To: ed who wrote (20547 ) 3/8/1998 1:33:00 AM From: Upstater Respond to
All computers are the same, you say? Certainly you're right--but only if you're talking about the box itself, i.e. mhz, RAM, etc. Yet there is a huge differnce in manufacturing when it comes to software/hardware package and most importantly, the propietary nature of its setup. Some computers just can not be modified as easily as others. Upgrading on some is extremely difficult when there arren't enough IRQ's available to devote to new peripherals. Some computers even splice their wires in such a way to prevent certain kinds of additions. I'm not saying that CPQ does it, but I'm merely making the point that all computers are not the same even if they have the sam chip, RAM, mhz. There's a big diference in how they're actually constructed. Actually, any computer geek will tll you that a generic computer is the best buy because it offers you much more freedom to jigger with the hardware and get it working correctly. For instnace I bought a TOSHIBA recently and was pissed off when adding a cable modem became a major problem because of lack of open IRQs--(basically the sound card was part of the modem and it took up 3 IRQs none of which could be bumped so I'm left using only a cable modem, not a telephone modem which I need for banking.). I as told that generic computers would not have that problem, and if I wanted to go with a brand name box to try a DELL or a GATEWAY because their architecture is more open than the others. As for COMPAQ, the people at COMPUSA warned me NOT to buy one because the company has a poor service record, indeed refusing to take back computers and instead sticking it to the retailer. (I realize of course that that's why CPU guys were warning me away from COMPAQ's because the store gets stuck with the bill.) But you have to wonder is COMPUSA's sales reps represent the majority of dealers out there.
