mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) (07/10/87)
In <452@osupyr.UUCP> glazer@osupyr.UUCP (Jon Glazer) writes: >A new computer store has just opened in the OSU area. I have discussed computers extensively with the folks at this store. They are about as uninformed about computers as your average computer store salesperson. They have one or two programmers there, but they have almost no knowledge of the industry, trends, competing products, or even of many products they sell and are using themselves. They are running their business on Kimtron's K-net. Their prices are OK, but YOU had better KNOW WHAT YOU NEED before you go there. Their advice seemed to me to be based on very little information, although well-intentioned. And you get to buy from a little hole in the wall shop which may not be around in 6 months. Now, as for the pot calling the kettle black. We sell computers, software, consulting and custom programming and we don't even have a hole in the wall to work out of. We work out of a spare bedroom in my house. If people feel uncomfortable about that, we do the consulting and send them elsewhere for the hardware. People come to us becuase we know what we are talking about. We have been doing this since before micros existed (although not for this company). >Stop is and check out the good deals. Mention this notice. As far as I am concerned, this is a prohibited commercial use of the net. You must be looking for some personal gain by posting this, as you want your notice mentioned when folks go into this place. We will be a net site within 60 days (on a 386 box running SCO XENIX). When we announce our presence, it will not be an advertisement for our services as that would be wildly inappropriate. *** I'm just tired of people telling me what a great deal they got at Computrade or Micro Center, etc.. They got a good price, but on what? Their systems have no relationship to what they need to do with it; they just bought what was on sale. Then, six months later, they come to us to have us try to bail them out. One example: Find me an AT clone at these stores that can handle a 1.2M floppy, a 360K floppy (to reliably transfer information with XTs) and a tape backup unit -- internally. I doubt you will find one. We have them. They can also handle two half height hard disks along with the above, have 12 slots and a 238W power supply! Yes, their boxes are cheaper. But if they won't handle what you need, who cares? They are great boxes, but not for serious business use due to lack of expandability. (My opinion.) If you need multiuser, do you buy XENIX or 3COM or NOVELL? They don't sell XENIX because they don't understand it. They sell whichever of Novell or 3COM they can get in the grey market cheaper. They generally don't have a clue as to how these networks work. We just helped a client who bought a system with 3COM on it from a major chain in town. It was an AT server with XT stations, which the store claimed would run as fast as ATs because of the AT server! Further, they were sold Novell versions of the word processing software! Further, they were sold full network copies for each station (Each of these copies license 3 workstations)! Further, they were sold an Intel AboveBoard to add 128K to their server to bring it to 384K. That was all they wanted, 128K. So they were sold a $600 board! My point is that this client got great prices on everything he bought. But what he bought was totally off the wall. It was all on the advice of a salesperson who could barely load DOS onto a PC. We see this sort of thing at least once a month, and we do NO ADVERTISING. Imagine how many folks are in this boat. Your job may depend on getting a system running well in your office. Think of who you are asking for advice. Just because someone is behind the counter at a computer store does not mean they are qualified to do more than write up a sales ticket. My suggested moral: Talk to a consultant for a couple of hours ($100-200) before going into a place like Micro Gallery. The extra money spent will keep you from making very expensive mistakes. I hope this doesn't sound too much like an advertisement for our firm, as that is not the intent. It is an advertisement for seeking professional advice before you spend your (or your bosses) money on a 'great deal'. -- < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark D. Freeman mdf@osu-eddie.uucp StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@Ohio-State.arpa 2440 Medary Avenue ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf Columbus, OH 43202 Guest account at The Ohio State University (614) 262-3703 < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
glazer@osupyr.UUCP (07/11/87)
In reply to a previous reply from an "in-the-know" kinda person, I feel it
is my duty to defend my previous posting.
First of all, I am not a sales person from the store. I posted the notice
as a favor to a friend. Second, I know QUITE a bit about IBM-PCs from
first hand programming experience (8 years). The people who run the store
are all recent OSU-CIS graduates who know more about you, the student's needs
than most computer stores in the area. They too have a lot of experience
with many types of PC's and have gone to a great expense to test out all of
the equipment they sell. I too have participated in this testing and am
quite confident intheir products. They have done all of this research and
much more for the sole purpose of "making it" in a nearly saturated market.
While it may be true that the very techinical problems may be hard to
work out immediately, they have always been able to find the solutions. And,
they have facilities to do most repair work in the shop. One advantage to
working out of a store rather than a bedroom (also a little easier on the mind
from my stand point).
When I posted the previous article, I was not just doing a favor for the
store, I was doing the general OSU public a favor by informing them of an
option to going out to Micro Center or wherever. I do not knock people who
are in themselve distributers of equipment. I did it myself for sometime and
I know some others who are currently doing so.
It seemed that my previouse posting may have offended some people and for
this I am sorry. I also appologize for the direct advertsing on the NET
that was so insistanly pointed out.
This will be the last posting for the store and hopefully that will be that.
Jon |\/| | |
Glazer | | | |
| |ICRO |/\|IZARDperkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) (07/14/87)
In article <461@osupyr.UUCP>, glazer@osupyr.UUCP (Jon Glazer) writes: > In reply to a previous reply from an "in-the-know" kinda person, I feel it > is my duty to defend my previous posting. > as a favor to a friend. Second, I know QUITE a bit about IBM-PCs from > first hand programming experience (8 years). VERY first hand. In fact, if you started programming IBM PCs 8 years ago, you got your hands on one MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE IBM STARTED DEVELOPING THE MACHINES. I make no claims about your "New PC Retail store" statements, but you, Jon Glazer, clearly like to exaggerate. -- {hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!perkins --Henry Perkins It is better never to have been born. But who among us has such luck? One in a million, perhaps.
jjboritz@watdragon.UUCP (07/14/87)
While it is one thing to discuss the types of people that work at computer stores, it is quite another to continually debate the quality of stores in a particular location and post this for the entire world to see. If you want to talk about stores in the Ohio area, please restrict the distribution. I don't think the entire world wants to hear about it. I am sorry to have posted this to the newsgroup, but this way it gets to all those involved. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ /| "Cat's don't look up to anyone." | | \`O_o' "Especially not human beings!" -- Stephen Baker | | ( ) How to Live With a | | U Jim Boritz Neurotic Cat | | | | Ack! lotsofmachines!watmath!watdragon!jjboritz | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (07/14/87)
In <461@osupyr.UUCP> glazer@osupyr.UUCP (Jon Glazer) writes: > In reply to a previous reply from an "in-the-know" kinda person, I feel it >is my duty to defend my previous posting. > >They have done all of this research and >much more for the sole purpose of "making it" in a nearly saturated market. I personally have great respect for anyone that has the guts to try and compete in the retail market here. For those unfamiliar with the situation, Micro Center is a two outlet retail company. Both stores are in Columbus. These two stores are the 8th largest CHAIN in the world, compared with Inacomp, Computerland, etc. I hear they are moving two million dollars a month in floppy diskettes alone. They sell many items cheaper than other dealers can buy them. > While it may be true that the very techinical problems may be hard to >work out immediately, they have always been able to find the solutions. It is my impression that this store is a good place for students to shop. Especially first time buyers. It is also my opinion that this store should not be selling anything more complicated than stand-alone, single-user machines. Their knowledge of networks and packages other than the "Top 10" is very limited. So, if you need a machine for serious use at home (not a toy), check them out. If you need a machine for your company, talk to a consultant first. >And, >they have facilities to do most repair work in the shop. One advantage to >working out of a store rather than a bedroom (also a little easier on the mind >from my stand point). By the way, we do most of our own repairs as well. When our financing comes through, we will be moving to a real office. It's a little too cozy at the staff meetings here :-). Everybody has to re-start somewhere... I've been doing consulting and custom programming of micros for various companies for about 6 years. My present company has been incorporated for 2 years, but has only been a full-time occupation for just 3 months. The rest of the time was spent part-time, while we worked for other value-added resellers and waited for non-compete agreements to expire. >When I posted the previous article, I was not just doing a favor for the >store, I was doing the general OSU public a favor by informing them of an >option to going out to Micro Center or wherever. I do not knock people who >are in themselve distributers of equipment. I did it myself for sometime and >I know some others who are currently doing so. My previous tirade had more to do with the ignorance of the average retail store sales person, and the unwarranted trust most buyers have in them, than with this store in particular. I am sorry if I got off track. > This will be the last posting for the store and hopefully that will be that. Sorry Jon, I couldn't let this drop without appologizing to you and your friend's store as well. -- < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark D. Freeman mdf@osu-eddie.uucp StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@Ohio-State.arpa 2440 Medary Avenue ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf Columbus, OH 43202 Guest account at The Ohio State University (614) 262-3703 < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
glazer@osupyr.UUCP (Jon Glazer) (07/16/87)
In article <2176@bnrmtv.UUCP> perkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) writes: >In article <461@osupyr.UUCP>, glazer@osupyr.UUCP (Jon Glazer) writes: >> In reply to a previous reply from an "in-the-know" kinda person, I feel it >> is my duty to defend my previous posting. > >> as a favor to a friend. Second, I know QUITE a bit about IBM-PCs from >> first hand programming experience (8 years). > >VERY first hand. In fact, if you started programming IBM PCs >8 years ago, you got your hands on one MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE >IBM STARTED DEVELOPING THE MACHINES. This is getting ridiculous. I am not looking for people to put other people down but it seems some people LIVE for just such an activity. Although I said I have been programming for 8 years, I did not say in any means that I had programmed the IBM PC for that long. I can't remember when I started playing with these things but it was some years ago. If people would spend less time trying to prove other people wrong and more time using there nut-brains, they would be doing things a little more productive than tring to put people down. Hopefully this is the last on this subject!! > >I make no claims about your "New PC Retail store" statements, >but you, Jon Glazer, clearly like to exaggerate. >-- And I DO NOT EXAGERATE (at least not clearly :-) >{hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!perkins --Henry Perkins > ******************************************************************************* * * * At * * Jon Glazer * The |\/| | | * Ohio State University * * Sysop of MGS (IBM BBS) * | | | | * Columbus, Ohio * * (614)-848-5971 * | |ICRO |/\|IZARD * Via PYRAMID * * * * [glazer@osupyr.UUCP] * * * * * *******************************************************************************