🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <atticus-0304960500470001@atticus.mindspring.com>,
Andy Walton <atticus@mindspring.com> wrote:
>Is it just me, or is this a moronic way to do business? I, for one, would
>not buy a machine with no resale potential. With a new generation of
>machines every year, ensuring a poor resale value for your machine would
>make your machines much less attractive right off the bat, at least for
>non-corporate customers who only have 1 or 2 machines.

I'm not going to comment on Gateway, but I do have a generic comment...

What about a used car? Conceptually there should be no difference
between buying a used car or a used computer. I know that
manufacturing problems still have to be fixed free (i.e. recalls), but
what are the typical warrenty clauses? I know that most used car lots
nowadays have their own warrenty. What about used TVs and Appliances?
I also seem to remember that some "lifetime" battery and shock
warrenties are only good for the original owner.

Used Audio CDs were in some recent court cases... I think that the
original music owner wanted to have their cut of any sales. I think
they lost. You can pretty much bet that they wouldn't want to replace a
defective disc if they found out that it was not the original owner.

Common sense would tell me that offering services beyond fixing a
manufacturing defect is at the whim of the company. Most companies are
not really in the parts and accessories business beyond initial
supplies to enable sales wins and to support their repeat customers.
The only benefit would be to attract potential customers, but if a
company already has an ample supply of them then it may not want to go
to the expense of building a parts sales structure. And, even if it
did, then the low volume would certainly add up to high prices.

Luckily, most stores nowadays sell PC parts (I've even seen batteries
in the Wal-Mart). And, most local PC shops also do pretty cheap and
good repairs.

Tom
-- 
Tom Barrett - PTD Product Design - Intel - Hillsboro, OR
  **** I don't speak for Intel Corporation or PTD ****