Date: 04-16-93 (18:07) Number: 71518 of 71625 To: JIM KRIZ Refer#: 71119 Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE -> For instance, I am looking to buy a new or used laptop. Which laptop -> from which company should I consider? Of the companies suggested, -> which offer a service and/or upgrade program? Do these companies end -> up -> -> The beauty of this BBS is that it has conferences for just about -> everything. Join conf. 62. It's the laptop conference. -> In addition, a rep from Toshiba participates in that conference so if -> you buy a Toshiba you can get on-line support! -> Jim Date: 04-17-93 (09:50) Number: 71543 of 71625 From: JIM KRIZ Read: NO Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE OK. Here's one for your list. I have bought 2 hard drives from HARD DRIVES INTERNATIONAL and have had EXCELLENT support from them. The first drive I bought wouldn't work properly and they worked with me for about a week trying different things - on their "dime"!! If I called, they would call back so the call cost them for the time and not me. They finally resolved the problem by setting up a 3-way call with the drive manufacturer and we both learned that the disk I got was a new rev. but the docs were for the old one. As soon as the manufacturer gave us the right settings everything worked. BTW, Hard Drives International has "expanded" and they are now INSIGHT COMPUTERS. They usually have full color multi-page ads in PC Mag. and PC/Computing. I have also had excellent results with Egghead. Date: 04-08-93 (11:22) Number: 71130 of 71625 From: MARK ZEC Read: 04-16-93 (18:07) HAS REPLIES Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE The discussion does pop up from time to time....and check out one of the recent issues of PCWorld....they had a rather extensive write-up on mail order computer companies. Although I didn't buy my computer mail order, I've heard nothing but good things from people that have bought from Gateway. SUPPORTER OF GATEWAY ---------- To: MARK ZEC Refer#: 71130 From: BRUCE KENNEDY Read: 04-09-93 (09:29) To: MARK ZEC Refer#: 71130 From: BARBARA BUCKANTZ Read: 04-09-93 (09:29) To: JOHN RASTENIS Refer#: 71178 From: BOB JARVIS Read: 04-09-93 (20:12) As a Gateway owner I've had no problems with them. When my hard disk froze up last fall (about six days before the warranty expired :) they replaced it without a problem. As a Gateway customer I can call them and buy upgrades at pretty good prices - I bought my Diamond Speedstar 24X card from them for $139 or so. The same card was selling for $189 at LDI (I went in and priced it before I ordered it from Gateway, on the theory that I'd pay maybe five or ten bucks extra to have it Right Away Quick - but $50?!? I thunk not... :). At my current client site they're using Gateway PC's exclusively and things have gone exceedingly well. Works for me! :) Date: 04-09-93 (09:26) Number: 71178 of 71625 From: JOHN RASTENIS Read: 04-11-93 (10:42) HAS REPLIES Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE I've heard good and bad. About two years ago, the reveiws were great. Recently, I've heard complaints that they screw up orders and trying to get phone support is like trying to get your cat to go for a walk with you. ---------- OTHERS ---- Date: 04-10-93 (20:12) Number: 71236 of 71625 From: RUSS ADAMS Read: 04-16-93 (18:10) Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE I purchased a Compudyne 386sx notebook computer from Compudyne in November of 1991. By December of '92, they not only no longer offered that model, they would and could not give ANY support for the machine. I wanted to purchase an additional power supply for the machine, and Compudyne could not even tell me who MANUFACTURED the machine, and they told me they no longer sold any hardware for the machine, and they could not give me a name of anyone who could fix the machine if I had problems with it. They DID, however, rather strongly INSIST that they still 'supported' the machine. They said if I had any questions, just feel free to call and ask... ever hear the term "double-speak"? I like the machine, but based on my experience, I would NOT purchase another machine from them due to their, in my opinion, total lack of support only 1 year after purchase. Oh - btw, I had a problem with the machine within 2 months of purchasing it, and I had to send it back to them THREE times with the identical problem before they fixed it. The machine was either in the mail or in their shop for almost 2 months before it was fixed. I guess you could say, I'm not impressed. I'm currently on a one year contract in Australia, and the machine I brought with me here is a COMPAQ LTE 425/C which I purchased from LDI. It cost almost 3 times as much as the compuslime machine, but I can get service on it wherever I go... the color is SPECTACULAR on the active matrix machines! --- Date: 04-10-93 (20:38) Number: 71297 of 71625 From: BILL GEIGER Read: NO Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Just bot a 486/33 loaded with VESA local bus etc from EPS TECHNOLOGIES in South Dakota. Unfortunately COM 2 wasn't working when I got it. There were several 800 calls to their tech service who were never available when I called but they did call back within an hour. BTW they shipped me a new I/O card but the problem turned out to be the ribbon cable. I was unhappy with the problem but very satisfied with their efforts. A good friend bot a 486/33 system from somebody named MAXIMUS. I'm not sure where they are located but the friend feels like he was taken. Both above firms advertise in Computer Shopper. ---- Date: 04-08-93 (18:57) Number: 71298 of 71625 From: BOB ABBOTT Read: NO Subj: MAIL ORDER EXPERIENCES Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Good idea. Also, how about a forum on any type of local stores, not computer related. A local consumer forum. From personal experience, I would not buy any laptop that was not a major name brand. When they become old models (6 months?) they get very, very, expensive to repair because of the lack of the very custom motherboards. I would stick with the likes of Compaq, Toshiba, etc. ---