The next morning, we made an early walked to Sim Lim Square, which is just a few blocks away from Bayview Hotel. Sim Lim Square is one of the popular IT hangouts, a six-storey commercial shopping centre specialising in electronics and IT Products in Singapore.

The shop first two levels are for consumer electronics like digital still cameras, digital camcorders, MD players, the newest plasma or LCD television screen, high-end sound systems and office equipment like fax machines. The third to sixth levels are given to all-things IT where the real deals can be found such as components, gadgetry games, repairs and software updates.

We headed directly to level 4 as we already had in mind where to go and what to buy. We bought a Microsoft Window Vista Home Premium OEM Version, S$ 148.00 (rate as of June 2007) at Alpha Tech Computers. For reference, you can check-out the Singapore Hardware Zone website.

Bargaining here is allowed. Or you may try to pay on cash and the retailer may even decide to take the price a little lower. But be cautious when buying, especially the pricing tricks of other retailers. Be ready before you come here, gather more information and compare prices, and look out for shops participating in the STARetailer Programme which is administered by Sim Lim Square Trader’s Association.

They are open daily from 10:30 am to 9:00 pm.