Differance of opinion?!

[jason.b.c]

Could someone please explain how one computer ( of any brand name )could be better than any other computer?

My friend and I have been bitching back and forth with each other for a while now ,and i want to be able to give him a real good answer this time!.

Ok he's got a brand new Gateway kick butt computer, and his arguement is that it's basicly the best one you buy now, that gateway computers have the highest quality of parts and components , My argument is that preaty much all computers built today are the same, Take this for instance, I happen to like HP products not because i think there built better than any other one , I just like some of the features it has such as , light scribe cd drives, the ease of access to some of its ports ( in front ) and i just like the way they look.

I mean lets say you have ten differant computers( all of differant brand names ) side by side on a desk, they all have the same internal parts, they all have the same kinds of features, the same processors, same size hard drives, differant mobo's but the with same kind of capablities, all have onboard sound, preaty much stock ( factory ) graphics accelleration, basic internal dial up modems, onboard ethernet port, bunch of usb ports, and preaty good psu's

How can one computer be so much better than any other?
if there all built with the same brand name parts! Maxtor? Western digital? AMD? or Intell? Plextor? Lite-on? just to name a few!

I know this is going to start a good discussion!

[mstlyevil]

It really depends on a number of factors. Low end machines from any manufactuer are always going to use either cheap, outdated parts or both to cut cost. Manufactuers do use a lot of the same parts but the motherboards, memory and graphics come from completely different suppliers sometimes. My former sister in law used to work for Gateway and she would never buy one of their computers because she said they use cheap parts. She said Dells on the other hand use better parts. She is a computer tech and does this for a living. I am not sure how true this is but I don't do this for a living so I really can't say who cuts more corners.

[jason.b.c]

motherboards, memory and graphics come from completely different suppliers sometimes.

Your right! "sometimes"

She said Dells on the other hand use better parts.

I've heard exactly the opposite on that, that dell uses only there parts and that there not interchangeable between other computers.

All I know is that i'm tired of bickering with him on this!

[Bandit]

I have had trouble with Gateways in the past, with hardware failing and periodic instability. But it can have alot with the hardware they was using at the time.
Overall, any PC purchased from retailers such as Getaway hmm hmm,, Gateway, Dell, HP, etc.. Is going to be assembled with cheaper parts. They are all going to good and bad models, some better, some not so good. The plain out fact is nothing beats a personaly assembled PC.
You get to choose the parts that go in and you determin the quality of the parts its assembled with.
Cheers,
Joey

[Iandefor]

A variety of things can influence the quality of an end product from a company. For one, the vendor from which they buy hardware is a huge factor- consider if they buy their RAM from Kingston or some shady manufacturer nobody's ever heard of. The quality assurance of the company to ensure it works properly is also imortant.

I've heard exactly the opposite on that, that dell uses only there parts and that there not interchangeable between other computers.

Dell uses proprietary cases and PSU's that can make it difficult to upgrade parts like graphics cards, etc, but, beyond that, they're perfectly upgradeable.

[WildTangent]

Well, between two computers from different companies, with very similar specs, it comes down to quality of components, and customer service/support.

-Wild

[3rdalbum]

More difference of opinion: I'd prefer to buy a PC that's been built by a manufacturer, than one that's been built by some guy off the street (no offence) or a local computer store.

Yes, you can choose which parts you want to put in, but do you really know whether some parts will refuse to work properly with other parts? In theory, they're all meant to work properly with eachother, but in practice it ain't necessarily so.

A proper, brand-name manufacturer is much more likely to know what works and what doesn't. And from what I've observed, in the differences of stability between machines, that's how it goes.

[fuscia]

i have a bunch of cheap crap that i should have run into the ground a while ago and it's still all working. it's all in the luck of the owner.

[mstlyevil]

More difference of opinion: I'd prefer to buy a PC that's been built by a manufacturer, than one that's been built by some guy off the street (no offence) or a local computer store.

Yes, you can choose which parts you want to put in, but do you really know whether some parts will refuse to work properly with other parts? In theory, they're all meant to work properly with eachother, but in practice it ain't necessarily so.

A proper, brand-name manufacturer is much more likely to know what works and what doesn't. And from what I've observed, in the differences of stability between machines, that's how it goes.

I build my own and do research before buying parts to make sure they all play well together. You will never get a PC of the same quality as I have for the price I paid for it from a manufactuer like Dell. As long as you are the one building it, you have complete control.

[jason.b.c]

i have a bunch of cheap crap that i should have run into the ground a while ago and it's still all working. it's all in the luck of the owner.

I'm in about the same situation, this old HP that i'm on goes through its ups and downs, I swear this damn thing has got ghosts in it something!