Laptop for use in Germany

[linda]

Anyone do a lot of travelling in Germany with their American made laptop? My daughter needs to be able to use hers there, and I am worried about the wireless. We are probably going to order her a new laptop because hers is so old. Anything we should know about? Wireless capability? Wired? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Captain Ned]

Wired & wireless internet are the same the world 'round. However Germany, like all of Europe, uses 220V/50hz power instead of the 120V/60hz here in the US. Plug standards are different as well. Most modern laptop power bricks are designed to run on both US and European power standards, so all you need it a set of Euro plug adapters. The key is to read the fine print on the laptop power brick. If it says input voltage of 120V to 220V, you're good to go as long as you have the proper plug adapter.

[linda]

What a relief! Thanks so much Ned!

[wibeasley]

If she's going to be there a long time, consider buying it there. That should increase the chances of getting good service if there are hardware problems.

[bhtooefr]

Actually, there are a couple wifi channels that are inaccessible on a US wifi card (due to FCC regulations.)

But, most wifi should work fine on a US card elsewhere. (And, if it's a problem, most wifi cards will let you flash them to European firmware.)

Power won't be a problem, every laptop I've used since the 1990s has had autoranging power adapters.

Also, buying a business machine is a good idea, with the premium warranties that come with them. Those warranties are usually international, so you can use them anywhere, not just the country where you purchased the machine.