Don Davidson Computer

Custom Built Professional Quality Computers

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Consider these reasons for NOT settling for
less when purchasing a new Computer!

You can't upgrade easily because components are proprietary and not industry standard (Compatibility!).
Have you ever tried to get a driver for a non-standard Video, Audio or whatever?
How about putting in that second or third hard drive? Got a drive bay for it?
Where do I plug this new card in? How about no available card or memory slots?

If you do want to upgrade a component, do you have a choice of sources?
Can you run to the corner computer store and pick up that new quality part? Maybe you can call tech support and order the XYZ proprietary part that your bargain PC uses (if they are still around)! What if that power supply fails on that 3 year old brand name PC and they don't make that part anymore?

They use something other than quality chipsets!  (Again Compatibility!)

Are they implementing the newest technology for things to come? Can you hook up that new Firewire video camera?  How about a faster serial hard drive? Will it run Vista?

Generic factory setup. Useless, ill-tempered, programs that are darn confusing to use. What are all those programs that are automatically starting and asking for your input or money? (I will pause here to let you shout, "Damn straight!")

Have you ever wanted to see if that new device will go in or attach to your PC... Got Book? Most components have books and programs have disks. Do you get them with that bargain computer?

Is there a mysterious folder on your hard drive with the Windows setup files? What happens to these files if your hard drive fails? Wouldn't be nice to get the CD with that program or operating system so you can re-install?
Note: If you're performing a clean new installation of Windows using an Upgrade CD, be sure to have your qualifying media handy. This can be a retail or OEM Windows CD-ROM. In some cases a Windows CD, that was supplied with new computers, is a "restore" CD and will not work. Most CDs that ship from major PC makers are now restore CDs.
Most restore CDs put your system back like you had it when you first purchased it. What happened to the 2 years of changes you made? Gone! (So back up your important files first!)
 What if you have added new hardware, such as a different sound card, video card or hard drive. The restore CD will be wrong (expecting the original setup) and errors and crashes will occur.

Complete lack of  Local FREE personalized support!
Is there someone you can call to help you to install a program, set up a scanner or even adjust the time? Will they come to your house free when the computer is under warranty? Who do you call when you have a question? Long distance charges are bad enough, but XYZ company may charge as much as $35.00 a phone call on top of that! (Not to mention the time being on hold)

Cheap PC's simply aren't designed to be that reliable. From their hardware to their software, developers cut corners, take chances, and value appearance over performance (You say that flaming new PC is slow!). It's hard enough to find that ideal program, but to put it on a sub-standard computer compounds confusion!

Genuine hardware problems used to be rare, but are becoming more common as manufacturers compete on end-user prices. Inexpensive PC's aren't necessarily shoddy, but if the price sounds too good...

Examples:
Some cheap generic motherboards use aluminum electrolytic capacitors instead of costlier tantalum capacitors. Over time, the cheap capacitors dry out and lose their effectiveness. If the insulator dries out in a capacitor... that's a short! Because the motherboards need these capacitors for signal buffering and conditioning signals, the result is a series of hard to diagnose crashes.
Possible System Board Shorts
General warnings posted here

As CPU processing speeds increase so does the temperature. Cheap cooling fans, with sleeve bearings, have a life expectancy of about 12+ months... Got Noise? If that fan should stop turning the CPU could be ruined!
We use only high quality fans, which should run for many years.

Another trouble spot is cheap under-powered power supplies. This is not only a hazard but can be avoided by installing a robust unit.
Prices for power supplies vary from $15.00 to over $200.00, and guess which one low-end PC manufacturers use?

SO...
Buy quality hardware. A good brand-name motherboard is more reliable than a cheap generic one. The cost difference isn't huge. Spend a few bucks more on things like cooling fans, power supplies, memory modules, cables (etc.). Buy quality and make that PC last and last (like the good old days)!

Hey!
If you sign up for 1 to 3 years to an internet provider (Like MSN or AOL), locking you in at today's, ever-changing, monthly prices, you get a CHEAP PC (or a rebate). Can you cancel that internet provider? Sure, if you pay a hundred dollars (plus) to do so!

What else is wrong with this picture!
See all the above...

From PC Magazine www.pcmagazine.com
What Not to Buy for Christmas
Monday, November 21, 2005
By Lance Ulanoff

SYSTEMS:

Do not buy — a cheap desktop: I'm warning you now. Getting roped into a sub-$500 will only lead to heartbreak. Those systems lack key components like a dedicated graphics card (slot) and DVD-RW drive (you might only get a CD-R, or worse yet, a CD-ROM drive). They also have, perhaps, half the memory and hard drive space you really need, and of course, a bargain-basement CPU is a favorite for the budget-minded). These systems will under perform in almost every respect. They'll even stutter on the Internet, where flat HTML has been replaced by DHTML, Flash, audio, and  video.

From: ZDNet
URL: http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-3118_16-5756796-1.html?tag=nl.e540-2
 3-18-05
By: Rich Brown, associate editor

Think even more different: PCs from vendors you've never heard of.
The most-advanced 3D PCs around

The Dells and HPs of the world may offer a name you know, but we live in a great big world of desktop PC companies, and there are many other choices out there. We can certainly understand why you might be hesitant to go with an unknown vendor; reliability questions, service issues, and other concerns make it tempting to choose something more familiar. But with benefits such as lower prices (on top notch systems), broader configurability options, more creative case designs, and personalized customer service, we would be remiss if we didn't point out these second- and third-tier vendors. They might not move as many PCs in a year as Dell does in a week, but whether you're looking for a hard-core gaming or video system with up to two graphics cards, a well-built all-around computer, or something in between, these vendors offer more than just a viable alternative: they often give you the cutting-edge components and the attention to detail that most behemoths of the industry can't deliver.