Will the Vostro work Overseas?

I am wanting to purchase an affordable laptop before I leave for Israel to work on a Master's. I was told buy a Dell online chat sales help person that the Vostro's were not made for use overseas (Israel is on 220v current), and that it would void the warranty.

I am not entirely sure the person knew what they were talking about because they told me 2 different things before looking at the warranty info and saying it wouldn't work.

I wouldn't really care so much about the voided warranty, if the laptop would still work and not get burned out or messed up, so does anyone know if I could just buy a power converter or do I need to look at something different?

The Dell person said the Latitude series would be ok for overseas use, but they are way more expensive than the Vostros, and not worth the extra expense IMO.

Thanks in advance!!

 

Someone else here said that the dell power adapters automatically detect the voltage difference and switch, all you need is the connector to convert the Israel (same as the rest of europe?) to the US socket style.

Once again, I'd personally just go to a store and buy a converter...but that's just because I don't want to take the risk.

PS: If you're wondering: how bad can the damage be? Back in college my dad's roommate connected a 110V hair dryer to a 220V socket, turned it on, and it literally shot fire.

 

You have two issues to deal with:

1) Powering the laptop:

The existing charger may or may not be able to work on 220. If it will, then you need a replacement for the cord from the charger to the wall or an adapter for the plug. If it won't work on 220, you could get a 220-110 volt transformer; but it is probably easier to just get a new charger.

Another alternative might be to get a 12v DC charger for your laptop and a cheap 12 v power supply in Israel.

2) The warranty.

Most international companies operate as separate divisions in different parts of the world -- and they rarely honor the warranty from one region to another. To get warranty service for your US-purchased Dell, you would almost certainly have to deal with Dell in the US, ship the laptop to a Dell repair facility in the US, and probably have to give them a US address to return to laptop after repairs. I would not expect to get Warranty service from Dell in Israel or Europe for a laptop bought in the US even if the same model is sold there. If something goes wrong with the laptop you will probably have to pay to have it fixed locally.

 

even if it did randomly crap out while in israel, how would they know you brought it overseas if you don't tell them?

 

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying here about the charger and getting a new one. Can you clarify?

I called Dell after I posted this and the person I talked to said if I used a converter then it should work just fine, so I am thinking I will get the 1500.

 

Most of the chargers (if not all) will work on both 110 - 220 volt. As it was said before you might need to have a converter. But I doubt you will need one . Just an adapter for the plug.

 

keep in mind that notebooks in Israel are about 2+ times more expensive than in the US

 

I have a Vostro 1400 and use it all the time while in Europe. I travel there extensively and never had a problem with 220V. All you need is an adaptor for the plug.

 

Look at the charger, it will say 100-240V 50-60Hz probably.

Anything that says this, will work anywhere.

You'll just need to stop by somewhere to get the correct figure-8 power cable for plugging it in.

 

Oh, and I heard the warranty is good anywhere, you'll just need to pay postal for anything exchanged.