High End Computer Required

[cobraboy]

In my time, in the beginning we learned, in some basic programing and DOS on a 286 back in '84, and certianly the adaje is the same, maybe today there is a new acronym, but then it was - GOGO!

Unless one is deeply involved with highly complex video/photo processing, extreme photoshop, mega 3D gaming, serious architectural/design CAD, and/or multiple high processor usage applications at the same time there is little economic justification of a mini-Cray at home.

Then it becomes just bragging rights.

Web surfing, normal spreadsheets/accounting apps, emails, entertainment (not mega gaming), simple Photoshop/Dreamweaver, youtube video processing, etc., can be easily done on a pedestrian low-to-midrange machine with a decent processor, 2-3gb RAM and a good video card with decent onboard memory.

The best development in hardware in the last few years is the advent of the SSD. A lot of the other stuff is planned obsolescence.

 

[terrierist]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question and actually stayed on topic.

I checked out OmegaTech and it is the best for what I need in Puerto Plata. But I am not completely satisfied with the configurations available.

I have looked to several on-line companies, but they don't tend to like to ship to my Miami forwarding address, given I have a Canadian credit card.

So I'm off to Santiago tomorrow morning to check out Cecomsa, Plaza Lama and PriceSmart. Hopefully one of them will have something a little closer to my needs.

 

[rubio_higuey]

Check with Omegatech in SD or Santiago.

~OR~

Build one yourself. newegg and tigerdirect have all the parts you'd need.

Many of the parts are cheaper on Amazon, with free 2 day shipping if you sign up for Amazon prime (you can cancel before 30 days and you will not be charged). Ship to Transexpress. Make sure your parts are less than US$200 value per package. Best to ship one package per day. You should have everything you need in 4 days. Buy the case and power supply locally, about $1200 pesos, not worth importing. Good thing with Amazon Prime is (even during the 30 day trial) your shipping will be ZERO so you can push your shopping to virtually 200 dollars per shipment.

 

[cobraboy]

Many of the parts are cheaper on Amazon, with free 2 day shipping if you sign up for Amazon prime (you can cancel before 30 days and you will not be charged). Ship to Transexpress. Make sure your parts are less than US$200 value per package. Best to ship one package per day. You should have everything you need in 4 days. Buy the case and power supply locally, about $1200 pesos, not worth importing. Good thing with Amazon Prime is (even during the 30 day trial) your shipping will be ZERO so you can push your shopping to virtually 200 dollars per shipment.

Excellent advice.

 

[terrierist]

Shipping difficulties for Canadians

Many of the parts are cheaper on Amazon, with free 2 day shipping if you sign up for Amazon prime

I am aware of that, but...you need to have an American-issued credit card for that to work. Amazon, Chapters, BestBuy, TigerDirect and the majority of others will not ship to a USA address (my mail forwarder) if you buy with a Canadian credit card, or will not accept a Canadian credit card. It really puts a damper on things, as I haven't found a Canadian mail forwarding service. I can usually find someone to take paypal on eBay, but paypal will not verify my Florida shipping address, so many computer vendors on eBay won't ship to me either.

 

[cobraboy]

I am aware of that, but...you need to have an American-issued credit card for that to work. Amazon, Chapters, BestBuy, TigerDirect and the majority of others will not ship to a USA address (my mail forwarder) if you buy with a Canadian credit card, or will not accept a Canadian credit card. It really puts a damper on things, as I haven't found a Canadian mail forwarding service. I can usually find someone to take paypal on eBay, but paypal will not verify my Florida shipping address, so many computer vendors on eBay won't ship to me either.

I've had similar problems, too, but not for all vendors.

The way I get around it is to call the companies directly to place the orders. When I explain the situation they generally have no problem. If they do haqve a problem I don't buy from them, period.

 

[cobraboy]

I am aware of that, but...you need to have an American-issued credit card for that to work. Amazon, Chapters, BestBuy, TigerDirect and the majority of others will not ship to a USA address (my mail forwarder) if you buy with a Canadian credit card, or will not accept a Canadian credit card. It really puts a damper on things, as I haven't found a Canadian mail forwarding service. I can usually find someone to take paypal on eBay, but paypal will not verify my Florida shipping address, so many computer vendors on eBay won't ship to me either.

Another option: no doubt you have a friend in Canada that would help, maybe a family member.

Buy stuff and have it shipped to them, they slap on a new shipping label and THEY send it to your US freight forwarder. I also do that frequently and Mom CB is happy to help.

 

[rubio_higuey]

I am aware of that, but...you need to have an American-issued credit card for that to work. Amazon, Chapters, BestBuy, TigerDirect and the majority of others will not ship to a USA address (my mail forwarder) if you buy with a Canadian credit card, or will not accept a Canadian credit card. It really puts a damper on things, as I haven't found a Canadian mail forwarding service. I can usually find someone to take paypal on eBay, but paypal will not verify my Florida shipping address, so many computer vendors on eBay won't ship to me either.

As far as I know Amazon will take any valid International card. I have used European cards with no problems. I have even used Banco Leon prepaid VISA without any issues. Canadian cards should be the same. I am talking about Amazon, I do not know about Tigerdirectetc.

Bestbuy now allows to use International cards.

With Amazon, account and card verification may be required, especially for large purchases. And yes, I did ship to Florida.

And I think Amazon has some kind of a partnership with Transexpress (Vimenpaq) because you can buy directly on Amazon from Transexpress' website.

 

[rubio_higuey]

I am aware of that, but...you need to have an American-issued credit card for that to work. Amazon, Chapters, BestBuy, TigerDirect and the majority of others will not ship to a USA address (my mail forwarder) if you buy with a Canadian credit card, or will not accept a Canadian credit card. It really puts a damper on things, as I haven't found a Canadian mail forwarding service. I can usually find someone to take paypal on eBay, but paypal will not verify my Florida shipping address, so many computer vendors on eBay won't ship to me either.

I don't know how, but I have somehow verified my Dominican PayPal account (linked to Dominican prepaid VISA) with Miami address on Ebay ... so when I make a purchase on Ebay it will show my Miami shipping address as verified address ... again, I don't know how this happened ... because for example if I pay directly by Paypal (not going via Ebay) my Miami address does show up but it's disabled and says not able to use this address for this Paypal transaction ... but going through Ebay it shows my Miami address, allows it and has verified status to it.

 

[donluis99]

less than $200.00 per unit

Many of the parts are cheaper on Amazon, with free 2 day shipping if you sign up for Amazon prime (you can cancel before 30 days and you will not be charged). Ship to Transexpress. Make sure your parts are less than US$200 value per package. Best to ship one package per day. You should have everything you need in 4 days. Buy the case and power supply locally, about $1200 pesos, not worth importing. Good thing with Amazon Prime is (even during the 30 day trial) your shipping will be ZERO so you can push your shopping to virtually 200 dollars per shipment.

yep, less than US$200.00 invoice value per package, no ITIBIS, usually Computer parts regardless of value, pay no ITIBIS.

Moniters less than US$200.00 pay no ITIBIS, over US$200.00 pay, so only pays to bring one if it is not available locally, frieght gets up there with the moniters.

As many packages per day as you want, never a problem, I have had 4 or 5 hit same day usually all 150.00 - 199.00 no problemo. This is confirmed with the forwarding company before I did it, I used to dfo the one a day thing...no more.

g'luck

 

[rubio_higuey]

It went like this, by chekcing my PayPal and Ebay history:

1. Made PayPal credit card payment to Rapidshare on paypal.ch
2. Used my Dominican information and Banco Leon prepaid VISA
3. Got email from Paypal to activate my account and confirm email address
4. Verified my Leon Visa and got Verified account status
5. Abut a month later, I opened up Ebay account
6. registered address was my then-Miami-EPS address
7. I had primary shipping address set for North Carolina, friend's house, as I needed to re-invoice the article for DR customs purposes
8. I have 3 additional shipping addresses set, EPS, Vimenpaq and Picknsend.
9. When I went to make PayPal payment, it linked the addresses between Ebay and Paypal and allowed me to use, technically any address either on Ebay profile or PayPal profile.

That's why if I log in to Paypal from Ebay, I can use addresses from my Ebay profile (Miami ro North Caroline addresses), but if I log in directly to PayPal the U.S. addresses are disabled and I can only use DR addresses.

 

[rubio_higuey]

As many packages per day as you want, never a problem, I have had 4 or 5 hit same day usually all 150.00 - 199.00 no problemo. This is confirmed with the forwarding company before I did it, I used to dfo the one a day thing...no more.

Yes I did have, too, several packages hitting on the same day (with some vendors or purchases you cannot determine exact delivery date, especially if it's 2-3 day processing time or backorder, not same-day-shipping, etc.)

But packages were of various article types, e.g. books, computer parts, car parts, cosmetics, etc. usually never happened to have two packages with the same "group" of articles.

 

[tht]

but...you need to have an American-issued credit card for that to work. Amazon, Chapters, BestBuy, TigerDirect and the majority of others will not ship to a USA address (my mail forwarder) if you buy with a Canadian credit card, or will not accept a Canadian credit card.

Get a US billing address on your Canadian CC. I have a European AmEx issued in the UK, with a Miami billing address, a street address no PO box. It cost me 10 USD a month for the address. Card accepted all over, Amazon, Adorama, B&P Photo etc. etc. My billing address is also my shipping address. Works smooth.

 

[terrierist]

Great ideas. I'll be phoning my Canadian Credit card companies today to see what I can do to change my billing address. I didn't think of this. Great suggestions!!!

 

[donluis99]

no itibis no duty

My new ATI 5970 Eyeinfinity graphics card just in from newegg, well north of US$200.00, off to EPS to pick it up and pay them the RD$974.00 for bringing it down, not one pesito mas.

 

[terrierist]

Get a US billing address on your Canadian CC. I have a European AmEx issued in the UK, with a Miami billing address, a street address no PO box. It cost me 10 USD a month for the address. Card accepted all over, Amazon, Adorama, B&P Photo etc. etc. My billing address is also my shipping address. Works smooth.

This worked!!!!! I changed the credit card address to my Miami mail forwarder, and TigerDirect is now shipping me some parts. I guess I'm back in the computer-building business :squareeye

 

[Robert]

This worked!!!!! I changed the credit card address to my Miami mail forwarder, and TigerDirect is now shipping me some parts. I guess I'm back in the computer-building business :squareeye

Congratulations! The power of DR1

Next step, convert to Mac user... hehehe