Re: Processor Speed
- From: "Uncle Joe" <Uncle Jose@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2005 11:06:44 -0400
A few points. Yes, a cheap new Dell would be a step up
from a Win98 era machine. It wouldn't be able to handle
heavy computations or graphics, but it would offer a user
a vast improvement over his/her earlier PC models. The
user would have to face and accept the fact that expansion
capabilities would be retarded on the new cheap PC.
Secondly, I haven't seen a $5000 gaming machine in years.
If one acquires a $5K machine, one's typically going to
build it himself/herself. And then he/she is likely to have paid
way too much for components.
Thirdly, there a serious misconception about PC salesman's
commissions. The average PC salesman gets 1 or 1.5% on
commission on a PC, and then only if he sells a customer
a TAP (Technology Assurance Program)--aka as an extended
warranty. If one fails to sell the extended warranty, one loses
the commission. By selling the warranty program, one collects
the meager commission and a small cut of the warranty program's
price. Turnover in PC retail sales is extremely high because
once people get over the thrill of being in a high-tech field,
they must confront the fact that they're starving to death. It's
not worth it to put up with ultra-cheap urealistic customers
who want discounts to bring a $900 PC down to $300.
It's not going to happen. There's no margin left in PC, printer,
and monitor sales anymore. Three years ago, one bought
a solid, competent HP or Espson printer for $395-500.
Now, one can buy a fast Espon printer with built-in scanner
for $100. Virtually no margin. The stores make their profits
off ink cartridge and paper sales.
At my chain, we would have had to turn off the lights if we
depended on PC sales to produce profits. The markup is
in accessories, books, and software. You absolutely
wouldn't believe the markup in a simple USB cable.
PC sales is a necessary evil in computer stores. One
sells a PC to a customer and then sits back and
watches that same customer coming in to buy cables,
speakers, graphics cards, more RAM, and so forth.
That's where the profits come from. They're small profits
but they add up fast.
Look our in the parking lot. You won't see computer
salesmen driving new cars. They work in the stores
because they truly love doing what they do.
I despised selling extended warranties because (1) I think
they're a big rip-off, and (2) I've seen used parts cannibalized
from other broken PCs being used to repair my customers'
PCs. "How do you know that used hard drive works?" I'd
be told to not worry about it.
Since I found it difficult to sell a $600 three-year extended
warranty for a $600 PC, I literally starved. The stress was
enormous. We had one angry male customer come into the
store raging like a bull. He pushed a female salesperson,
and I decked him. He learned a few manners that day.
One of the things we were forbidden to do was provide
technical support after the sale. After all, we sold a
telephone service support program. Of course, customers
pestered us continuously to provide them with all sorts of
technical support--from replacing their motherboards
to how to create family genealogy charts. Nobody wanted
to be rude, but we couldn't be selling if we were tied up
by insistent customers who wanted to know how to
create icons. I adored the customers who came with
problems with the Dell PCs. We never sold Dell. And
you want me to waste my time on you? NOT!
And at my store, we processed an average of over 50
applications for employment weekly. When a salesman
such as myself got burned out, there were always eager
beavers waiting to take one's place. I had a heart attack
in the store. As the EMTs were rolling me out on a
stretcher, the sales manager fired me for low sales that
week ($40K) and for screwing up his schedule.
Don't ever make the mistake of thinking PC salesmen make
a good living. Many are below the poverty line. When you
see a $700 PC in a chain computer store, the store's markup
is around $20-35 bucks. So the salesman may get a $1-3
commission off of a new PC sale.
There are many assumptions about PC sales that are simply
not true. Such assumptions used to be true in the days of
$2000-4000 PCs. That was then; this is now.
> Salesmen get paid commissions or raises based on sales,
> there is a bigger commission on a $5,000 gaming machine than
> a $299 starter machine.
>
> Today's starter is better than any computer from the W95-98
> era. It doesn't make any sense to update a machine that is
> older than say am 845 chips set, and then only if you are
> just upping the CPU by at least a Gig or adding $50 of RAM
> or a $40 hard drive. Just my opinion.
>
> --
> The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
> But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
> some support
> http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
>
>
>
> "Ken Blake" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> message news:uNea1NkvFHA.3236@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> | In news:u4%23zEqjvFHA.2924@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> | Jim Macklin <p51mustang[threeX12]@xxxhotmail.calm> typed:
> |
> | > Thanks
> |
> |
> | You're welcome, Jim.
> |
> |
> | --
> | Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> | Please reply to the newsgroup
> |
> |
> | >
> | > "Ken Blake" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> | > message news:eLPNrOhvFHA.596@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> | >> In news:Xns96D6BEDFB24A4idispcom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> | >> DanS <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> typed:
> | >>
> | >>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
> in
> | >>> news:ec
> | >>> $KjhLvFHA.2072@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
> | >>>
> | >>>> In news:%23pJPkmKvFHA.1988@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> | >>>> Jim Macklin <p51mustang[threeX12]@xxxhotmail.calm>
> typed:
> | >>>>
> | >>>>> And remember you can buy a new Dell for $300 with XP
> and
> | >>>>> some software and a new warranty. It will cost you
> at
> | >>>>> least
> | >>>>> $100 for an upgrade XP CD.
> | >>>>
> | >>>>
> | >>>> Yes, an excellent point! It hardly pays to upgrade.
> | >>>>
> | >>>
> | >>> Yes, if you want a VERY low budget PC.
> | >>
> | >>
> | >> I think you have this backward. Jim's point was that
> his
> | >> 98-era
> | >> computer is already a very minimal PC. Spending $100
> for an
> | >> operating system upgrade will leave him with that very
> minimal
> | >> PC. Spending only $200 more will get him a much more
> modern,
> | >> much
> | >> better equipped computer, and makes economic sense in
> most
> | >> situations. Yes it's still an entry-level machine, but
> it's
> | >> much
> | >> better than what he would have if he just bought a new
> | >> operating
> | >> system and kept his old computer.
> | >>
> | >> Spening more money than $300 and getting better
> quality,
> | >> specs,
> | >> etc. may also make sense for some people, but that's a
> | >> completely
> | >> different issue from Jim'ssuggestion.
> | >>
> | >> --
> | >> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> | >> Please reply to the newsgroup
> | >>
> | >>
> | >>>
> | >>> The one I use at work started as one of those deals.
> P4/2.8G,
> | >>> 256M
> | >>> RAM, 17" CRT, CDrw for $299.
> | >>>
> | >>> Adding 256M of RAM, a floppy (since it didn't come
> with
> | >>> that),
> | >>> and
> | >>> upping the monitor to a 19" brought the total up to
> | >>> $600-something.
> | >>> I'm still stuck with the built-in graphics though, as
> there
> | >>> isn't
> | >>> even an AGP socket on the MB. Oh yeah, and no speakers
> | >>> either.
> |
> |
>
>
.
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