Re: Column: Should you build or buy a new Media Center PC?

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

Hi, Dana,

Remember those black helicopters.....

As for my previous system, I had all the correct hardware. The system used
may not have been the newest out there, but it was certainly well within
specs. I wasn't the only person facing this. I spoke to many Media Center
MVPs as well as people on the Media Center team at Microsoft to try to
resolve it. Interestingly enough, some of them were seeing the same things.
And looking at the newsgroups from that same time frame, so were many others
who were posting here. It was the reason the article was suggested.

As for the pricing, the article is that it was written early this year.
Prices have come down for many components since then. Yes, the systems were
expensive. I could also build a simpler Media Center for a lot less money,
but the ones spec'd included components to make a great gaming system as
well. Choices were personal, but overall, it was a choice of components that
were readily available to potential buyers.

As for your last statement, "There are plenty of us on this newsgroup (both
MVPs and not) who could spec out and assemble a system for half the price
she states, that would perform reliably and require a minimum of support. So
don't get discouraged by her article." I don't disagree. So could a lot of
system builders, which is why I suggested that they check locally for
someone if they weren't comfortable with building the machine themselves.
Support can be a big stumbling block for someone who doesn't have a lot of
knowledge to troubleshoot things themselves.

The point of the article was that there are alternatives to building a
system for those who may want specific components but aren't comfortable
with the lack of support that comes with the OEM operating system.
--
Terri Stratton
Microsoft Windows MVP - Tablet PC
http://thetabletpc.net
Microsoft Featured Community
http://themediacenterpc.net

"Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23CyrcXkqFHA.3640@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> After reading your feedback I had to go read her entire column. I agree
> with
> you, she's a bit clueless about computer systems. I don't disagree with
> too
> many of her hardware choices, but she should have priced them out herself
> and provided a "parts only" figure. All of the system builders she
> consulted
> had the prices very near $2500 for the system, yet I bet we could find
> similar, if not identical, parts online from reputable dealers for half
> that.
>
> And I really wonder about some of the choices. For instance, are her ears
> really good enough to tell the difference between onboard 7.1 sound and an
> Audigy? Is Maxtor the best choice for a RAID array? Why a second ROM
> drive,
> this one a CD-RW? I'd love to poke around the system she built and see if
> I
> could figure out why it was so flakey...maybe just adding a new video card
> and tuner to an old system was like repainting an old clunker car in hopes
> it would perform like a new one.
>
> Hopefully she'll be at the MVP Summit this year, as I'd like to have a
> long
> talk with her.
>
> To others on this newsgroup - take that article with a grain of salt.
> There
> are plenty of us on this newsgroup (both MVPs and not) who could spec out
> and assemble a system for half the price she states, that would perform
> reliably and require a minimum of support. So don't get discouraged by her
> article.
>
> Dana Cline - MVP
>
> "Nigel Barker" <nigel@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:r8ftg1t83jlj980crhjnkmgtk84gil4apf@xxxxxxxxxx
>> On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 23:44:25 -0400, "Doug Knox MS-MVP" <dknox@xxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>>
>> >The article should have more emphasis on the fact that the user needs to
> purchase a compatible DVD decoder, and that some don't play well with
> particular video cards.
>> >
>> >Additionally, there is no mention of the fact that you will not get the
> Sonic Encoders on a straight OEM system, and will therefore be unable to
> burn Recorded TV to DVD (that will play in a regular DVD player).
>>
>> Also it turns out that the system she installed herself
>>
>> "was never stable for more than two weeks. Reinstalling drivers, often
> several
>> times, generally would get the system working again, at least for a short
> time.
>> This was frustrating and certainly not something that most people would
> expect
>> to handle."
>>
>> The bulk of the article is not about building your own system at all but
> is
>> about specifying components for an OEM to build a system. The price tag
>> on
> the
>> systems is pretty amazing ($2500->$3000 without the DVD decoder or any
> other
>> software). She then doesn't even discuss the performance of the custom
> built
>> systems. My impression is that in fact no systems have actually been
>> built
> but
>> that she has just obtained quotations.
>>
>> --
>> Nigel Barker
>> Live from the sunny Cote d'Azur
>
>


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: ENTOURAGE STOPPED SYNCING & DOING SIMPLE FINDS - PLEASE HELP
    ... newsgroup, so I don't know much about it. ... customer support to Mac Office users. ... English-speaking Mac Office newsgroups and one thing leading to another, ... MVPs are not MS employees - Les MVP ne travaillent pas pour MS ...
    (microsoft.public.mac.office.entourage)
  • Re: Why are there no Grammar check "explanations" in Word 2008?
    ... None of the MVPs work for MS. ... If John posts in a thread, it doesn't mean other people won't post after ... support for search a replace would be a terrific addition to Word, ... use a decent newsgroup reader and add him to the kill-file. ...
    (microsoft.public.mac.office.word)
  • Re: Is onboard vidoe generally good enough?
    ... Thank you for the acknowledment. ... respond much more than some of us non MVPs) who support this newsgroup or ... any newsgroup it is always a pleasure to know that our suggestions work ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter)
  • Re: WMP 10 streaming fails on all websites.
    ... Even if we were MVPs it doesn't change a single thing. ... Chris Lanier ... > whole new perspective to newsgroups I didn't know about. ... >> means the users of the software support it. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsmedia.player)
  • Re: azc reply to jasons post re posting email addresss
    ... I admire the MVPs ... This newsgroup has warned numerous times about these sorts of ... >> post nameed POSTING EMAIL ADDRESS BY JASON. ... >> Most people that use this knowledge base either did not ...
    (microsoft.public.security.virus)