Can anyone give a website that would give me good prices of video camera’s and stuff in Taiwan. Is it cheap there for electronics and computers?I am wandering whether I should purchase a camcorder before I leave Japan or not.
Japanese electronics are generally no bargain here.
I take it there are local brand names that make electronics in taiwan that sell cheap?is the quality fine?
not camcorders as far as i know.
Sorry I don’ t have specifics on prices for video camaras , but my advice would be to buy your camcorder in Japan.
Every time I’ve looked at making an electronics purchase here, I’ve been surprised at how comparatively expensive they are. This includes laptops, cell phones, digital camaras, dvd players, and sound systems. Everything that I’ve looked at here can be purchesed cheaper elsewhere with more features.
There are some cheap Taiwan brands, but in my opinion they aren’t that cheap and are often lacking in quality and added features. Japanese electronics have the newest technology with reputable quality and snazzy packaging. If you can get a decent deal on a camcorder in Japan, I’d buy it there. Just make sure the warranty will cover repairs in Taiwan.
Anyway, that’s my advice. Anyone have a different opinion?
Yes, yes, yes… buy a name brand product that ships with usable editing and disc burning software. Taiwanese companies make lots of the products carrying Japanese brand names. However, they’re ability to effectively market and support such products themselves is poor at best.
If you’ve got a Mac, iMovie et al negates the question of software.
If you’re on a PC, I would suggest you’ll want to avoid M$’ Movie Maker version whatever – POS. Ulead products seem to be well received and their support for whatever output format you might want is excellent. Add DiVX’ codec suite (good for the Mac too) and you’re pretty much unstoppable…
Whatever you decide to buy, if you don’t have a DVD burner, consider that a part of the required investment.
Yes,
whenever I travel to HK, I always notice that the prices over there are much cheaper than what I can get in Taiwan. As I have been googling for a couple of years of buying myself an Apple laptop there vs in Taiwan. Since I don’t want Chinese characters or bopomofo on the keyboard. I guess the tax-free issue really makes a difference.
Although, I did hear someone about Taiwan is now also implementing tax free discounts for tourist…anyone heard this too?
Thanks
The trick to buying things in Taiwan is buying shuihuo! This is gray market, parallel imported products. Some of the sole distributors in Taiwan raise up the prices because they can and because there is an import tax. However, I have bought many a digital camera, mobile phone, Japanese video camera and so on here in Taiwan CHEAPER than anywhere else in the world! By the way, I travel frequently, know how to check the price on the internet in the USA and use to live and work in Hong Kong.
The reason it is cheaper is that some guy goes to Japan or the USA and buys just above wholesale from his friend that has a shop there. The price he paid is very very cheap. Then he stuffs them into his suit cases and gets them into Taiwan duty free. He then sells it for whatever he can get and he bought it so cheap that he has room to lower his price. You need to stay on top of what the price is in the USA and Japan, then use that to negotiate with shui huo goods. One thing, you only get about a 1 year warranty, but you still get one. By the way, all of those electronics I have bought. Never had a problem.
Now it is true that sometimes no matter what you do, you still can’t find it cheaper in Taiwan than in Japan and the USA, thats when I do a little bit of my own suitcase stuffing.
Remember buy shuihuo goods not gongsi huo.
I like the bopomofo on my keyboard. It’s a novelty outside of Taiwan!
And enables one to type in Chinese should one so choose.
A friend said he bought his Apple PowerBook 12" with Super Drive for K$6600. How much are they in Taiwan?
Apple seems cheap in HK…
I have never bought Apple products in Taiwan, but I would assume they are expeensive because it might be hard to find shuihuo goods as no one would buy them so they wouldn’t bother stuffing them in their suitcase and bringing them to Taiwan. This is a PC kingdom. Wiat a minute, Apple products are made here too…hmmm…try to find Shuihuo.
Are pc desktop’s at reasonable prices there?how about MP3 players?can anyone give me a round about cost for 50 dvd-r disks iin Taiwan please?
Bought 12" powerbook last summer for $80k. But with a superdrive (DVD burner), topped out w/ RAM, loaded with software and with Apple Care.
I heard they went down somewhat later in the year. Don’t know about this year’s models.
[quote=“Alien”]Bought 12" powerbook last summer for $80k. But with a superdrive (DVD burner), topped out w/ RAM, loaded with software and with Apple Care.
I heard they went down somewhat later in the year. Don’t know about this year’s models.[/quote]
Wow, thats even more than in Oz!! And they are MADE in Taiwan… weird.
http://www.apple.com.tw/store/. Sometimes the prices in stores are slightly lower (about -500nt for the 15gb ipod). Apple is good in keeping their prices under control, so you will have hard time to find a bargain. US is cheaper… cough
Their prices are what you expect for a brand name store. If you look around you can get items 10-15% or more cheaper.
Thanks
Prices don’t seem too bad.didn’t see any cpu over 2.8ghz selling though.
If you’re looking or Apple-branded “shui huo,” you need to be checking Yahoo “pai mai” daily. There’s a guy that mostly brings in iMacs and the occassional PowerMac deal.
Though you can probably negotiate a better deal (haven’t tried myself), his prices undercut Apple’s Taiwan MAP pricing by NT$5,000 to NT$10,000. Your mileage may vary…
You’ll need to register with Yahoo to bid on or offer goods… This is a local service, so bring your Mandarin skills.
[quote=“Hobart”] Some of the sole distributors in Taiwan raise up the prices because they can and because there is an import tax. However, I have bought many a digital camera, mobile phone, Japanese video camera and so on here in Taiwan CHEAPER than anywhere else in the world! By the way, I travel frequently, know how to check the price on the internet in the USA and use to live and work in Hong Kong.
Remember buy shuihuo goods not gongsi huo.[/quote]
I’d have to agree with this as I’ve made trips to Hong Kong and, though Mong Kok offered some great deals, I found that the local “Gray Market” can match or better them.
As for PCs…This is definitily one of the best (if not “THE BEST”) places in the world to buy a PC.
One could save themselves upto 20% of most online or retail prices.
Apple has always been cheaper in Hong Kong in terms of retail, though once again, you could save yourself the trip by going way of the “Gray Market.”