Expert: Emoor - 6/17/2005

Question
Hello! This site is pretty amazing! Well, I am a US college student and am going to be studying abroad in London next semester. I was planning on purchasing a cheap laptop to bring with me to do research on and stay in touch with family/friends back home. However, I am not sure if there are any differences in internet connections and things like that. Do you happen to know any specifics about using an American computer in the UK? Thank you for any help you can give me!

Answer
My suggestion is to wait till you get to London to invest in a cheap laptop or whatever.  You will have access to computers at school, and may find one you can borrow for personal use, or one you can buy which will be compatible. There are also plenty of internet cafes.  Wait until you are there to determine what you are going to need.  The biggest difference is the electrical system for plugging in a computer for use or to recharge the battery, because England uses 220 volt electricity and has a different style plug.  That means you might need a converter and a plug adapter, and maybe a transformer although most computers now will accommodate 110 volt up to 240 volt.