is the day of building computers over !

renovation

ok what I'm saying is friends . to me it seems like its not worth it -when i can send them to dell . for the same or a little more ,and let them give the person a 3 year warranty .and i don't loose a friend . or get all the phone calls when they add a program and it don't work and they feel its my fault .(ps this way they also get software.)

i still repair a broken part or add ram . or change out a part .but to build a new unit not at todays prices !

had 2 people ask me in last 3 days and decided on both to let them call dell ones a Friend , and other is my sister .

and both wanted flat panel LCD . my luck they come with one dead pixel and i have to be a bad guy and have to deal with that (sorry has to be more then 3 to return it crap )

T-shirt · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 05:36:02 Post Subject:

Yup, very hard to compete price/value wise, on a stock system.

**Doctor Feelgood** · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 06:44:50 Post Subject:

and its hard to justify the annoyance of supporting some people... Laughing

LaTech · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 07:42:40 Post Subject:

It really depends. If the person knows exxactly what they want, then I build it. If they have no clue about computers or what they want, I send them to Dell

knight0334 · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 08:47:40 Post Subject:

I'll only build hi-end systems for people anymore. Once built, and proven to work without issue-it is their responsability to maintain it. I will NOT fix their screwups, fix it because they opened an infected attachment, or loaded it with spyware. They also are the ones that purchases what parts that I say they need, so they are also responsable for any RMA issues.

I pretty much wash my hands and walk away after I set it up on their desk and give them a demo showing that it works 100%.

If they cant keep it running right, then they have no business owning one. ....And I tell them that too.

BeerCheeze · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 09:16:56 Post Subject:

Friends.... maybe... big MAYBE anymore. Family... yea that'll I'll do.

Luckly, I don't have any more friends that live close enough to me to have to worry about, or for the friends I do have that are close enough... they are IT people too. Grin

Enforcer · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 10:30:32 Post Subject:

I still build systems for my inner group of friends, but mainly it is because we are all on a barter system of sorts with each other. Building computers is what I know, buying beer and fixing cars is what they know, it works out. For the most part I have no trouble with them and spyware because I educate them one time and one time only on using ad-aware and basically tell them that this will be the last I hear of it. Mostly they know how to avoid most viruses and are able to use their computers without incident. Worst case has been one case where I had to re-build the computer because of crap programs, and basically that guy is still buying me a beer when we all go out for it. One system I'm looking to soon is to utilize Norton Ghost and a USB Drive to store an image of a completed computer for each of my friends, so I have someone to fall back on in case something really goes wrong.

Family is a different system. I am fixing trivial problems once in a while but I do recommend to them getting Dells since their needs are little and they get the warranty so I don't have to deal with hardware. I am making an exception to this rule for my parents, but that is because I have half the parts already on hand and its a good way to put them to use instead of sitting in a box. The caliber of user is different than with friends, so I try to stay out of it as much as I can with any family memeber.

Thankfully I am approached more for advice than anything else, commonly somone will come up with an ad or something and ask me if thats a good buy or not, and I tell them. Very little am I asked to tutor anyone in using a program, and honestly if I get repeated little requests from friends I'll typically shrug my shoulders and tell them to look it up in the help. They may hate me in the short term, but being able to look up a solution themselves is a skill they learn and then don't even realize it.

Dud3! · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 10:34:47 Post Subject:

I'm out of the computer business. I hate dealing with the people and I can't stand Windows (but mainly it's the people).

I would only build a computer for a friend. For everyone else I would recommend a computer from one of the companies you see in computer magazines. There seems to be a few building half-decent machines.

I'd never tell someone to buy a Dell, HP, Gateway, etc though. Well, some people I would.... Razz

dadx2mj · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 10:55:36 Post Subject:

Mostly I would refer them to a major company like Dell or whoever but in some cases I would build one for them depending on who they are and what they want.

BeerLotus · Posted: Tue, 10 May 2005 16:34:57 Post Subject:

They would have to be a really good friend for me to make a computer for them its always such a pain to deal with