Buying a Pocket PC in Beijing with an English OS

[hairyleprechaun]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum, so it is possible that even after hours and hours of browsing through the topics here that I may have missed the answer to my question.

I came across PlecoDict a week ago, after trying for the last year and a half to find a handheld electronic dictionary/translator designed for native English speakers who are learners of Chinese. I wish I had found out a long time ago about PlecoDict. It is really too bad there is not more advertising for it.

I am in Beijing, and have decided for various reasons that I will buy a pocket pc instead of a Palm. However, I have yet to find a pocket pc in Beijing that runs an English OS, and my Chinese is just not nearly good enough to even dream of using a pocket pc with a Chinese interface.

I have a Chinese friend here who has a computer/electronics shop in the Tai Ping Yang high-rise 太平洋大厦 computer market just to the south of Peking University (Beida), and he has also been unsuccessful at finding a pocket pc here that runs an English OS.

I am particularly interested in the HP iPAQ's for various reasons, so I even contacted HP in the U.S. They told me that even if I buy the Chinese OS version, that I would be unable to install the English version of Windows Mobile 2003 (3.0)/5.0 onto it because the iPAQ's they sell here are not exactly the same internally as the ones in the states.

Does anyone have advice for me? Does anyone on this forum know of a place here in Beijing where I can find a pocket pc (especially an iPAQ) that runs an English OS, or know how I might be able to get one? Additionally, can anyone confirm whether or not the information given to me by HP is correct (they could just be trying to cover there butts in case an issue cropped up), in that if I bought the Chinese OS version here, that I really would be unable to install an English OS onto it?

Thank you so much for your time!

Darrol

 

[ongkenyong]

Hi Darrol. Ken here, in exactly the same scenario as you find yourself in. However, I only just got here in January and my Chinese is likely far worse than yours. I ended up getting myself a Pocket PC MDA 3 off a seller from alibaba.com. Not exactly a risk-free transaction, but in return, I saved a bunch. Paid RMB 3700. Email me if you want further details.

ongkenyong@yahoo.co.uk

 

[hairyleprechaun]

Hello Ken,

Thanks for the information. I have heard about alibaba.com but have not checked it out yet. I guess it is time to take a look. I do have a question. If your PDA was sent from another country, did you have any problems with sending (importing) it into China? Did you have to pay any customs fees? I have heard from some of my friends that the Chinese customs will sometimes charge a customs fee for electronics if the item looks new or is unopened.

Once again, thanks for the information!

 

[Jim]

There is a huge mobile phone market at the Southwest corner of Gong Zhu Fen. A friend bought a HP mobile phone/PDA there with English Windows OS (not Win Mob 5). I forget the model number. Sorry, I use the Treo 650 and don't pay much attention to Windows as yet.

 

[hairyleprechaun]

Okay. Thanks for the information Jim. I woked in Gongzhufen the year before last, so I know exactly where you are talking about, though I never went to the market itself. Now I have a good reason to go check it out!

Thanks!

Darrol