🚀 go-pugleaf

John Rembetski wrote:
> 
> I wanted to solicit advice on buying a PC.  I am thinking about a Pentium
> >=90 Mhz;  16 MB Ram;  >= 1.6 GB IDE; 4X CD ROM; 28.8 Modem; >= 15" SVGA.
> 
> I have seen some good deals at:
> 
> 1)  Dell Factory Outlet for "refurbished" PCs
> 
> 2)  Several small retail/assembly hacker-type shops in the Austin area
> 
> From what I can see, I could save anywhere from 20 - 35% off of buying
> from the big franchise superstores and/or mailorder.  Do people have

You can't possibly tell how much you're saving, if anything, by 
comparing "system" prices. A computer system is composed of a number of 
discrete parts, the most important being these:

  a)The motherboard
  b)The hard disk
  c)The video card
  d)The monitor, if sold with a monitor
  e)the amount and type of memory
  f) the amount and type of secondary (L2) cache
 
and usually,
  e)the CD-ROM drive
  f)the sound card
  g)the speakers
 
In a "system" the clone assembler can use a wide range of quality and 
price in most of these components.  I have found that local clone 
dealers sometimes SEEM to offer lower prices than the top mail-order 
places becasue the system price is lower - but the components making up 
the system are usually not equal.

The biggest mail-order companies like Micron, Gateway, and Dell usually 
use FAIRLY high quality components at least in their top-line systems - 
they may not be the very best, but they're never BAD, because the top 
models of each gets so much scrutiny in the magazines and in 
"Cyberspace" (CIS,AOL, BBS's, The Internet) that, if they put out a real 
dog, the whole world knows it very quickly, and these companies depend 
on high-volume.

On the other hand, Joe's clone shop down the street, and also the brands 
sold at CompUSA and MEI and Computer City etc DO NOT get much coverage 
in the media, and you don't know what you're getting.

I would advise the first-time buyer to stick with the big mail-order 
companies. My first choice would be Micron, unless you're in Austin, in 
which case I might consider Dell (reportedly you can get better customer 
service out of Dell if you can harrass them in person).

Today, the "speed" to buy is the Pentium 133. The 166 is having some 
troubles, and is also overpriced. As for everything slower than the 
P133, there isn't enough savings to justify buying the slower 
processors, and you'll regret it later. {in fact, there is a general 
rule in computer buying that the "most bang for the buck" is usually the 
SECOND fastest model (that is, the second fastest that;s sold in high 
volume). Today that's the 133 - in 6 months, it'll be the 166...and so 
on..


> opinions on this???  The level of PC knowledge seems higher at the small
> shops compared to the big franchises as well....
> 
> Thanks in advance!

John Rembetski (jrembet@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: I wanted to solicit advice on buying a PC.  I am thinking about a Pentium 
: >=90 Mhz;  16 MB Ram;  >= 1.6 GB IDE; 4X CD ROM; 28.8 Modem; >= 15" SVGA.

: I have seen some good deals at:

: 1)  Dell Factory Outlet for "refurbished" PCs

: 2)  Several small retail/assembly hacker-type shops in the Austin area

: From what I can see, I could save anywhere from 20 - 35% off of buying 
: from the big franchise superstores and/or mailorder.  Do people have 
: opinions on this???  The level of PC knowledge seems higher at the small 
: shops compared to the big franchises as well....

: Thanks in advance!

I purchased a "refurbished" unit from the Dell outlet less than a week ago.
Paid $1598 for a P-100 16MB EDO RAM 256K PB Cache 1G Fireball HD 2MB DRAM
#9 Video Soundblaster16 4X NEC CDROM w/o monitor (don't you just love these
short, concise descriptions we have of our PCs?). The next day I called Dell
to get a quote on what the same system would have been new, and the response
was $1927. Saved $329. Also saved the tax on $329, since I live in Texas and
would have had to pay the sales tax anyway, another $27. Total savings $356,
or appx. 17% off. Plus I didn't have to pay for shipping, although that
option is available. And so far I've been downright giddy about my new machine.
That's the good news. Here's the bad: 1) Refurbished units carry only a 90-
day warranty and a 7-day money back guarantee as compared to 1yr/30days for
a new unit. 2) It came with Win3.1 instead of Win95, and the new unit would
have also included Microsoft Works. I believe what OS you get will depend on
the specific machine you buy. 3) My unit came without external speakers and
a new one would have them included, but again, this may depend on the exact
unit you buy. 4) My overwhelming enjoyment of this PC may be due as much to
the fact that it replaces a 10Mhz 286 Magitronic '88 as it's quality.

More good news: They had plenty of machines to choose from, I'd guess around
50 that day. Our salesman was helpful and friendly. Happy shopping!

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1000 Coit Road
Plano, Texas 75075
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