Need To Purchase New Laptop

[Spaniel]

My son will need a laptop computer for school in August. The Acer Aspire Model 5542NWXMi for B40,900 plus VAT seems to be what he wants and what the school specifications require.

I have looked around at several places that sell laptops and they all ask the same price for this model, no discounts no haggling over the price. I thought haggling over the price would be natural and was hoping for some kind of discount but no such luck. So my question. Does anyone know of a shop where they will negociate on price? If not where would be the best place to make the purchase? How about the Acer sales office? Or maybe the closest shop to where we live for convience since the price is the same. All the places that we checked did offer to install the latest software and throw in a free carrying case.

[tom yum goong]

hmmm, i don't think there's much profit margin on these so it will be difficult to haggle the price down.

I know some places may give a small discount if you pay cash, but we're talking around 3%.

You can also try cajoling them into giving you extras, laptop bag, thumb drive, usb mouse etc.

[Simmo]

The Acer Aspire Model 5542NWXMi for B40,900 plus VAT seems to be what he wants and what the school specifications require.

That's the recommended retail price Acer sets. You can see on their website here.

You might be able to negotiate a free bag, USB memory stick etc but I doubt you'll get the price down at all.

[The Coder]

If not where would be the best place to make the purchase?

Your experiences of fixed, high prices of laptops in Thailand are right on the mark. You get a lot more Acer for a lot less money if you buy in another country. Let's take the one you are interested in (Aspire 5542). In the USA, you could opt for the Aspire 5672, which is tons better and costs less. It's got 1GB RAM, not 512, it's got a 100GB drive, not 60. It's got X1400 graphics, not X1300, etc, etc. It's cheaper. Have a buddy bring one in for you if you aren't going out of Thailand. Save money and get a better machine. Disadvantages: no thai keyboard (need the stickers) and standard world wide warranty of 1 year. Buy in Thailand and you get extra 2 years domestic warranty at a cost of 850 baht per incident.

...and throw in a free carrying case.

LOL. That makes it such a good deal, not! I've got about 5 of those free, chincey carrying cases, but I just can't give them away.

[h90]

I spend once 1 day in Panthip placa trying to negotiate the price on an Acer and could deduct 7 % if I don't need VAT.

Once I bought two compaq (not recommended brand) and after many hours I could got some percent +memoryupgrade for free. that case was interesting because every shop went down to exactly the same price, just 1 shop went down a bit more and after they see me coming out of that shop, the salesguys of the others waited for me and offered more discount. Like every shop agreed to a minimum price, just one shop was not in that group of fixprice and than the game was open again......

[Phil Conners]

How come Americans always think America is the world? Yes, computers are cheap in US, probably cheaper than anywhere else in the world but you will not get a same-spec Acer cheaper anywhere in Europe than in Thailand!

Acer laptops in Thailand always come with a free back (from the factory) so getting a free back is not actually something you need to ask for. A good thing to ask for would be extra memory.

Retail margins for laptops and other computer equipment is very low in Thailand so they can't give much discount. The profit is reaped by the importer, who can charge pretty much anything the market can bear, probably due to the customs import duty circus we all know about.

Oh yeah, you can sometimes get the shop to not put the 7% VAT on it but that's of course illegal, strictly speaking .

Edited June 20, 2006 by madsere

[Phil Conners]

"free back" should of course have been "free bag". Early morning fingers doing their own thing on the keyboard. Maybe a mod can correct it as the "edit post" has timed out (why does it do that anyway?)

Edited June 20, 2006 by madsere

[h90]

How come Americans always think America is the world? Yes, computers are cheap in US, probably cheaper than anywhere else in the world but you will not get a same-spec Acer cheaper anywhere in Europe than in Thailand!

Acer laptops in Thailand always come with a free back (from the factory) so getting a free back is not actually something you need to ask for. A good thing to ask for would be extra memory.

Retail margins for laptops and other computer equipment is very low in Thailand so they can't give much discount. The profit is reaped by the importer, who can charge pretty much anything the market can bear, probably due to the customs import duty circus we all know about.

Oh yeah, you can sometimes get the shop to not put the 7% VAT on it but that's of course illegal, strictly speaking .

My Acer was in Farangistan (Austria) a lot cheaper than in Thailand.

[Lannig]

I definitely wouldn't recommend Acer, especially for a youngster who might use it a bit roughly. I've had two Acers and they've both quickly exhibited mechanical weaknesses: keyboard, lid hindge etc.

Acers have a good specs/price ratio, fancy and fashionable features like e.g. the glossy screen, but they're built cheaply. Maybe still OK for a quiet, caring 40+ yo who won't carry it around a lot, but not for a youngster IMHO.

Same goes for the Compaqs/HPs these days (sad, they used to be solid stuff).

I'd look at the Thinkpads or the Fujitsus, or if you can affort it (they're more expensive) the Toshibas.

I remember chatting with a doctor from a NGO in Notebook PC shop a couple of years ago, he was here to choose his computer to take for his upcoming missions, and the word was that only the Toshibas resisted the rough life.

This is just my personal experience and opinion obviously, but I've owned or used (when provided by my employer) 12 notebooks since ca. 1988.

--Lannig

[lingyai]

My son will need a laptop computer for school in August. The Acer Aspire Model 5542NWXMi for B40,900 plus VAT seems to be what he wants and what the school specifications require.

I have looked around at several places that sell laptops and they all ask the same price for this model, no discounts no haggling over the price. I thought haggling over the price would be natural and was hoping for some kind of discount but no such luck. So my question. Does anyone know of a shop where they will negociate on price? If not where would be the best place to make the purchase? How about the Acer sales office? Or maybe the closest shop to where we live for convience since the price is the same. All the places that we checked did offer to install the latest software and throw in a free carrying case.

What are the specs required? A lot of people seem to buy more than they ever use with computers. 75% of users dont need an intel duo processor....

Edited June 20, 2006 by lingyai

[Phil Conners]

I have to admit I haven't checked prices in each European country, only 4-5 different countries - but the prices don't usually vary that much across Europe.

Are you sure it is the same model and same specs?

A friend of mine in Luxembourg bought "an" Acer cheaper than "an" Acer in Thailand - but they were two very differen models, for example, his had a minimal battery installed (less than half the nominal power of the Thai Acer).

[Firefoxx]

I got an Acer Travelmate for a relative, a very rough and tough civil engineer (ex gansta), three years ago. It's still going strong, although the harddisk has failed. Another two went to college girls, both of whom I wouldn't consider to be the quiet type. Again, no problems. My own Acer was dropped from a height of two feet, and apart from cosmetic damage, it's still working fine.

Notebooks tend to become obselete very fast. They lag behind desktops in pretty much every area, so getting a good spec'ed notebook in the first place will do a lot to extend its life. Getting a so-so spec'ed notebook that just meets your needs now means having a lousy spec'ed notebook needing replacement in a year.

As for prices, I went to Sim Lim square, and actually found that the Acer notebooks there (exact same specs) were actually more expensive than th e Thai counterparts. Go figure. As for the US, it's the land of rebates and slashed prices. There are bargains to be had if you look and are lucky enough to be able to buy something there while living in Thailand.

[Jared]

If you compare this links prices

http://www.shopacer.co.uk/sess/utn;jsessio...ndex.shopscript

to the second posts Thai prices you will see that the thai versions are almost 20 to 30% dearer than the uk models.

Im glad i looked this up as i was considering getting my acer from Thailand and not the Uk to save some money.

[SamuiJens]

Apple just came out with the ultimet Laptop, and it has both Mac and Microsoft installed . Go to Apple.com and see, before buying pc's, and it includes iTunes & all kinds of great Apps. And if your a student, you get for less or they give you a iPod.

[stumonster]

I definitely wouldn't recommend Acer, especially for a youngster who might use it a bit roughly. I've had two Acers and they've both quickly exhibited mechanical weaknesses: keyboard, lid hindge etc.

Acers have a good specs/price ratio, fancy and fashionable features like e.g. the glossy screen, but they're built cheaply. Maybe still OK for a quiet, caring 40+ yo who won't carry it around a lot, but not for a youngster IMHO.

Same goes for the Compaqs/HPs these days (sad, they used to be solid stuff).

I'd look at the Thinkpads or the Fujitsus, or if you can affort it (they're more expensive) the Toshibas.

I remember chatting with a doctor from a NGO in Notebook PC shop a couple of years ago, he was here to choose his computer to take for his upcoming missions, and the word was that only the Toshibas resisted the rough life.

This is just my personal experience and opinion obviously, but I've owned or used (when provided by my employer) 12 notebooks since ca. 1988.

--Lannig

how long ago were you using the acers? they used to have a bit of a bad rep , but all the stories I have heard in the last 3 years indicates they are on par with the rest. all the big name brands are manufactured in similar circumstances ( even trendy apple ).

there is an acer outlet in IT square ( lak si plaza ).

[Spaniel]

Lingyai: Basic specs are: Wireless, Pentium M, Pentium IV or Celeron processor with at least 256 MB of RAM, CD R/W, USB and at least 40 GB hard drive.

Thanks to all who replied for their thoughts/info. I think I 'll go with the Acer although a couple of comments were negative about this choice.

[simcity]

My son will need a laptop computer for school in August. The Acer Aspire Model 5542NWXMi for B40,900 plus VAT seems to be what he wants and what the school specifications require.

I have looked around at several places that sell laptops and they all ask the same price for this model, no discounts no haggling over the price. I thought haggling over the price would be natural and was hoping for some kind of discount but no such luck. So my question. Does anyone know of a shop where they will negociate on price? If not where would be the best place to make the purchase? How about the Acer sales office? Or maybe the closest shop to where we live for convience since the price is the same. All the places that we checked did offer to install the latest software and throw in a free carrying case.

I look at acer for a friend, they are good for the price , but i went for a BenQ ( same company) bit better for my liking !

I got back the 7 % for him at the airport !

be award you need to show the laptop before you enter the duty free area .

[thohts]

I had my mind on an Acer and had a Thai lawyer friend go to Pantip to help me on price.

There's one Acer shop (on the 4th floor, I think- in front of the down escalator and next to the camera/electronics/PC hardware shop) that gave me a 5k baht discount, whereas the other stores would not give any on the same model.

Out of all the laptops I've had, Acer is by far the best. No problems in 1+ year, and my gf has purchased one for herself. Again, no problems.

[joka]

my acer brochure here is showing the 5542 model at 49,900 baht. this brochure is a few months old though and i picked it up in patttaya. the 3242 model is the same but 2000 baht cheper, 47900, but doesn't have the crystalbrite display, which someone here has referred to as a mirror.. One question i have are the lcd refresh rates, is it worth buying a good video card if you are still going to get ghosting in games, etc?

[kebabman7]

I've has an Acer TravelMate laptop for 3 years and would definately recommend them. Its used heavily (mostly on 24hrs a day) and is transported between home & office everyday and also been with me on my travels. Like a previous poster, the only problem I've had is the standard 40GB hard drive died, have replaced it with an 80GB Fujitsu and had no problems since. The only things that have made it looked used and abused is a few scratches on the casing and the silver paint on the left mousepad button has worn through - due to the extent its used.

[Firefoxx]

Games and laptops don't really mix very well. You typically have a slower CPU, less memory, bad graphics, and a small screen. So you really shouldn't expect desktop performance (in all areas) from a laptop. However, I do use my laptop for gaming, and it's good enough (it has a crystalbrite display, an ATIx700 graphics core, a 7200rpm HDD, and 2GB of memory). The ghosting that people talk about is present, but only if you look for it and are sensitive to it. Otherwise, disregard it, as LCDs have come a long way.

Again, a crystalbrite display is comparable to a typical CRT in its reflectiveness. Take your CRT outside, and try to work with it in the sun. Not very feasible, is it? Take a crystalbrite, and try the same thing. Now take a normal LCD and try the same thing. All three perform pretty much the same in very bright light... ie, unusable. The crystalbrite, in normal office conditions, will be as reflective as a CRT (if you can tolerate a CRT, you can tolerate this), and will offer better contrast and more vibrant colors than a normal LCD (closer to a CRT). But, it's a personal preference. Go check them out yourself, and see which one you prefer.

[lingyai]

Lingyai: Basic specs are: Wireless, Pentium M, Pentium IV or Celeron processor with at least 256 MB of RAM, CD R/W, USB and at least 40 GB hard drive.

Thanks to all who replied for their thoughts/info. I think I 'll go with the Acer although a couple of comments were negative about this choice.

With those spec you could get any of the new acers out there. From 28,000 baht on (no need to spend more than 40k). Not to beat a dead horse, but make sure you get any extra 512ram (256+512 so 768 total) and you will be good.