Japanese Shunning Expensive Local PC Makers

[Mulboyne]

[FG Lurker]

Maybe Japanese are finally wising up to the fact that those "premium" brands are all subcontracted out to manufacturers in Taiwan or China anyway...

The simple fact though is that most people don't really need a lot of power in their computers. Current netbooks are roughly Celeron 900MHz level performance -- hardly fast, but fast enough for basic document processing, email, and web browsing.

Personally though I am looking forward to upgrading to a quad-core notebook sometime in 2010.

[Mock Cockpit]

Anybody got one? I'm thinking about it, got my eye on the Lenovo one but am thinking of waiting for a while to see if the price will drop and/or features/performance improve.

[AlbertSiegel]

I have an Asus 900 and love it. Sure, it's not a very powerful laptop by today's standards, but it's easy to take everywhere with my camera gear and I can do some very light photoshop, office stuff, web, and transmit data. The best part is I don't need to worry about damage as much as I would on my other laptop which I use as my main computer.

The only thing about the Asus 900 that I don't like is the tiny 16gb harddrive space, but I'm fine with is as I only use this laptop for light photoshop and transmitting the photos to the paper. That and surfing the web from my couch. You can pick up the Asus 900 for 27,000yen with 20% points back at Bic Camera. Not a bad price.

Another excellent netbook is the MSI Wind. I think I caught that at 40,000yen new at Sofmap. That one has a real harddrive and it's large by netbook standards.

[Coligny]

Yeah, but can you have one with qwerty keyboard ? Japanese keyboards are the posterchild of bad design for key notation and placement.

[FG Lurker]

Yeah, but can you have one with qwerty keyboard?

No, DVORAK only.

[Adhesive]

My wife has the Dell Mini 9, sexy little machine, and the netbook is pretty cool too. I checked out the other netbooks from Asus, Aspire, etc., but they all just felt to cheap and generic looking.

[Tsuru]

I have an Asus 900 and love it. Sure, it's not a very powerful laptop by today's standards, but it's easy to take everywhere with my camera gear and I can do some very light photoshop, office stuff, web, and transmit data. The best part is I don't need to worry about damage as much as I would on my other laptop which I use as my main computer.

The only thing about the Asus 900 that I don't like is the tiny 16gb harddrive space, but I'm fine with is as I only use this laptop for light photoshop and transmitting the photos to the paper. That and surfing the web from my couch. You can pick up the Asus 900 for 27,000yen with 20% points back at Bic Camera. Not a bad price.

Another excellent netbook is the MSI Wind. I think I caught that at 40,000yen new at Sofmap. That one has a real harddrive and it's large by netbook standards.

Ordered the 900a model with the Atom processor and 16Gb SSD one a few days back for just €200... an SDHC card with eeeBuntu is eagerly awaiting its arrival

Do you have the Windows or Linux one?

[hundefar]

Anybody got one? I'm thinking about it, got my eye on the Lenovo one but am thinking of waiting for a while to see if the price will drop and/or features/performance improve.

I have an MSI Wind U100. I love it. Battery life could be better though. BTW, Intel just announced their new Atom 2 Ghz chip for netbooks. So you might want to wait til that one is available.

[Coligny]

No, DVORAK only.

I somehow, feared this answer...

[FG Lurker]

I somehow, feared this answer...

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Story of your life I am sure.

What you probably wanted to ask is if you could get one with a US keyboard. Yes, you can probably find these in specialty shops in Tokyo or perhaps online but you will pay a premium. It may be cheaper to order one from the US or maybe HK and just pay the shipping to get it here.

[nottu]

[Coligny]

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Story of your life I am sure.

What you probably wanted to ask is if you could get one with a US keyboard. Yes, you can probably find these in specialty shops in Tokyo or perhaps online but you will pay a premium. It may be cheaper to order one from the US or maybe HK and just pay the shipping to get it here.

There is no stupid question, just stupid people, especially those that don't want to understand. Sorry i'm just getting up to speed with how retarded some part of the audience is. So I rephrase.
Are model with a US keyboard readily available here, the same way you can choose US or JIS keyboard from the applestore ?
Because honestly, the bullshit of "you can find it if you dig in the trash of akihabara, and if you didn't find that's because you went during the wrong phase of the lunar calendar" you can swallow it back.

[FG Lurker]

There is no stupid question, just stupid people, especially those that don't want to understand. Sorry i'm just getting up to speed with how retarded some part of the audience is.

Any long-term member of FG is used to fucktard newbies showing up here. That's why some have little patience with people who can't be bothered to put their brains in gear before hitting the keyboard.

Are model with a US keyboard readily available here, the same way you can choose US or JIS keyboard from the applestore ?
Because honestly, the bullshit of "you can find it if you dig in the trash of akihabara, and if you didn't find that's because you went during the wrong phase of the lunar calendar" you can swallow it back.

If you read my response above you would see that I already answered that question. If you don't wish to wander around in Akihabara just look for ads in English-language magazines (or is this too difficult for you too?)

Lenovo, Toshiba, and Dell offer some notebooks here with US keyboards and English OSes but generally only higher end models.

[Coligny]

Any long-term member of FG is used to fucktard newbies showing up here. That's why some have little patience with people who can't be bothered to put their brains in gear before hitting the keyboard.

Yeah, yeah, I got that shit served quite some times already. When your only argument is being an old rusty fart somewhere maybe you should just STFU.
Not as unoriginal as the smartass who think that saying "i'm Not even in japan" make him an argument winner.

If you read my response above you would see that I already answered that question. If you don't wish to wander around in Akihabara just look for ads in English-language magazines (or is this too difficult for you too?)

I'm 2 hours away from that sweaty armpit. Tokyo is my definition of a dumpster, social, political and architectural.
And for "english language magazines" we don't have that uphere.

Lenovo, Toshiba, and Dell offer some notebooks here with US keyboards and English OSes but generally only higher end models.

Thanks for... nothing. You, know if something is offered but impossible to find in any shop, might as well give up...
In other community we have detailed maps for where to find the shop we want in akihabara. But it's community where people join together because of common interest and hobbies. Here the link is only a postal code... And gods... it feels...

Now if you don't mind, I put you on ignore list, because I don't really think we have more to say to each others. And from all the canadians that I know (if you really are one) you are the first one that need so badly an anger management therapy. So buh bye.

[nottu]

[CrankyBastard]

Thanks for... nothing.
Now if you don't mind, I put you on ignore list, because I don't really think we have more to say to each others. So buh bye.

Hey, while you're at it, why don't you put everyone here on that ignore list.

[Coligny]

You got something against stupid people? I know a lot of stupid people. Some of my best friends are stupid people. My sister married a stupid person and has some stupid kids.
You need to reach out more.

No no no, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the company and conversation of door stops, flower pot, broomsticks, and all the other personna of the place, so much that I even married one. It's just dumb and aggressive that I avoid like a plague. Sure people who can blast walls with their foreheads are fun on TV. But for having tea, a nice evening dinner or just asking for directions they are well... just look few post before and you might taste the feeling. Or to sum up a 50 yo french joke... "To go back home, the best address is yours" It's a twist on a language figure of style called "Lapalissade" that don't really exist in english but who could be like "I go up upstairs" Here we have answers that read:
"If you want to know where to buy a computer with an english keyboard read a commercial in a magazine that say where to buy a computer with an english keyboard, and also you're dumb, and also you're a noob and I don't like noob."

Well thanks...

[Samurai_Jerk]

No no no, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the company and conversation of door stops, flower pot, broomsticks, and all the other personna of the place, so much that I even married one. It's just dumb and aggressive that I avoid like a plague. Sure people who can blast walls with their foreheads are fun on TV. But for having tea, a nice evening dinner or just asking for directions they are well... just look few post before and you might taste the feeling. Or to sum up a 50 yo french joke... "To go back home, the best address is yours" It's a twist on a language figure of style called "Lapalissade" that don't really exist in english but who could be like "I go up upstairs" Here we have answers that read:
"If you want to know where to buy a computer with an english keyboard read a commercial in a magazine that say where to buy a computer with an english keyboard, and also you're dumb, and also you're a noob and I don't like noob."

Well thanks...

Fuck off.

[FG Lurker]

Yeah, yeah, I got that shit served quite some times already.

Perhaps then you should consider that it might be true...

I'm 2 hours away from that sweaty armpit. Tokyo is my definition of a dumpster, social, political and architectural.

I think we actually agree on something as I don't like Tokyo either. Not sure I'd call it a dumpster but I'm happy to not live there.

And for "english language magazines" we don't have that uphere.

Hold on a second, you live in the middle of fucking nowhere, but now it's my fault that you can't buy English language products? Your logic is stunning.

Thanks for... nothing. You, know if something is offered but impossible to find in any shop, might as well give up...

You ask a very open-ended question giving no details about yourself or what is possible for you. I give you an answer that covers pretty much every way you can find English language notebooks in Japan but it's not enough for you.

In other community we have detailed maps for where to find the shop we want in akihabara. But it's community where people join together because of common interest and hobbies. Here the link is only a postal code... And gods... it feels...

Yeah, you want your mommy to hold your hand and spoon-feed you every little detail. I suggest you move back to your parents' basement.

Now if you don't mind, I put you on ignore list, because I don't really think we have more to say to each others.

I'd sooner you just left but whatever.

And from all the canadians that I know (if you really are one) you are the first one that need so badly an anger management therapy.

Angry? I'm not angry. I'm laughing my ass off at you. You're an idiot and I doubt you have the mental capability to make me angry.

[Coligny]

Fuck off.

Nearly as constructive as the other answers... I might even do that. The place remind me more and more of france-japon.net. Who can be summed up by "we're big in japan, don't you dare say otherwise, Japan is da bomb because we is there and we can't be wrong"

Here from what I saw, it's more "King of the desert, It's a litterbox, but it's our litterbox, STFU noob, you can't be right even when you say the rain is wet because we were here before everything and we even saw jesus riding dinausaurs" Cool Cool Cool... From what I saw at the movies it look kinda like high school bullying. And the Korean bashing thread was actually one more proof toward this analysis.

To some extend it look like weather erosion, in a thread where what I say could be summed up by, "if you follow the law and the process required to ask for special exemption you should not have any problems" I was faced with a wall of "try to smuggle illegal stuff and you see if you won't go to prison" yeah good... t'was not my point. Or we don't understand your english, you'r french you can't speak as goodest english as us amurikin (anyway you're right, for what I learned, it's all in english from england...). Which remind me the standar japanese wingnut speach were you are not supposed to be able to master the agglutinative clusterfuck that the japanese language is. In geology you'd call that "metamorphism of contact" it's when two soil are side by side together for such a period of time that their respective physical quality start to be exchanged.

The ETC thread, once again... about the possible abuse for the device... Got some, "you want to break the law" well... no... and some "your not interesting, nobody want to know about your life" Both brainfart totally ignoring the root of the problem but hey... whatever... when you don't have anything interesting to add, might as well say something stupid rather than miss an occasion to raise the post count.

Now... for the guy who ate some clown for breakfast and ask me to put everybody in my ignore list. With the time I learned to be carefull of the voicefull minority... equivalent of the Black Van crowd... they are really little, not the smartest and the justification of their behaviour read like a bad joke... but damn they are noisy. But most important... They can be ignored without consequences.

So I don't think I will answer more in this thread unless someone comeup with somethiong constructive. And NO, stating that I ask for advice while I only have less than 4^2x10e39 posts is not what can be considered as constructive

[Coligny]

You ask a very open-ended question giving no details about yourself or what is possible for you. I give you an [USELESS] answer that covers pretty much every way you can find English language notebooks in Japan but it's not enough for you.

Icing... meet cake...

Fixed for you BTW...

If someone ask me where they can buy French collection cars I don't tell them like a full blown retard to go to a garage and ask or to read some newspaper until there is a commercial on the topic, or tell them that their question is open ended. Either I give them address or say that I don't know.
Yeah I know that for some people, even "yes" or "no" are answer that can be interpreted differently if it fit their conversation. But I usually avoid to argue to long with toddler and cats.

You want my possibilities ?

I can walk, drive, take the train and read commercials in magazines when I find some. Now if you need to make such a drama instead of just saying that you don't know a fucking shop able to sell them with an english keyboard even if' you've been there since the pharaon and therefore know everything about all topics in japan, why don't you just SFTU instead of trying to play the smartass ?

[CrankyBastard]

Now... for the guy who ate some clown for breakfast and ask me to put everybody in my ignore list. With the time I learned to be carefull of the voicefull minority... equivalent of the Black Van crowd... they are really little, not the smartest and the justification of their behaviour read like a bad joke... but damn they are noisy. But most important... They can be ignored without consequences.

So I don't think I will answer more in this thread unless someone comeup with somethiong constructive. And NO, stating that I ask for advice while I only have less than 4^2x10e39 posts is not what can be considered as constructive

So deary, your answer is to stick your fingers in your ears and yell,"Lalalalala I can't hear you!"?

[Mock Cockpit]

Coligny, you should be able to order a netbook thru the Dell Japan website that has a US keyboard. The Dell doesn't have a very big HD apparently so it's not on my list.

[FG Lurker]

Fuck off.

I might even do that.

Don't let the door smack you in the ass on the way out.

[waruta]

Anyways......back on topic....whats the issue with the Japanese Keyboard? Am I missing something or what because I thought they were all QWERTY, with the addition of some different place ment for the @, ", ;, : etc.... doesnt bother me all that much, you`ll get used to it after a while.

If you really, really must have a US/UK style layout there are some websites/shops out there that sell a sticker to cover your entire board into your preferred layout and then all you would have to do would be download the IME or change the options in Control Panel to a US/UK Layout.

Also, if you feel its lacking some HD space, try a bigass micro/mini/SD Card. I just got a dual adaptor with 8GB x 2 for under 5000 yen shipped to my door from Amazon.

Hope this helps and good luck with the search...

[FG Lurker]

Fixed for you BTW...

I thought you put me on ignore? I'm disappointed now!

[Catoneinutica]

Hi Coligny, Apple Japan also offers an English keyboard option. And I suspect the on-line dealers offering one aren't limited to Dell and Apple. In any case, it sounds like on-line is the way to go for you. You won't get bullshit "points," but the upside is you won't be assaulted by electronics-store jingles (I wonder if the staff get so habituated to the hundreds of thousands of repetitions they have to endure every day that it feels weird when there isn't a jingle playing in the background).

[FG Lurker]

Coligny, you should be able to order a netbook thru the Dell Japan website that has a US keyboard. The Dell doesn't have a very big HD apparently so it's not on my list.

I don't think this is possible but I might be interested in one if it is. AFAIK they don't offer different keyboards or OS languages on their lower-end notebooks.

[Samurai_Jerk]

If someone ask me where they can buy French collection cars I don't tell them like a full blown retard to go to a garage and ask or to read some newspaper until there is a commercial on the topic, or tell them that their question is open ended. Either I give them address or say that I don't know.
Yeah I know that for some people, even "yes" or "no" are answer that can be interpreted differently if it fit their conversation.

You really are a fucking idiot. If you want specific information you ask for that information specifically. Asking a general open ended question and getting worked up because the answer doesn't fit what you imagined someone would say is ridiculous.