From: mhuang@bu.edu (Maohai Huang)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Bringing a PC to China -- Yes or No? Procedure?
Date: 16 Dec 92 00:56:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Boston University
In-reply-to: Zhang.Hao@launchpad.unc.edu's message of 5 Dec 92 18:18:47 GMT

In article <1992Dec5.181847.6914@samba.oit.unc.edu> Zhang.Hao@launchpad.unc.edu (zhang hao) writes:

>   Hi,
>
>   I got a question about bringing a PC to China. The situation is this:
>   My mother is currently visiting me. She has been in the States for
>   10 months now and she is going back to China in 2-3 months. I'd like
>   her to bring a PC for my cusin. Can a PC be counted as a big item for
>   her?

If the PC you said will be eventually shipped to metros such as Beijing or
GuangZhou or Wu Han etc I don't think it much worthy buying one here and
bringing it all the way to China.

I came to the u.s. three months ago from Beijing and have pretty much
experiences in Zhong Guan Chun (that so called Electronic Street). My
impression is that PCs are not more expensive than in the u.s. (taking 1
RMB=$7-8) in term of the machine themselves. The differences are mainly that
you can't get good warranty and tech support. However the prices of
brand-named PCs (genuine or not) show a ratio of $1=10RMB (Compaq, ALR, AST
etc. Still not good tech support available as in the u.s. generally). 

Only government department, universities, army and those who need high
reliable performance buy brands. For personal use there are a lot of
cheaper machines, whose components were smugled from Taiwan and HK. You
might have to be a expert to get good deals (but isn't it the same in the
u.s. to by cheap PCs?) It is said that china joined some interational treaty
beginning from the next year and it has to lower import tariff for
PCs.

>   If the answer is yes, then I would like her to bring a 486-33, with

If the user of your PC will take full advantage of a 486/33's power and
enjoy it, I think you should buy one from the u.s. because the
performance/price ratio is better than those in china. However if it will
only serve as a word processor and/or game machine, I think you shall by a
486/25 or lower.  People in china often feel free to copy software, but
most softwares are out fashioned stuffs. A 486/33 is not like to give a full
performance without good software support. ( sure, it's faster than 386s.)

As I know, PCs are not 'Big Item'. 
>
>   a SVGA monitor. Will US custom allow such an items be brought to China?

Gee, 486/33? You can find them in every computer company in Zhong Guan Chun.
You can also find formally imported DEC and Sparc stations. They say u.s.
restrict systems which have more than 30MFlops ( I can not remember the
exact figure).
>
>   And most PCs' power supply has a switch 110/220 V, so the system will
>   have no problem. But what about the monitor? Can a volt converter do
>   the job?

A lot of monitors can also swhich AC voltage. Ask you dealer.
Better not bring a 110/220 converter back. It's heavy and what if it
doesn't work someday?

>   If she bring the PC out of custom, should she declare the contents on the
>   PC's harddisk? 

In china perhaps not. Unless there are some new regulations issued under
the preessure from the u.s.

>   I heard that going through the custom's electrical scan
>   may erase something in the PC's ROM BIOS setting or some such things. 
>   How to avoid it?

Technically I don't think it's possible.

>   For those with experience, how do you pack the system and monitor? Will
>   the original package be enough, or I have to get some special packing
>   materials? I'll probably get the PC from local stores, not mail order
>   hourses.

This can be a problem. At least you should write large 'fragile' in
chinese.

>   Lastly, will a 24 pin printer be counted as separate item, or be considered
>   as part of the PC?

You'd better have somebody ask the costom in china directly. 

As for the printer, I'd rather buy a 24-pin printer EPSON LQ1600k in china.
It's compatible with LQ1500 and has nice **internal chinese character
fonts** (level GB2 I remember). So you don't have to have chinese software
(though easy to find in china) to print chinese! Just "copy file prn /b"
will do, where 'file' contains GB code. Price was 4000RMB when I left.

>   I'll greatly appreciate any help in this regard. Thanks.

Sure

>   Hao

Maohai

Newsgroups: soc.culture.china