Buying in USA, bring to Brazil

Hello,
I wanted to know if anyone can help me. I plan on buying an inspiron 1420 or 1525 and wanted to know what the possibilities were for me to reinstall vista with portuguese as the base language? What would I need to have in order to do that? What version of Vista?
Also I would like to know if there is anyway to change the keyboard from the american format to the brasil characters format.

Any help would be wonderful. I really want to buy it when I am visiting later this month and bring back. Since it is for my family I would need to convert it to Vista with Portuguese and a keyboard that allows the brazilian letters.

Thanks alot, have a good one.

 

You only need to install Portuguese Language Pack without reinstalling Vista. You can also change the keyboard layout to Protuguese but the key labels will not match with US jeyboard. You can either relabel them yourself [with stickers or a permanent pen (the ugly way)] or replace the keyboard. You can probably find a keyboard either from Dell or ebay.

 

i don't think it will be possible to switch to Portuguese without buying a standalone copy of Vista. I could be wrong but the OEM copy you'll get with probably won't give you the option to select a language if you format and reinstall. there might be the option to change your keyboard format to Portuguese in the settings but failing that i'm sure there's software that can act as a proxy. or just buy an external brasilian keyboard to plug in when you go home.

 

Well I have an original retail Vista dvd from my desktop. I would need to know if I can install that with the dell. would there be any problems with drivers or anything for the webcam or the media drive? As far as the keyboard, i thought about plugging in a Usb keyboard, but just wondered about changing out the keyboard on one laptop for the brazilian version.

 

the retail should work, drivers shouldn't be a problem either, it will find them automatically or you just download them straight from the Dell site if need be, it's all there.

swapping out the keyboard might work, but if you contact whomever services Dell products in Brasil you might be able to get them to do it. i know a factory is there, just not sure about parts and compatibility.

ETA: actually you probably can do the keyboard swap yourself.. places like here http://stores.channeladvisor.com/triangle-laptops/items/item.aspx?itemid=6229617 sell them, you just might have to hunt around for a 1420, 1525.. try asking Dell they might even do it for you at build.

ETA2: just check Dell Brasil and you'll probably get one easily for the 1525. you might not be able to for a 1420 as there is not domestic version.

 

You can check out the following link and the other links in there. I did not see the OEM version's limitation of language change over there.

Windows Vista Help: Change the display language

 

I checked on a Dell OEM Vista Ultimate, language packs are in Windows Update. You can see a screenshot below. So, there is no need to reinstall Vista.

 

You said it. "Ultimate" , probably he doesn't need that version and he'd buy Home Premium.

 

You are right. I only have a home version of Vista. I'll have to find or buy an Ultimate version in order to get the multi language support.

Thank you all for your help. I guess I have the info to get the Vista problem solved, and not to worry about the drivers. I guess just now I'll have to find a solution for the keyboard.