apdoo@alice.UUCP (Alan Weiss) (09/20/88)
My wife is about to take the plunge and computerize her business. She is an accountant, primarily tax but does some payroll and cash accounting, has her own business which is fairly small (maybe 20hrs/wk), and has pretty much decided on a Mac SE. Now we don't know much about these machines, and so are looking for advice on what to buy. Money is definitely a limitation. So, can you help us by advising us on what (and why) to get or not get like: 1. What type of printer? Reliability and price are the main parameters of interest. 2. What type of hard drive? The built-in Apple 20M, or another manufacturer's? 3. Is the standard 1M RAM enough? I strongly suspect that it is, but if not, try to convince me and please tell me what type of expansion is necessary. 4. Where to buy it? We live in New Jersey near New York City...what are the tradeoffs buying from a discounter in New York such as 47th street photo? 5. What software is more-or-less essential? For example, is a backup utility program included with a hard disk? She will be getting a tax and a payroll program, but is there anything else that she really ought to have? And what is an appropriate and reasonably priced word processor? 6. Is there anything else we ought to know or ought to be asking? Please help if you can. Mail the answers if you would, I don't read this newsgroup. And thanks in advance, Alan Weiss ATT Bell Labs (201) 582-4590 ...!research.att.com!apdoo or trace path
sbb@esquire.UUCP (Stephen B. Baumgarten) (09/22/88)
In article <8221@alice.UUCP> apdoo@alice.UUCP (Alan Weiss) writes: >4. Where to buy it? We live in New Jersey near New York City...what are the > tradeoffs buying from a discounter in New York such as 47th street photo? 47th Street is fine as long as you know *exactly* what you want. Computer Era is an especially good place to shop, and even Computerland is OK these days. Avoid Computer Factory like the plague -- you'd be better off buying your Mac off the back of someone's pickup truck. In general, it's better to find a dealer you're comfortable with and maybe pay a little more than to go for the absolute lowest price. Although many high-priced dealerships are run by pinheads (of course, some of the low-priced ones, like Computer Factory, are as well), many of the smaller stores are staffed by professionals who, even though they may not always know how to solve a problem, at least care that you have one. -- Steve Baumgarten | "New York... when civilization falls apart, Davis Polk & Wardwell | remember, we were way ahead of you." {uunet,cmcl2}!esquire!sbb | sbb%esquire@cmcl2.nyu.edu | - David Letterman
merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant) (09/24/88)
In article <649@esquire.UUCP> sbb@esquire.UUCP (Stephen B. Baumgarten) writes: >In article <8221@alice.UUCP> apdoo@alice.UUCP (Alan Weiss) writes: >>4. Where to buy it? We live in New Jersey near New York City...what are the >> tradeoffs buying from a discounter in New York such as 47th street photo? > >47th Street is fine as long as you know *exactly* what you want. >Computer Era is an especially good place to shop, and even Computerland >is OK these days. Avoid Computer Factory like the plague -- you'd be >better off buying your Mac off the back of someone's pickup truck. I don't believe 47th Street photo is an authorized Apple dealer. Watch what happens when you try to do something under warranty... I also have to disagree with your statement about Computer Factory. We have been dealing with them for about three years, leasing Macintoshes and IBM PCs. The only difficulty we have had has been in the fact that their service department is constantly losing people to other parts of Computer Factory. They have been giving us a 25% discount off their retail price for both Apple and IBM equipment. There are a number of midshippeople who have bought Macintoshes through them and they have always bent over backwards to help people. They recognize many of the difficulties of being a military academy, that our freshmen ("plebes") are not allowed to just wander out and get their machines fixed if they break. There are a number of times that they have sent a serviceperson out and he'd repair a midshipman machine while he was here. I've called their help line a few times with problems, back when I had a HyperDrive. While it was sometimes a bit tricky to get through, they were always quite helpful. The salesperson who I deal with, Dan Cohen, has always been knowledgable and ready to help. Awhile back, when my HyperDrive died for the umpteenth time, he even arranged a free trade for a used Apple HD20SC. The service person came out, took out of the HyperDrive, and said "That's the first time I've ever done an abortion.") I know of no-one here who has had problems with Computer Factory. Now, it may just be a particular store, but I'm not certain where you get your complaints from... --- "A little bit louder now!" Peter Merchant (merchant@eleazar.UUCP) (Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.edu)