US PowerBook -> UK: What's Needed?

[clayj]

Am I correct in assuming that if a PowerBook in the US goes to England, the only thing that will be required for it to work is a UK power adapter?

 

[emw]

And maybe a visa.

Okay, poor attempt at humour.

Edit: I've brought my PowerBook to numerous countries and it's worked everywhere with just the power plug adapter. Sometimes the hotels/offices will have US-type plugs as well, but an adapter kit is pretty inexpensive.

 

[dcv]

Just the plug part... the power brick itself should work fine AFAIK.

Of course you can't buy just the plug part, but if anyone has a UK adapter for their iPod they can use the plug from that.

A replacement UK power adapter for the PowerBooks/iBooks is around £55 I think.

 

[doug.hall]

Am I correct in assuming that if a PowerBook in the US goes to England, the only thing that will be required for it to work is a UK power adapter?

You are corrrect. I have a US version and use it in the UK. The only other difference is the keyboard. There is a slight difference between a UK and US keyboard layout. Main things are the £ missing from above the 3 and the @ symble is above the 2. It's not a problem for me and for the price diference I'd go for a US one in the future too.

Actually you don't even need the power adapter. All you need to do is replace the plug becuase the power adapter works for voltage between 110 and 240. So it should cost less than 50p to make the switch.

 

[MRU]

Is there any way of buying a laptop from the states and shipping it to the uk/ireland without landing a big import duty?

 

[doug.hall]

Is there any way of buying a laptop from the states and shipping it to the uk/ireland without landing a big import duty?

Nope.

 

[MRU]

Damn

 

[katie ta achoo]

Is there any way of buying a laptop from the states and shipping it to the uk/ireland without landing a big import duty?

I thought people bought it in the US, and then brought it back with them, pretending they had it forever, then they ship the box to themselves and hope they don't get caught.

I've heard of it happening, and it sounds pretty shifty. I wouldn't chance it.

 

[mouchoir]

You are corrrect. I have a US version and use it in the UK. The only other difference is the keyboard. There is a slight difference between a UK and US keyboard layout. Main things are the £ missing from above the 3 and the @ symble is above the 2. It's not a problem for me and for the price diference I'd go for a US one in the future too.

Actually you don't even need the power adapter. All you need to do is replace the plug becuase the power adapter works for voltage between 110 and 240. So it should cost less than 50p to make the switch.

And to get a £ just press alt+3

I've been using a US powerbook for about 2 years now and am loving it. Had no problems at all. As has already been mentioned, you only need to change the plug.

 

[Applespider]

I thought people bought it in the US, and then brought it back with them, pretending they had it forever, then they ship the box to themselves and hope they don't get caught.

Alarmingly, if you do get stopped by Customs, it's your responsibility to prove that you bought in the UK and have paid the appropriate VAT rather than their job to prove that you bought it overseas and are being sneaky.

I know of someone who, luckily, had a copy of his online order saved as a PDF on his Powerbook, so he could show them that when he was stopped!

 

[emw]

I thought people bought it in the US, and then brought it back with them, pretending they had it forever, then they ship the box to themselves and hope they don't get caught.

I've heard of it happening, and it sounds pretty shifty. I wouldn't chance it.

I actually cut the box up into little pieces and numbered each one on the back. After stuffing the pieces into condoms and swallowing them, I carefully snuck through customs, drank a jar of Metamucil and hung out on the toilet with a strainer.

16 hours (and a tube of Preparation H) later, I had reassembled the entire PowerBook box. The plastic handle was a tough one, but it was worth the money I saved.

 

[jadekitty24]

My! How intuitive!

 

[mpw]

Just the plug part... ...Of course you can't buy just the plug part...

Any two-pin power lead will fit into the power brick and any camera of electrical shop will have them for nex to nothing. It's the same lead used for countless cameras, camcorders, SKY digiboxes, DVD players etc. etc.

Alarmingly, if you do get stopped by Customs, it's your responsibility to prove that you bought in the UK and have paid the appropriate VAT rather than their job to prove that you bought it overseas and are being sneaky....

I knew someone who having already purchased his laptop (not Apple) took it on holiday to New York IIRC and when he returned through London Customs decided he'd purchased it while away and demanded he pay 17.5% VAT. Of course he didn't have his invoice with him so couldn't prove that a) He'd already paid for it before leaving and b) The purchase price. They decided a 'fair' purchase price and demanded 17.5% of that which he later, on arriving home and digging out his receipts, had to claim back.

HMR&C are bastards!

 

[katie ta achoo]

I actually cut the box up into little pieces and numbered each one on the back. After stuffing the pieces into condoms and swallowing them, I carefully snuck through customs, drank a jar of Metamucil and hung out on the toilet with a strainer.

16 hours (and a tube of Preparation H) later, I had reassembled the entire PowerBook box. The plastic handle was a tough one, but it was worth the money I saved.

but it's worth it! Gotta love those Apple boxes!

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Of course you can't buy just the plug part, but if anyone has a UK adapter for their iPod they can use the plug from that..

You can't buy just the plug part, but you can get a 'figure 8' cable that'll plug into the power adapter instead of the plug part. My second hand iBook came with one of those instead of the plug, I think the original owner lost the original plug somewhere (some people, eh?).

Not as elegant as the Apple plug, granted, but it's a damn sight cheaper.

 

[Applespider]

Of course you can't buy just the plug part, but if anyone has a UK adapter for their iPod they can use the plug from that.

You can as part of the 'World Travel Pack' with 6(?) different plug to cover everywhere you might end up on this beautiful planet of ours. It's £25 (or was last time I looked) since I knew I'd use a US/EU one regularly and my mother needed a UK one, it didn't seem such a bad deal.

 

[maverick808]

Is there any way of buying a laptop from the states and shipping it to the uk/ireland without landing a big import duty?

Easy. While in the states take everything out the box and then carry the laptop as hand luggage. I have never had customs question me for a laptop I was carrying and I travel a lot and sometimes with 3 laptops at once.

If you really want the box then just ship the box and manuals to yourself while in the states. You won't pay import on an empty box and if you do it'll be like 5p.

 

[Applespider]

Easy. While in the states take everything out the box and then carry the laptop as hand luggage. I have never had customs question me for a laptop I was carrying and I travel a lot and sometimes with 3 laptops at once.

I see you're in Scotland. So do you catch connecting flights at Heathrow/Gatwick? If so, it's much easier to get away with bringing lots of stuff back from trips since you never really go through Customs. You go through a 'mini-Customs' with your handluggage but if your main baggage is checked through, then you arrive in Edinburgh/Glasgow as an internal flight. I know that your luggage is supposed to arrive on that little carousel in the corner (in Edinburgh at least) where there's a phone to call Customs and tell them you want to declare things but I don't think I've ever seen anyone manning that carousel or using that phone!

While hanging around Heathrow/Gatwick for extra hours and getting up very early for flights was always a pain, this 'perk' was always very useful!

I think we all know that 99 times out of a hundred, your laptop in your handluggage wouldn't be questioned. But it depends how bad you think your luck is...

 

[maverick808]

I see you're in Scotland. So do you catch connecting flights at Heathrow/Gatwick? If so, it's much easier to get away with bringing lots of stuff back from trips since you never really go through Customs. You go through a 'mini-Customs' with your handluggage but if your main baggage is checked through, then you arrive in Edinburgh/Glasgow as an internal flight. I know that your luggage is supposed to arrive on that little carousel in the corner (in Edinburgh at least) where there's a phone to call Customs and tell them you want to declare things but I don't think I've ever seen anyone manning that carousel or using that phone!

While hanging around Heathrow/Gatwick for extra hours and getting up very early for flights was always a pain, this 'perk' was always very useful!

I think we all know that 99 times out of a hundred, your laptop in your handluggage wouldn't be questioned. But it depends how bad you think your luck is...

Yeah you are right, I connect in Heathrow or Gatwick a lot of the time but I have had direct flights to/from Glasgow on many occasions too.

Anyway, on the occasions I do bring back iPods or Mac Minis from the states I've always put them in hand luggage. I wouldn't risk not doing that... putting it in the hold is just asking for trouble and if it's still in a box when you do that then your odds are pretty bad for getting stopped by customs.