Topic: Wanchai - Computer Centres (Read 13151 times)

kai · « **on:** December 28, 2005, 07:31:31 PM »

WCC

There are two big computer centres in Wanchai: The Computer City and "298", both located on Hennessy Road. Situated above Wanchai MTR exit A4, turn left as you walk out and there it is next to McDonalds: the computer mecca of Hong Kong Island.

2 floors packed full of shops selling computers, PDAs, peripherals, networking hardware, laptops, legal software, digital cameras, printers, audio players, second-hand goods... need I say more?

As this is located in a business district, the wares are usually a bit more expensive than other centres. Rent here in HK is amongst the highest in the world. To compensate, their service is better, and I think their English is better as well -- it’s more Gwai Lo friendly. It’s also less crowded from personal experience. The Kaitech team of reviewers walked around without getting shoved or suffocated on a Saturday afternoon. Try Mong Kok at that time and you’ll develop claustrophobia even if you've never had it. This centre is the closest to an MTR station so the convenience is probably part of the price as well.

Overall, it is a comfortable centre for bargain hunters to prowl around. From experience, their merchandise tends to be the newest. The layout of the place is straightforward so getting lost is not all that easy. Air con is sufficient and variety is not compromised. There are still possibilities of getting sold “water goods” - goods that are cheaper but may have less warranty, different power plugs and possibly no English manual. Well, it’s just a few details to check. Some people want that stuff, so if you’re unsure then ask more questions.

298

Walk another 15 minutes east towards Causeway Bay along Hennessy Road and you will hit "298". While it may be larger in terms of total floor area, the first thing you will notice after going up the two half-escalators is the smell of smoke! Besides that, the stores and wares are similar to that of WCC -- there are a few "oddities" that can only be found in 298, but I will leave it to you adventurous Kaitech readers to discover for yourselves what *those* may be!

WCC from above		Shopping

WCC in Chinese		former O2 bldg
Football		Basketball
WCC at night		Newspapers

0ne0neEight · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2006, 09:54:05 PM »

Just wondering, I know about the three large computer centre on HK, and that their prices are quite competitive compared to normal 'shop' prices, and quite a few people from this forum go there for their bits.

What I don't hear is you guys buying your computer bits online. I buy all my PC parts online here in the UK, and it's online where you will find the cheapest prices.

An example are the Opterons I bought recently for £105 inc taxes, the price I paid was very very good. I also bought a socket 754 mobo for my AMD64 for £32, again inc of taxes.

There is no way I can buy the above bits for those sort of prices in a shop, hence online shopping. We do have computer mart over here in the UK, which are similar to the computer centre in HK, but their prices are still not the cheapest...

Do you guys 'do' online shopping at all?

iTwins · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2006, 11:07:16 PM »

heh...why do online when you can buy it cheaper offline.

There are actually 5 computer centers in HK and there are numerous individual computer stores scattered here and there and all over HK. There's really no need to go online as the prices are already quite competitive. The only time you need to buy online are things you cannot find offline, such as my Playstation 2 U.S English games. Sadly, HK people love to play games they don't understand a word or they like to buy magazines for Japanese-Chinese translations. No siree, not my type!

See, I am tempted at buying some heavy duty notebook PCs online such as Dell's XPS series and Alienware's, which you cannot buy in HK. However, I am more worried of the hassle if there are any defects that needs to be returned. All that mail back and forth could easily drive one mad.

kai · « **Reply #3 on:** January 09, 2006, 01:28:05 AM »

that's actually a very good question 118 and one that I have spent some time thinking about. IMO online shopping is not popular with the locals because:

0. it's so convenient to go out to these centers thanks to the density of HK... one does not need to travel far and it's actually convenient to do so, mainly due to MTR. (bus is my personal favorite

) contrast that with Canada or USA where cities have large land areas but inconvenient public transport. For ex. Toronto, public transport travelling takes a long, long time between destinations.

owning a car would be slightly better but the trouble to commute (gasoline, traffic, road rage, etc.) is still bothersome.

1. buyers prefer to touch & feel the product. must inspect quality prior to purchasing.

2. shipping would be a nightmare. high % of us live in apartments and there is no standardized way of getting bulky mail into homes. bulky = anything larger & thicker than envelopes. Besides if the postman shows up during the day, all you'll get when returning home @8pm is a notice to collect your package at a desginated post office.

3. refunds & exchanges would be a hassle. overseas online shops like newegg, ncix, etc. tend to have good buyer protection & refund policies, so shoppers shop with confidence.

I think in general our population is very skeptical about buying stuff online, but I'm hoping it will change. Though I don't see how it can...

question: Are there any successful examples of e-commerce sites targeted at the local HK market? How are those DVD games shipped to you, iTwins?

kai · « **Reply #4 on:** January 09, 2006, 01:31:22 AM »

btw last summer I took a gamble and snagged a Viewsonic VP201b LCD from Dell USA while I travelled there. You know , Dell always has some crazy deals... ended up costing me US$400. at the time the same monitor was selling in HK for double that price. Risky move though. if there was some problem with it, I don't know if I would get served by Viewsonic over here and it's certianly not very feasible to mail it back to the USA.

iTwins · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2006, 04:54:59 PM »

Quote from: kai920 on January 09, 2006, 01:28:05 AM

question: Are there any successful examples of e-commerce sites targeted at the local HK market? How are those DVD games shipped to you, iTwins?

There are a few local websites available but they are more targetted for out-of-towners. Their prices are generally higher than what you can find locally. If you think HMV at Windsor House is expensive, these online guys are even higher and they all charge by US$ only.

http://www.lik-sang.com (Sony's public enemy #1. haha)
http://www.hkflix.com

I only purchase through CD Universe and each time it was sent using FedEx, and directly to my office. They normally arrive before lunch time - just perfect.

PS. I also ordered books from Amazon and they use UPS if I remember right. They are pretty good too.

Giordano · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2006, 05:22:52 PM »

Quote from: iTwins on January 09, 2006, 04:54:59 PM

Quote from: kai920 on January 09, 2006, 01:28:05 AM
question: Are there any successful examples of e-commerce sites targeted at the local HK market? How are those DVD games shipped to you, iTwins?

There are a few local websites available but they are more targetted for out-of-towners. Their prices are generally higher than what you can find locally. If you think HMV at Windsor House is expensive, these online guys are even higher and they all charge by US$ only.

http://www.lik-sang.com (Sony's public enemy #1. haha)
http://www.hkflix.com

I only purchase through CD Universe and each time it was sent using FedEx, and directly to my office. They normally arrive before lunch time - just perfect.

PS. I also ordered books from Amazon and they use UPS if I remember right. They are pretty good too.

Lik-sang!!
I used it since I was in ITALY...always reliable! I bought there ages ago my copy of SHENMUE...and all my import games!

Squid · « **Reply #7 on:** January 10, 2006, 05:18:34 PM »

The only regular online shopping I do is for beer, washing powder and other heavy stuff because of the free delivery

For me the MOST important issue is statutory rights. In HKG we have none. OK we have the consumer council and small claims court etc., but in HK a retailer will rarely ever refund you. It's hard enough getting an exchange - but it would only be for a same-or-more-expensive item. Money back? Ho ho ho.

The only excpetion I know from experience is good old M&S who have similar no-quibbles policies as in the UK. Even the big chains will tell you that within the first 7-10 days from purchase they will exchange the product but after that, it's a warranty issue.

There are no doubt exceptions to this, it could all depend on your experience with the shop and/or staff.

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