Taking a laptop to France

[annie]

We are going to our apartment this year for 6months or more - I want to purchase a laptop here in uk and be able to use it just for emails and maybe webcam , skype.

We have a phone socket in the apartment but no landline as we have always used our mobile when on holiday.

Am completely befuddled as to what service we could use - as we will not be living there permanently.  The Golf Club where we are is on the internet and also a little supermarket also has access to the web but as I want to check bank account etc., thought for security reasons would be best to use laptop at the apartment.

We are in Lot-et-Garonne our nearest town is Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

Would be really grateful for any advice.

Many thanks

Annie

[cooperlola]

If you have a MacDonalds near you, they now have free WiFi in most of their branches.  More and more public places have this as indeed may your golf club.  For £200 or so you can get a Netbook (basically a low-spec laptop - with no DVD drive etc) which has a built in Webcam and WiFi.  I'm using one at the moment, in the hospital I'm in. It's a smashing little thing. I was on the net here within minutes of charging it for the first time.  That's the low cost option anyway.

SEE HERE

 

 

[woolybanana]

Coops, which one have you got svp? Is it Qwerty or Azerty? Is it the one in the foto?

[cooperlola]

[quote user="woolybanana"]? Is it the one in the foto?[/quote]Yes.  I can't deal with an azerty keyboard as I touch type.

[Frederick]

You will also find if you look out for them bars and hotel restaurants are  offering Wi Fi access ..I use them  sent off your emails and have a drink at the same time

[suein56]

[quote user="annie"]The Golf Club where we are is on the internet and also a little supermarket also has access to the web but as I want to check bank account etc., thought for security reasons would be best to use laptop at the apartment.

[/quote]

If you want to check bank account details then having your own, well-secured laptop is essential. And whilst it might be OK to check emails etc at a free-access wifi point checking your bank account would, IMHO, be a no-no at such outlets. So, I would suggest you look into acquiring an FT telephone line + Orange adsl, which, to my knowledge, is the only set-up where you can suspend the line and the adsl a few times a year on a 'résidence secondaire' contract.

Sue

[Théière]

You should also check with your bank that they allow access from a computer not in the UK. They may have a security system that will not allow you to access your online account.

[suein56]

[quote user="teapot"]You should also check with your bank that they allow access from a computer not in the UK.[/quote]

Is this a new initiative? Up til now it has been possible to access bank account(s) from wherever you might be.

Sue

[AnOther]

I've just come home with a sweet little Samsung NC10 in my bag, what a

difference from the 15" laptop I've been lugging around for 4

years. 7+ hours battery life too, brill. Got a good deal out of Dixons in Aberdeen airport too as the only one they had was the demonstration model, I can live with 10% discount for the sake of a few fingerprints and a slightly battered box [:D]

Just got to pluck up the courage to confess to 'er indoors, gulp !

Wandering a bit of topic I'm afraid but for online banking I've been using 1st direct + for several years now and find it very useful and secure.

You have to D/L a small piece of software from them called a 'digital safe' and once you have entered all the details for your accounts they are all presented on one page for one click login. Usefully the interface does the sums on your accounts so in one place you can see your net worth !

It's secure because of the necessary software to access your A/C is hosted on your own PC alone and if anybody tries to guess your login after 3 failed attempts it wipes all the date out and you have to apply for your A/C to be reset. Login is via 3 separate items, user name, memorable info and a password.

[Mme poivre]

Hi

I have always been able to access my english bank account from my french neighbours computer without any trouble over the last four years.  I have however as i have said on a differetn thread used Madonlads in France and had my address book wiped so will not be reaeating that exoerience.  I am looking into a USB 3G type dongle for when I am in France.

 

Judith

[AnOther]

[quote user="teapot"]You should also check with your bank that they allow access from a computer not in the UK. They may have a security system that will not allow you to access your online account.[/quote]Kinda defeats the point don't you think teapot [blink]

What purpose would be served by limiting it to UK anyway, any hacker with the vaguest vestige of talent could use a proxy to appear that they were in UK, look how easily the BBC iPlayer can fooled.

[RicandJo]

[quote user="ErnieY"]I've just come home with a sweet little Samsung NC10 in my bag, [/quote]

How are you getting on with it Ernie - I've been considering one for a while.  Will it run Microsoft office happily and do you need to buy an external CD drive or is there one built in??

[AnOther]

Gis a chance, only got back last night and installing Office was not my No.1 priority [:'(] [:)]

No, there is no built in optical drive, check out the specs !

I've ordered a slimline slot loader plus a 2gb RAM module and when they arrive I'll be having a real play with both XP and Vista Ultimate which seems to run reasonably well on it.

http://www.samsungnc10.co.uk/samsung-nc10-running-vista-ultimate

I'll let you know how it goes.

[woolybanana]

Go on ernie, tell us you got the pink one[6]

[AnOther]

So THAT'S why it sat unsold.........................[:-))]

[woolybanana]

[:D][:D][:D]

[pachapapa]

[quote user="ErnieY"]I've just come home with a sweet little Samsung NC10 in my bag, what a difference from the 15" laptop I've been lugging around for 4 years. 7+ hours battery life too, brill. Got a good deal out of Dixons in Aberdeen airport too as the only one they had was the demonstration model, I can live with 10% discount for the sake of a few fingerprints and a slightly battered box [:D]



[/quote]

I love netbooks!! the 10.1 screen is just big enough for a full comfortable page width; hope you got "N" WiFi; if you are looking for a class leather bag for it, the italian mens shoulder bags come at 28 cms by 22 cms; your nettie will slip in just right like mine does.

Hang on a couple of weeks for the start of the car-boots and you will get one in france for € 6-8.

[anniefromwales]

I came back with a little eee pc netbook, and like ErnieY says it's great to have something so light and easily portable, I can carry it in my handbag! I'm getting used to the very small screen size (just downloaded a little gizmo that lets you turn it sideways and view screens portrait instead of landscape, good fun). £155 with Windows XP from Carphone Warehouse, had it all of 2 weeks and very happy with it so far.

[AnOther]

[quote user="pachapapa"]hope you got "N" WiFi; if you are looking for a class leather bag for it, the italian mens shoulder bags come at 28 cms by 22 cms; your nettie will slip in just right like mine does.

Hang on a couple of weeks for the start of the car-boots and you will get one in france for € 6-8.[/quote]Not 'N' but what does it matter, I only have 2mb BB and 'G' adequately covers my whole house and garden. Also, whilst out and about most public WiFi hotspots seem to run at pretty miserable speeds anyway so it bestows little or no real world benefit.

Still coming to terms with the transition from 1400 x 1050 on my old laptop to 1024 x 600 on this but I'll get used to it, be nice if it did a bigger virtual desktop.

I am looking for a neat sleeve for it but what car boots, never heard of any around here ?

[pachapapa]

[quote user="ErnieY"][quote user="pachapapa"]hope you got "N" WiFi; if you are looking for a class leather bag for it, the italian mens shoulder bags come at 28 cms by 22 cms; your nettie will slip in just right like mine does.

Hang on a couple of weeks for the start of the car-boots and you will get one in france for € 6-8.[/quote]Not 'N' but what does it matter, I only have 2mb BB and 'G' adequately covers my whole house and garden. Also, whilst out and about most public WiFi hotspots seem to run at pretty miserable speeds anyway so it bestows little or no real world benefit.

Still coming to terms with the transition from 1400 x 1050 on my old laptop to 1024 x 600 on this but I'll get used to it, be nice if it did a bigger virtual desktop.

I am looking for a neat sleeve for it but what car boots, never heard of any around here ?

[/quote]

A G to G connect may not connect at 54 mbs; an N will connect to a G or B at max available at a greater distance. If you got a Free or Alice MiMo box you will get a full 300 mbs.

Link to 46 vide-greniers, season about to start; click on map for neighbouring departments; 46 is rather tiddly.

http://brocabrac.fr/index.php?dept=46 

[AnOther]

[quote user="pachapapa"]A G to G connect may not connect at 54 mbs; an N will connect to a G or B at max available at a greater distance. If you got a Free or Alice MiMo box you will get a full 300 mbs.

Link to 46 vide-greniers, season about to start; click on map for neighbouring departments; 46 is rather tiddly.

http://brocabrac.fr/index.php?dept=46 

[/quote]Not disputing the facts but I can't think of many reasons why I'd want or need 300mb across my WiFi and I don't have a MiMo box anyway. As I say most public hotspots are unlikely to max out 'B' let alone 'G' !

Thanks for the link, small is beautiful don't you know [;-)]

[CeeJay]

Netbooks are for me from now on. Just bought an Asus Eee PC 901, fantastic little thing, all the gizmo's you need and this particular one runs Linux so no dodgy Windows! Comes complete with 1.3 webcam and Bluetooth and a reputed up to 8 hours battery life(???) Slip it in your bag and away you go.

[oldgit72]

You can purchase a 'dongle' which takes a sim card from a mobile and gain internet access through that using pay as you go. I am currently using one in the UK from 3 connect. When I get back to France I will need to remove the UK sim card and replace with a French sim card which gives me coverage where I live. Hope this helps. BTW, the dongle and sim cost around 60 pounds including 3gb of usage to start up.

[partout]

Hi Suein56

Can you advise how one goes about getting an FT landline and Orange adsl on a residence secondaire contract, I have looked at the site and my old eyes have not found this is info, husband says if we can get this sorted we could spend 5-6weeks doing work in and around the house, whilst he can still be in contact with the outside world....

[Clair]

[quote user="partout"]Hi Suein56

Can you advise how one goes about getting an FT landline and Orange adsl on a residence secondaire contract, I have looked at the site and my old eyes have not found this is info, husband says if we can get this sorted we could spend 5-6weeks doing work in and around the house, whilst he can still be in contact with the outside world....

[/quote]

This might help: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1591917/ShowPost.aspx

(see http://www.orange.fr/bin/frame.cgi...)