Buy high or low?
14 messages in this thread
Question for techies. This has nothing to do with Amigas, but:
I need to buy quickly a laptop/notebook class clone for use in a 3rd world
country – where warrantees mean nothing, parts are unavailable, power is
iffy, etc. I have no idea how the user/buyer sees the tradeoff between
reliability and price. And it is not possible to ask him before shipping
time.
I can get a namebrand 386SX with 1 or 2 MB ram and 40MB HD for about $1800;
I can get an "almost name brand" like an Everex Tempo for $1600; or I can
get a "source unknown" clone for $1300.
I have tried out the cheapie – it seems ok – if it were for me, I'd get it,
knowing Silicon Valley's a shout away and I could replace whatever I
smoked. But what about the guy 12000 miles from here?
Knowing electronics tend to fail fast or not fail for years, what if I got
the cheapie and ran it myself for a couple months to burn it in and make
sure all is well?
I want to save the buyer all I can, but I also want reasonable reliability.
What do I buy??
Suggestions appreciated.
It might be easiest to go to your computer dealer and ask which laptop
model is the most popular. I looked at a sales chart on laptops the other
day and was surprised to see a TI computer at the top of the list. As for
parts, warranty, etc. I don't think it really matters. If this thing
breaks down, it sounds like you'll need to send it out of the country for
repairs. You didn't way which part of the world, but chances are, there may
be a repair place or dealer closer than you think.
It's going to Binga, a small town on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. The nearest
computer store is in Bulawayo, 400 or so miles away. The drive to Bulawayo
is not exactly like a trip on an Interstate. 🙂
Maybe you should investigate a ruggedized, industrial laptop that seals out
dust and moisture. They're probably not that much more expensive, because
I bet they're in demand in the PC market. At COMDEX these days, half the
place is dominated by booths carrying weird variations of clones, and
everyone has their own laptop.
Thanks, John, I'll price the ruggedized models for next year. I got a fax
yesterday that said cheaper = better, so I bought the "Golden Hawk of
Sunnyvale" top of the line for $1339. It runs fine although I doubt the
screen hinge can handle much stress. I'm going to add some cache ram and
call it done.
Ever read "Into the Heart of Borneo"? I have almost enough material for the
Zimbabwe version.
Rob,
Even when you buy the very best of brand names (I'm thinking Toshiba, which
is what I bought for myself) I hear that you have to return the machine to
the country where it was bought for the warranty work, and that frequently
the machines in other countries are so different from the ones sold here
that dealers outside the US cannot even get parts for them. I suspect this
is true of the other brands, too. However, I STILL bought the Toshiba for
my own use, and am very well pleased with it.
Betty
Thanks, Betty and Steve. I think I'll pick the middle priced one, run it
in, and then function as a mail order parts business when I get back.
Mailing small boards or chips is possible and with luck I'll be going back
again in another year to take anything larger. With more luck, the computer
will last the year out.
Thanks again.
Rob:
I once read a PC Magazine article (May 1991) in which about 10 or Notebooks
were tested, including Compaq, Toshiba, Zenith, and some other brand names.
One name I'd never heard of (ZEOS) came on top. It passed a whole bunch of
"real life" tests (ie leaving the notebook in the trunk of your car by
accident under extreme cold and hot temps, falling off a desk, etc)
You may want to give them a shout:
ZEOS International, Ltd.
530 5th Avenue NW
St Paul, MN 55112
Voice (612) 633-4592
Fax (612) 633-1325
Tech support (800)423-5891
They have a 30-day "Absolute Satisfaction" money-back guarantee.
I once called them so I could get some more literature from them.
If you give me a fax #, I could fax them to you.
Hope am not too late.
Good luck.
Jose Fuentes, NYC
Rob,
I can't give too much (intelligent) advice. What I'd probably do is shop
for the hardware that meets your needs — then shop price and warranty. I
know you said that the warranty in this situation is useless, but it is an
indication of what the manufacturer (or OEM) thinks of their product's
reliability. If financially possible, since the user will be in the middle
of nowhere, I'd buy 2 identical machines. If one dies, the user isn't down
while it travels around the world to be repaired.
-sja
Rob,
I would suggest the following:
First, consider that laptop breakdown rates are MUCH higher than those of
desktops. This is a big consideration.
Next: I would go with a brand name, but not with a current model. I would
consider a decent '286, and one built by a reputable manufacturer. Right
now, you can get the old Compaq LTE 286 for under $1000 (if you can find
someone closing them out). They are tough, they will run DOS at a pretty
decent clip, and will be relatively cheap. There are other brands out
there that will offer the same thing.
If speed is a consideration, try a new model of either Grid or AT&T. Grid,
I believe, still make some of its models with a metal case, while the AT&T
Safari appears like it can take some abuse. Plus, it is fast and nice.
Third: Third World intimates humidity to me. It would be worth looking
into either a good supply of dessicant packs (you know, the little packs of
crystal beads that they pack with electronics to keep the moisture out). I
can't tell you where, but cases are available that are lined with the
stuff…good for medium to long term storage. When they have absorbed all
the moisture they can handle, you put them in the oven and bake them (the
case, not the laptop….:).
Oh yeah…the general rule that I have found is that the lighter it
is,the more shortcuts the manufacturer has taken….while if it is too
heavy, it probably means a crude design. Try something that has some heft,
but looks like it was made well.
Hope this helps.
Jonathan
– via Whap!
Jonathan, thanks for the advice. The country is Zimbabwe which has a fairly
decent climate – high plains, a rainy season in our Fall, moderate
temperatures. Drought, famine, disease, and politicians are bigger problems
than the weather.
What you say makes great sense to me. The user, however, feels that cheaper
= better, so I bought a local (SF Bay area) no-name clone from some guys
with a decent reputation. The user specifically requested a 386SX machine,
so that's what I bought him.
[Earnest throat-clearing.] Since this is my first honest job in a number of
years, I'm trying to keep the customer happy: having warned him about
price/reliability tradeoffs, I'll meet *his* price and performance specs.
The computer is irrelevant to the real job anyway.
Thanks again, Rob.
Jonathon,
The AT&T Safari is a _great_ little notebook computer. I've got one for my
use (but it's not mine — it's AT&Ts). If I were to buy a laptop/notebook,
that's be it (altho it is pricey at almost $6k).
-sja
Oh, God, I'm gonna hear about _this_…
I think that a Zenith MastersPort SL will do what you need. If the
MastersPort is built anything like the 4 year old SupersPort (286 laptop
weighing in at _15_ lbs w/battery) I have, you won't go far wrong. Zenith
has a reputation for good power management — meaning that the operating
life of the battery willl be better than some of the "brand X" notebooks.
The power adapter is an "autosensing" adapter that will work on 100-120vac
and 200-240vac, 50/60 Hz. This makes it _very_ useful if you plan to use
the machine somewhere where you can't be too sure _what_ you're plugging
into.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Brian
– via Whap!
Rob:
Re: My Last message
It wasnt PC Magazine, it was PC Computing, May 1991
Jose