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  From: michael <michael@home.lyppard.com.au>
  To  : Andrew Reid <andrew.reid@plug.cx>
  Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 20:13:37 +0930 (CST)

Re: AMD Notebook Chips / Computer Shops in Adelaide / Auslinx

Hi.

No Argument, but you have to be aware what you are paying for, and be
prepared to pay it. Rarely will you be able to buy the same spec and
quality from a name-brand for the same price - they are dearer because
they have a lot more costs to cover, not the least of which is warranty
and marketing. HP for instance is taking out significant advertising in
the Australian (full page ads). Do you think the purchasers of HP gear are
_not_ paying for that in the purchase price? 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the HP/Compaq/IBM gear is bad or
low quality - you are just getting what you pay for, and so am I. I would
rather pay less for the marketing and after sales service so that I can
afford to put better quality and spec inside the box. My tradeoff is such
that I either need to pay someone else to do the service, or I do it
myself. I certainly can afford to replace the odd component out of the
savings, and I don't really expect Leader to do anything except facilitate
the manufacturer's warranty. They are a wholesaler with a PC assembly
service, not a 'Manufacturer' per se.

I agree with your comment's about 'Sleezy Joes computers', but that is not
where I am coming from. I research the components I need, and I buy them
on spec. Often I land up buying from several suppliers to get the right
bits. Leader is one of those suppliers, and I have never had a problem
with them ethically - if a mistake has been made, they are more than
willing to correct it. If you pick up the 'tiser and go out and buy the
cheapest 'x' spec PC you can find, you would be doing the exact opposite
of my standard approach, and probably land up with a crappy machine.

We bought 30 LG's monitors recently without a single DOA or failure. LG is
a 'new' retail brand, but they are a very good manufacturer of consumer
electronics - take a look inside an iMac to see the LG badge on the
picture tube.

regards,

Michael



On 11 Jul 2001, Andrew Reid wrote:

> On 10 Jul 2001 21:19:21 +0930, michael wrote:
> 
> > You just have to be aware when you buy, the problem is not with "crappy
> > Leader PC's", but the price point you are buying at. 
> > 
> > That Leader machine starts at what? - is it $800 or $900 dollars?, and you
> > are seriously comparing it to a mass produced, factory assembled Compaq? I
> > don't think we are being entirely fair here. There are benefits both ways.
> > In my opinion, the best of both worlds is to specify what you want in your
> > PC, and order the parts from Leader (or wherever) and build it yourself or
> > have them build it for you. Just dont expect to get a $2k Compaq for $1k. 
> 
> A low-end HP can be had for less than $1500. The thing is, giving
> "Sleezy Joe's Computers" more money (for a more powerful machine)
> doesn't increase the build quality, nor does it give you better
> after-sales support. It just means you get faster, shinier components.
> 
> > For the record, I wouldn't buy a Compaq desktop at any price - too much
> > non-standard gear in there like special memory chips that cost a bomb to
> > upgrade. If I were to be building a PC today, I'd be off to Toms' Hardware
> > guide and be choosing up an Asus/Abit mobo with quality accessories for
> > the same price or less as the Compaq and better servicable quality in my
> > hands. Ive built many of these over the last decade and most of them run
> > linux ( a couple of MS boxes snuck in, sorry), and none of them have
> > failed - I think I have had warranty on one HD and a power supply.
> 
> Really? I've got to say that the new Compaq Workstations are truley
> gorgeous. They take the standard SDRAM, as well as having a supported
> SCSI controller, video card and sound. I'd buy one tomorrow if they
> weren't so damn expensive (Actually, I'd save and buy an Ultra 10).
> 
> > Whilst Compaq will probably be still in business tomorrow, I doubt that
> > LG, Asus, AMD, Hitachi and Seagate are any different - these are large and
> > successful businesses, and they'll be here tomorrow too, tragedies
> > notwithstanding.
> 
> One thing that's always got me about LG in particular is their inability
> to produce enough of their monitors. For example, we purchased about 50
> 17" LG Flatron monitors, but when some died, we could not get them fixed
> for several months as no one had the parts.
> 
> The example I gave of my experience with HP is the difference.
> 
>    - andrew
> 
> --
> void signature () {
> 	cout << "Andrew Reid -- andrew.reid@plug.cx" << endl ;
> 	cout << "Cell: +61 401 946 813" << endl;
> 	cout << "Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur" << endl;
> }
> 

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