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OT Techie Advice



wellquickwoody

wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
If I buy either PC hardware or software in the UK and then move to Australia, will they still work in the same way, or even at all? Looking at maybe desktop PC, printer and monitors - could I mix and match UK and Aussie hardware? Would a Microsoft Office 365 package bought in the UK be supported in Oz? Endless questions in my head, aaaarrrggghhh!
 




F

Fungus

Well-known member
NSC Patron
May 21, 2004
7,046
Truro
We won't know until the Brexit terms have been finalised.
 


studio150

studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,611
On the Border
If you're moving to Australia why not just hold off buying until you get there any potential issues are then eliminated
 




wellquickwoody

wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
studio150 said:
If you're moving to Australia why not just hold off buying until you get there any potential issues are then eliminated
Click to expand...

Cos everything tech is sooo expensive there, as are most things, but tech in particular.
 




Westdene Seagull

Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,003
The arse end of Hangleton
wellquickwoody said:
If I buy either PC hardware or software in the UK and then move to Australia, will they still work in the same way, or even at all? Looking at maybe desktop PC, printer and monitors - could I mix and match UK and Aussie hardware? Would a Microsoft Office 365 package bought in the UK be supported in Oz? Endless questions in my head, aaaarrrggghhh!
Click to expand...

The hardware should work fine but obviously you'll need a power adapter. Australia has 230v power which given we have 240v shouldn't cause a problem. If you want to mix and match it shouldn't be a problem as connections between devices are international standards i.e. USB etc ( apart from Apple who just make it up as they go along ! ).

I've never tried to use Office 365 abroad when purchased here but unless they apply IP filters - i.e. they try and work out if you're in the same country as the package was purchased in - I can't see why it wouldn't work. I'd have thought Microsoft wouldn't much care just as long as it's been paid for.
 
Last edited:




JCL666

JCL666

absurdism
Sep 23, 2011
2,190
It will be fine.

I've worked abroad using kit I have bought in the UK (including Office 365).
 




wellquickwoody

wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
Westdene Seagull said:
The hardware should work fine but obviously you'll need a power adapter. Australia has 230v power which given we have 240v shouldn't cause a problem. If you want to mix and match it shouldn't be a problem as connections between devices are international standards i.e. USB etc ( apart from Apple who just make it up as they go along ! ).

I've never tried to use Office 365 abroad when purchased here but unless they apply IP filters - i.e. they try and work out if you're in the same country as the package was purchased in - I can't see why it wouldn't work. I'd have thought Microsoft wouldn't much care just as long as it's been paid for.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 








wellquickwoody

wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
All help gratefully received. It appears that the UK is around 30% cheaper than down under on this stuff, hence my plan to save on start up costs etc etc.
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,151
wellquickwoody said:
All help gratefully received. It appears that the UK is around 30% cheaper than down under on this stuff, hence my plan to save on start up costs etc etc.
Click to expand...

If you're 'looking at maybe desktop PC, printer and monitors' you'll need to factor in shipping costs which I'd imagine would eat into that 30% savings quite considerably. Unless you were planning on lugging the hardware to the other side of the world in your hand luggage :moo:
 


wellquickwoody

wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
Tom Hark said:
If you're 'looking at maybe desktop PC, printer and monitors' you'll need to factor in shipping costs which I'd imagine would eat into that 30% savings quite considerably. Unless you were planning on lugging the hardware to the other side of the world in your hand luggage :moo:
Click to expand...

Should have all been singular so can go with everything else of ours in a container. Well spotted though :thumbsup:
 




C

CoolTed

Member
Nov 2, 2015
42
I've bought and moved kit around (Europe, Mid East, SE Asia, Aus, NZ) a lot over the last ten years and not had any problems other than with printers, which are often 'regionalised'. I bought an HP printer in NZ and it will only accept cartridges purchased in Australasia.

Warranties can be an issue but many PC's, Laptops etc. have full international warranties, as long as the goods have been purchased from authorised dealers. But not so camera gear - for example Canon in Australia are not obliged to honour the warranty for something bought in the UK.

I haven't generally found prices to be higher outside of the UK. For a start, sales taxes are normally lower than UK's VAT and, certainly in NZ, the big chains (most of which are Australian owned) often have genuine one day sales when everything is reduced. So, if you are prepared to wait, you can get a good deal. Of course, there are always exceptions.

If you are thinking of buying anything in advance of travel I would check on the import duty rules and allowances. Naturally there are exemptions for your day to day living items but, in many countries, PC's, Cameras, etc. are deemed to be new unless you have used them for a year and, if they exceed the allowance, are liable for import duty. So, if you have anything that's over a year old, ensure you take some proof of purchase.
 


S

Shropshire Seagull

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2004
8,496
Telford
For hardware - pretty sure that Aus will use 240v 50Hz mains supply but don't know if they use the same UK 3-pin square plug. Most IT kit has the 3-pin "kettle" connector but if the wall connector is different you might need to buy new leads.

For SAAS software like Office 365, this is a cloud-based solution so will work anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Other software installed on the PC will be unaffected by "where in the world" am I?

Last and slightly pedantic point is if you use a cloud storage service like drop-box / google / MS azure / etc and use these to store data that comes under the data protection act - the guidelines currently say the data must not be stored outside of the EU so you have to know where the cloud data centre is physically hosted. For example, for UK users, Microsoft cloud data centres are hosted in Dublin and Amsterdam so will be DPA compliant. Drop-box is Houston USA based so would fail the "contained within the EU" test - however, they have a "safe-harbor" certificate which is recognised by DPA. Can't speak for Goggle or others as not had to look into them specifically. The cloud is grey in some parts and with DPA can be stormy ....
 




Westdene Seagull

Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,003
The arse end of Hangleton
Shropshire Seagull said:
Last and slightly pedantic point is if you use a cloud storage service like drop-box / google / MS azure / etc and use these to store data that comes under the data protection act - the guidelines currently say the data must not be stored outside of the EU so you have to know where the cloud data centre is physically hosted. For example, for UK users, Microsoft cloud data centres are hosted in Dublin and Amsterdam so will be DPA compliant. Drop-box is Houston USA based so would fail the "contained within the EU" test - however, they have a "safe-harbor" certificate which is recognised by DPA. Can't speak for Goggle or others as not had to look into them specifically. The cloud is grey in some parts and with DPA can be stormy ....
Click to expand...

Being a fellow pedantic, if he resides in Australia the British DPA doesn't affect him unless he's doing some sort of business with EU based businesses. Obviously Australia may have their own equivalent of our DPA.
 




wellquickwoody

wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
CoolTed said:
I've bought and moved kit around (Europe, Mid East, SE Asia, Aus, NZ) a lot over the last ten years and not had any problems other than with printers, which are often 'regionalised'. I bought an HP printer in NZ and it will only accept cartridges purchased in Australasia.

Warranties can be an issue but many PC's, Laptops etc. have full international warranties, as long as the goods have been purchased from authorised dealers. But not so camera gear - for example Canon in Australia are not obliged to honour the warranty for something bought in the UK.

I haven't generally found prices to be higher outside of the UK. For a start, sales taxes are normally lower than UK's VAT and, certainly in NZ, the big chains (most of which are Australian owned) often have genuine one day sales when everything is reduced. So, if you are prepared to wait, you can get a good deal. Of course, there are always exceptions.

If you are thinking of buying anything in advance of travel I would check on the import duty rules and allowances. Naturally there are exemptions for your day to day living items but, in many countries, PC's, Cameras, etc. are deemed to be new unless you have used them for a year and, if they exceed the allowance, are liable for import duty. So, if you have anything that's over a year old, ensure you take some proof of purchase.
Click to expand...

Very, very useful. Thank you for making the effort.
 




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