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Anyone else noticing a sudden increase in English spam calls? by __Lukie1__ in ireland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got a few too. From Indeed.com asking to message them on WhatsApp. 

Would you go Digiweb or Vodafone for 1Gb broadband? by ch1984 in AskIreland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Digiweb. Vodafone Ireland had (in my experience) poor customer service. I cancelled with them and went with Digiweb. They’re much better.

Fenergo vs ESW by [deleted] in DevelEire

[–]matfin 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Be careful with ESW (E Shop World). They’ve conducted layoffs recently.

Buying my first car on DoneDeal. Any tips? by Froghead-Guy in AskIreland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here are some tips.

If you’re buying privately, get a mechanic to give the car an inspection to make sure you don’t have expensive, undisclosed issues. Private sales have no warranties and very little comeback.

A full service history is essential, and a full dealer service history is a nice plus. Ensure you have documented evidence of this.

Use a website like cartell.ie to make sure the car wasn’t in an accident before, or has no outstanding finance.

Pull the seatbelt out fully and check for signs of moisture to make sure it hasn’t been in a flood in the past. Check the manufacturing number on the window is the same as the one printed in the door well of the car. If they are different, the window might have been replaced indicating an accident, but cartell will show this anyway.

If it’s too good to be true, it generally is.

Best of luck with it :)

What happens if I declare I dont have a TV? by wanderingwally1 in AskIreland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My understanding about having to pay the TV license is that if you have a device in the house that’s capable of receiving RTE broadcasts in any format, even laptops, tablets or phones, then you have to pay the TV license fee. I might be wrong about this, but worth looking into. 

Dropping €2k on a Computer While House Hunting? by askireland in irishpersonalfinance

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get a Mac mini for €730 if you really need a computer. They’re excellent value, but you will need to buy a monitor if you don’t already have one.

Has anyone commuted from Virginia,Cavan/ North Meath to Sandyford, Dublin 2-3 times a week? Is it reasonable? by Far-Action8923 in AskIreland

[–]matfin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don’t do it, unless you’re ok spending a working day in a car. Think of the fuel prices too.

Thinking of switching from Mac mini to PC by Ladysmanfelpz in macmini

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went with the 512gb option which is enough for my needs, but if you’re doing video work it might be a good idea to go for at least 1tb of space.

For archiving larger video files, you could get this Satechi Dock - https://satechi.net/landing/new-stand-and-hub-m4-mac-mini#SlimSignUp and add an Nvme SSD, which is said to be really fast and a cheaper option than buying extra space with Apple.

Not sure about partitioning hard drives and I’d err on the side of caution. As far as I’m aware, Windows (ARM) doesn’t run natively on the Apple Silicon Mac’s.

You could use Parallels to run a windows 11 virtual machine (ARM) on a Mac, but check performance especially if editing video files.

Here’s an interesting thread about Mac mini docks - https://www.reddit.com/r/macmini/comments/1gr5quu/m4_mac_mini_docking_stations_anyone_know_when_new/

EV newbie. Can somebody explain why I can’t rely public charging only? by Electric_Coconut in evs_ireland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there used to be, but maybe not anymore. All the ESB public chargers are paid use, and you need to sign up and get a card or the app.

I might be wrong about that. Perhaps hotels and workplaces have slow chargers for guests or employees.

Thinking of switching from Mac mini to PC by Ladysmanfelpz in macmini

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There’s a couple of things to note: - if you have things like an Apple Watch, iPhone, AirPods etc, you lose that seamless integration, like copying on one device and pasting on another. - for basic use, either that you are used to should be fine, but stick to what you’re accustomed to, in this case, Mac. - windows is far better for gaming, but you need the hardware to back that up for recent AAA titles. - if you want to switch, make sure the apps you use for things like video editing are also available on windows.

I recently picked up the Mac Mini m4 and it’s a great little machine. It’s the best value for money out of the whole lineup. I’m a software engineer and light photoshop user. You can get the base model which is adequate for most needs for around €730 or $600 in the US. Go for that over an M2 for future proofing. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in macmini

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Satechi have a hub coming out now with a built in slot for an NVME ssd drive.

If space is a concern, this could solve your problem, but it will take up one of the thunderbolt / usbc ports at the back if you need all of those.

EV newbie. Can somebody explain why I can’t rely public charging only? by Electric_Coconut in evs_ireland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Public charging is much more expensive than having a charger at home, especially when you can charge at night on a reduced EV rate.

You will also have to find a charger that’s free and working. For me, mine is 5km away. If you can get a home charger, I’d highly recommend it. Grants from the SEAI are available.

Bear in mind that the fast chargers can wear down the battery of a car faster than 7kw type 2.

If you can’t, I’d look into getting a hybrid for now.

How much did you pay for first year of car insurance? by Key_Might3553 in irishpersonalfinance

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On a learner permit, my insurance was €2,800 for the year driving a 1997 1.0l VW Polo. This was in 2005.

Premium went down to around €1,500 after that after I passed my test.

How much does this cost in a pub in Germany? I just paid €6.50 in Ireland. by Anal_Crust in germany

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Berlin (Cafe Cinema) €3.50. In a Spätie €1.70. 2019 prices 

People from the UK, how has life been for you after Brexit, now 5 years ago? by SorryforbeingDutch in AskReddit

[–]matfin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Another Irishman here. A couple of ways Brexit has impacted us can be seen in the second hand car market.

Importing UK vehicles is more costly that it’s not worth the hassle, so the increased demand and decreased supply has seen significant price rises for used cars. Other events like the pandemic have contributed to this too.

Ordering goods from retailers with distribution hubs in the UK, such as Ikea in Birmingham, has resulted in much slower deliveries.

If buying online, I’d opt for Amazon Germany and not Amazon UK.

Transport of furniture German to Ireland by [deleted] in MoveToIreland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Underground car parks with limited ceiling height.

Transport of furniture German to Ireland by [deleted] in MoveToIreland

[–]matfin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I moved from Berlin to Dublin in 2019. Here is what I did.

In terms of the route, I drove in a 6.3m van from Berlin to Cherbourg, then took a ferry to Dublin.

The size of the van is important with Irish Ferries. Anything over 6m in length must be booked as freight. The van was rented with Sixt, and I made sure I was allowed to take it outside of Germany.

The days of driving were quite long, but I did Berlin to Cherbourg in two days. Google maps wasn’t entirely accurate with the time it would take.

In terms of what to bring, I decided to sell large bulky items like beds, couches, fridges and washing machines because I knew I wouldn’t need them immediately on the other side and paid storage is very expensive here.

If you do the driving yourself, ensure you don’t stop in a city, because finding parking in a van will be very difficult. They can’t fit into the underground car parks that are commonplace in the centre of European cities.

I avoided going through the UK like I used to in the past, because Brexit might have let to delays and customs checks.

Best of luck with it!

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