14-02-2005 00:52									#1
	Bringing computers in Europe? Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Question: I'm going on a student exchange in France next year (right now I live in Canada). Do I need a new power supply for my desktop?

Also, can a laptop bought in America/Canada be used on European electricity? Do I need to buy a new adapter or worse, a new laptop?

	14-02-2005 00:58									#2
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AFAIK, all European countries use 220 volts, so I guess you will have to buy a transformer.

	14-02-2005 01:01									#3
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A link that may help you: http://www.starkelectronic.com/st500.htm

	14-02-2005 01:32									#4
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Yeah if you use 110 which I think you do, you need an adapter that transforms it into 220.. those cost like under 20 bucks. That's all you need and you're set. So you need those both for your desktop and for your laptop. If you want to have them turned on at the same time.

	14-02-2005 01:40									#5
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Question: I'm going on a student exchange in France next year (right now I live in Canada). Do I need a new power supply for my desktop?

Yep. desktop's are not "bivoltés" (pardon my french, but Oncle Boris understands) like laptops's, so you have to convert it. If you have a laptop, better leave your desktop at home.

quote: Also, can a laptop bought in America/Canada be used on European electricity? Do I need to buy a new adapter or worse, a new laptop?

Yep, that's what I did. Laptop's were made to travel after all. You just have to buy an adapter for the power plug. So no, you don't have to buy a new laptop, just cheap 3$ adapters. Keep your money for the wine!

	14-02-2005 01:49									#6
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OK, so does the adapter replace the current power plug, or it is added on top of it (thus adding slightly on weight and restraining portability)?

Not a big deal of course, but I'd rather know.

	14-02-2005 01:52									#7
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it adds to it.

	14-02-2005 01:55									#8
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You just plug the current power plug in the adapter and voilà, you're all set. They're not heavy: it's a plastic plug, except the pins are different.

	14-02-2005 01:58									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

nostromo, wanna play repeater?

YOU BASTARD STOP SAYING WHAT I'M SAYING! IF I'm first, then you say 'Oh yes, Pekka is again correct in his omnipotent wisdom'. That's all.

He-he-he-HEY! She's a SUPERFREAK!, SUPERFREAK YOWW!

	14-02-2005 01:59									#10
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Yeah, so it's decision, decision... do I buy a laptop here or there? (I don't have it yet...)

	14-02-2005 02:01									#11
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I have one of those global power adapter thingies, for vacations and stuff. It's a scary-looking device with pins coming out in all directions, but it's quite small (not much bigger then a regular power plug). You put it between the plug and the power socket. It's supposed to be compatible with any power system in the world (and it has yet let me down). I've only ever used them for small devices such as electric razors and radios, but there's no reason why it wouldn't work for a PC.

Didn't cost me more than a few bucks. I'm sure similar devices are available for US power plugs. Check with your local hardware store.

	14-02-2005 02:03									#12
	Got spare money?

I'm sorry to have angered you, glorified leader. Of course, that goes without saying, the supercitizen is again correct in his omnipotent wisdom.

	14-02-2005 02:06									#13
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Local hardware stores probably do not have them. I've never seen one and I've been in a lot of hardware stores.

ACK!

	14-02-2005 02:07									#14
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quote: Yeah, so it's decision, decision... do I buy a laptop here or there? (I don't have it yet...)

Here, of course. First of all, computers are very expensive in France. They obviously don't want people to buy computers. Second, you'll buy it in euros, so it will be even more expensive. Third, french keyboards are AZERTY, its takes a while to get used to.

	14-02-2005 02:09									#15
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quote: Local hardware stores probably do not have them. I've never seen one and I've been in a lot of hardware stores.

They're easy to find here.

	14-02-2005 02:23									#16
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nostromo, thank you . You know where I operate... coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male.... across the north and south to key largo, love for sale...

I kicked Smooth Operators ass in a streetfightladdersuperdeatmatch and killed him with a single blow, so I gained the right to be the smooth operator.

	14-02-2005 02:45									#17
	Got spare money?

When you come into the country make sure they don't VAT your computer.

	14-02-2005 02:57									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Tuberski Local hardware stores probably do not have them. I've never seen one and I've been in a lot of hardware stores.

Well, I've seen them in numerous hardware stores over here.

My hardware store is better than yours

	14-02-2005 03:00									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Oncle Boris Yeah, so it's decision, decision... do I buy a laptop here or there? (I don't have it yet...)

Get it here, if you'll eventually bring it back here. Else you'll have a bunch of funny European versions of software on it

	14-02-2005 03:07									#20
	Got spare money?

As far as I've heard computers are far cheaper in America than in Europe. This will easily make up for the adapter (unfortunately not for the travel).

Btw. the worst thing with French keyboards is not AZERTY but the fact that the top row offers all sorts of funky accents and the numbers all are entered with SHIFT. No wonder, the French are the best users of the numeric pad.
The German QWERTZ is far easier to learn ... And it offers all the umlauts which are pain to enter with a US keyboard.

	14-02-2005 03:11									#21
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quote: I kicked Smooth Operators ass in a streetfightladdersuperdeatmatch and killed him with a single blow, so I gained the right to be the smooth operator.

And you also earned the right to say, like Rick James: I'm Pekka, biatch!

	14-02-2005 03:11									#22
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Prices vary in Europe. Pretty good prices in here for example. But I'd still suggest you buy it from where you live now. That way you'll have a laptop for sure when you arrive and you don't have to worry about it.. worry about getting a good deal and all that time not having a laptop.. just get it there man, it'll be a lot easier.

	14-02-2005 03:46									#23
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quote: Originally posted by Adalbertus Btw. the worst thing with French keyboards is not AZERTY but the fact that the top row offers all sorts of funky accents and the numbers all are entered with SHIFT.

Worst with French AZERTY is: there is no | (pipe)
Quite annoying for a unix/linux user.

QWERTY keyboards are available in all countries. But you need to ask, because the default is the local one.

	14-02-2005 03:47									#24
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how can you use a computer without a pipe?!

	14-02-2005 04:03									#25
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As a very rough rule of thumb, PC prices in the US are the same as in Europe, with 2 major caveats (I don't know about laptops, or Canada, but I assume the same is true).

1) The prices do not take into account the exchange rate. The equilalent of a €800 European system will cost $800 in the US, but of course €1 != $1. So for this reason alone buying a PC in the US is 30% cheaper ATM (as a rule of thumb).

2) The prices in the US are including monitor, the ones in Europe excluding.

So buying a laptop in Canada is probably a lot cheaper than buying one in Europe.

	14-02-2005 04:11									#26
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Not necessarily.

I'm the only expert in this thread right now.

	14-02-2005 04:27									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Dry Worst with French AZERTY is: there is no | (pipe) Quite annoying for a unix/linux user. QWERTY keyboards are available in all countries. But you need to ask, because the default is the local one.

Yeah, but it might be a real pain to get a QWERTY laptop in France... especially a French modified one (afaik those are only made for the French Canadian market).

	14-02-2005 04:31									#28
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quote: Originally posted by Locutus As a very rough rule of thumb, PC prices in the US are the same as in Europe, with 2 major caveats (I don't know about laptops, or Canada, but I assume the same is true). 1) The prices do not take into account the exchange rate. The equilalent of a €800 European system will cost $800 in the US, but of course €1 != $1. So for this reason alone buying a PC in the US is 30% cheaper ATM (as a rule of thumb).

In other words it's much more expensive.

A quick look on the Apple store shows that laptops in Europe cost the same as those in the US, but in euros... ouch.

In Canada prices are not "flat", they usually evolve along with the exchange rate. Right now the iBook's price in Canadian dollars is 25% more than the American one, which corresponds to the exchange rate.

	14-02-2005 04:36									#29
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Which makes quite a lot of sense

	14-02-2005 07:38									#30
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quote: Originally posted by nostromo Yep. desktop's are not "bivoltés" (pardon my french, but Oncle Boris understands) like laptops's, so you have to convert it. If you have a laptop, better leave your desktop at home.

Depends. Most new power supplies have a switch in the back for 110V and 220V. So OB should check that first.