Bringing the Computer

mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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Any suggestions on how to ship/bring our computer. It is a PC with an external cd writer and a scanner and a printer. Regular monitor.

I hate to toss it and get a laptop because of the price. I would still have to bring the scanner and the printer.

Is it best to try to bring all of this, buy there, or bring something different?

Thanks,
Mainer
 

Jan

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Jan 3, 2002
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When I moved here I brought an extra box..a plastic tote kind..with my puter and all the works. I didn't bring the monotor because it was so heavy and theyer not very expensive. I brought it on the plane with me and had no problems
 

Jan

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I checked it. I paid about $90 for an extra piece of luggage. It wasn't opened or checked. But I wasd told you can bring a computer duty free. I made the box exactly 70 lbs. The limit for a piece of luggage..wanted to get my moneys worth!
 

mainer

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Can we take 2 checked pieces per person? I looked on the AA website, but it was vague about luggage to the DR. If we can, that will mean 8 checked bags allowed for our family. I doubt we could carry that many.

Thanks again,
Mainer
 
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Jan

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Last time I flew it was 2 checked bags 70# each and 1 carry on. With all those bags permited you shouldn't have a problem. Someone did tell me later to remove..think it was the hard drive..or lock it. Not real puter savy but they said to protect it from being banged around and getting damaged. I didn't have a problem with mine tho. I just packed it real tight and alot of padding. My pillow..some sheep skin and whatever other sort stuff I had and there wasn't any problems.
 

Pib

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Jan 1, 2002
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Dominicans and legal residents are entitled to bringing a computer duty free if they declare that it is for professional use (I have the ruling somewhere but am too lazy to look for it). Now, reality is another thing, if you are checked by your typical quick-buck idiot you might be asked to pay in the hope you'll give them a "gift".

Best thing to do is bring it in your luggage, and hope it will not be checked. If it is, then just tell them it's for professional use and that you know you're entitled to it (if you're a legal resident that is).

Luck
 
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MommC

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I carry mine on, every year since I got a notebook, and never have any problems with it coming through customs (but they did want me to pay for my water filter last year {as if I would pay Ha!!not a chance!!}).
By all means leave the monitor at home and buy one here. Dock the hard drive and pack (pad) well the other components. Checked bags are ok!
 

mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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I am not a legal resident. I haven't even given that much thought.

How do you "Dock" a hardrive?? I am definitely not a computer person.

Thanks a lot,
we are going to pack it up and give it a try.

Mainer
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Being good looking, sexy and single didn't hurt either, Jan. Nothing wrong with the mainers, but when coming as a family you don't always get the same consideration.
 

MommC

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I'm not a resident either mainer.......just a tourist!!
Tell ya the truth it's been so long since I "docked" a hard drive I don't remember how to do it anymore (the question being do you even need to "dock" the drive anymore??)
Maybe Wud or one of the other wizzes out there will be able to tell you.
Anyhow you shouldn't have any trouble with it.....
 

Pib

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I never heard anything like "docking a hardrive" (I thought you could only dock ships, mind you). A quick search on Google and my other favorite fountain of wisdom returned nothing. Are you sure you actually "docked" your hardrive?

I will ask my wizards now...
 

MommC

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Yeah....you used to have to "dock" the drive before you moved the machine. (Now I'm really giving my age away!!!) Basically it meant positioning the drive to the "beginning" much as you used to put the needle on an old 45rpm or 78 rpm record at the start of the first track, or the needle might "skip" if it was in the middle.(Geez would youngun's even understand that????).
Enough already........this REALLY makes me feel ancient (as if the achin' bones wasn't enough....now....I've given myself a headache!!!;) )
 

Pib

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This is what I was told
On early hard drives, there was a software command you could send to the drive that would "park" the heads. This would, on the drive's next power down, move the Read/Write heads into a position where they wouldn't bang against the encoded part of the platter should the unit get shaken. Unless you have an ancient hard drive, its not really an issue today.

I've never heard it called "docking" though. In computers that term usually refers to plugging a portable into some sort of base station.

(If your friend has a scanner, they may want to look in their reference manuals or online to see if the scanning mechanism needs to be parked before transport. Unlike hard drives, I'm pretty sure this is still a somewhat common requirement.)
 

MommC

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Right again Pibster (told ya it had been so long not only could I not remember how to do it I didn't even remember what it was called:) )
But at least I knew what mainer was referring to!! Hehe!
And I was right when I guessed that it may not be necessary nowadays (just wait girl......you'll catch up with me some day!!!!;) )
 

MommC

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Yep.....and I still have one of those golden oldies that still functions! Imagine that......kinda like me.....old, slow, can't get new parts anymore but still has it's uses!! :)
I still have some of the programs I wrote for it too and I even use one of them still occasionally.
 

MommC

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As for the "other" that you alluded it......that still functions, I remember what it's called and how to do it which happens quite frequently (some things ya just never forget!!!) ;)

As for "parking" with all the various connotations.....I remember how to that too!!:)
 
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