Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    526
    Thanks
    276
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    hiya. i'm a UK nurse working here in London and i'm basically awaiting my "eligibility" status to work in Alberta. my question might not be related to nursing itself. i've heard in Canada that the voltage on a household is 110v compared to 220-24-v in the UK. as regards mobile phones or laptops (or any gadget that i will need) would you advice me buying one over here or in Canada?

  2. #2
    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Aberdeen
    Posts
    19,874
    Thanks
    630
    Thanked
    965 times in 816 posts
    • Funkstar's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte EG45M-DS2H
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz)
      • Memory:
      • 8GB OCZ PC2-6400C5 800MHz Quad Channel
      • Storage:
      • 650GB Western Digital Caviar Blue
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 512MB ATI Radeon HD4550
      • PSU:
      • Antec 350W 80+ Efficient PSU
      • Case:
      • Antec NSK1480 Slim Mini Desktop Case
      • Operating System:
      • Vista Ultimate 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 2407 + 2408 monitors
      • Internet:
      • Zen 8mb

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    Virtually every adapter you get for gadgets over here is rated from 100-240v 50-60hz, so can be used anywhere in the world with a plug adapter.

    Cost of said gadgets is another matter, i don't know how favourable the exchange rate is for Canada. Oh and you might want to look into the mobile networks over there, I don't know if they are GSM or CDMA.

  3. #3
    Ninja Noxvayl's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    In the shadows
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    748
    Thanked
    215 times in 173 posts
    • Noxvayl's system
      • Motherboard:
      • GigabyteZ87X-UD4H-CF
      • CPU:
      • Intel i7 4770K
      • Memory:
      • 16GB Corsair Vengaence LPX + 8GB Kingston HyperX Beast
      • Storage:
      • 120GB Snadisk + 256GB Crucial SSDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 4GB Sapphire R9 380
      • PSU:
      • ENermax Platimax 750W
      • Case:
      • Fractal Design Define S
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • ATMT + Dell 1024x1280
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    I'd say get the stuff you want to purchase in Canada. Specially when it comes to mobiles because of the network locks providers use and as funkstar says they might use a different network that your phone doesn't support.

    I think you might find items cheaper over there as well because unlike the UK you don't get taxed 10 times over on the same product. America is notoriously cheaper than Europe for gadgets so for me it would be a safe bet to assume Canada is cheaper than here just because of its proximity to the USA.

  4. #4
    Resident abit mourner BUFF's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Sunny Glasgow
    Posts
    8,067
    Thanks
    7
    Thanked
    181 times in 171 posts

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by ExHail View Post
    so for me it would be a safe bet to assume Canada is cheaper than here just because of its proximity to the USA.
    doesn't work quite like that though, you'll see plenty of Canadians on forums moaning that e.g. newegg won't send stuff to Canada & that their local prices are far higher.

    MSI P55-GD80, i5 750
    abit A-S78H, Phenom 9750,

    My HEXUS.trust abit forums

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    526
    Thanks
    276
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    my Sony Ericsson K850i is unlocked and i'm presuming Canada uses also GSM/Edge and 3G so i can in theory bring this over and buy a pre-pay/pay-as-you-go SIM right?

    i'm also planning to buy a laptop in Dell. mainly for the the built-in Wi-Fi to surf the net. so i guess Wi-Fi here in the UK is "similar" (in terms of the system and "how-it-works",etc.) to Wi-Fi in Canada right?


    what say you guys?

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    1,238
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked
    42 times in 40 posts

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    About your phone, sorry can't be of help.

    Wifi is the same, no reason for your lappy not to work.
    Deo Adjuvante non Timendum

  7. #7
    Ninja Noxvayl's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    In the shadows
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    748
    Thanked
    215 times in 173 posts
    • Noxvayl's system
      • Motherboard:
      • GigabyteZ87X-UD4H-CF
      • CPU:
      • Intel i7 4770K
      • Memory:
      • 16GB Corsair Vengaence LPX + 8GB Kingston HyperX Beast
      • Storage:
      • 120GB Snadisk + 256GB Crucial SSDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 4GB Sapphire R9 380
      • PSU:
      • ENermax Platimax 750W
      • Case:
      • Fractal Design Define S
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • ATMT + Dell 1024x1280
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by BUFF View Post
    doesn't work quite like that though, you'll see plenty of Canadians on forums moaning that e.g. newegg won't send stuff to Canada & that their local prices are far higher.
    Yeah but I bet there far higher is lower than ours... its well known that the UK over tax's its citizens and therefore you find items cheaper everywhere else in the world. I'd say almost anywhere in the world is cheaper than the UK for everything... Its absolute madness.

    You see the news about the truckers loosing out to european drivers? European drivers load up with extra fuel in europe do a delivery to the UK and then continue to do jobs in the UK until there petrol runs out then go back. Because of the MUCH lower fuel prices they can charge less for the work and therefore british truckers are finding it harder to get jobs. That's just one example, everyone knows how much extra we pay for electronics here and then house prices(even though they are dropping) are ridiculously expensive compared to basically anywhere.

    Basically given the choice to purchase something in britian or abroad... ALWAYS buy abroad as its invariably cheaper(at the worst it will cost the same so you won't loose anything).

  8. #8
    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Aberdeen
    Posts
    19,874
    Thanks
    630
    Thanked
    965 times in 816 posts
    • Funkstar's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte EG45M-DS2H
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz)
      • Memory:
      • 8GB OCZ PC2-6400C5 800MHz Quad Channel
      • Storage:
      • 650GB Western Digital Caviar Blue
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 512MB ATI Radeon HD4550
      • PSU:
      • Antec 350W 80+ Efficient PSU
      • Case:
      • Antec NSK1480 Slim Mini Desktop Case
      • Operating System:
      • Vista Ultimate 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 2407 + 2408 monitors
      • Internet:
      • Zen 8mb

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by gino_76ph View Post
    my Sony Ericsson K850i is unlocked and i'm presuming Canada uses also GSM/Edge and 3G so i can in theory bring this over and buy a pre-pay/pay-as-you-go SIM right?

    i'm also planning to buy a laptop in Dell. mainly for the the built-in Wi-Fi to surf the net. so i guess Wi-Fi here in the UK is "similar" (in terms of the system and "how-it-works",etc.) to Wi-Fi in Canada right?


    what say you guys?
    Wifi is pretty much exactly the same. You can change the setup to be US of European and that effects the channels available, but the equipment is the same.

    I would do some research on mobile operators in Canada. I really don't know how many of them use GSM. I also don't know if pre-pay SIM cards are widely used.

  9. #9
    Resident abit mourner BUFF's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Sunny Glasgow
    Posts
    8,067
    Thanks
    7
    Thanked
    181 times in 171 posts

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by ExHail View Post
    Yeah but I bet there far higher is lower than ours...
    again I wouldn't count on it.
    I'm sure that in some cases that is true but in others it can actually be dearer than the UK.

    MSI P55-GD80, i5 750
    abit A-S78H, Phenom 9750,

    My HEXUS.trust abit forums

  10. #10
    Senior Member Mithrandir's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    2,746
    Thanks
    461
    Thanked
    370 times in 188 posts
    • Mithrandir's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Biostar TP45-HP
      • CPU:
      • C2D e4600 (w/ Xigmatek Red Scorpion)
      • Memory:
      • OCZ ReaperX (2x2gb)
      • Storage:
      • Samsung F1 500gb
      • Graphics card(s):
      • xfx 9600gt Alphadog edition
      • PSU:
      • Xigmatek NRP-MC651
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster Cavalier 3 silver (windowed)
      • Monitor(s):
      • Fujitsu Siemens SCALEOVIEW D22W-1

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    HERE's a list of the Providers (carriers) in Canada. (Check the bottom half of page not the top)
    Cavalier-X: Biostar TP45-HP ¦ E4600@3.1ghz - Xigmatek Red Scorpion (OCZ Freeze) ¦ OCZ ReaperX 2x2gb (792mhz @ 4-4-4--12) ¦ Xigmatek NRP-MC651 ¦
    Palit 8800gt ¦ X-fi Fatal1ty Gamer ¦ Coolermaster Cavalier 3 (Silver/Windowed) ¦

    Poseidon Magma: MSI P45 Zilent ¦ E6300@3.0ghz - Coolermaster Hyper 212 (MX-2) ¦ Corsair 2x2gb (880mhz @ 5-5-5-15) ¦ Corsair HX450w ¦
    xfx 9600gt Alphadog edition (780/1950/1000) ¦ X-fi Gamer ¦ Gigabyte Poseiden ¦

  11. #11
    Sublime HEXUS.net
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Void.. Floating
    Posts
    11,819
    Thanks
    213
    Thanked
    233 times in 160 posts
    • Stoo's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Mac Pro
      • CPU:
      • 2*Xeon 5450 @ 2.8GHz, 12MB Cache
      • Memory:
      • 32GB 1600MHz FBDIMM
      • Storage:
      • ~ 2.5TB + 4TB external array
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATI Radeon HD 4870
      • Case:
      • Mac Pro
      • Operating System:
      • OS X 10.7
      • Monitor(s):
      • 24" Samsung 244T Black
      • Internet:
      • Zen Max Pro

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    If you get your UK mobile unlocked it'll work over umm here (I'm in Canada at the moment..),
    I've not come across a UK one which doesn't work out here yet..

    TV's etc you'll want to re-buy out here as UK models really won't work (no freeview/PAL etc), unless you're using a flatscreen via hdmi/dvi as a monitor/video playback device (you won't miss much TV-wise, it's fairly poor).

    Fido is a pretty decent network on PAYG, at least until you find your feet - the only other real options are Rogers (okay, but expensive - a bit like vodaphone), and Telus (cheaper, but somewhat ropey).

    Petrol is going up here, but it's still a lot less than the UK - regular unleaded is going for CAN$1.49 at the moment.

    White goods, buy out here, they're cheaper, and the specs are slightly different in terms of kitchens etc.

    One of the best chaps to ask is wedge22, because he's already moved to Canada (Vancouver) with his missus

    Guh, time difference is just enough to make my body clock all screwy lol
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

  12. #12
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    22
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    It might be better to sell most of your stuff over here in the UK and buy new when in Canada, thats what my friend did.
    He did take his TV over and had to buy a converter to make it work. He then bought a 50" TV within a matter of a few months because it was so cheap.
    His UK tv is now in the basement as a reminder of times back in England.
    When I went to visit my mobile worked fine and picked up Rodgers network.
    You will have a great time over there as long as you go to a place that is not to "rural" they really know the meaning of open space over there!

  13. #13
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    22
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: Relocating to Canada---To Buy Or Not To Buy?

    Also I found most things cheaper over there, especially if you go to shops like Zellers.
    And finally Tim's coffee shops now there a taste of Canada you dont want to miss!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Samsung 932B: to buy, or not to buy?
    By Giza in forum Graphics Cards
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 29-03-2007, 05:02 PM
  2. Replies: 28
    Last Post: 05-03-2007, 10:40 PM
  3. Group LCD buy over at Moddin.net
    By Theo in forum Retail Therapy and Bargains
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 27-02-2004, 09:06 AM
  4. Hmmmm what shall i buy????
    By abs in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 30-01-2004, 12:50 PM
  5. Where Do You Buy DVD's?
    By Jonny M in forum Consumer Electronics
    Replies: 32
    Last Post: 23-09-2003, 01:55 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •