Chris,
> $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.
I really think the cheaper the hardware is, statistically
speaking, the more problematic it will be. Lower selling
cost goes hand in hand with less competent and lower paid
designers, programmers ( for device drivers ), smaller
support staff, less design and testing time alloted, minimalized
QC, etc.
> Either way, you will wind up with problems keeping windows
> running. Granted 99% of this is due to windows sucking so bad
I've often said, windows is a pretty good operating system,
until you put some programs on it. Is it the fault of windows
itself, or is it less than perfect programming on the part
of the third party companies that write the additional programs,
the device drivers, etc that we use, to write their software
to be rock solid running over windows? I can't deny that
microsoft may have secrets they won't share, but I can't
absolutely confirm it either. I have a feeling that if one
were to set up a windows machine with the best quality hardware
they could get, and use primarily only microsoft operating
systems and applications, they won't have near as many problems
with it.
> there are no bets that ANY computer company that is here
> today will still be here 5 years from now.
I agree. It's such a competetive market, even one mistake may
mean death.
> 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...
If you buy from a Office Depot or JC Penny's or some place
that only sells them and doesn't work on them theirselves,
you're asking for trouble, even though they might be local.
CompUSA may be the better bet, but I don't consider them just
local. But look at how Computer City failed too.
I find the motherboard is the heart of the system. I only
consider a mainboard from a company that has a web site
with docs, bios updates, etc online. Usually better quality
productions. I used to see the booklets that came with a mobo
that didn't even say what company produced them. We called
them ROCs, as in made in Taiwan, Republic of China. But
actually they started producing some very good quality stuff
in Taiwan, but then when we got more friendly with China,
some manufacturing moved there, to again lower the costs.
I avoid computer components made in China like the plague.
Chris wrote:
>
> >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 - 15:02:02 GMT