Trav_Eller

I will be flying to Hong Kong, staying three nights, then continuing on to Shanghai followed by a month on the mainland, commencing late March.

My old ASUS eeePC900 has served me well but is about to give up the ghost. I am considering replacing it with a tablet or an ASUS slider. I also need a new mobile phone.

I am open to any advice on the best tablet or phone to buy in terms of capability, usability and price; and whether there is one that is suitable for both tasks when travelling or should I carry both a tablet and a phone. I use the computer to book hotels and planes, to blog, for skype calls to home and for translation and local information. I also use it as my wife's portable movie viewer on long trips so it needs long battery life. I use the phone for emergency communications and, rarely, for photos.

The second part of my question is where is the best place to buy - Australia, Hong Kong or Shanghai? If I buy in HK or China, will I have much of a problem transferring info and programs like skype and LibreOffice from a usb chip to the new netbook?

Cheers, Alan, Australia

Mara

I've been having a similar discussion with myself and also have the ASUS EEE 900 but mine is fine so far. I don't think that a tablet can do what the laptop does - I use it for email, 'net access, Skype, word processing and Excel on its similar programs as well as using Picasa and uploading photos as I travel. I don't think tablets can do all that - another consideration - I believe tablets don't have the type of connector that is common in many Japanese hotels (where I travel) - LAN...you would need a mini router - more equipment to carry....anyway, sorry I'm no help but I'm interested in other comments....

As far as where to buy those items, I am under the impression that if you buy them in Asia they won't be under warranty when you bring them home....

qwovadis

appleinsider.com I-Pad 3 coming in March wait till then buy from Apple.com for the best tablet and service in the world.Rumor has it they will drop the price point of their other tablets to the $200s then.For Smarphone just bought my wife the I-phone 4GS with Siri she LOVES it. Samsung Galaxy with Ice Cream Cone software is the only other I might consider but Korean company MANY service issues not much price savings.Apple counting Tablets #1 maker/seller computers world wide has best service just passed HP.
Hong Kong best price but sometimes direct cheaper.

Good luck!

Kathie

There are a number of issues in buying electronics in Asia. As Mara mentioned, warranty is one. If you do buy, make sure it has a world-wide warranty. When you ask about that, expect the price to go up. Price is another issue. For those of us who live in the US, we can get better prices for all kinds of electronics on the web than we can get anywhere in Asia. I don't know how the comparison works for those of you from Australia.

Personally, I wouldn't buy any electronics in China - home of counterfeit everything. You probably saw the reports about the counterfeit Apple Stores.

Anyway, it's been decades since Hong Kong had the lowest prices on electronics.

rkkwan

Some electronics are still cheap in Hong Kong. For example, most Apple products are same price as the US, and can be much cheaper than other parts of the world, like Australia. Even for cameras and lenses, prices can come fairly close to B&H prices, though you may have to find the right store (reputable one) and bargain a little bit.

If the choices are buying in Australia, Shanghai or Hong Kong, then the answer is pretty apparent.

JPDeM

Electronics are cheaper in HK than in China due to taxes.
Hardware bought in China will also have an Chinese OS.
Apple products have an international warranty My MacBook bought in Canada was serviced in HK while my iPone bought in HK was replaced in Canada. Not a problem.

Kathie

Yes, you are right, JP, Apple is different from most companies in that way.

Trav_Eller

Thanks for all the advice.

I will still be looking for a new smart-phone as I travel but I decided to buy a new ASUS eeePC10 here when a local supplier had one at a discount for $330. Maybe it would have been cheaper if I'd waited, but at least I can load my travelling info on it here.

Thanks again.

Cheers, Alan, Australia

silverwool

I think you've made the right decision. If there is a problem its a lot easier to hassle the local supplier than one in Asia.