Moving to Austria...difficulties

[Jack Norton]

Here I am asking questions again :)
In particular, I am asking anyone living in Austria or who know someone who lives there to help me. I am looking for a house with DSL connection and despite what people said to me "unless you buy a house on top of a mountain you can have DSL connection easily", I found that all the houses I've found so fare DON'T HAVE DSL connection :(

Check this site: http://www6.inode.at/unternehmen/entbuendelte_waehlaemter.html

It is an austrian provider and shows the zone covered by DSL connection, and honestly those aren't on my target budget... they are very expensive :(
I am writing email to lot of housing sites but very few answers (maybe because don't speak english or hate italians? :confused: )

Also I saw lot of sites claiming that living in austria is very expensive and that you can't live there with 800 euro /month... well I got people who say that even for Italy but I know lot of people who live with that (of course they don't go out to restaurant or cinemas!).

I am very frustrated, I'm thinking of giving up...

[svero]

Im stuck on a 56.6 - So it goes... You take the good with the bad. Maybe austria is not the best place?

- S

[Jack Norton]

Hehe well I don't know how you can make it with a 56k modem honestly! even my ISDN line isn't enough now... takes 20-25 minutes to upload a 6mb demo on server...
Maybe living in a less stressing place would be enough and the ISDN would be ok...?

[formfarbeminze]

you can connect your house via satelite. that means in austria monthly fees around 120 euros upwards. for example the sat_speed+ bronze package comes for 123 euros per month and provides upstream: max. 128 kbit/s downstream: max. 512 kbit/s. this goes up to a maximum of 1 Mbit/s up- and 8 Mbit/s downstream. i think satelite driven internet is a save bet because there is competition in the european space market.

you have to buy special hardware which comes all in all about 3000 euros.

[Jack Norton]

I've asked around (also made a post in old dex forums) about SAT internet connection, but apparently they aren't "safe", if it rains you have trouble connecting (someone said that).
I'd like to find someone using it with satisfaction there in Austria before making this decision... :)
Anyway just yesterday I got a reply and apparently in Michelbach they have not only DSL but also cable connection!! and in my "reference site" inode that area wasn't even covered...
I think my best bet, without having to ask every time, is to look if the house has beside TV SAT also TV CABLE... I think that if you have TV Cable probably you have also internet with DSL or Cable (at least it works that way in Italy).

p.s. also the difference is too much... a simple DSL connection max 49 euros and this one 120 euros...those 70 euro of difference is too much actually for me :)

[grimreaper]

Hey Jack,

Why dont you move to Malta? It's just to the south of Italy so not too far away. We've got great sun, sand and lots of cultural stuff as well. What's more, Malta is very small with just a population of 400k people. You can cross the whole island in one hour!

ADSL and cable are cheap (starting from 24 euros/month) and everywhere is connected. What's more, with 800 euros / month here you would afford going to restaurants / cinema ;)

wishing you luck from sunny malta :)
Brian

[Jack Norton]

Uhm what about the climate?
As I said I can't stand hot temperatures ;)
And there's green there ? If I'm moving to Austria is also because I like mountain view and green areas :)

[lakibuk]

As i promised, i will ask some people which internet connections are available in rural areas in austria. Will return from my holidays on monday. Internet should not be a reason not to go to austria, i guess.

[Jack Norton]

hurrah for iakibuk! :)

Well I got some replies from those salesman guys, seems that in some houses is available, but mostly those up north near Vienna. One said that in Karnten is difficult to find DSL connection beside the big cities like Klagenfurt or Villach... :(

[lakibuk]

beside the big cities like Klagenfurt or Villach... :(
That one was good. :)

[ggambett]

Hey Jack,

Why dont you move to Malta? [...] We've got great sun, sand and lots of cultural stuff as well. [...]What's more, with 800 euros / month here you would afford going to restaurants / cinema ;)
Really? Sounds like a nice place! Where can I find more information about Malta?

What about immigration laws? I don't have an EU passport (although I think I could get an italian or spanish one for my ancestors). What about stuff tourism websites don't talk about? How's the society? Crime rate?

[luggage]

I'd like to know about Malta too!

I figure now that things aren't going to bad with BigFizz I wouldn't mind spending a month in another country to write the next game.

What's the rental situation like there? How much would it cost for something nice for a month? Where do I look for places? Too many questions?

Scott

[^cyer]

hey come to Slovenia (near Austria and Italy)...

http://www.matkurja.com/eng/country-info/

to the north we have snow, to south we have sea!
and it is just 2-3 hours between north and south with car.
So you can go in the morning ski and later swimming. Without kidding.

cyer

[grimreaper]

Malta has no mountains or greenery, but our sister island Gozo is much greener and quiter. Yes, the tempretures can get hot ~30 degrees Celcius.

Crime is virtually non-existant. Basically, a teenage girl can walk on her own at any time of night without any fear.

I dont know about immigration laws. You'd need to check.

As regards renting: you can rent a pretty nice apartment for around 200 euros per month, depends on the areas, as always. The great thing about Malta is that you are never more than 30 minutes away from the sea :)

grimreaper

[Nemesis]

I'd like to know about Malta too!Scott
Well.. the weather here can be hot.. but not any worse than Sicily I guess. As for greenery, forget pine forests or anything of the sort.. although we do have a very (very very) small wood in the North of the island. The (shrinking) rural areas are covered with fields and trees are mostly citrus, oaks, palms etc. And let's not forget the sandy beaches and the deep blue sea!!

As for immigration laws, I don't know the details, but if you can get your hands on an EU passport you should be fine.

As for society, the people here are temperamental, but very friendly. Crime rate is very low.

DSL is available practically everywhere (we had 512KB ADSL way before the Italians :D!!) and the telephone system is purely digital.

Cost of living is relatively cheap.

Here are some links for you:
http://www.visitmalta.com/
http://www.onlyinmalta.com (sarcastic site - I shouldn't really show you this!)

[Jack Norton]

Argh then Malta doesn't attract me... I want green pine woods ;) and 30 degree celsius is way too much for me (when there are 27 is already enough!).

To ^cyer: I've been thinking about Slovenia. I have only those doubts:
- language: they speak english/german? I don't want to learn slovenian language... :)
- DSL availability: is it spread in your country? or is like Italy (very bad!)?
- costs: after Slovenia went into EU community and with euros I believe that costs may have rise a lot, even for rent/purchase of houses... I haven't been able to find a real estate website with GOOD offers, maybe you can help :P

[Andy]

I want to go to Malta too... :( Don't leave me here!... :D

Guys! How about indie gaming consortium on Malta? - we'd probably be able to build our own RealOneMalta portal there finally. And we could develop Universal Soccer Stars Pinball Manager together with Jack as well. :D
Malta... :o

[^cyer]

To Jack Norton:

Here we speak English and Deutsch too, i think you would not have any problems with communicating.

About Euros - we still dont have it (we will somewhere in 2007 i think), the prices for rent or purchase a house are pretty high in "big" cities but more far away they are pretty cheap including houses.

About internet, all the cities have Cable provider, ISDN/ADSL altough you still find pockets of resistance:)

But you can also think about getting on internet with your GSM !!!
With EDGE and GPRS you get FAST connection for some reasonable price and the prices are still falling. With GSM(you can connect to PC) you can surf almost anywhere here in Slovenia and i think we are the first country in Europe that we have this!

So you will have internet for sure.

^cyer

[Jack Norton]

Hehe Andy you remind me of a russian girl I knew some time ago: always complaining about the climate in Russia and thinking about Italy as a "paradise". I said to her that I'd like to exchange places because here was too hot even to think... ;)

To cyer: but the costs to use GPRS and EDGE connection should be very high! you can't compare it with an always online connection like a simple DSL for 29 euros/month (that's what we have in Italy in bigger cities).

[Nemesis]

I want to go to Malta too... Don't leave me here!...

Guys! How about indie gaming consortium on Malta? - we'd probably be able to build our own RealOneMalta portal there finally. And we could develop Universal Soccer Stars Pinball Manager together with Jack as well.
Malta...
I volunteer for the Maltese edition of USSPM ;)

[ggambett]

Guys! How about indie gaming consortium on Malta?
Forget that, let's all move to the smaller of the three islands and form Indieland!

[Andy]

Hehe Andy you remind me of a russian girl...

What Jack?! :mad:

:D Really I mostly think about warm see than hot sun - to remind you russian boy....
If we'll be working hard we'll buy personal conditioner for every team member... Deal?

[Jack Norton]

Tsk tsk... you should inform yourself well.
Thanks to global warming, the climate in the mediterranean countries has changed to TROPICAL. There's no anymore "WARM". It changes from cold during winter to instantly HOT with huge humidity. Spring and autumn are being canceled right now from the EU community for Italy and I guess even for Malta :D

[Dmitry Chestnykh]

I found that Malta has taxes for people leaving here more than 180 days - about 2460 EURO/year, and it's a minimal tax :(

[Nemesis]

Tsk tsk... you should inform yourself well.
Thanks to global warming, the climate in the mediterranean countries has changed to TROPICAL. There's no anymore "WARM". It changes from cold during winter to instantly HOT with huge humidity. Spring and autumn are being canceled right now from the EU community for Italy and I guess even for Malta :D
A little more CFC's and I'll get rid of that nasty winter once and for all.. hurrah! :D

Dmitry, I know of some people who come here every other 6 months to avoid the tax.. it helps with car levies too.

[Dmitry Chestnykh]

A little more CFC's and I'll get rid of that nasty winter once and for all.. hurrah! :D

Dmitry, I know of some people who come here every other 6 months to avoid the tax.. it helps with car levies too.

I'm gotta think of moving to Malta for a winter. I have our Russian winters :) What's with it in Malta?

[grimreaper]

I'm gotta think of moving to Malta for a winter. I have our Russian winters :) What's with it in Malta?

Maltese winters? Well think about Russian summers. But much, much warmer.

Oh, one other thing. In summer Malta is invaded with thousands of young nubile, er... students all wanting to learn English. And us Maltese do our very best to make sure that while they are here they at least learn something. Though not necessarily English :D

grimreaper

[Jack Norton]

Maltese winters? Well think about Russian summers. But much, much warmer.
Ok then I've realized that Malta isn't really for me :)

Bah...you people should appreciate the beautifulness of the snow... instead of looking at all those babies in bikini on the beach!!! :cool:

[grimreaper]

... instead of looking at all those babies in bikini on the beach!!! :cool:

Hehe. Now you know the real reason why Nemesis and I are taking so long to finish our respective projects.

Summer in Malta is not the right environment for working. So many distractions: the heat, the sea, friends organizing BBQs, those babes in bikinis ...

grimreaper

[Dmitry Chestnykh]

Ok then I've realized that Malta isn't really for me :)

Bah...you people should appreciate the beautifulness of the snow... instead of looking at all those babies in bikini on the beach!!! :cool:

Oh no! Not the snow again!!! :D

[Nemesis]

Want snow? Open the freezer and stick your head in! Snow is evil, evil I tell you! ;)


Summer in Malta is not the right environment for working. So many distractions: the heat, the sea, friends organizing BBQs, those babes in bikinis ...

Grim, add to that, marriage, setting up home etc. etc.

[Bluecat]

Having never experienced snow before I moved to Baltimore, I loved it!

I was really disappointed it didn't snow more last year, and have decided that when I move back to Australia (Adelaide) I will build a weather control machine to make it snow there... and also to take over the world!

[dreeze]

The advantage and disadvantage of snow is that it makes me more hesitant to go outside. Here, we have summer for about 3 months, but the sun is up 24-7. And the rest is winter =) Around christmas, we have just above 2 hours of sunlight. But I like it here (I live in the northern parts of Sweden).

[formfarbeminze]

I've asked around (also made a post in old dex forums) about SAT internet connection, but apparently they aren't "safe", if it rains you have trouble connecting (someone said that).

with "safe" i meant it marketwise because of the expensive gear you have to buy. normally you combine a sat-connection with a 56k to avoid what "someone said". so if it rains to heavy, your connection will slow down.


p.s. also the difference is too much... a simple DSL connection max 49 euros and this one 120 euros...those 70 euro of difference is too much actually for me :)

well this is your internet connection, not your car ;-)

[Jack Norton]

Actually, I use more internet than my car... ;)
Really. In the last 3 months (excluding my austria holiday) I've used the car about 4-5 times. And I'm happy of that ;)