Laptop computers with English keyboard and OS

Hi,

I have searched through Munich, high and low, and all I find is German shops selling German laptops.

I am in search of a Fujitsu Siemens, but it should be an English laptop.

Does anyone know where I can find an English laptop shop with English laptops?

Thanx.

Buy from the internet if you really need the English keyboard or whatever.

Saturn advised me they can supply a UK spec laptop complete with English software installation but would have a waiting time of up to 6 weeks.

Cheap flight home and buy at leisure or get a mate to bring one over methinks.

DELL.de will give you an English keyboard and OS at no extra cost. Delivery takes about a week or more.

The population of Munich with English as a mother language is what... 1%? Even IF English speakers were more likely to buy laptops than the avaerage population it is hardly a market large enough for retailers to want to crowd into the market is it?

And why the need for the English keyboard anyway? O.S. I understand, but keyboard?

If you are not used to a German keyboard, it is very annoying to have the Z where you expect the Y. Also if you are a programmer, the [{}] symbol are not easily accessible.

It is anoying to write accented language (French/German) with an english keyboard but the German keyboard does not have the french accent anyway. Swiss keyboards have both which is cool. The order depend if it is a French-Swiss or a German-Swiss.

The Z and the Y are the other way round and you have extra keys for the Umlauts, but that's about it regards German/English keyboard differences.

I agree with the annozance, but you do get used to it verz quicklz. I work with brackets all the time and just basically got used to it. I'd probably have an issue if I tried to use a UK style keyboard now.

As for accents, the German keyboard does these fine.

é è ê â

Should be a key to the left of the backspace, just hit it before the vowel. The hat accent is over on the left.

z's above are a feeble attempt at humour.

Go down to either Bauers or the Laptop place next to them. Both can order English spec. laptops and have them in a week.

Bauers carries: Asus, Fujitsu-Siemens, Benq, MSI, and Samsung

If they don't have the model you want, they can order it. The laptop place next to Bauers deals mainly in Sony Vaio's.

The German keyboard does not have the French accents as a "one key" solution but all you need to is type the key to the left of the backspace followed by the vowel you wish to be accented and you get an accute accent. Type shift and that key followed by the vowel and you get a accent grave.

Not sure about a cedilla though. Is it called that? You know the squiggle under the "c".

Shift + 4 = ç. At least that's where the cédille is on my keyboard (Fujitsu Siemens laptop bought in Switzerland).

i think everything french should be removed from the face of the planet. lets start with their keyboards.

I just got a German laptop from Dell, as I figured that some time I will get a job where I have to use a German keyboard soI might as well get used to it. I think that the Y Z thing wont be too bad to get used to, but the apostrophe is one key away and you have to use shift. I'm sure the () are shifted one to the left as well as I keep getting a ) when I want a ( (and I use brackets lots too!). Then there's the question mark and the @. I can see why you might not want to get used to it if you're likely to switch back at some point.

For the cedilla in Word it's hold down [Ctrl] and press + and , and then release and press C.

If you want one here then hold down ALT and press 1 3 5 on the numeric keypad.

We bought a Dell, with similar specs and got everything we wanted.

1) US keyboard (which I hate because I have a German keyboard here at work - so am constantly swearing when I use hubbies laptop!)

2) ALL software, OS, apps were in English

I would buy from Dell again in a heartbeat just for that reason!

- Chris

You can also change the keyboard quite easily. If the laptop model has been around for at least a year, you can usually find parts (from dead laptops) on ebay.

Most keyboards can be swapped in 10 minutes.

Maybe a solution: re-assign your keyboard...

If you are familiar enough with the UK or US keyboard layout that you can touch type, then you just need to change the input locale (left ALT and SHIFT).

To select which imput locales you wish to support, go to Control Panel -> Regional and Language options -> Languages -> Details on XP (it's a bit different in W2K).

I use a German keyboard with an English Input Locale, and just switch to the German Locale if I need to type something official in German where I need to type for example "für" instead of "fuer"

Sorry if this is obvious, but it may help some people.

I'm thinking of buying a laptop soon, but I'd prefer a qwerty keyboard model (I still can't get used to the "y" and "z" keys being in the wrong place!).
Is it possible to buy them in Munich?

Are the guarantees Europe-wide, or just Germany?

Thanks,
Paul

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Yuh mahsst ahnderstend, zis is ze rohng vey tu meyk ze kieboord. Sie mahsst bee in ze middel, not an ze seyd.

Contact the manufacturer. Most laptop keyboards are easy to pop out and replace. You might get lucky and be able to return the German one for full credit rather than having to outright buy a second keyboard and install it. You have to specify if you want US-English or UK-English keyboard. The US kbd is the shittiest, missing a key between the left shift and the y/z key (hence "101/102-key").

woof.

Aside from stupid jokes, the keyboard itself doesn't decide which key generates which character when you type it, it's the operating system that does it. I work with a German keyboard (wasn't even asked at work if that's what I'd like, biekahz zis iz ze korrekt vey), but you can change input locale through the control panel and type English with a German keyboard, vice versa, and Hebrew on both of them.

Hi,

I want to buy a laptop in a weeks time (basically before 04th May).
I need an Eng OS and an Eng Keybaord.

Can anyone suggest me where i can order/buy one?

cheers,
Bhasky

Topics merged by admin

Dell.co.uk

apple.de

alienware.de

I made an order for the better half on Dell.de, then called them up and asked to change a few bits on the order: downgrade to XP (the twats were only offering Vista), change all installed software, OS included, to US English versions, and get a US English keyboard.

Which turned out a bit in vain because she went on and bought keyboard stickers for the Hebrew. But should work for you anyway.

Hi All,

Was wondering if there was any other place other than Dell.de to get a laptop, either new or second hand, with an English OS and QWERTY keyboard?

Thanks much!
John

Topics merged by admin

Read the thread (Yes all of it) and do a search. This has been covered before.

without being facetious, could you not use some masking tape and tippex (or tippex and felt tip pen) to swap the z and y, after setting the keyboard setup to US English or whatever?

You could, but its a little more than just the Y and Z keys.

I just bought a german Fujitsu laptop with vista. Re-install Vista and it lets you choose which language you want. If you really want a UK keyboard, you just change the input settings in the control panel (i reckon, but am happy to be corrected). I stuck with the german keyboard cos it's not really any major hassle swapping z and y.

Unless you have Vista Ultimate or Enterprise with the MUI packs, there is no way to change the Actual language of the OS, whout using an actual English install CD.
Your only changing the Input/keyboard/location" settings. OSX on te otherhand can change between languages with a simply reboot..

Since no one in the thread has mentioned a store around Munich: If you are looking for a shop you can walk in, and get a laptop with an english keyboard, you can go to Bauer's near Hauptbahnhof (around Schillerstraße where all the PC companies are). Their website is here: http://www.bauers.com/

I needed a laptop as a gift for my brother in Costa Rica, and I got a nice Asus there with an English keyboard (had to pay 44EUR for it, and I got the keep the old german keyboard, but I don't mind).

You can also special order from Litec, or the laptop store next to Bauers.
Perhaps the reason nobody posted in this thread, is that there are many other posts that have asked the same questions before.
Perhaps next time a little searching will turn up the info your looking for.

Nope, am running vista home premium and reinstalled it using the recovery disk in english. put the disk in, and at the start it asks you to choose the language

any ideas where in munich i can buy a toshiba laptop with english operating system?

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Good luck...

I suggest you try Litec, Bauers or Computer Gallerie. They won't have english keyboard/layout or software but maybe if your nice they'll special order
on for you..