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philo

On 04/28/2017 07:56 PM, wrote:

snip
an build a decent machine for $200.

The one I just built is a quad core CPU with 16 gigs of RAM and my total
cost was just under $200. A new Dell is about $1000 though I'm sure I
could find machines for half that price, I'd rather do it myself
I'll never buy a Dell.
I buy a brand new Acer Veriton 4630g I3 with 4GB of RAM,a 500Gb SATA
drive, DVD drive, and Windows professional with a 3 year warranty for
$423.50 CANADIAN. That's something like $310.95 US at today's exchange
rate.At that rate, wht would I ever build one? (or buy a "Dell from
Hell"?)

My experience with custom building is you often end up with one bad or
incompatible part. If you are building more than one at a time you can
determine which part is BAD pretty quickly by substituting in - but on
a one-off you are stuck. I've had too many "infant mortality" or "dead
in the box" components to make it worth the hassle. If the Acer
doesn't boot up and work perfectly it's back in the box, and back to
the warehouse for another one next day if I want to drive 1bout 25
miles, or 2 days door to door.
I've built way too many in my lifetime to bother with it (worked for
manufacturer for 5 years and either built my own or rebuilt machines
for my own use for 20 years - even when I could have expensed a new
one against my business)

I have never purchased a new computer in my life and never will.
I've built or re-built them by the thousands and really enjoy doing so.
They have mostly been running trouble free but recently one of my
refurnished units bit the dust. MOBO died so I just gave the guy another
machine. He is a small time bookstore owner and in the five years I've
been doing repairs for him have thus far collected $40.

Had he been someone who was able to pay me, I would have given him
better junk!