[SWLUG] Re: USA laptops

[nat]

earlier Agent Sage wrote...

> The big problem is that our beloved Customs and
> Extortion department will look at a laptop that looks
> a bit new and at the @ above the 2 and will figure out
> that it's an import, will immediately look for the
> MRRP and will whack on import duty plus VAT on top of
> import duty to make your laptop cost twice as much as
> you'd have paid in Britain.

Never had any problems Customs in the past and flying
about with various kinds of electronic and computer
equipment, from video projectors to expensive fluke
testers and laptops.

Having a foreign keyboard wont bother them either, all
Apple laptops have an @ above the 2. The thing that
they'll be picky at is how you transport the item into the
country, carrying it in a laptop back will usually be fine,
but having a shiney cardboard retail box with price stickers
over it will give you away.

Done a fair few flights too, over 60 in 1999-2000 to visit
a client in Jersey. The only time I was stopped was
when carrying a video projector in a tatty case and I just
had to plug it in and show them it worked. Their really
tight with customs on that route too due to its tax haven
status.

>  Lack of guarantee, wrong charger etc all come to mind.
> At the moment technology seems to be pretty much the
> same price worldwide.

All the laptop power supplies i've have been all been
auto switching, looking at the side of an Apple PSU:

"Input: AC100-240V 50-60Hz"

And from a Compaq PSU I have:
"100-240V~1.7A 50-60Hz"

> Better - if you want a portable computer - to build
> something on a mATX board and pop it into something
> like an old laptop case, IMHO.

you could always building something like:
http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/lunchboxpc/page3.asp

If your thinking about doing that it might be worth waiting
for nano-itx boards to go into production.

nat,
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