Buying a laptop in China, recommendations?

[yueni]

@sujeto_1

 

I am going to chime in here with the complete and utter impracticality of buying a laptop in China with little or no Chinese language skills to help you. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it will not be done up to the requirements that you state. You would do well to listen to all the veteran posters here who have actually lived/studied/worked in China.

 

Things are not done in China as they are done in the US, in Europe, or even in your own country. Things in China are... "fluid". If you are buying a computer in China, chances are, the software on it is going to be pirated, because people in China have a very different view of what piracy is compared to the rest of the world. Piracy is normal, and in fact, people who actually buy non-pirated software are assumed to be crazy or have too much money to waste. Very few people speak English to a level where they can actually help you accomplish anything. If you find such a person, you are really, really lucky, but I wouldn't bank on it, and I would definitely not depend on luck when making a major purchase as a laptop in China.

 

A Thai classmate of mine bought a Lenovo laptop from a Lenovo store in Beijing. Two days later, some software on the laptop malfunctioned, and so the menu buttons for adjusting volume/screen brightness/play & stop movies etc. were essentially not working. She took it back to the store for it to be repaired. They fixed it for her, but in the process, broke something else so some of her software got corrupted. So she returned to the store. They essentially told her that the breakage was "minor" and "wouldn't affect her use of the laptop" and that "such instances were normal and to be expected". Bear in mind, this is one week after purchase. The only reason she managed to get them to completely replace her laptop was because there were 8 of us accompanying her (for reasons unrelated to laptop repair) the third time she went to the store. All of us (including the girl with the broken laptop) were fluent in Chinese, and we pretty much yelled at the store workers in Chinese, and raised such a stink so loudly that we scared their other customers away.

 

Such instances are not rare. And remember, my classmate was fluent in Chinese, as were the rest of us who happened to be there. If you have no China experience, and next to no Chinese language abilities, I would rethink buying anything that expensive in China, not if you don't want pirated software on your computer. Most Chinese-version software are very different from non-Chinese version software, and some of them even have malware bundled into it. Chinese Skype when I used it, is one really good example. This is not a bug. This is "working as intended". Also, if you get a warranty on your computer, your warranty will probably not be valid anywhere else in the world, only in China. This is because of the piracy issue. Manufacturers themselves are sometimes unable to tell apart a really high quality fake from the real thing, so some electronics that are purchased in China are not under warranty outside of China.

 

Bear all these things in mind when you think of purchasing a laptop. Do yourself a favor and get one in your home country or in the US when you get there. Even with all the issues in your home country, you will at least know you have a laptop with non-pirated software that works and that has a warranty that is valid internationally. Ditto the US, or really, almost every other country in the world. China is a very different place, and you ignore the warnings given here at your own peril.

 

ETA: And you mention looking for computers to use for free at your university. If you are lucky, you will find the computer labs. If they have them. At the university I was at, we had to pay to use the computers (all three of them). Per hour. Things do not work in China like they work elsewhere. Also, the free computers (if there are any) will all be in Chinese... because you are in China. Will you be able to do what you need to do while navigating a computer with Chinese software? Probably, but it's going to be frustrating and it will probably take you a lot longer than necessary. Why put yourself through all this stress if you don't need to? The hassle of lugging around a heavy laptop is so much less than being without a laptop and also going through the purchasing process of buying one in China. I can guarantee you that 100%. I know one person who successfully "purchased a computer" in China. He did it after living in China for 4 years and he was fluent in Chinese. He didn't actually buy a computer. He purchased the parts and built the machine himself. Most (if not all) of his software is pirated. The ones not pirated, he purchased when he returned to the US on vacation.

[abcdefg]

It is harder and harder to find internet cafes 网吧 that will permit foreigners to use their computers, even if you show your passport. I've experienced this all over China, to the point that I've just stopped trying.

 

And to be able to use your smartphone in order to search information readily from international websites, you will need to install a VPN. Read the recent thread on this for more ("search" box, upper right of the page.)

 

I don't think anybody is trying to discourage you. I for one wish you great success. But China has some features that can present a challenge to newcomers. If one takes them into consideration and plans appropriately, the transition goes more smoothly.

[yueni]

 

 

But China has some features that can present a challenge to newcomers.

 

 

Don't you mean bugs...? =P

[imron]

But let's discuss some of your totally valid points

@sujeto_1, I would really like for you to come back after you have arrived in China and go through these points one by one again to see how your expectations compared with reality.

[jobm]

In case I will accept in the scholarship, I am also thinking on buying a smartphone and a laptop in China. However, based on what you guys all have said, I think it is much better to buy gadgets outside China. But my problem is that I do not have enough money here at home to buy some gadgets and I will only be able to buy them when I save some of my scholarship stipend. So, if I want some quality gadgets in China, do you think it is recommended to go to Hong Kong and buy the gadgets I want there? Would the travel plus the cost of the gadgets still be lesser than buying in Mainland? 

[sujeto]

Guys i'm not ignoring your opinions. I'm really taking in consideration everything said here. However i must admit i didn't know China was a that complex country which you present, where buying a laptop may classified as "an adventure". 

 

My scholarship is going either to Shanghai Jiao Tong University or Harbin Institute  of Technology (still waiting for a confirmation). Class are suppossedly offered in English. This made me believe English in China is more common than average. Then you say, isn't that common and indeed, few persons know english. So this is scaring me now. If Classes aren't really taught in English, this migth bring me major problems in my graduate research. 

[imron]

In China, everything is an adventure

 

Then you say, isn't that common and indeed, few persons know english

Professors at a university and storekeepers are two completely different segments of the population.

[Touchstone57]

I did buy a laptop from Amazon China, which has a fairly good service and should (generally) stop you from getting too much knock off stuff. It was a Samsung laptop at a decent price, with no software installed, but a normal Samsung warranty etc. Amazon will tend to have to official sellers on there so there it is a safer bet. You can also opt to pay for it on delivery so you don't need to pay online.

 

Buying a smartphone is not too difficult these days either. But all these things require some Chinese. And if you have a problem, it can always be fixed, but it has to be navigated in a Chinese way.

[Lu]

I would advise strongly against buying a smartphone in China. I did it and I believe it can be managed even with minimal Chinese, but you'll have one that has all the firewalls pre-installed, so that you can't, for example, download skype even when you take the phone to Hong Kong. A friend of mine is good with computers and it took him three days to jailbreak his phone. You can buy a smartphone in China, but really, don't. Get one in Hong Kong, in the US, in Venezuela, anywhere else.

However I must admit I didn't know China was a that complex country which you present, where buying a laptop may classified as "an adventure".

The good news: you can have an adventure on every single errand! This is quite fun.

I think you can be fairly confident that the textbooks on your course will be in English and that the professors can deliver their lectures in English. Otherwise they probably wouldn't have been assigned to that program. But do make sure to write a bit about your experience once your classes have started.

[Demonic_Duck]

It is harder and harder to find internet cafes 网吧 that will permit foreigners to use their computers, even if you show your passport. I've experienced this all over China, to the point that I've just stopped trying.

Wait, what? What's the rationale behind this?

[roddy]

Jobm, if you're planning to buy things in a few months you'll have time to figure out the best places to go, learn a bit of Chinese vocab, make some Chinese friends to help you, etc. So it might make more sense to buy things in China. I'd wait till you're ready to buy and then decide. 

[tysond]

So, if I want some quality gadgets in China, do you think it is recommended to go to Hong Kong and buy the gadgets I want there? Would the travel plus the cost of the gadgets still be lesser than buying in Mainland? 

 

 

 

@jobm Unless you live very near and go by bus, by the cost savings won't pay for your airfare to Hong Kong.  I usually wait until I have another reason to go, or am passing through the airport.   You are in the same boat as many millions of Chinese which is why they all buy multiple gadgets on behalf of their friends when they travel.

 

 If Classes aren't really taught in English

 

 

 

 

 

Finding a handful of professors who speak English to teach foreign students is a bit different.  When I get to my office, I can use English to do most things (except talk to the ayis who make the tea, talk to the cleaners etc) - although sometimes people don't understand well.  But that's a special environment.

 

In the rest of my time, I rely heavily on speaking Chinese.  You can get some things done in English, but even so there are tips and tricks - which banks have good English support, which service center has English speakers in the office (many don't have any, but the bigger centers might), which market has foreign customers so the sellers know "tomato" and "cucumber" and so on (but the prices are 12 times higher than outside), how to open an alipay account (6 hour process to figure it out when I did it), etc etc.  

 

Everything you try to do in China is an adventure - actually it's like a constantly changing adventure game in the days before FAQs and Walkthroughs.  The rules keep changing, there is a lot of paperwork, foreigners are rare so nobody knows how to deal with them, you will get wildly conflicting instructions and information from people, if you don't know how to read Chinese there's surprisingly little information available on the internet, and it gets out of date really fast anyway, if it was ever correct in the first place, and different provinces have different rules, and the rules are not followed anyway. 

 

For example, I think earlier you said Google was only blocked for political searches.  Actually it appears Google is pretty much completely blocked as a few weeks ago. Search, Mail, Maps and Translate are now blocked which has forced many foreigners in China to find alternatives, VPNs, or work-arounds. People have had their android phones draining rapidly as the phone keeps failing to contact the Google Play service.   So whatever you read about Google... now out of date.  

[abcdefg]

#30 -- @Duck -- I don't know the rationale. It's just something I've observed the last couple of years. Seems you need a 身份证 and that a 护照 won't cut it. Sometimes the person running the place will let a foreigner in anyhow, but I've learned not to count on it.

 

Apologies for getting off the topic of the thread.

[jobm]

@roddy so I think I need to bring my phone and laptop to China and wait for the right time to buy.

 

@tysond If one buys gadgets in Hong Kong and bring it in China, does that person need to pay some taxes or like customs fee? 

 

I have thought that maybe buying gadgets online like from China's official Apple website or Samsung website will be better and safer for me (like genuine software and I can still use the warranty back home, etc.) than having a good deal on other stores but have bad quality products.

[ChTTay]

I'm looking at buying a laptop right now... This puts me off somewhat. Surely if I know the model I want and intend to install my own version of Windows on the laptop (erasing whatever is preinstalled) then a lot of the discussed issues go away? I can either buy online myself or I can just go with a friend. I speak some Chinese but still best l have a friend incase.

Thereis a chance I could buy one in Taiwan too.

[gato]

Buying online on jd.com would probably be easier than at one of those electronics supermalls.

[tysond]

@jobm - I'm not a customs lawyer but I've purchased 2 laptops in Hongkong, unpacked them and put them into my carry on and simply carried them in.

How would they know where and when I bought it, and why would they care?  Items in boxes might attract a bit more attention, but one laptop... everybody has one...   I work in IT and often carry two nobody says anything.

 

@ChTTy I don't think it's an issue buying a PC if you Chinese is OK, you know exactly what you want, and you are buying from a reputable store (especially big online stores, or flagship stores for the brand) and you have your payment method sorted out.  Even better if you know how you are going to install all your own software.  It will just be something like 20% more expensive than buying outside China, that's all.

 

I just don't think it's an easy task your first few weeks in China, when you really need a working laptop/phone combo the most.

[ChTTay]

@tysond - yeah, that makes sense. I'm either going to install my friends windows 7 or will get my family to send a legit version of English windows from home. They switched to Apple so they no longer need the disk.

I guess 20% more expensive is a lot cheaper than flying home to buy one! :)

[gato]

Sales tax (VAT) is 17% in mainland China and zero in Hong Kong. This accounts for 20% or so price difference.

[sujeto]

I have been researching, i could take a taxi in the Houston Airport to Fry's electronic which is 25-30 mins from airport, 100$ spend in taxi for go and return. Seems legit. Beside this will give me the chance to know the Big brother US a little Bit.