OT: Worst PC Decision

[Solymr]

I have to say Atrocities, this is the probably the worst story I've heard. A magazine here called APC has a section called Watchdog where people with problems with immoral computer stores write in and the magazine tries to sort out whos in the wrong. The company's are usually for cooperative if this happens, since bad publicity can destroy a buisness. I disagree with people claiming pre-built PCs are better (easier I agree with, but I always take the hard path), but I guess I've never had anything like that happen to me before (only problem I've really had was a dud power supply).

I believe that putting together my own computer is probably the best thing I could have done. I researched and choose the parts to use, rather then having some guy going for the cheapest alternative. I've learned alot from doing it myself as well, through trial and error (no more being swayed by fancy talk from a slick salesman for me). But I think the best thing about doing it myself is that upgrading isn't such a major chore. I do it all in a few hours and if I have a problem, I know I'm not going to try cover it up with inferior parts. My computer is not a static affair that in 3 years will be out of date, it will change, grow and evolve as I upgrade and change parts. Yeah it can be a bit of a pain to do it myself if I hit a bump, but I just don't trust my computer with anyone else.

Yeah I guess its an obsession, but I hate giving control of what my system will have or not have in it to other people. Its my money and I'd rather know exactly what I'm buying, there are just way too many unscrupulous and unqualified computer stores in my city. But at the end of the day its all personal preference, you say potato and I say pota....umm yeah.

[Atrocities]

The bad thing about the pre-build computers is the service when you need it. HP has atrocious serves since all the technical calls are routed to INDIA. These people hate us and all they can do is recommend a reinstall of the OS, often leading to more problems, or that you send in the entire computer to be "fixed" which really means that HP is going to send you a inferiour replacement PC and you will never see your computer again.

I don't know about Dells service, but I have heard simular horror stories.

[Ragnarok]

Originally posted by Atrocities:


I don't know about Dells service, but I have heard simular horror stories.

Dells service is great. I have dealt with them here at work before and I can't really complain. I think out of all of my calls I have only had once that I got made. It was mostly because I got an India person that knew very little english, usually they know enough to work out a solution to the problem. But they always have a good fix to the problem and I have never had them suggest a reinstall of the OS.

[Atrocities]

Good for Dell then.

[Thermodyne]

Well, this was a real case of a bad event morphing into a bad experience. I hope it doesn’t turn you away from home building.

If it makes you feel any better, AMD systems were touchy to set up back then. The VIA chip sets sucked big time and caused a lot of the problems. Now with XP chips and NForce 2 chipsets, AMD is just as easy and reliable as Intel.

[Wardad]

[Atrocities]

NOOOOOOO Not that! I will telll you everything I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhh