⌛ Buying a computer? Here or There

Prices are much cheaper outside the Philippines, however a KEY issue is warranty/after sales support. Having spent a great deal of time on this issue (I am a website designer) I have concluded that buying an Acer laptop is the optimal route for me. See Home for the product range they support in the Philippines under their ITW (International Warranty) scheme.

They have quite a few companies spread across the country who can offer varying degrees of support Service & Support

Selecting the right model/supplier is mission-critical for me ... my business depends upon it.

Cheers
Adrian

Cheers
Adrian

 

From my experiance ...

If you are wanting a laptop, buy it before you leave for the PI and bring it with you on the plane. Much cheaper than buying it here in the PI.

If you are happy with a desktop computer, have one of the local computer stores here in the PI build you one. The price will be competitive with the cost of lets say a Dell in the US of equal performance.

The Dell laptop I brought to the Philippines from the US finally got so old it was not worth repairing (it needed a new motherboard), so I had the following CPU made right here in the PI for 17,500 pesos ($365 USD):

1. Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Processor @ 2.66 GHz and 2.00 GB Ram

2. 150 GB hard drive

3. NVIDEA GeForce 7300 video card

4. VIA high def. audio card

5. TSST DVD/CD burner

I think $365 is a pretty good price for this CPU. I am running a pirated copy of Windows XP ... but this copy does alow me to recieve all Windows updates.


I did have a Dell 22" flat panel widescreen monitor sent to me from the US in a Balikbayan box. Quality flat panel monitors do cost alittle more here in the Philippines than they do in the US.

 

got any info on where to go, I might do that next time since flying by london and hongkong seems half the price then straight from Amsterdam

 

Seems that the prices have gone up since I was last there. I was looking in Kowloon, shop called Fortress. ACER
EX4620 this one was 400 Euros. if you shop around might find cheaper ones.

 

I think we have good computer shops that sell good computer units. It would be too cumbersome and also risky to be bringing one.

 

Rarity ... Your right. Like I said in my post above, you can have a local computer shop here in the PI build you any kind of CPU you want for a competitive price to a CPU you would buy in the US.

For the monitor. A widescreen flat panel will cost you more in the PI.

But, for a laptop, I would bring one in a computer bag with me on the plane.

 

That would depend on where you're going to be residing for the next 2 years or so, for that all-important warranty. So buy in Dumaguete if you're planning to stick around till 2011. Otherwise, a netbook (those smaller-than-a-notebook teenagers lug around these days) would be best if you're traveling. Get a reliable brand, like the sleek HP Mininote: about P20,000--no disc drive, but comes with warranty. Go for a reputable and honest distributor like Ace Logic (look for Carlo) or DGTech (look for Junny or Butch). But if you want look and functionality and reliability, go for a MacBook, which can be had between P60,000-P80,000, brand-new. Get it from AACTech, and look for owner Angeline Dy.

 

that's expensive. in England you can pick up a brand new notebook for P25,000

£300.

 

Yup .... laptops are expensive in the Phills

They must really put a big big import tax on them is all I can figure.

 

I don't know the answer. I brought an asus notebook from the States and when the flash hard disk failed Ace Logic couldn't get the part to fix it and the warantee was only good in the States. I bought a new Hp desktop here and the hard drive fried after three weeks. Micro Logic where I bought it were very helpful but it took three weeks to get a replacement hard drive.
Kenny