Debating whether to but an apple MacBook here in Oz before leaving for CH. If I wait until we get to CH will I easily able to buy a MacBook with English keyboard and OS language from the Swiss Apple store?
The OS is multilingual anyway so no problems on that part. If you do buy from the Swiss Apple store then you'll be able to order a US English keyboard, which is different from a UK English keyboard - letters are in the same place but some symbols are in different places. That said, I don't know what keyboard layout you guys in Oz use though.
Using the search function for the forum would definitely help answer your question on this as something v similar was asked recently. - (perhaps mods could add the threads together?)
Check this thread which helps to answer your question (there is a difference between UK and US keyboard - do Australian keyboards vary too, and would this be significant for you?)
On a related note - when I bought a computer for the first time in CH I ordered a UK keyboard layout without really considering it much. What I'd completely forgotten was that the keyboard on my office computer was (of course) in the Swiss layout.
Having to switch between using one layout at work all day and then another one at home slowly but surely drove me nuts.
Since then I've always gone for the Swiss layout on my home keyboards as well. For me at least it was easier to make the switch to one layout than to have to permanently switch between two. YMMV.
Haha, nice to know I'm not alone! I brought my laptop from home, not even thinking. I sort of have it in mind when I'm doing work things, my hands somehow know to use the Swiss keyboard layout. But I tell ya, what really throws me off is when I'm working from home on my own computer!!
So, I would recommend, if you're going to be working here long term with a Swiss keyboard, go ahead and opt for the Swiss keyboard.
Good luck to the poster, making their decision. Hope it's the right one for you!
I got a cheap second hand Macbook from Oz, and it wasn't expensive to get a swiss power adapter.
I prefer to use my own computer with the familiar keyboard, than swapping to the Swiss one.
I also have all my software loaded in English. I find it extremely annoying to try and navigate around microsoft office loaded in German, which is what we have on a shared computer in the office - I can switch the OS to English, but I can't switch microsoft office to English...
I worked in Belgium where they had AZERTY keyboards. Drove me nuts. Moving to Geneva so won't be doing any German. Just dodgy Franglais for me.
Not really keen on CH to be honest Chrisso. Wife has the gig and I am going to be struggling to find work by the sound of it. AFL finals coming up and life is easy here so would be happy to stay. 12 year old daughter is distraught as well.
Recently had three years in Belgium so I know what to expect in the way of lack of service, insane bureaucracy, crazy prices, no bacon and egg rolls etc. On the up side I love skiing.
Really easy to buy a mac with an English keyboard. If you do buy one online, you're limited to the US keyboard but if you phone or walk into the CH Apple store (they speak English too) you can order pretty much any kind of keyboard with a 3 week lead time.
Saying that, I really wanted a UK keyboard on my mac last month and walked into the store in Zurich. I only had to wait 3 days (it was over a weekend) instead of three weeks because just by chance they had the unit I needed. I had to wait 3 days because their tech guy wasn't available on the day and he needed to configure the system with the keyboard.
It might be that all apple staff in the store are not equally trained. I went to the store today and was told that the only way to get UK keyboard was to order via phone.