So what's the best country in the world for IT?

smoke.me.a.kipper

read:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/20276.html

aparently, Ireland is 13th in 'Best place for technology', and 18th in 'Best place to live in the world'

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i invented '.com'

-ADREN-

Gees thats quite intresting.. didnt think we would be that low in the living quaters

dahamsta

I reckon it's a bit screwy meself. I mean, if you weigh our telecomms up against the rest of the tech sector, I think it would drop us considerably.

adam

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If smoke-me-a-kipper invented .com, I
invented donkeys. You can call me God.

Matt Simis

Indeedy, the Scandi guys in work are quite keen to show the list off as well

Best place for technology:
Finland
United States
Sweden


Best place to live in the world:
Norway


Matt

Blitzkrieger

surely Japan would be the best place for tech?

Red Moose

Have to agreee with the top three. Ireland for all the pomp and glory of the newspapers, has dick all communications infrastructure (same one as the 1960s), and a weak foundation on tech companies.

Living conditions? Public transport? Health? Education?

All going to ****, and all essential to a high ranking.

Hairy Homer

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Blitzkrieger:
surely Japan would be the best place for tech?</font>

The Nips haven't originated anything useful in technology since firecrackers. All they can do is make what somebody else has invented smaller, faster and cheaper. And even the Koreans are beating them at that now.

They're always playing catch up.

Name one Japanese originated software product.

Name one hardware product originated, as opposed to miniaturised and mass produced, in Japan.

And they don't really have a start-up culture. You're either in a kairetsu, or you're nothing.

Hairy Homer

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Matt Simis:


Best place to live in the world:
Norway
</font>

Isn't that a howl?? The girls are great to look at but buying a pint costs a week's wages. It's also dark 24 hours a day during winter and it freezes the nads off you.

Yeah. Let's all go and live there!!!!!

quozl

I heard the french do IT best

po0k

I once knew a lad from Norway. They are supposedly really liberal with regards the consumer and IT. he installed his own ISDN stuff in the house. just wentin and bought the kit. They also have near-unlimited bandwidth cos there's loads of fibre optic all over the country, been there for years.
And they amke oads of cash from the expensive beer and power for teh lights during the winter

po0k

I also have a cousing working over in paris, he has full access to a Frame-relay at work, and has DSL at home. Plus wine and cheese galore

Red Moose

Norway is not as bad compared to say Switzerland.

Pint of Guinness in Norway: IR£5.50 (equivalent),
Packet of cigarettes (yeah yeah, it's a bad habit): IR£6, or £8 in a newsagent.

Given that a pint in Dublin can cost £3.50 now, and a pack of smokes is going to cost £5 by the end of the year it's not like we have it good.

Switzerland takes the biscuit though: I was there 8 years ago and a bottle of Budweiser in a bar cost around £10, which is just ****ing insane really.

bonkey

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Red Moose:
Norway is not as bad compared to say Switzerland.

Pint of Guinness in Norway: IR£5.50 (equivalent),
Packet of cigarettes (yeah yeah, it's a bad habit): IR£6, or £8 in a newsagent.
<snip>
Switzerland takes the biscuit though: I was there 8 years ago and a bottle of Budweiser in a bar cost around £10, which is just ****ing insane really.</font>

Err....Where the flock were you drinking in Switzerland? I work in Bern (moved over here a few months ago) and I have never seen those prices.

Local beer will cost between 3 and 4 quid for 500ml, depending on where you drink. The few bars which sell Guinness and/or cider will charge about 4 or maybe 4.50 per pint.

Of course, there were HUGE taxes on spirits lifted last year, which made them affordable, so its not beyond the realms of possibility that beer was that expensive 10 years ago if bought in an offy, as opposed to a pub.

Ciggies are almost exactly 2 quid for 20 (marly lights) - less if you smoke local/european brands.

jc

bonkey

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by dahamsta:
I reckon it's a bit screwy meself. I mean, if you weigh our telecomms up against the rest of the tech sector, I think it would drop us considerably.
</font>

Yup. However, we export more software than anyone else in the world, which is bound to bring us up a bit.

Funnily enough, its mostly American companies who get the loc done here which is the reason for that, but I'm sure its still gonna figure heavily in these calculations.

jc

Mythago

Norways pretty cool to live in, just spent 3 months there & due back at the end of august.... cheapest pint was 3.50, but that was way up near the North Pole!! BUT, u take away the Irishman luvin women & that country looses all its appeal But the 6k a month would kinda compensate!!