Tom's Hardware Investigates Michael's Computers 609
cojsl writes "Tom's Hardware has an extensive article raising questions about Michael's Computers and their claims of a laptop with a "3DMark03 Average Score - 15,417"." It gets funnier as you go along.
Not in doubt, but.... (Score:5, Funny)
Or maybe I'm just a cynic by nature....
Simon
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:5, Insightful)
If they actually have and present the evidence, there is no need to spell it out for you.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:4, Funny)
"And like everyone can see without us even telling you, the dudes are lame"
Where's Roger Cook when you need him? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:5, Funny)
If you've got the facts on your side, argue the facts,
if you've got the law on your side, argue the law,
and if you've neither, pound the table.
Into which category to put Michael, or SCO, is unclear.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Maybe Michael's Computers should try to claim the prize, what with the supernatural performance of their systems. ;)
As far as Michael's Hardware, just remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and at the very least, you should check first.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:4, Informative)
But you have seen new breeds of dogs, and new strains of the flu virus, and new antibiotic-resistant bacteria, right? The exact same principles apply to us -- only many humans are way too arrogant to acknowledge that, yes, we are subject to the same forces of any other animal. Natural selection is still alive and well, thank you, and along with its friends 'Variation' and 'Mutation', evolution is still chugging along.
The underlaying rules behind evolution are testible, and have been proven as well as any scientific fact can be (see the Problem of Induction in any philosophy textbook), which is why evolutionary modeling techniques are used in any field that requires predictions about complex molecules. This includes chemical engineering, medical research, and even computer software design.
Go read talkorigins.org [talkorigins.org]; it explains a lot, and it answers a lot of common misconceptions about evolution. Also note that evolution says nothing about religion, and many religious people believe that God put the rules in place to let us evolve -- which is a much more reasonable concept than assuming that what happened in the Bible literally occurred, and that God just put all these fossils and all of that radioactive material around 'just to confuse the unworthy'.
Creationism is supernatural -- it completely contradicts pretty much every piece of scientific knowledge in almost every field, from anthrpology to quantum mechanics. Thus, proving creationism *would* earn one the million dollars -- and, yes, people have tried to do it, and failed.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Evolution never stops being in full swing. We are always evolving, although we are selecting for different traits than we used to. "devolving" is a misonomer, although a nice sounding one... We may be getting dumber as a group, but it's still evolution!
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, it just makes me furious when I see poor or sick people having kids. How dare they pass on their faulty genes! And how dare our government let this happen! People with genetic defects should be sterilized, if not put to a merciful death. And next, if you're a Charles Murray fan, sterilize black people.
What cave did you crawl out of? Have you been smoking pot and reading Peter Singer or something?
It seems that we as a species are devolving.
On the contrary, I would argue that the modern shared social understanding that all human lives are of equal value, deserving of dignity, and entitled to maintain control of their own destiny, represents the high point of our evolution. Except in your case, of course.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:4, Insightful)
One of them set themselves on fire? I mean, I know about John Lennon getting shot and all (why the FSCK couldn't they have taken out Yoko too?) Which one? Did he survive?
Oh, fire beetle. My mistake.
I am not saying evolution is wrong, but to say that it IS absolutely correct would also be inaccturate, you can show that some things have evolved, and that humans have evolved to a point, but we cannot say with absolute certainty that humans evolved from apes.
We didn't; we evolved from earlier forms of humans, who in turn evolved from even more primitive forms, who in turn came from ape-like mammals that served as a common ancestor, and this is very-well proven, through a combination of genetic testing and osteological analysis.
Lucy is a good example; we know that she was around about three million years ago, and that other than her bipedal adaptations, she was very similar to modern apes -- small brain, curved tarsal bones, and so on. Continuing on through the austrolopithecines, you see two branches (gracile and robust); the gracile branch became homo erectus, which eventually led to modern man, and the robust branch eventually evolved into the neanderthals, which died out a few hundred thousand years ago.
It's a pretty clean, unbroken record, really, and there are even a few species along the line that have died out (like the Neanderthals) -- evolutionary dead-ends. The only reason we're around is because we were better suited to survive. And, yes, I'm oversimplifying all of this for the sake of being compact. *grin*
The guy posted processors and hard drives that DON'T EXIST. He only takes pay-pal. Hmmmm you would have to have some real FAITH to buy from him
Or just be really gullible.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not convinced that Infinium Labs has any leg to stand on on that one though, I'm not convinced there is any libel, but they can still try to sue and harass. The Tom's writer is possibly just being CYA about it.
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not in doubt, but.... (Score:4, Funny)
After all, it's funny because it's true. Bet on it.
Oh, well.
Don't Forget (Score:5, Funny)
Now I know... (Score:5, Funny)
Hmmm... has anyone ever actually seen "Michael Gonzales" and "Orlando Soto" together? Put glasses on this guy [michaelscomputers.com], and he looks an awful lot like this guy [wsj.com]...
Lesson to learn: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:5, Funny)
Brooklyn Bridge, I DO own it (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:3, Funny)
Everyone needs a bridge. And this is a steal - I went to a dentist once and a bridge cost hundreds!
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:5, Interesting)
Someone also sold the Eiffel tower for scrap.
Twice.
To the same company, I believe.
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:5, Funny)
But if I don't get it within 2 weeks, you're going to get negative feedback.
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:3, Funny)
Personally, I'm more worried about the US government tracking me down. This morning I saw a black
Re:Lesson to learn: (Score:3, Funny)
Hee hee (Score:5, Funny)
"Neighbors confirmed that Michael Gonzales used to live there, but moved out after a divorce."
Maybe his ex-wife was an unsatisfied early user?
Re:Hee hee (Score:5, Funny)
His 3D performance was also greatly exagerated. However she did admit that she never exceeded 15db when with him, so that part was correct.
Re:Hee hee (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe his ex-wife was an unsatisfied early user?
Maybe it wasn't just the laptop that took 7 seconds...
Re:Hee hee (Score:5, Funny)
Being "The World's Fastest" is not a good way to satisfy your wife, that's for sure....
Sociopaths (Score:4, Informative)
Sociopaths [datawest.net] are dangerous people. Tracking them down is fine, but be careful if you decide to tangle with one. Some will dedicate their life to revenge.
Re:Sociopaths (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sociopaths (Score:3, Funny)
(OT) Holy Cow! (Score:3, Funny)
what struck me as particularly funny, is that with only one exception ("Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity"), every single one of those points describes behaviour exhibited by Darl McBride in public!
Wow... it explains so much.
Re:Sociopaths (Score:5, Insightful)
Did you (or the moderators) even read the article you linked to?
To quote your article [datawest.net]
" Although only a trained professional can make a diagnosis"
Yes, it's clear from the TomsHardware article that you do not want to buy a computer from this guy. Just as obvious, penis enlargment products do not work.
At the same time, Toms is slanting some of their article so the guy will seem even worse.
Toms discovers that Mike does NOT need a business license, and then later in the article makes a big deal that the guy does not have one. Duh!
Still, if you insist on labeling Mike with a psych. eval. based on inadequate data, perhaps you can identify with this one [borderlinepersonality.ca].
Re:Sociopaths (Score:5, Interesting)
-
Sociopaths are dangerous people. Tracking them down is fine, but be careful if you decide to tangle with one. Some will dedicate their life to revenge.
I know a lot of people are probably going to say "but he's not a sociopath, just some guy running a scam" or something like that about your Sociopath remark (even though you provided a quite informative link) because in so many people's minds sociopath = homicidal maniac. However I believe you may have hit the nail very firmly on the head in this case. I can't imagine anyone that wasn't a true sociopath being able to so calmly answer this unprompted interview, do so on video (without advance notice as well) and not even break a sweat. Heck, a lot of "normal people" can't pass a lie detector test even if they're telling the truth. (A dirty little secret about them is that concern about what led to the polygraph (such as being accused of murder, etc) is enough to trigger a noticeable reaction to any questions relating to that subject -- irregardless of the answer. Basically you can answer yes or no and it register as a lie either way.)I think the Tom's Hardware guys realized what you're saying as well, they had enough evidence to just really lay into this guy but if you read carefully you'll see an almost pained effort to stay unoffensive to Michael. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if interviewing the guy wasn't terrifying for them. That said, I hope that if everything is as bogus as it seems that someone can get him stopped.
There are some really strange things here though, Paypal is very sensitive to fraud, and even if they refused to allow chargebacks (they have been reported to just take the money out of your bank account if they get a chargeback), they more than likely would shut down a count that generated quite a few of them. However from the article and the screenshot it would appear his Paypal account is still quite valid. While his busines license isn't valid, it only expired in Januray IIRC, and it would be quite easy to overlook this, especially after having had a divorce and having to move (the notice might have missed him). I'm by no means defending Michael, from the info laid out I'd never buy a computer from the guy myself, but things like this always bug me. Perhaps I just have an inner preference to have things more black & white. :)
The moral of this story... (Score:5, Funny)
I know... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I know... (Score:5, Interesting)
Q: When a client says "How can your systems be instant?"
A: Simply, because most operations that occur on other systems take time to load or render. We eliminated the so called "wait-time" a few years ago with inventing our TXK modeling for our Hard Drive systems. Where many systems today are built with just the "fastest" processor, we dive deeper into incorporating the true components that allow every application you run, to run at the fastest speed possible.
Bizarre.
Re:I know... (Score:3, Funny)
Screw that... can he give us next year's halftime show?
Tom, Micheal? (Score:5, Funny)
Michael's Computers investigates Tom's Hardware (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Michael's Computers investigates Tom's Hardware (Score:3, Funny)
Nice one, Slashdot! Kill the adservers, so I can read the article without annoying interruptions!
That's what I call a fan! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:5, Interesting)
The sales blurb for the "Michaels MX8" says "Now with 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 Surround sound at 180dB!"
The circa 1950's Chrysler civil defense siren [victorysiren.com], the world's loudest, peaks at 138dB. It can be heard piercingly at five miles distance. 180dB would be on the order of a small earthquake.
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:5, Interesting)
I bought an SPL meter from Radio Shack so I could test how loud my car stereo got. The needle on the meter went to a max of 130Db. I was able to bury the needle on several occasions.
Considering the evidence that you have quoted there is no doubt in my mind that the meter was worthless.
My point: maybe he just has shitty testing equipment?
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:5, Informative)
194 decibels (RMS) sound-pressure-level approaches the atmospheric pressure level.
With an RMS value of 194 decibels, the peak SPL would modulate the atmospheric value entirely. That would make it the loudest possible...
194 Maximum possible (from atmospheric 14.7psi down to 0psi)
177 Record for car audio!
170 Shotgun blast up close
160 Perforation of eardrum
140 Jet Aircraft Taking Off
120 Human Threshold of Pain - 1 watt/sq. meter
120 Loud Rock Concert
110 Moderate rock concert, dance club
100 Motorcycle
-- extended listening above 85-90dB leads to hearing loss --
90 Lawnmower, loud home stereo
85 Jackhammer at 15 meters (50 feet)
80 Moderate home stereo, ringing telephone
75 Average City Street
70 Freeway traffic, TV audio
60 Normal Conversation
50 Large office background noise
40 Quiet office or residential area
30 Whisper at 3 meters (10 feet), Very soft music
20 "Silent" TV Studio, Whisper at 1 meter, Quiet living room
10 Soft rustling of leaves
0 Human threshold of hearing (youths)
(table from http://www.geocities.com/rf-man/db.html )
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:5, Funny)
With an RMS value of 194 decibels
Wow, RMS gets pretty loud ranting about GNU. :-)
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:That's what I call a fan! (Score:3, Funny)
120 Loud Rock Concert
simple math shows that:
Loud Rock Concert = Human Treshold of Pain
I can name several bands that surpass my treshold of pain, but it's not really decibel-related.
Review doesnt go far enough (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not trying to be overly harsh on THG. I applaud them for being willing to investigate like they did, the industry can only benefit by removing fraudsters. A few bad mechanics have given most mechanics reputations that they don't deserve, and the computer industry needs to avoid this.
Review sites, remember that your job is as much about telling people what they should not buy as it is about what they should. How many people stopped respecting PC World (once upon a time highly respected) after they endorsed Windows Me?
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:4, Interesting)
The lack of an outright fraud claim wasn't my issue though. The investigation was good, the story fell short at the end though. Again I ask my valid question, what does it take to get a do not buy recommendation from THG?
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:5, Interesting)
I had a run-in with a retailer at a computer show some years ago who was substituting sub-standard parts and pre-loading Windows 98 on his boxes, advertising them as having Windows 98 included, and then not including the Win98 CD. When I purchased a computer from him for someone else, and then came across a problem with that PC that required the CD, I called to get a copy sent to me, and the retailer refused, said I had to pay $50 to get the CD. I realized quickly that this was a scam he was running, and no matter what, he would not give me the CD. I actually called the Microsoft Piracy Hotline (I've never done that since, and normally I would have just dropped it, but he made me irritated enough with his attitude) and they thanked me, and promised to go after him.
Next computer show a couple months later, same retailer is there, same scam, different "company" name and different location & phone number. These guys thrive on being mobile. They're like cockroaches. Shine the light on them, and they disappear for a little while, but they still come back.
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Review doesnt go far enough (Score:3, Insightful)
1998: Computer doesn't come with a Windows 98 CD. Product is most likely counterfeit.
Today: Computer doesn't come with a Windows XP CD. Product is most likely genuine-- but if you want the CD, you might have to swing by Kazaa and grab an ISO...
My review of Tom's Hardare (read on)... (Score:4, Funny)
First paragraph, first sentence
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Second paragraph, first sentence
Second paragraph, second sentence
Second paragraph, third sentence
Second paragraph, fourth sentence
Second paragraph, fifth sentence
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Third paragraph, first sentence
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Conclusion introduction
Conclusion body
Conclusion postscript
And now... (Score:5, Funny)
easy foolery (Score:5, Interesting)
Mind you the product drawings were almost MS paint quality.
One of the items I sold was a "katana" laptop computer, with CPU speeds about twice of the fastest CPUs of the day. Also, it said you could buy the laptop in person at our outlet store in New Tokyo.
Needless to say regardless of how amateur the page looked, I got emails every day from people who believed it. Most of them wanted the price on the katana. To think if I was a shyster I could have been swimming in credit card numbers.
Re:easy foolery (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:easy foolery (Score:5, Informative)
http://british.nerp.net/commentary/alburt.html
this is why i'm laughing (Score:3, Funny)
I was wondering, since you are a well established and reputable hardware site
Articles broken up into separate pages (Score:5, Funny)
Why do sites insist on splitting articles into separate pages?
[next page]
It's even worse when the pages are short.
Hell, they often have only a few paragraphs per page.
[next page]
Some sites are kind enough to at least offer a "print article" link.
[next page]
Others don't.
[next page]
It's obvious what they're trying to do.
[next page]
They want to generate ad revenue.
[next page]
[next page]
But really, the joke's on them.
[next page]
Because I use Privoxy [privoxy.org].
[next page]
And so they don't get any ad money.
[next page]
But still have to spend money on the extra bandwidth it costs...
[next page]
...to split up the article into separate pages.
Makes You Think -ResellerRatings.com (Score:5, Interesting)
crafts conspiracy! (Score:3, Funny)
Software? (Score:5, Funny)
Pulled Punches (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe Tom's Hardware should hire John Stossel if they are going to do these kinds of pieces.
Re:Pulled Punches (Score:5, Insightful)
Reputable companies often send hardware to web sites to review. If you have vaporware or "scamware", why would you voluntarily send it off for review?
I read enough to realize that I would be a fool to even give him the first dime to see if his claims were even true. If I have the money (which I sadly don't), the burden of proof is on the vendor to convince me that I need to give it to him. I don't owe any vendor anything, even the benefit of the doubt. Trust is something that is earned, not given out freely.
3DMark2001 and 2003 (Score:5, Informative)
3dMark2003 is a whole different ball game however, and a score of 15,000 is clearly impossible. The world record is just over 10,000 points (trivia: made by finnish overclocker 'Macci' with a p4 3.2 EE clocked to 4.5 ghz and a Radeon 9800XT clocked extremely high).
Extreme overclocking has gone a long way. Macci cools both his cpu and gpu with a cascade system which is two phase change coolers (like the Vapochill) connected together in some cool way I don't have the technical know-how to describe. It cools both his cpu and gpu to -100C.
Re:3DMark2001 and 2003 (Score:5, Funny)
Re:3DMark2001 and 2003 (Score:5, Funny)
And he claimed it was the 'World's Fastest Tower' which it wouldn't be with the 3dMark2001 score.
And he said .15 DB instead of 15 DB.
And he said 500GB Hard drive instead of 250 GB Hard drive.
And he said he was in business from 1996-2000 at one location instead of 2000-2004.
And he calimed places had reviewed his machine that didn't.
And he seemed to claim he had won awards that he hadn't.
And he seemed to claim people were customers who weren't.
And.... seeing a trend yet?
Simple mistake??? right...
Oh, I've got some loveley swampland in Florida that you might be interested in! I'll make you a great deal!
See his clients list? (Score:5, Insightful)
How much do you want to bet that those 'clients' are his in only the loosest sense - someone that works for the USAF bought a PC, so now the whole USAF is a client. Someone from boeing bought a PC, and had it delivered to their work address - all of a sudden Boeing as a whole is now a client hehe.
Re:See his clients list? (Score:5, Funny)
You're probably right. I was particularly amused by a quote in his FAQ praising his waranty service, attributed to the US Navy. Not a rep of the Navy, but the Navy itself. Must have been a good warranty for the whole Navy to say it liked it. Of course, even if we assume it was quote from a Navy person working in procurement, it's clearly bogus:
Someone representing the US Navy is about as likely to say they chose a vendor because he's christian as they are likely to say they chose a vendor because they're "trustworthy white folk, not scheming negroes or devious chinamen".
Good Old Tommy Boy, Panties In a Bind... (Score:3, Troll)
From the Tom's story: "I was thinking, WOW!!! I want this laptop!" Yeh baby! I want to fly the Space Shuttle too, think it's a possibility? And speaking of "Tom's Hardware", I thought it was the Slashdot consensus that ole' Tom was in it for the free toys. Ever consider that maybe, just maybe Michael's refused to spot Tommy a free laptop for a positive story?
Text (no pictures) of article (Score:3, Informative)
Too Good to Be True: Michael's Computers
Introduction
"I don't care what kind of computer you have now, but it CAN'T be faster than one from Michael's Computers. You may think your PC is the best in the world, but you are wrong. With a boot time of 4 seconds, a 3dMark 2003 score of 17,000+, and a
We usually don't do investigative articles, but the claims coming from Michael's Computers were too good to ignore. A deluge of discontent expressed in emails and discussion forums further prompted us to look into a deal that seemed to good to be true.
Evidence was gathered from numerous phone interviews, countless emails and several visits to alleged Michael's Computers business locations. To top it all off, we tracked down Mr. Gonzales and interviewed him ON VIDEO, which can be viewed/downloaded at the end of this article.
So, is Michael J. Gonzales, the owner of Michael's Computers, misleading consumers by posting false information? Is he using proprietary logos without permission, and operating without the necessary business permits? Read on and decide for yourself.
The Buzz About Michael's Computers
I first heard of Michael's Computers on Feb 25, 2004 when THG received this email from Ryan Sanders.
I was wondering if your site has ever had any news on Michaels Computers (www.michaelscomputers.com). His site has been a swirl of controversy over the last week on many a message boards due to claims of hitting 17,000+ in 3DMark03 from their desktop, and 13-15,000 for their notebooks. On top of that, they claim to have a "AMD FX51 3400+ CPU". As most of us know their are 2 different CPU's that fit that description (The Athlon64 FX-51 and then there is the Athlon64 3400+), but when contacted about that, he claimed it was in fact the correct title for the CPU, and that it was some sort of specially optimized CPU.
I was wondering, since you are a well established and reputable hardware site, if you could look into this, or request a sample product for Review? I, along with many others, believe this site to be a joke, or hoax, and don't want to see a bunch of people buy into the big numbers of the benchmark scores. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Ryan Sanders.
I was thinking, "WOW!!! I want this laptop!" so I searched for more information on discussion forums and Michael's website.
Just before this article was submitted, I received this email from Chuck Davis:
A year ago I called them on the phone and talked directly to Michael. He totally sold me on his stuff and therefore I continued to follow his site. I ordered an am MX51 back in Nov. and waited two weeks with no computer. We were emailing each other with ?s and responses during that two week period. On a Sun. he said the MX51 would be shipped that week and he would send me a tracking #. On Fri. still nothing and I emailed him and nothing so I cancelled. Luckily I was able to use my credit card and had no problem with a refund. Since that time he has stopped accepting emails.
Truthfully, he is a complete liar. He told so many lies about the MX51, I am so glad I was able to get out of it. Almost every claim he made was false. If you need more detail I will give them to you later. Stay away from this company.
Discussion Boards
I browsed a few online discussion boards such as Futuremark, Sharky Extreme, and IGN. Each time Michael's Computers has been mentioned, the boards have been flooded with responses. Some of these discussions have generated HUNDREDs of posts, like this discussion from the Sharky Extreme Forums.
I hope you have a lot of time available to read the 470+ posts on that particular discussion.
I Have One (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I Have One (Score:3, Informative)
If you remember Liebermann Computers [go-l.com] (a lot of people thought they might be a hoax with some of their products), even their laptops look the same.
Alienware also looks the same.
This reminds me of... (Score:3, Informative)
Some of the cases simply had three 7-segment LEDs with jumpers to select what was "displayed" when the "turbo" button was pressed.
This guy was selling "100 MHz" 80486 computers back when the top speed available was still 33 MHz, and it took awhile before anybody called bullshit... the amazing thing is that people were willing to believe that their computers really were that much faster, just to stroke their own ego.
Whats Missing... (Score:3, Interesting)
So what is missing from this story you ask? Well you have a company that claims to have the fastest Desktop and Laptop PC known to man. And a website that reviews PC's and Laptops. What you don't have is any review in the story.
Not one piece of hardware was obtained and/or tested. I mean if you want to call the guy a fraud (which he most likely is) is not this story 90% incomplete without actually running any benchmarks on the hardware?
I have a Michael's PC at home (Score:5, Interesting)
A little background: About a year and half ago I found myself needing/wanting a monster PC, P4 2.8, 5 WD drives, 4 in a raid 10 array for photography, music, video, etc. Gotta protect all those thousands of pictures. For fun I also wanted a gaming config as well, Radeon 9700 Pro, DDR 400, etc. Long story short, I wanted a top of the line Voodoo PC or Alienware, or Hypersonic, custom built for me, not built by me. But in NO WAY did I want the silly paint job or the price that came with it.
I also do enough hardware fiddling at work that I just didn't want to deal with it at home (busy + lazy). I wanted Uber Box to show up at my door. Go ahead poke fun, I wanted it, I could get it, so I got it.
Back then his site was much less over-the-top, he had a 7 year warranty, etc. I dealt with Michael over the phone and we came to a price which was quite agreeable for the parts and labor. I knew the pricegrabber price for every part in there, MB, sticks of memory, etc. The spec sheet he sent was right on.
The PC is great, nice build, no widgets, no crapware, XP Pro with all MS-Phone-Home-ware removed or disabled, all those services in XP that most of us know to turn off, he had them off, etc, etc. When I had trouble with the Firewire ports, he walked me through the pin-outs on the Audigy 2, when that didn't work due to meager support from Creative, he overnighted me a firewire card. He has been outstanding as far as customer service is concerned, I'm quite happy with the "uber-box", yes it's over the top, but i like it that way and in a few years I won't be aching for a complete replacement.
I always ignored his marketing. He's a VERY exhuberant fellow in person, and it shows! HA. He's a one-man-show. He knows how to build a nice PC, and is willing to do it, where I am not. I disapprove of the direction his marketing has taken (who wouldn't). Because of it, I've taken to sending folks here [pugetsystems.com] and elsewhere who want a PC built for them.
It's sad because if you remove the marketing aspect, and of course haggle on price, he DOES do just as good a job as the Alienware / Voodoo PC folks. Actually better because I hate that tricked out case stuff, and I have yet to hear of Alienware calling or emailing you back in 5 minutes with a fix or a tracking number to a free replacement part you haven't asked for yet.
Just goes to show that running a [Widget] business takes a lot more than being a [Widget] expert. You've got to have your marketing, order processing, legal angles, etc., all figured out as well.
Maybe this "expose" will help him improve. I wish him luck. He's a real nice guy.
Re:I have a Michael's PC at home (Score:5, Funny)
Re:hahaha You're a sucker (Score:3, Informative)
Right in line with all the other quotes I got from the custom build shops on resellerratings.com, only real difference was a 7 year warranty for free instead of an extended 3-year that costs extra. A sucker is someone who thinks he's getting something he's not. I got exactly what I wanted. Maybe next time YOU'LL build it for me and warranty it for less (while I go fishing)?
I've got one of their desktops (Score:5, Funny)
Years of Experience!! (Score:3, Funny)
(The claim is in the translucent slideshow. Wait for it. .
Maybe it's me... (Score:3, Informative)
There's no dynamic element to the webpage, whatsoever!!!
There's no shoppping cart system, at all! All that's there is a "buy now" paypal link on each of the product pages.
Maybe it's me, but using a third party processor like Paypal, Ibill, whatnot, holds against a company's legitimacy. Sadly, I'd be better off giving my credit card number over the net to another store because at least those who can process credit card orders through the web have a merchant account.
Places that have merchant accounts are very picky about chargebacks. A company like Michael's Computers wouldn't be able to have one for very long.
Slashdotted, alternate mirror server here (Score:3, Informative)
http://www20.tomshardware.com/
Re:My benchmark (Score:5, Informative)
Re:My benchmark (Score:3, Interesting)
This guy sells computers and knows nothing about what he's doing. He includes logos, reads the trades and doesn't really understand the business nor the hardware he's selling.
I doubt a scam, honestly. I'm pretty convinced this is a case of a guy who doesn't know what he's talking about spinning everything to the best that he can. A guy who thinks he's good at sales and knows computers.
He probably sells quite a few systems, and the equally ignorant customer
Re:My benchmark (Score:3, Interesting)
My 5400 benchmark is only obtained at the expense of switching off AA and AF, so the edge rendering quality is shit. Who seriously uses it like that? I use AA x4 and AF x 4 normally, the 3DMark03 benchmark comes down to about 2800, it might drop to 3fps a couple of times (Nature),
Re:Welcome to the internet... (Score:5, Funny)
"it's basically the best way to make money, next to taking advantage of lonely guys (pornsites, strippers) and taking advantage of lazy people (remote control, clapper)"
Tell me about it! I made an absolute fortune off my clapper-controlled porn site!
Which also finally answered the rhetorical question, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
Re:Welcome to the internet... (Score:4, Funny)
Oh, you said clapping. Sorry, I don't know.
Re:Welcome to the internet... (Score:5, Insightful)
Uhm, isn't the point to provide something useful for people (creating value for them)? So strippers, pornsites, remote controls, and the clapper don't take advantage of people.. they simple provide a good or service that people find valuable.
Scamming people is a whole different story.. This guy is a scammer, he doesn't appear to even have a PRODUCT.
Re:So where can I actually buy a tricked out PC? (Score:5, Informative)
If you really want the uber game machine you probably want to build it yourself. Maximum performance doesn't ALWAYS have to cost you stability if you buy the right parts from the right vendors.
You're right about local stores, at least in my area, they are very delayed. I can usually order the latest online and get it in the mail before any local chains get it in stock. As far as I can tell, the local mom n' pop stores are always the most cautious to get the latest hardware. Try the gamer franchises, like EB Games. Best Buy, Circuit City, CrapUSA never have a good enough selection of products. (They might only sell PNY Nvidia cards, when you really want the Hercules.)
Re:Another fun site along the same "HUH?" lines (Score:3)
1500+ is more than I would spend on anything but a mac, though.
As far as music stuff goes, it would probably be an alright machine - as long as you didn't want to add an Aardvark Q10 or other pci card. My guess is that it would work fine for a Protools Mbox, 002, or midi machine. (Although windows xp sucks at midi)
Does NOT Sell to the Navy (Score:5, Interesting)
This Michael guy is a 100% liar.