Tech support for working in Africa

RoyceSraphim

So I am doing business in africa and will need to procure some computers. Would I be better off shipping them from America or Europe?

Further more, should I get some of them in pieces or just order a bunch of assembled models from Dell or someone else?

The specs are low range, really only for skype capability and decent websurfing so I don't need pi computed to the millionth power in a millisecond, but I do need them in Africa.

Fantasma

You should contact a couple of vendors and see what they offer. Keep in mind that crapware like Dell requires specific hardware when something breaks.

What about local vendors?

Malkor

Africa isn't a city or country. Where are you going to be?

RoyceSraphim

Djibouti

Malkor

Ohhhh.

See if you said Nigeria or Ghana, I could have pointed you in exactly the right direction. My guess is that you can get good stuff shipped from Saudia Arabia or something. Check their prices to there and compare them to shipping/bringing stuff with you.

A cargo container is relatively cheap, probably more so than bringing it with you on the plane, but it takes months at best. My pops shipped over some heavy equipment to Ghana and it took a year once.

A YEAR

RoyceSraphim

DAMN! Ours was a week to circle from the gulf!

darkmayo

laptops? desktops?

Talk to the vendors most of the big ones are world wide.
you have alot of options available to you.

Out of the vendors I personally prefer HP (corporate support structure and overall support suite for all units is excellent) With Lenovo being second and DELL coming up in the end (tho I do like DELL consumer units.. but consumer support is terribad.)

If you know what you are wanting as well (laptops for field use, office desktops etc) you have a lot of options available but definately talk to a rep.

Zeon

How many do you need? Like 10? 20? 100? 500? "Some" is pretty vague. I mean if you need 10, UPS them over from america, sure (assuming theres no local computer shop that can give you a better deal). If you need 500? Call a business computer supplier. No idea where Djibouti is but if its not some wartorn 3rd world country, dell probably has a local office or a reseller and their prices on bulk cheap office machines will be incredibly hard to beat.

RoyceSraphim

Zeon wrote: »

How many do you need? Like 10? 20? 100? 500? "Some" is pretty vague. I mean if you need 10, UPS them over from america, sure (assuming theres no local computer shop that can give you a better deal). If you need 500? Call a business computer supplier. No idea where Djibouti is but if its not some wartorn 3rd world country, dell probably has a local office or a reseller and their prices on bulk cheap office machines will be incredibly hard to beat.

Foreign white women jog the streets at night, there is no danger.

But what is the european equivalent of newegg?

Zeon

www.overclockers.co.uk

*edit* but i mean, if the city is that nice, there are probably local computer shops that will give you a better deal once you factor in shipping. Check the phonebook?

Falx

Yeah see about getting train shipments from Arabia if you can't find it locally.

L.E.O.

shipping from overseas will most definitely be cheaper, computers in those places are hella expensive even really crappy ones.

but then again im not sure if you will get a good price for shipping a large number, but for small quantities shipping will be cheaper.

Zoolander

L.E.O. wrote: »

shipping from overseas will most definitely be cheaper, computers in those places are hella expensive even really crappy ones.

but then again im not sure if you will get a good price for shipping a large number, but for small quantities shipping will be cheaper.

Sticker price may be cheaper, but I dunno about Djibouti, but customs duties can be insanely high (60%+) and a thoroughly annoying process, so get informed about it before it ends up being a huge pain the butt.