China Tech News has an article on what electronic gadgets to buy in Beijing during the Olympics.

They say the Apple products are about 10-20 per cent more expensive in China than other parts of Asia, Europe or the United States.

They give good advice about warranties. You need to check if any product you buy has an international warranty and don’t just take the sales person’s word for it! Instructions might also all be in Chinese, but you might be able to get English instructions in PDF format from the company’s website.

The article doesn’t mention fakes. China makes pretty good fake electronic products like iPhones ad iPods. My advice would be to just buy those kind of goods at home where you will get support and help if anything goes wrong.

They also suggest buying a Mobile Signal JammerMobile Phone Jammer, which they note, “This gadget might be illegal in your home country, so be aware of the legal implications before you purchase it (it might also be illegal to take this on an airplane).”

Another suggestion is a USB memory stick as they are cheap in China. I have heard about retailers selling memory sticks with viruses on them. So make sure your virus software is up to date before you use it on your computer.

They also suggest Spy Camera Surveillance Gear, which could be fun. Although you might get some extra questions at customs when you go back to your country.

Finally, they say not to buy pirated DVDs, which of course piracy is a very bad thing and robs Hollywood stars and executives of millions of dollars. Even if you wanted to buy them, you might have trouble finding a store as many of them have been closed down for the Olympics.

The place to go shopping for cheap computer stuff is the Zhonghai Computer Market.

Address; 27 Haidian Lu, Haidian

See here for some Olympic inspired computer gadgets.