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Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista? | |
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| Time: 12:56 EST/17:56 GMT | News Source: APC Mag | Posted By: Andre Da Costa | ||
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Conventional wisdom holds that if you feel the urge to upgrade to Windows Vista, buying it pre-installed on a new machine is the best way to go. The advantages are allegedly twofold: there should be fresh and functional drivers for all the built-in hardware, and you get OEM pricing (much lower than the retail AU $400-$700 price range) for your new OS. That discount pricing comes with a nasty twist, however. | ||
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| #1 By 2201 (86.27.146.228) at 5/14/2007 1:24:06 PM |
| This "news" might be news to n00bs, but this has been standard practice for Windows since at least 95, so I don't think technical people in the know (like virtually everyone at this site) would be surprised at this supposed "newsworthy" piece. |
| #2 By 32132 (142.32.208.234) at 5/14/2007 1:43:02 PM |
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"If, however, the manufacturer decides that you have a software problem rather than defective hardware, it will send you straight back to Microsoft, which will demand a consulting fee (currently $80 for Australian users) to even think about the problem, and without offering anything approaching a guaranteed fix."
I call bogus. A neighbor who bought a Dell with Vista had a problem with Sleep Mode. The Dell employee assigned to the case was fantastic. He kept my neighbor up to date. They tried a lot of things. The guy kept calling my neighbor to keep him up to date and eventually Dell/Microsoft discovered a bug that was fixed. In my neighbors opinion, service was great. He also learned alot about Vista in the process. All for free. |
| #3 By 29967 (68.0.203.223) at 5/14/2007 1:48:54 PM |
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I just LOVE these slanted articles!....... You know, RESPECTABLE OEMs such as HP, Dell (no laughing, they have the ability to do so), Gateway all have ample resources to provide support... I doubt that the "horror stories" you hear about online are representative of the whole of their support abilities, because if that was the case, they'd be a lot less popular than they are.
I can only see this being a problem with small computer stores, like "PC Farm" over in Newington, CT that i've been to, or "PCW computers" here in Warwick, RI. They're small places, with some reputation but a miniscule customer base compared to the major OEMS. THEY are the ones most likely to bounce you back to MS. But then, if you shop at a discount PC store, then well, u get what u pay for. People are better off spending the extra buck and getting a real brand name computer. Even moreso, if people took the time to learn about their computer before they use it, as in whats in it, what each part does, and how to deal with windows, which is NOT as hard as people make it out to be, they'll be much better off. But then, I've been using windows since i was 12 (14 years ago) Some people claim not to have the time it takes to learn to use it. In that case, i'd say "dont use a computer then, because if you don't have to time to learn how to use it, then you'll end up getting yourself into a heap of trouble one way or another." It really is equivalent to buying a car without learning how to drive first. sure you wont kill anyone, but you could fuck up your computer with viruses, or unknowingly get your passwords and identity stolen, etc. I ask those people who'v had that happen to them, "NOW is it worth the extra time to learn how to use the computer right?" This post was edited by ispamforfood on Monday, May 14, 2007 at 13:51. |
| #4 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 5/14/2007 2:28:00 PM |
| I would imagine lketchum has something to say about this.... ;) (Actually, I'd bet he has a LOT to say. :P Just joking with ya. ;) ) |
| #5 By 23275 (24.179.4.158) at 5/14/2007 2:28:59 PM |
|
All have valid points here.
As a small, specialty builder, we have long built what I assess are the best supported PC's available and I submit that small builders are in the best position to offer support services that are better and more individually relevant than large OEM's or even Microsoft. Small builders ideally know their customers well and their computing needs far better than any large organization can. Small builders can sell turn-key systems and quite literally, spoil their customers. We work to provide this level of service - we extend this support to applications of any type and hardware, too - even hardware we do not sell. If we can't fix it over the phone in a few moments, we roll and fix it for them, or show them how to do what they seek to do. To do that, systems have to be all but bullet proof, and small builders have to be ready to take some hits, too. i.e., nearly every 120mm fan shipped by Antec in the last three years has failed on us. The answer: buy news ones for the customer and roll and replace every one of them. After that, toss any stock fan in the can and fit the systems with the highest end after-market fans, only. Period. Also, every Microsoft Partner that is working an issue on behalf of a customer is afforded cost free support. So if/when an OEM needs help to care for a customer, Microsoft is there and most willing to help. We have turned to them on many occasions, and in each case, Microsoft Support was phenominal and remained with the case until it was resolved. Based upon what I have seen, there is no good basis for what this story attempts to assert. If any OEM provides a customer with a bad experience, then it is the OEM, or Systems Builder that is the responsible party. The larger reality here is that the entire Microsoft business model provides for nealry countless business and revenue opportunities across our industry. |
| #6 By 23275 (24.179.4.158) at 5/14/2007 2:57:13 PM |
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#4, LOLOLOLOL - I guess I am that bad.
Small builders can charge way more than OEM's - but, their products and services have to be real and above all else, proactive. One has to email and visit the customer often and ask what they need. Only then can the small builder learn how customers use PC's. Then they have to be able to fix them really quickly - and again, in the case of the smaller builder, who designs and manufacturers the systems, it is far easier to understand what a system is doing. Response times have to be near immediate, too. If one does that, not only may higher prices be justified, one may charge meaningful recurring fees for support as well. Do that alongside other managed services, and one can earn a customer's support for a lifetime and create a massive cushion against market trends and gaps in revenue. It all has to be real, though. I recently had a kid lose his PC to age, cat hair, more grime than I care to recall and simple abuse. Though it was four years old, I rebuilt it by hand, re-cased it and gave all its older parts the scrubbing they should have had all along. We didn't charge him a dime and replaced his aging mainboard, CPU, RAM, Video Card and Drive with new components featuring new technology. The reason we did this was because we provide cost free labor support for our systems for the life of the PC. As long as a MB and PSU can be fitted to it, we'll service it. In this case, I added the parts for free because it was a kid who couldn't afford new parts. He asked me why I did that and I said, "because my name is on it and I only have one of those." I know that boy won't forget that, which brings me to the meaning of this post - the small builder best represents the PC, its ecosystem, its promise and just how different a PC is from closed systems. PC's are intensely personal and they, like most other things, can represent so much more than the sum of their parts - what matters most is how they are used and a big part of that is how well they are supported. We have one rule in our unit - "Never leave a PC in any state that you yourself would not use to do those things necessary to care for your family." This of course drives so much else - doing the right thing, regardless of the personal costs. Do this, and no customer will ever expect perfection and they will forgive any defect in any third party component - a drive, memory, etc... They will always remain loyal to you and the products you build. In many ways, I have seen this same thinking from the people at Microsoft. This post was edited by lketchum on Monday, May 14, 2007 at 14:57. |
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