>But if you pick the cheapest, you may find they underestimated
>what it took to run a profitable company that will survive, and
>6 months later are out of business.
>
>I've seen it. People that bought from cheap local vendors that
>offered 5 year, even lifetime, warranties, gone, gone, gone.
>
>They come and go like sand on the beach.
>
>If they want a cheap PC, they have probably doomed themselves
>to failure from the outset.
I agree, but still, my attitude has become (due to years of dealing with
windows and the declining quality of PC hardware), that you can spend
$3000 on a PC, or you can spend $300 on a PC, and they are both going to
work (quality/stability wise) about the same. Either way, you will wind
up with problems keeping windows running. Granted 99% of this is due to
windows sucking so bad (if you aren't planning on running windows, then
this is a totally different situation, but I am only dealing with advise
I give to prospective Wintel buyers).
As for if a company will be here in 5 years to support the PC, there are
no bets that ANY computer company that is here today will still be here 5
years from now. (perfect example of this. A few years ago, my fire
department decided to switch from a Mac to a PC since we need to upgrade
the computer anyway. The PC people argued that Apple wouldn't be here in
5 years, so don't get a Mac. Us Mac people pointed out that it doesn't
matter, because in 5 years the computer will be ready to upgrade anyway.
Well, the vote went to get a PC... and to buy a Packard Bell. Well...
Apple is still selling Macs... and Packard Bell... well... they are the
ones that are gone... so the computer was replaced AGAIN, this time with
a Gateway... who now looks to be dying)
But I would still support people going to a fly by night, and risk them
going under. I don't advise getting long term support contracts anymore,
simply because I am so unimpressed with the support you can get. Phone
support tends to be luck of the draw. 90% of the time you get a brainless
bonehead. On site tends to be just as bad (I might be in one of those
"bad contract support" areas for the local "on site" support options...
don't know). So why pay 5 times the price to get a "brand name", when it
is going to give you the same headaches as the cheaper CompUSA sold, or
mom & pop sold PC. At least if you buy from a local vendor (CompUSA, or a
mom&pop), you can carry the computer in to them and bitch to a person...
you aren't stuck with phone support. And buy going with a cheap
mom&pop... you are more likely to get them to fix it. CompUSA will tell
you to contact the computer maker. Although, I do hear good things about
the local Gateway Country store in doing on the fly repairs on a carry in.
But honestly, I just don't recommend Wintel machines AT ALL anymore. I
really tell people to look around and find another option. If you want if
for games get a console system, if you want it for internet access, get a
used PC (I recommend used Win systems over used Macs for an internet only
machine, simply because, like it or not, many web sites cater to windows
and IE... that and many of the people that ask me about an internet only
machine want AOL, and the windows AOL client is much better than the Mac
one), and if you want it for general computing, get a Macintosh. Windows
blows, and is no longer worth the money and heartache for new machines
unless you NEED it for some reason. But that is just my opinion.
-chris
<
http://www.mythtech.net>
Received on Thu Jan 10 2002 - 09:25:40 GMT