Buying a QWERTY laptop in France

Time4Change · Post by **Time4Change** » Tue 04 Feb 2014 18:38

I am an American living in France. I am looking to buy an American style laptop, and I will not be in the US anytime in the near future. Does anyone know if it is possible to buy an American laptop with a Qwerty keyboard in France? I am too old to learn Azerty!

interiors66 · Post by **interiors66** » Tue 04 Feb 2014 22:47

Go to Spain
Carrefour figures

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 00:24

You can order a Dell with the QWERTY keyboards and all of the Windows and other items in English. You can call Dell direct here in France and it's quick and it doesn't cost anything.

I have three Dell computers (2 laptops and 1 desktop) and all of the system is a QWERTY keyboard.

Blackduff

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 04:48

If you want a choice of brands, you could try amazon.co.uk. I bought one from them with very modest shipping charges. But of course it was UK qwerty, not US.

Colin L · Post by **Colin L** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 08:30

martyn94 wrote:If you want a choice of brands, you could try amazon.co.uk. I bought one from them with very modest shipping charges. But of course it was UK qwerty, not US.

So it won't spell words like color, labor etc properly

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 12:12

Time4Change
Dell gives some reason to buy from them.

First, the Dell shop is found in Montpelier and if you need help, it's only two hours driving. If you have a computer from the UK, check how long it will be to haul the computer over to them.

Second, the plugs (UK) are going to be changed.

Third, Dell allows you to choose which parts you wanted with the new computer. I have always wanted to change the options, since I'm kinda fussy. My desk computer is much different than the two laptops I have now.

You can take the servicing which gives you "next day" servicing of the computer, if it's needed. Find which UK computer will have a guy to your house here in the PO.

Pricewise, Dell is very competitive with similar computers. The Apple computers are more expensive but it's not similar as a Dell.

Dell also has English people on the telephone, if needed.

I bought a Compaq desktop a few years (UK) back. The computer arrived in my house and plugged into the wall. Wow, a big splash screen showing Compaq. But, that is all that happened. I had to haul this clunker down to a dealer to get it fixed. It was a good lesson on this purchase in the UK when you live in France.

Some thoughts!

Blackduff

jethro · Post by **jethro** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 16:12

It is perfectly possible to write English on a French keyboard. The reverse, however, is impossible. I recommend a Swiss keyboard as it will enable you to use most European languages. Surely you will find the need to use French at least occasionally ?

sue and paul · Post by **sue and paul** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 16:36

mais j'ai un clavier anglais et j'écris en français. Regardez...

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 22:53

jethro wrote:It is perfectly possible to write English on a French keyboard. The reverse, however, is impossible. I recommend a Swiss keyboard as it will enable you to use most European languages. Surely you will find the need to use French at least occasionally ?

That's where an ipad, or other touch screen device, scores, at least for short texts - you can gét the äčćęńtèd characters very easily.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 23:02

blackduff wrote:Time4Change
Dell gives some reason to buy

Blackduff

If you want to go with Dell, it may be worth looking at the "business" part of their range - where they usually have machines which are essentially the same as their consumer line but with different model names, eg "vostro". The prices are sometimes better, and they have little or none of the superfluous extra software ("crapware" in technical language) which they are paid to put on their products for mug punters.

franglaise · Post by **franglaise** » Wed 05 Feb 2014 23:24

martyn94 wrote:
jethro wrote:It is perfectly possible to write English on a French keyboard. The reverse, however, is impossible. I recommend a Swiss keyboard as it will enable you to use most European languages. Surely you will find the need to use French at least occasionally ?
Not so. You just need to have a keyboard with a number pad and learn all the codes for the accented letters (alt+0233 = é, alt + 0251 = û, etc.) once you're used to it, it's fast enough.

As for myself, I've gone one step further! As I learnt to touch type on a qwerty keyboard, I found that I was incapable to type on a azerty. I bought a French computer, set it up so that the azerty keyboard becomes a qwerty and if I type in French, I use the method given above. It works well for me as I do not need to look at the letters on the keyboard (which do not correspond of course)... no one else can use my computer!

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Thu 06 Feb 2014 00:47

martyn94 wrote:
jethro wrote:It is perfectly possible to write English on a French keyboard. The reverse, however, is impossible. I recommend a Swiss keyboard as it will enable you to use most European languages. Surely you will find the need to use French at least occasionally ?
That's where an ipad, or other touch screen device, scores, at least for short texts - you can gét the äčćęńtèd characters very easily.

I had forgotten that you can use essentially the same procedure on the keyboard of a "proper" apple computer: holding down the key for the unaccented letter gives you a choice (on the screen) of all the possible accented versions . You then choose, or navigate to, the one you want. Much easier than learning the Microsoft codes. Details are eg here http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11264

russell · Post by **russell** » Thu 06 Feb 2014 16:09

I think it depends on the operating system you use but, if I remember correctly, some of the accented characters can be typed on a UK qwerty keyboard by holding down the "alt gr" key while typing "e" for example.

Of course, if you only type in French while at home, you can always plug an Azerty keyboard into a USB socket and use that when necessary.

Russell

Time4Change · Post by **Time4Change** » Thu 13 Feb 2014 17:47

Thanks, All, for your imput. I have ordered a laptop. I am getting a UK keyboard. Not identical to the US keyboard, but close enough. I appreciate all the advice!

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Fri 14 Feb 2014 04:28

If it is a windows keyboard, you can change the key mapping , somewhere or other, to get the us key placement. But I am sure that I would not bother for myself. If you live here, the uk keyboard gives you reasonably easy access to the euro key, which is the only material difference for me.

geoff.smith · Post by **geoff.smith** » Sat 22 Feb 2014 10:47

hi you can buy on ebay stickers which cover the keys and transforms a azerty to a qwerty with no problems about 5 euro's,,then just change default keyboard to english QED G

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Buying a QWERTY laptop in France

Buying a QWERTY laptop in France

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