Are you one of the many people who love a
good bargain? Do you cringe at the thought of paying more than $500.00
for a computer system? Keep in mind that the
old adage of “you get what you pay for”,
certainly rings true in my cases, when dealing with
computers. I’ll explain why:
1.)
Computer price to value ratios, are relative.
First of all,
the “value” that you perceive in a computer system is
related to what you plan to do with that computer
system. For example, you need a computer that comes with
a monitor, keyboard, mouse, DVD Rom and internet. You
usually use your computer to browse the internet,
printing out pictures, downloading music, and some word
processing. You notice a computer sale in a store
nearby, and a computer is being sold for $400.00, which
includes the monitor, keyboard, mouse, wireless
internet, speakers and DVD Rom. Since the computer
includes everything that you need for the tasks that you
need it for, you decide to purchase it. That bargain
computer is perfect for YOU!
When you compared similar options,
you find that if you bought the computer and the monitor
separately, you would
pay between $500 and $700.00. You have
received EXCELLENT value, but what about that same
computer being used by your friend - who has
a kid who loves playing PC games?
That leads
us to the next point....
2.) Do NOT
expect “high performance” from a budget
computer.
Your friend’s 9 year old loves
playing the latest and greatest PC games, on his
friends’ dads’ high speed, “pretty” graphics
computer system. So...this nine year old
decides to use his allowance and buy the newest version
of World Of Warcraft. He installs the game on your
computer while visiting with your friend (since they
don’t yet have a PC at their home..and they need to call
TekTime to solve that problem ! ). The
game is installed and he double clicks the icon to play
the game. The game loads, then crashes back to the
desktop. He tries several more times and the game
finally starts, but the sound has a great deal of static
and distortion, and there are fuzzy lines all over the
screen while the game is crawling (choppy and slow).
OOPS !!!
YOU
didn’t know that the budget computer system that you
bought can’t play recent games successfully. “Oh
well”, you say, “I don’t need a gaming computer for
my needs”. So you tell your friend’s kid to forget
playing the game because your system can’t handle it.
You open up a sales ad and see a nice, shiny Blu-Ray
drive for sale, for just $110.00! You decide to
drive to your local computer store and buy the drive;
you also decide to pay $50.00 for the nerds at the store
to install it for you. They do, with no questions
asked. You get home, and you pop in your newest Blu-Ray
disc, pop some popcorn and sit back to watch it.
Something’s wrong….the movie is
playing, but it keeps freezing. You can’t make out the
words that are being spoken, and the picture is moving
too slow for you to follow what’s going on. You call the
local computer store and they tell you that – based upon
your computer’s specs, your Blu-Ray will not play in
your system until you complete a (costly) computer
upgrade of memory, power supply and CPU. Wow……how were
you supposed to know these things? You decide to save up for a more
powerful computer that can play your movies.
3.) Cheap computers usually
include problematic, mediocre components.
Since
you paid money for your “budget” computer, and can’t get
a refund, you decide to use it for at least the next
year or two until you can afford a high performance
machine. BUT wait, your computer has
other ideas! While you are on the internet
responding to emails, you smell a slight burning smell,
and your computer shuts off. You push the power button
to turn it back on, but nothing happens. The monitor is
black. You take the computer to your local computer
store and they tell you the power supply is generic, and
that is has blown. Yes, after two months of owning the
computer…the power supply is dead. You pay for the
repair and take your PC home.
Two weeks later, you are watching
your favorite TV show on HULU.com, when suddenly
your computer shows the “blue screen of death”. You turn
it off, and turn it back on again. The monitor comes on,
and you can see the power light on, and you hear the
drives spinning; but that’s it. You see nothing on the
screen. You take it back to your "trusty" local computer
store who tell you that your motherboard is dead and
that you will need a replacement. You are livid at the
problems that you have had in such a short period of
time ! You decide to trash this computer and cry !
4.) Many cheap
computersare sold at
lower prices due to the manufacturer/builder using lower
priced components to keep the cost charged to consumers
- low.
Lower priced or cheap computer components usually
equal inferior hardware that doesn’t last as long as
more expensive hardware. I’ve learned the hard
way, by building computer systems in the past using
lower priced components, and buying parts that were
“store specials”. This created a headache for my
customers as well as myself. I received MANY service
requests to fix brand new systems, due to using hardware
that wasn’t as durable and reliable as more pricey
options.
Summary – TekTime serves a SPECIALIZED
MARKET!
We at TekTime specialize in
building custom, mid to high end Home Theatre
Personal Computers. These machines are
created using the highest quality components possible,
and they are created by technicians with extensive
knowledge in computers, technology and electronics. For
every computer we build, we spend hours to days testing,
configuring and customizing, to ensure top quality
products. We also provide the best warranties possible,
which could not be done if we used inferior
products.
The cost of replacing
countless cheap
computers and hardware
on a regular basis would destroy our reputation. Not
everyone can afford to purchase our systems, but we do
not compromise quality for any amount of money. Our
customer service and value are unbeatable, and once you
decide to purchase a system from us, you will learn that
first hand! Remember, PRICE is what you pay, VALUE is
what you get.
Regardless of where you buy your next
computer or HTPC, make sure that the VALUE you are
receiving, far exceeds the PRICE that you are paying.
Many times the lowest price equates to the lowest value.
Depending on your needs, you may want to avoid that
tempting, cheap -
computer.
Are you one of the many people who love a
good bargain? Do you cringe at the thought of paying more than $500.00
for a computer system? Keep in mind that the
old adage of “you get what you pay for”,
certainly rings true in my cases, when dealing with
computers. I’ll explain why: 
