I'm English myself and most UK residents know how we are ripped off over here with most things....
...fuel, electronic goods, cars, cigarettes, alcohol, (the TV license!!)......etc
but it's not until I went abroad that I realized just how much we are being ripped off.
Been in the USA for a while (my wife is an American, married in Decemember 2001) and couldn't believe the cost of computer parts/goods.
Got myself a nice little MP3 player whilst in the USA, 64Mb version for 130 US Dollars, at the average exchange rate that's less than 100 Pounds. The only similar model I have seen in the UK is the 32Mb version at the bargain price (NOT!!) of 130 Pounds, which when exchanged works out to much more than 130 US Dollars.
Also got myself a 40Gb 7200rpm hard drive, was on sale for 125 US Dollars, again less than 100 British Pounds. I doubt you'd find a drive of that spec' in the UK for such a low price.
All the Americans I have spoken to when 'gas' was mentioned, almost fell over at the high cost of our petrol. Only cost me and my wife $15 to fill the car up and I don't mean a 1.6 astra, we have a 3.1 v6 which is a normal kind of size engine I'm reliably informed. Same goes for the car insurance. I'm English and have had my license over 12 years now, free from points, I'm on my wife's insurance and it didn't cost a penny. I wondered how much it would have cost my wife had she come to the UK and I wanted to put her on my car insurance??....sh!t loads I'll bet.
Anyway, the only reason I'm writing this thread is because I was reading an article about Broad Band which opened my eyes about how much the UK is being ripped off. I don't have B/band but would love it, shame it's not available just yet in our area.
This article was a few months old so the actual prices might have changed a bit but I figure they are pretty much correct and show how much we are getting screwed over here in the UK.
..and I quote :
"Government Communications White Paper defines Broadband access as 2Mbit/s or higher"
"UK 512Kbit/s costs approx' 20 - 40 UK Pounds"
"...if someone in England wanted 2Mbit/s access it would cost approx' 100 UK Pounds or higher"
"....and in Sweden they have 10Mbit/s at an equivalent cost of only 14 UK Pounds!!"
"...due to high costs and huge delays in getting connected, the UK is the 2nd worst in the world, just above China when it comes to hooking up to broadband internet access..."
It was the cost and connection speed of Sweden that opened my eyes and from the Government definition of Broadband, being 2Mbit/s and above, then technically we don't have broadband over here in the UK, well not at 512Kbit/s we don't !!!
I'm proud to be English but me thinks I'll be moving to America and live over there with my wife....or I could bring her over here. Let me see, I'm a Geordie, so that's lots of rain and other generally crappy weather, equivalent of over $45 a week to run my car, ..... or I could move to sweden to get an excellent high speed internet connection...LOL..... Minnesota here I come, well once the INS pull their head out of their arse...oops, sorry, that should be "ass"
Just wondered if anyone else has any comments about 'high speed' connection in the UK. I don't have b/band so can't comment too much but would be interested to see what people have to say.
....DreeM
...fuel, electronic goods, cars, cigarettes, alcohol, (the TV license!!)......etc
but it's not until I went abroad that I realized just how much we are being ripped off.
Been in the USA for a while (my wife is an American, married in Decemember 2001) and couldn't believe the cost of computer parts/goods.
Got myself a nice little MP3 player whilst in the USA, 64Mb version for 130 US Dollars, at the average exchange rate that's less than 100 Pounds. The only similar model I have seen in the UK is the 32Mb version at the bargain price (NOT!!) of 130 Pounds, which when exchanged works out to much more than 130 US Dollars.
Also got myself a 40Gb 7200rpm hard drive, was on sale for 125 US Dollars, again less than 100 British Pounds. I doubt you'd find a drive of that spec' in the UK for such a low price.
All the Americans I have spoken to when 'gas' was mentioned, almost fell over at the high cost of our petrol. Only cost me and my wife $15 to fill the car up and I don't mean a 1.6 astra, we have a 3.1 v6 which is a normal kind of size engine I'm reliably informed. Same goes for the car insurance. I'm English and have had my license over 12 years now, free from points, I'm on my wife's insurance and it didn't cost a penny. I wondered how much it would have cost my wife had she come to the UK and I wanted to put her on my car insurance??....sh!t loads I'll bet.
Anyway, the only reason I'm writing this thread is because I was reading an article about Broad Band which opened my eyes about how much the UK is being ripped off. I don't have B/band but would love it, shame it's not available just yet in our area.
This article was a few months old so the actual prices might have changed a bit but I figure they are pretty much correct and show how much we are getting screwed over here in the UK.
..and I quote :
"Government Communications White Paper defines Broadband access as 2Mbit/s or higher"
"UK 512Kbit/s costs approx' 20 - 40 UK Pounds"
"...if someone in England wanted 2Mbit/s access it would cost approx' 100 UK Pounds or higher"
"....and in Sweden they have 10Mbit/s at an equivalent cost of only 14 UK Pounds!!"
"...due to high costs and huge delays in getting connected, the UK is the 2nd worst in the world, just above China when it comes to hooking up to broadband internet access..."
It was the cost and connection speed of Sweden that opened my eyes and from the Government definition of Broadband, being 2Mbit/s and above, then technically we don't have broadband over here in the UK, well not at 512Kbit/s we don't !!!
I'm proud to be English but me thinks I'll be moving to America and live over there with my wife....or I could bring her over here. Let me see, I'm a Geordie, so that's lots of rain and other generally crappy weather, equivalent of over $45 a week to run my car, ..... or I could move to sweden to get an excellent high speed internet connection...LOL..... Minnesota here I come, well once the INS pull their head out of their arse...oops, sorry, that should be "ass"
Just wondered if anyone else has any comments about 'high speed' connection in the UK. I don't have b/band so can't comment too much but would be interested to see what people have to say.
....DreeM
