If you consider yourself a computer illiterate and want to continue to be just a user of computer software, by all means, buy a name brand system. Dell, Gateway, IBM, et cetera. When it gets obsolete, buy a new one. There is nothing wrong with being a user of software with no knowledge of what is in the box. I have some very intelligent friends who have excellent systems and use all sorts of software without knowing anything about the system itself. I have one friend who wanted to pay me to replace his keyboard when he saw one he liked better. I have several friends who pay me to replace their OS or video cards, which are pretty easy to do yourself.

If you do not want to work that way, you must realize that there are various problems with name brand systems.

First, they are designed with production efficiency being an important goal. Those manufacturers make a lot of systems and need to cut production costs in a mass production environment. To accomplish this, they often produce designs which are difficult to upgrade. Furthermore, most of them have fine print which voids their warranty if you open the case yourself or have a friend do it.

Most of the major manufacturers create one or more standard master disks, which are mass copied to create the disks put into user systems, because it is cheaper than installing the OS & bundled software on each individual system. This often results in a system whose OS & other software cannot be replaced by later versions without a lot of trouble. Sometimes it makes a video card or sound card upgrade difficult (or impossible).

I remember a buddy of mine having a lot of trouble because part of the BIOS had been copied to the hard disk, which allowed for a less expensive motherboard. When he reformatted in order to install a new OS, his system would not run. I have had friends who could not install a better Video card because of some proprietary circuits on the motherboard or a BIOS on the hard disk which could not work with the new card.

Some of the major manufacturers sell what I call unbalanced systems. A typical computer illiterate usually knows that a high clock rate and a large hard disk are good ideas, but do not understand the interaction between the CPU, hard disk, and other peripherals. Some of the major manufacturers cater to such people by selling a cheap system with a large hard disk and a fast CPU on a mother board with a slow bus and with an inferior Video card. This results in a system that is slower than you might expect, and which would run just as well with a slower CPU. Sometimes the hard disk runs at 5400 RPM instead of 7200, creating a system which has difficulty using the extra processor speed.

They hardly ever sell a system with 2-3 smaller hard disks instead of one big one. While it is more expensive, a multi-disk system has a lot of advantages over a system with one big disk. If you want such a system, you need a motherboard with 4 IDE ports, which is hardly ever provided by the major manufacturers.

Your local clone maker has to cater to very knowledgeable people as well as grandmothers who only need email to keep in touch with their families. He knows how to build a system designed for the current user. Tell him how you expect to use the system, and he will make one just right for you. His price will be competitive. The motherboards he uses will accept almost type of video card, sound card, or other peripheral imaginable. There will never be any trouble upgrading by installing a new OS or inserting a new Video controller or sound card. He will not void his warranty if you open the case and fool around as long as you do not do something really destructive.

Remember that there are only 2-3 manufacturers of CPU chips, 4-6 manufacturers of monitors, 2-4 manufacturers of good video cards, et cetera. Everybody puts the same basic components into the box, and they all rely on the component manufacturer to honor a warranty on bad components.

It seldom happens, so I would not worry a lot about some component dying on you, but if it happens the clone maker is nearby. You take just the case to him and he will fix it, often for little or no cost if the component warranty is still in effect. Dell, Gateway, et cetera will normally require you to send it back to them UPS and will return it the same way, resulting in an 8-14 day delay. The local clone maker will normally fix it in 1-2 days or while you wait. Some of the major manufacturers offer on-site maintenance contracts. I do not know how much they charge for an on-site maintenance contract or how fast and reliable the service is. I am sure that many of them pay the local clone maker to do the repairs. A contract might not be too expensive, but otherwise on-site maintenance has to be expensive. Like the difference between medical insurance and pay as you go for a major operation.

Also, it is fun to build at least one system for yourself. Years ago, I built several and enjoyed it. I do not build my own systems anymore because I have not bought a new system for many years. About once or twice a year, I replace the motherboard & CPU in my current system and put the old MOBO & Chip into my girl friend’s system. When it seems like a good idea, I replace my video card or sound card. Recently I replaced three 20GB hard disks with 40GB hard disks.

BTW: When comparing prices, remember that Gateway & Dell usually do not mention the shipping costs untill the last minute. Sometimes they run specials and include it in the price. I think you can haggle them out of it if you buy one of the more expensive sytems.

Last, but not least, do not buy from some department store or discount house. Dell or Gateway are a better bet than them. This post is already too long for me to elaborate on this issue.

If you decide to buy build your own system, buy a big tower case. The extra space makes it easier to work with, and does not cost much more.