There are many different kinds of PCs, of course, and they're not all as similar as you might think. As we mentioned in our print-based article on Buying the Perfect PC, some stores that eschew brand-names such as Compaq, NEC/Packard Bell, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and so on, for custom-built "clones." One of the first questions worth examining is whether you prefer "clones" or brand-name machines. Superficially, at least, it might be reasonable to say that the brand-name machines are a safer bet for first-time buyers. They tend to have more user-friendly documentation, 24-hour helplines and often have extra software goodies bundled in with the package. So, let's begin our tour where a number of the big brand names are: at the Future Shop in the 1300 block of West Broadway in Vancouver.
First Stop: Future Shop
Sights to see: great selection of software and PC peripherals; brand-name PCs including IBM, HP, Compaq, NEC/Packard-Bell. (The company also sells portables, accessories, storage media, etc.) Future Shop also sells Paradigm, a "house brand" clone with a limited number of configuration options.
Pros: One-stop shopping for systems and popular components. Money-back guarantee and price protection on some items. Sales people were moderately attentive.
Cons: Future Shop sales people seem more eager to sell extended warranties than to help existing customers solve inevitable technical glitches.
What you’ll find: After a salesperson typed in a password to unlock the screensavers on the machines we wanted to examine, we used Windows 98's Device Manager (selected by right-clicking on "My Computer" and clicking "Properties") to examine the list of components in each unit. The HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario models we looked at had surprisingly duff components overall, including cheapo onboard sound circuitry (listed as Crystal, ESS, or Yamaha), unspectacular video capabilities (Cirrus Logic, ATI 264), not-especially-crisp screens and inexpensive modems (Zoltrix, Winmodem, etc.). Other components, such as the CD-ROM drives (from GoldStar, Hitachi, etc.) and keyboard and mouse, tended to be low-end brands or cheap-feeling models, as well. Some of the HP and Compaq models had extra keys on the keyboards, for invoking sleep functions, email, or Internet browsers.
Our take: As these machines demonstrate, you give up a certain amount of flexibility when buying a brand-name machine -- you pretty much have to take it as it comes. You don't like the video card or sound card it comes with? Too bad -- it's built in (you can, of course, pay extra to buy another one to plug into an expansion slot, though). And don't expect to be able to upgrade the motherboard in a year or two -- most brand-name PCs use proprietary motherboard designs that can't be easily upgraded. Virtually all clones, however, are easy to upgrade -- and they usually have more expansion slots and free drive bays as well. So ask yourself: do you prefer the tech-support and pre-configured comfort of a brand name PC, or the wide-open customization potential of a clone? Let's take a look at a few clones.
Next stop: MicroConcept Systems Inc., 1200 block Broadway.
MicroConcept was the busiest store we visited, and they certainly have the largest advertisement in The Computer Paper -- a whopping five pages. The place is stacked almost wall-to wall with boxes of monitors, computers and what-have-you. Sales people were very attentive; prices moderate (generally, an indication that quality components are used). We found good prices on peripherals, components and removable media (name brand CD-R discs: $1.75!). The company promises a three-day turnaround (claimed) for custom systems. Its standard systems are based on high-quality Asus motherboards and boxed CPUs. Note, however, that the "Proview" monitors included with some of the advertised systems are your typical "cheapo" monitor; moreover, some of the higher-quality monitors the company sells were not on display. The best monitor on display was the Acerview 79G 17" monitor -- a reasonably good display at an aggressive $400 price-point. As you might have guessed, we were not impressed with the 15" or 17" Proview monitors.
Our take: The box-laden store is almost anticlimactic after seeing the hundreds of products and literally dozens of systems offered in their print adverts. However, the short turnaround and many pre-defined options will appeal to many, especially those who adhere to the equation: Small store + big volume = good value.
Our next stop was right across the street, where a sign on the window at Data Kingdom promised a Pentium II / 400 system "Below Cost" for $1799 -- a suspiciously low price, to be sure. Inside, we found that there was a two-week turnaround for these systems and the company could not guarantee whether it would contain an ATI or i740-based video card. The sales clerk demoed a software DVD player that required a $200 upgrade to a DVD drive. The "Voxon" monitor had a surprisingly good image, although it is prudent to wonder how long the components on such a bargain-basement system should be expected to last. The salesperson assured us that the system used a genuine "boxed" PII/400 CPU. The system's Magitronic keyboard was as cheesy as you might expect at such a price, but otherwise, the system had decent components -- a genuine Creative Labs sound card, Acer/Aopen V.90 modem, etc. Although we'd prefer an ATI Rage Pro-based video card for general business tasks, the Intel i740-based video card the company said might be substituted is not a bad unit either, and is a fine, albeit low-end choice for gamers and non-professional graphics enthusiasts. The company advertises only three systems: the "below cost" PII/400, a basic PII/300 with monitor and printer for $1500, and a low-end $900 system.
Our take: We were left feeling a bit apprehensive and feeling like a careful look inside a Data Kingdom computer would be a necessary step before buying. Next Stop: Frontier.... (Be sure to stop at Simply Computing on the way, if you want to see a Macintosh or iMac in action.)
Frontier Computers is just east of Burrard on Broadway. There, the sales rep confirmed an earlier report we'd heard of "brusque" service. He gave us a lengthy description of why the company doesn't try to compete with low-end cloners, emphasizing the company's longer-than-average existence and corporate clientele as proof of the quality of their products. He then gave us a fairly compelling argument about why we should consider a Celeron-A or even an original Celeron instead of the faster Pentium IIs we'd been considering. The Celeron-A, he said, was only 2 to 3 percent slower than a Pentium II, so why not consider it? (For the record, International Data Corporation characterizes a Celeron-A and Pentium II of comparable clock speeds as having a performance difference closer to 5 percent.) We feebly argued that he had configured our system with a BX-class motherboard and SDRAM capable of running at 100 MHz bus speeds, but was sticking in a CPU limited to 66 MHz bus performance. He countered by noting that even an original Celeron, sans cache, was only about 10 percent slower, and that we would be well advised to consider that as an alternative, too. While his arguments were generally reasonable ones, he slipped up in a description of the Abit BH6 motherboard, which he claimed needs to be configured by jumpers in order to set the CPU speed. It does not. (It’s a great motherboard, though!)
We sat with him and created a list of exact components and their prices, which he then printed out -- and presumably kept on file should we return. However, because this was an exactly specified list of components, there is virtually no opportunity for shoddy components to be slipped in. Thus, the price tends to be higher -- along with the quality. Indeed, even with the Celeron, the Frontier system was among the more expensive quotes we received, and we got a bit more resistance from him than expected when we suggested that we might like a Microsoft IntelliMouse and ATI graphics card rather than the Logitech and Diamond Stealth models he recommended. To his credit, he didn't try and sell us a pair of GNT speakers he also said he recommended but was out of stock on -- he advised us to buy them from Future Shop.
Our take: Frontier is a good place to shop if you want a salesperson that will take the time to sit down with you and help you put together the machine that's right for your budget, and will guide you toward good quality components.
Just east of Frontier is Campus Computers. There, approximately half the floor is covered with boxes of ready-to-pick-up computer systems. A sign on a glass case touts a "blowout" price of $99 for a Panasonic PD "dual phase" drive (similar to a Toray PhaseWriter) that rewrites up to 650 MB on removable discs (one disc cartidge is included) and reads standard CD-ROMs as well. When we commented on the lacklustre quality of the monitors on display, the sales clerk offered to unpackage and set up a better-quality unit, which he promptly did.
Our take: Major points for customer service and a great deal on a "slightly obsolete" PD drive. The hardware tended to be "value-oriented."
Next stop, east toward Cambie Street....
Arete Computers gets more congeniality points than Frontier, but similarly emphasizes quality components. The company's emphasis on corporate solutions is obvious, with on-the-floor Windows Terminal Server demonstration stations, OS/2 Warp Server and Windows NT packages on the shelf, and large LCD screens (at $9000!) certainly not in the average budget. Despite a dubious video-signal splitter that left some of the displays badly discolored, the NEC A700 and A500 monitors were among the best we'd seen, and the company was quick to admit there had been some problems with certain products on its shelves (a Toray PhaseWriter PD drive, for example) -- not the hard-sell, to be sure. The Arete systems we examined are based almost exclusively on Acer/Aopen components -- in essence, you are buying an Acer PC (in a deluxe Aopen case).
Our take: You'll pay a little extra, but if you value honesty and a solutions focus in a dealer, you'll like Arete.
ATIC Computers, a block west of Main on Broadway, is well known -- although not well liked by other dealers -- for its aggressive prices and significant local market presence. ATIC, which is usually among the first to sell machines based on Intel's latest, greatest chipset, was one of the few dealers we spoke to that admitted using OEM processors, as opposed to boxed CPUs. We examined the heat-sink/fan used in its cases and feel comfortable saying that it is of comparable quality to the ones used by Intel in its boxed products. We also examined an ATIC-supplied ATX power supply (a Fortron/Source model SPI-235HI). It, too appeared to be of good, albeit unspectacular, quality, with robust heat sinks and a downward-facing fan. Not all ATIC systems use this power supply, however.
Our take: Based on our observations of component quality and the improvements we noted in both its customer service and store appearance, it seems that ATIC is moving up from its long-held position near the lower end of the value market.
NextGen Computers Ltd., not far west of ATIC, had the lowest prices overall of all the stores we visited. After only four months in business, the mom-and-pop operation has staked out the low end of the value market with an almost unheard-of price of $1649 for a PII/400 -- including 64MB of RAM and a 17-inch monitor! One feels guilty asking what the "gift" is they promise to include as well. Naturally suspicious, we inquired whether the RAM included was in fact PC100 SDRAM. No, he admitted, it was actually 66MHz RAM. 100 MHz RAM would cost extra. NextGen had the best selection of cases of any of the dealers we visited, including good-quality models from Aopen and LCH and basic units from several suppliers.
Our take: The lesson here is to exactly specify the components you want to appear -- and be prepared to be nickel-and-dimed a bit to get an optimally configured system.
Also near Cambie on Broadway is Code II Computers. A tiny store, the two-man operation says it exists almost solely by word of mouth. Code II had one of the best selections of cases we encountered (including the Aopen case we'd just examined at Arete and an even better side-opening design we eventually came to prefer) and the staff was attentive and friendly, and the pair walked step-by-step with us through the process of building a quality machine, appropriately advising for or against products as we occasionally fished for their insights on various matters.
At the end of your shopping day, you will have to narrow down your list of products and dealers. Quotes on better-quality PII/350 systems that gave us the 100 MHz bus we wanted were hundreds of dollars more expensive than the lowest ones we'd received (and, it should be said, a bit higher than our pre-determined price ceiling); you will have to decide whether you want to give up performance, features or quality to meet your budget. Going for a slower CPU is probably wiser than purchasing a fast computer that has poor components throughout, or lacks important capabilities.
On our walkabout, our "short list" vendors were Code II and MicroConcept. One-stop shoppers might find their best solutions at Future Shop, Office Depot or London Drugs, while "safety-first" corporate buyers will probably find that Arete or Frontier best serve their needs. Value-oriented buyers looking for maximum performance for minimum dollars should research their components carefully and take a deep breath before diving into the depths at ATIC, Campus, NextGen or Data Kingdom.
The power of the press is a scary thing. One bad word in our publications can cast a pall on sales for a struggling retailer in the ultra-competitive PC market that could spell disaster. In fact, we were asked to remove certain critical comments from this report. Therefore, we encourage you -- preferably with your own computer expert in tow and Vancouver Computes! in hand -- to visit all of these retailers and use your own "BS" detector to sniff out the deal that makes the most sense to you. As the old saying goes, there's good, quick and cheap -- and you can have any two of the three.
While you are cruising the Broadway Corridor...
Check out Multimedia Technologies, a block east of Cambie, for unusually low prices on imported software, including those from big-name business and graphics vendors (as well as a huge selection of Linux wares). Note, however, that some of these titles may not be upgradeable to later versions -- hence the "bargain" pricing. Be sure to clarify your expectations with the dealer before buying. If you are shopping for name-brand systems, also check out Office Depot in that block, or London Drugs, just west of Cambie.
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