The Mother Board

Client wanted a replacement to her dead laptop (RMA, free fedex label). I persuaded her to get a desktop (she had the space). That one went spastic. (RMA,free fedex) All my hours setting it up and installing software went down the drain 31 days later. Of course I got an RMA, but no pay for the setup and software install....

So her daughter talked her into a tablet,which I bought after much discussion between mother and daughter. All seems well, currently. But quality control seems to be ditchwater, Any one else have that? HP, Lenovo, Asus, and even Acer. (Don't mention Dell.) SO MUCH de-crapifying of ridiculous pre-installed programs!

In 1985 through 1992 or so, I built my computers from scratch, and one proud client recently showed me an 8088 I built, still working. But by the time 386s came along, I couldn't compete with the online and store price (Sears, Walmart, other department stores!) so I slowed and then, after 486s, stopped building. Plenty of money in buying online, then setup and installing software, and training.

Lately I have been encountering more problematic computers. And my clientele diminishes as the young'uns are perfectly happy watching crap on their smart-phones. They text while walking, missing out on the natural beauty which surrounds them. (As spring evolves, I find it extraordinarily repulsive)

Responses?

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Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.
--- Groucho Marx

A member of Folding Team number 33258 for a cure for PARKINSONS DISEASE

Nice to see you are still with us, lannaheim.
The problem today is that most people want portability and instant gratification.. even while walking with eyes glued to a smart phone, in rush-hour traffic!!
Yes, today's systems are a lot more powerful and versatile than those of 20 years or more back. Yet they don't have the durability or longevity of the older stalwarts. And they weren't bogged with so many useless apps and programs. But those program providers try to hook you into a purchase, which may return a commission to the device provider.
I, too, did all my own builds up until about 4 years ago. New systems are just too chintzy for me, and the newer OS versions are not user-friendly to older pros! Is this called "progress"?

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F@H.. to solve mankind's maladies.. in our lifetimes!

Yes very frustrating. I still swear by desktops due to the power and versatility of what you can do. Laptops have limitations of screen size and speed, but that is outweighed by portability. Tablets, small pokey little things filled with manufacturers bloatware, unless you can get hold of a 'vanilla' device (Google only tablet, oddly by Google) - loved for their portability and the ability of well 'just working' (most of the time). Smartphones, pure and simple a communications device - too small for doing to much (watching films, YouTube) in a satisfactory way. Popular with ladies and children under the age of 26 due to 'it just works', it fits in a handbag or back pocket and it communicates (not by calling someone of course, but via Snap Chat, Twitter, but not Facebook as youngsters don't use that anymore).

For me, Windows is terrible. Dated and outmoded way of Marketing and doing things, but a platform that is still popular. I tend to use a desktop with some flavour of Linux as it is free, easy to install and works. Oddly in the shop, the PC sells well and is usually high end for gaming (sucks to you XBox and PS), laptops come a close second, tablets and phones come in for repair along with large flat screen TV's.

The PC then is not dead yet and if you look on Ebay, the amount of perfectly viable and working components and PC's that you can buy is astounding.

I always remember sitting on the tube in London and watching people on phones losing signal and then being told to keep the noise down by other commuters - probably won't happen today due to fear of being stabbed.

Oh and after a while most tablets and smartphones are only good for recycling to basic components (gold, rare earth metal) as manufacturers design them this way (apple/samsung) to aid the planet!

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I have been programming on computers since the ZX81.
I am an apprentice trained Electronics Engineer with qualifications to back it up.
I have been repairing computers since 1996.
Yet to some people I still know nothing...