Sad
but True Computer Tales:
Names
have been changed to protect the chagrined.
Jenny
bought a popular computer model with a typical configuration from one
of the large marketers. After about a year (and after the warranty had
expired) the fan on the power unit went out. She contacted the company
and discovered that the model had been discontinued and the (proprietary*)
part that her computer needed was no longer available. She wasn't too
happy about having an expensive boat anchor (especially since she didn't
even own a boat). She's happily using one of our computers now and said
that she's going to get another one for her kid when she starts high school.
Bill
bought a computer from Chuck, a friend (!?!) he knew who builds computers
for people. Chuck wanted to quote a cheap price AND make a little extra
money so he used the cheapest available parts** AND overclocked*** the
CPU. Bill didn't know too much about computers and liked the price and
was happy with the unit for awhile - but it didn't last too long. The
cheap video card that Chuck installed wouldn't run demanding games. Bill
wound up buying another computer from us and using the other one just
for E-mail. He's real happy with ours. (Is YOUR processor overclocked?
You can download Intel's utility to check it here).
Kathy,
a typical computer user, bought one from a booth at one of the local computer
markets here in Beijing. She got lucky and got a pretty decent unit hardware-wise
but the vendor wasn't too familiar with English and didn't install and
configure the software correctly. We've been over to her place several
times now trying to straighten it all out. She said she'll get a computer
from us next time.
Kevin,
a computer neophyte, bought one from one of the large marketers. After
ordering it and waiting two weeks for it to be delivered, the modem broke
down on the first day of use! He sent it back to be repaired and a month
later they still had it. The modem was 'on backorder'! Needless to say,
he regrets his purchase.
Steve
just flat out got ripped off in every way possible by an unscrupulous
vendor at the computer market.
These
really are true stories, and not at all unusual. It happens more often
than it should in the States, a fairly regulated place. We can only imagine
what goes on in someplace like Asia. There are so many Sino-centric stories we could put here if we really wanted to be frank. Caveat emptor!
*
= Proprietary parts are sometimes used by companies (usually the large
ones). It forces their customers to return to them should the part fail.
These proprietary parts are invariably more expensive and sometimes difficult
if not impossible to obtain. We NEVER use proprietary
parts.
**
= We use the highest quality parts available from tried-and-true manufacturers
with solid reputations and proven support policies. If you tell us you
want a cheap computer we will refer you to one of the computer markets,
with their large placards listing their 'cheap' configurations. We NEVER
cut-corners for the sake of a buck (or a yuan).
***
= Overclocking of the CPU is often done by unscrupulous vendors (usually
the small ones) looking to buy CPUs on the cheap and then resell or install
them as something more expensive. It's a fairly simple process and is
sometimes done intentionally by those (usually gamers) looking to squeeze
more power from their systems. It is damaging to the components however
and it's highly unethical for a vendor to do it without the customer's
consent and approval. We NEVER do this and all the computers
we build have Intel's CPU clock reading utility installed so that you
can see that you're getting what you pay for.
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