Electronic goods from Japan works home?

Hi,
I recently found a Nintendo 3DS for very cheap price at a big electronics store (Bic Camera I think it was), more cheaper than at home.

However like this and other electronics I am unsure if this works at home since they use different plugs and voltage here. We have europlugs and 230 V...

you would need to check the power charger, most nowadays will work on any voltage (although in europe you will need an plug adaptor) but worst cast being you will need to buy a european charger. More importantly you will be limited to japanese language settings and wont be able to use the online functions.

How come I am limited to that? Is it something new with 3DS console?

The charger of 3DS can use European electricity. You just need the plug adapter.

You should understand though that the 3DS games are region locked. Games bought in Europe will NOT work on Japanese 3DS, and games from Japan will not work on European 3DS.

I was about to say that the 3DS is region locked. The original 1st gen DS isn't. I think everything past the 1st gen DS is region locked.

Okay.... Why in the world would they start to region lock their stuff? That seems completely worthless... And there is no way to make it regionfree or something?

What about other electronic goods? Same with the plug and voltage? Or am I better of buying it at home?

Simple answer: money.
Even Nintendo is in business to make money, and they figured out that with region lock they make more money. Most probably the lock is due to release timings and difference in cost of games in different regions. This way consumers can't just shop around internet and buy where the games are the cheapest.

About other stuff:
You'll just have to check the input voltage and frequency range of the device. It is always written on the charger/converter, if the machine has such. And often it is also written on the side of the package. If the range includes the european ones, you are all good with a simple plug adapter.

Region locks suck. I know the Wii can be homebrewed to do this stuff (I enjoy Japanese games on mine, without chips or anything, through homebrew), but it seems there isn't such a solution to this yet.

Oh golly. I am starting to dislike Nintendo even more now after this...

Wasn`t it someone or some company who tried or is trying to make used games selling illegal? Could be a big profit to the game companies if that was forbidden so they could use Virtual Console to sell old games instead..

I think the next generation xbox and ps will have that "feature". You register the new game to a specific account and if you want to use game that was bought and used by someone else, you have to purchase a activation code to "transfer" the right to play to you.

Thus, I think 3DS is the last console machine for me. I'll continue to be a PC gamer, because there are no region locks... and even though used games market is under pressure in PC side too, one can have "alternatives" for free.

Definitely no new Xbox or PS for me if they ever include that used game feature. I think many people thinks like that and they will lose lots of potential customers if Microsoft and/or Sony get on with those policies.