Fry's $199 Linux box..

[Derek Neighbors]

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On Mon, 2002-09-02 at 10:16, Richard L. Proctor wrote:

> Just out of curiosity,  do you really enjoy filling out,  cutting out,  a=
ll=20

Im not promoting these rebate things, but the last time I did one.=20
Which was at Best Buy.  They printed two copies of the receipts and
such.  I didnt fill squat out, I grabbed a mailing label (I use for all
my bills) and pasted it where I wanted my name and address.  I plopped
the receipt and upc in an envelope, put a stamp on it and sent out in
the mail. (about 5 minutes total work)

> the info to send those rebates in to get your name posted on a national=20
> database to later be hammered with ton's of junk mail and email. Then hav=
ing=20

I get tons of junk mail regardless as does anyone with a postal address.
As for email, I dont give them my email address.  If I did, spam
assassain seems to be doing its job. ;)

> to deal with getting help to install this stuff and deal with any defecti=
ve=20

I have never got support worth a crap from ANYONE for hardware if I tell
them I am using it with GNU\Linux, so this doesnt weigh in at all. =20

> returns,   Is it really worth it?  I'm just curious cause of the business=
 I=20
> am in.

As for returns, I have yet to have Fry's, Best Buy, Office Max or
CompUSA even bat an eye at me returning even high dollar merchandise.=20
On the other hand, before merchandise on the net was easy to obtain
(early 90's).  I used to use a small shop in Northeast Valley called
Paradise Computers (or somethign like that).  They were good price and
quality hardware.  I stopped using small shops the day they sold me a
bunk hard drive and refused to exchange it (SAME DAY). =20

I see their plight.  It tested ok (supposedly) when they tested it, and
now it comes back bad.  They have a Miniscule profit margin and eating a
drive would really hurt them.  Probably more so than losing my business,
but unfortunately thats what turned me off to smaller vendors.  Bad
customer service (not rudeness, or lack of knowledge, but just inability
to stand behind products)

Is it worth it?  Who knows.  I can get things on 'net incredibly cheap
and good quality, support and such, but generally I need something and
need it now.  So the 'net is too slow.  Are the big guys easy to work
with? No.  Generally I dont rely on them for support, questions or the
likes so their support and sales staff become a non factor.  Which boils
it down to many ways 'price' in which its hard for the little guy to
compete. =20

I tried to shop the 'little' guy here in Gilbert like 3 months ago (CPU
Motherboards and More) I think.  I walked in and it was a freaking
Microsoft ad campaign galore.  Which turned my stomach.  Then I asked
about a CPU and the guy went into a huge sales speil about bringing my
old machine in and they woudl do an upgrade overhaul whats it for like
500.

All I coudl think is I could buy a computer off shelf for that, which
better specs.  Just left a bad taste in my mouth.  Enough of a rant.  If
someone knows a quality shop in Gilbert let me know.  I would love to
give my money to a Gilbert business and small business owner than a
corporate money hoard. ;)


--=20
Derek Neighbors
GNU Enterprise
http://www.gnuenterprise.org
derek@gnue.org

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