Buying a Laptop configured in English in Portugal

STOP!!!!!!!!! Before buying a laptop in Portugal, be aware that 99% laptops in Portugal come with a Portuguese version of Windows installed. I am not sure sure about the current situation with Widnows 8, but I do know that with Widnows 7 and previous incarnations, one could not easily change the operating system language. Indeed, it was often necessary to get hold of an English version installation disk and reinstall the whole system. The only shops I have ever found that would configure/reinstall new machines with an English language version of Widnows OS were Radio Popular in Guia and Radio Popular in the now-defunct burnt out ex-Portimão Retail Park. If you are happy working with a system in Portuguese, no problem. Otherwise, make sure that the machine you are buying is fully configured in English OR buy an Apple Laptop. With the latter, you can change the language of the operating system on start up or later with ease. A final option, depending on your requirements, might be to buy something like this Tablet Eee Pad Transformer TF300T which is a tablet on steroids with detachable keyboard and being equipped with a Google Android OS, can also be configured into many language with ease.

Portugal - Advice needed about Kindle Fire and the Internet

O.K. Lets try and simplify this. 1) You currently have a laptop with Microsoft Vista OS (uggggh!) installed. 2) It appears that your current access to the Internet is via a Vodafone Pen Stick Dongle that plugs into a USB port on the Laptop. 3) It appears that you do not have internet over a phone landline. (e.g PT/sapo) 4) Given the above, I deduce you do not have a router! 5) A router takes the adsl/cable internet signal form the phone line and shares it with other computers. 6) There are two types of routers, pre-historic ones without wifi where the computer was connected by an ethernet cable and since the mid-2000's, wifi routers. 7) Wifi routers (which are nearly all "Linux inside"!!! "Penguins forever!" ) also transmit the internet signal by wireless to computers, smartphones, tablets, and other suitably equipped exotic IT wildlife! 8) Wifi equipped hotspots (such as one gets in Mc & Dons, hotels, some Rede Expressos buses etc.) are basically industrial strength wifi routers on steroids. 9) It might be nerdily possible using some exotic gateway software and a usb wifi pen in another usb slot to turn your laptop into a wifi access point, but even I would be loathe to do it with Vista onboard!! 10) Your 3G Vodafone dongle uses a different technology to receive its Internet signal. This signal is transmitted as a signal layer over via the 3G mobile phone network. 11) Each piece of IT equipment that is going to use this latter option has to have: i) either a usb slot where the dongle can plug in or ii) a slot for a sim card (like one has in mobile phones and in you dongle) Consequently, if you only have one Vodafone USB 3G/Dongle pen, you will only have one sim card and only one unit can use the internet at a time. 12) The Kindle paperwhite 3G version should allow you to take the sim card out of you dongle and plug it into the Kindle. It also has wifi so one could also use it where there is a wifi signal. (e.g. Mc&D's) HOWEVER, I do NOT recommend this, as sim cards get very worn when frequently changed between units. 13) So, (I wish I could get paid for writing this stuff!! :))), in summary, you are in a fix. 14) Proposed solutions by Barlaventoexpert: a) You could keep switching the simcard in your Vodafone 3G Dongle between the dongle and Kindle, severely reducing its lifespan! However, This would also mean you could only use either the Vista-equipped (uggh!) Laptop or the Kindle at one time. b) Buy a second data simcard from Vodafone for the Kindle and, obviously, pay a second time for the privilege. b) Get a phone landline and a sapo account (or cable if one is in a Zon/Cabovisao area) (all these usually comes with a free wifi router) and pay one's usual monthly small fortune for the privilege. c) Spend money driving up and down to your local Mcd's / local public free wifi area every time you want to use the Kindle. or d) (drum rolls) take yourself off to your local purveyor of IT and Telecoms equipment with your existing Vodafone 3G dongle and get one of these: http://goo.gl/npHhD This is a Vodefone 3g sharing dock! Costing €30.00, it will allow you to plug your dongle into the dock which then can allow 5 devices equipped with wifi to connect to the internet. There is one final caveat! Does your Vista(uggh!) equipped laptop have built-in wifi! If not, you will need to buy a separate wifi dongle to plug into a spare usb port. You can pick these up from any Worten for +- € 15.00 See: http://goo.gl/T9wNl I have to say that, in my opinion, you would be wasting your money buying a kindle or any ebook without either a good internet/wifi connection or a good 3g/wifi connection chez vous! There may be more technical solutions such as using 3G/4G phones such as the Samsung Galaxy as a wifi hotspot but as you are confused now, I would not recommend that route without a good local nerd to hand! Invest in the sharing dock for your existing Vodafone 3G pen and perhaps a usb wifi dongle for the Vista (uggh) machine. If you go this route, take your laptop and dongle with you when to go to buy the gear and get the unfortunate spotty nosed Zé Nerd to get it all working before you leave the shop.