In the late 80’s, when bits and bytes and hardware started trickling into the common household, retailers ruled the market. All you could hear of was IBM and HP and Compaq and all the big cheese dominating a relatively untapped market - that of the common household. But slowly a lucrative business started forging into the arena of computer sales. The business of buying computer parts and putting them together and selling them at a fraction of retail cost. An epiphany by enterprising individuals. A revolution that sparked the great debate - to go assembled or branded... branded or assembled.. assembled or branded... BAH!
Why assembled?
A cash strapped miserly sort like me would go DUH. A question like that is simply a laughable rhetoric for the likes of us. When you appear to get the same value for your money at a significantly lower cost, what meaning does a brand hold to you? But the question is - are you really getting value for your money? The answer is - it depends on what kind of a computer user you are. I subscribe to the assembled train of thought simply because of the logistical short term implications - among other things, a healthier looking bank account. Having said that though, I might also add that I regard myself a fairly experienced computer user.
If you consider yourself a novice user, odds are you will want everything to work out of the box. Which basically translates to you plugging everything in and turning your computer on and voila - your computer will work as it’s supposed to. But sadly your savings in that case will be negligible. When you put together the cost of the parts and the labor involved in putting them together, your savings will be commensurate with the quality of the parts that you want to put in and the different things you want in there. So if you expect high quality parts and everything assembled to perfection, what’s in it for the guy selling it to you... philantropy? It helps to factor in all these nuances before you decide to go assembled.
Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself before you sway one way or the other. Are you willing to partake of some of the labor in assembling your computer? Are you willing to forgo some of the parts and wait for better deals and assemble them at a later time? Is there any way you can cut corners and get a hold of an OS from somewhere and install it yourself? Do you want to tailor your computer to suit your specific requirements? If you answer ’’yes’’ to each of these questions, you will find your savings adding up significantly. Plus you will have your computer made-to-order and designed specifically to adhere to your needs - from being a super internet junkie - to an MP3 maniac - or a powerhouse programmer. But then there’s the flip side. You have to keep in mind that you will not have brand name warranties to help you out should something go kaput in your assemblage. Buying as-is has it’s share of shortcomings and that’s the price you pay for not investing on brand name after-sales service before hand (that’s why the retail price is marked up). If you are a do-it-yourself type of person, you have nothing to worry about. But if you need professionals to look at the problem, it’s going to cost you. If you can’t deal with either, you just spent money on a pile of electronic, silicon and plastic junk.
The bottom line is with assembled you have to be fully aware of what you are dealing with. Assembled computers lack the backing of a brand name. If you are lucky, you will have short-term but fairly useless warranties on some of the assembled parts. As for service - there are no guarantees.
Why Branded?
If you’re not a risk-taker, branded is good. But be prepared to expend some financial resources if you want some juice in your computer. Arguably, branded computers are a lot cheaper than they once were and are definitely more reliable. But make sure you go through the computer’s spec sheet before you buy. Intel Pentiums are the industry top-of-the-line. But there are some chip makers that are poised to steal the limelight from pentium. The Celeron made by Intel is a cheaper alternative. But as always, establish what you are planning on using your computer for. If it is heavy duty processing, then a Celeron’s probably not going to work out for you. Then there are the Athlons by AMD which are comparable in performance to a Celeron but cheaper.
Most of the branded computers today come with these and several other options. And then there’s the after-sales service and a decent warranty. Dell and HP usually have online live service options. Since your machine’s serial number will be registered in their databases, tracking a problem and maintaining a history chart on your computer will be easier and more effective. Plus you have a brand name’s quality stamp to back you up.
The flip side is - first off you pay brand royalty. The price for it being marketed as a Dell product. But a Dell product doesn’t always deliver ’’Dell’’ quality. Your branded computer is as susceptible to problems as its assembled counterpart. And don’t be looking for the heavily touted 24/7 service that you see on TV. Your computer will get fixed in due time if it has problems but more often than not, it’s not without some perseverance on your part. And the real sore point I have with branded is - if you want to customize your computer, you will encounter all kinds of incompatibility issues. Unfortunately in most cases, with branded computers, you’re limited to the computer’s brand recommendations when it comes to additions or replacements. And that’s no fun!
All in all, here’s my advice if you’re planning to buy a computer. Do your homework. Decide what you’re going to use it for first. You wouldn’t want to spend a whole bunch of money on stuff you wont ever use. A common mistake people make is getting led on by popular buzzwords in the industry. Educate yourself and make intelligent decisions whichever way you go. A computer is a worthwhile investment and they work best when you buy one that’s best suited for your use.