View Full Version : Buying a computor abroad
FormerFlake
10th Feb 2007, 09:57
I currently live in Portugal and am planning to buy a new desktop. If I buy a desktop from a local shop (computers are quite cheap here) I assume it will all be in Portuguses ie Windows etc? Can you change the language setting in Windows etc or will I be stuck with it? I am taking language lessons, but this may go beyond my skills!! Any thoughts?
Thanks
FF
P.Pilcher
10th Feb 2007, 10:34
I am pretty sure that Uncle Bill Gates has not taken the trouble to write a special version of Windoze for the Portuguese, and you should therefore have little difficulty in changing it over to use English instead. Indeed you can have your choice of U.S or U.K. English to boot! The only things to consider are the power supply voltage, but most power supplies accept from below 110 volts @ 60 Hz to over 240 volts @ 50 Hz these days this shouldn't be much of a problem either. The only other thing to watch is the keyboard - if you wanted Shift-3 to print the U.K. puunds symbol for example then it will probably do this when U.K. English is requested, but will be engraved with the # symbol. You may well have similar trouble with the Euro symbol - cure - buy a local keyboard!
P.P.
Saab Dastard
10th Feb 2007, 10:36
You may be able to alter the language settings within Windows, but the keyboard layout (for the peripheral keys) may be different, and the keyboard mapping may therefore be awkward.
SD
PPRuNeUser0211
10th Feb 2007, 17:06
Simple solution to the keyboard issue is to buy a UK one... (have it shipped from amazon or somewhere that delivers abroad, or get it shipped to a uk mate and have them fedex it to you)
As for power supplies, no issue there, modern power supplies can take inputs of just about anything, and even if the one you end up with can't handle uk power, a new uk one only costs about 15 quid, and the output from them all is standardised.
If you're planning to use it in the UK later, then the power is no issue. Both are 230 volts 50 Hertz.
Even if you plan to use it in the USA, you'll find that most power supplies are happy with 110 volts 60 Hertz. The worst you could need is a 110 to 220 transformer (readily available) - but I doubt you will.
Just plug in a UK keyboard, and switch the keyboard settings to match.
You may need a Portuguese speaker to help you switch the language and units etc bits to English - all the menus will speak to you in Portuguese when you start (unless the shop set it up in English for you).