to the UK, here for good!

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Re: Help me!
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2003, 08:24:20 AM »
Quote
(I posted this in Techie Talk as well...just delete it if that's a problem.)

Oh man, I thought I was going nuts! I'd answered this there but didn't pay attention to what it was posted under, just thought my answer had been wiped when I didn't see it here.  ;D  Then I reread and saw this note. Whew. Sanity back in focus now.

Anyway, what they said.  ;)
Married to Graham, we run our own open-source computer training company in beautiful Wiltshire out of our 1814 Georgian Regency home (a former lodging house and once featured in Antiques Roadshow)


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Re: Help me!
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2003, 04:27:01 AM »
Ditto here..laptop made it from US to Spain to UK back to US with only adapter plugs needed. :)
The wiring in our brain is not static, not irrevocably fixed.  Our brains are adaptable. -Mattieu Ricard

Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn. -Benjamin Franklin

I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions. -D.Day


Re: Help me!
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2003, 05:41:04 PM »
Yay!

Thanks for the replies, here and there.  Makes me feel much better.

I thought there had to be a way, since I know people travel internationally with their laptops all the time...but I thought maybe they just brought a charged battery or two with them.

(I know nothing about laptops at all.)

Thanks!


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Re: Help me!
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2003, 07:12:08 PM »
I bought my laptop in the States last year - works here just fine.  Look on the power supply to make sure it accepts 100-240V input (most all computers do these days,) if so, then all you need is a plug adapter, which is what I use.  You could also buy a new power cord, but that would be more expensive than a plug adapter.  

HTH,
Stephanie


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