Seedy bribery!!
Dec 11 '00
On Buying A New Computer.
I recently bought myself a replacement computer for my home office use. In consequence it needs to be a general workhorse machine (word processing, database development, internet access, occasional games player) rather than conform to a specialist format. I also decided to invest in a photo quality printer to go alongside my digital camera to help me develop my photographic hobby. (I have reviewed these items elsewhere)
The actual choice and specification of the machine was, to me, not critical. It needed to be – at least temporarily – speed, memory and storage capacity proof. It needed to fit together and work on my windows based network (one other computer with an Ethernet card) with the minimum of set up and fuss. Indeed that proved to be the case.
No: my grouse is about the avalanche of CD-ROMs that were provided. It seems that every part of the retail chain are now leaping onto the bandwagon. If CompuMegaStore doesn’t offer a bonus of 6 CDs perhaps the punter will go to MegaCompuStore who this week are offering 7 disks. Buy a peripheral: you are bombarded with yet more offers. What’s more, if you are not careful these will already have been installed on your hard disk before delivery. Great! A 40 Gig disk three quarters full of stuff you’ll never even look at, let alone use.
So, let me tell you what I was (and in one case was not) given.
A Windows Millennium Edition Master disk was NOT supplied. The back up in a hidden partition on the hard disk. There is a 3½ floppy recovery disk for emergencies.
WITH THE COMPUTER:
ADVENT Computer Recovery CD
MacAfee Virus Scan CD
WinDVD CD set up disk
ATI TV Wonder set up disk
3D Graphic accelerator set up disk
Adaptec CD recording software
Supervoice International Voice Recognition disk
A miscellaneous Ulitiies disk (includes EZLogo, Fuzzy Logic, PC-cillin, MoSpeed and many more)
Microsoft Works 2000. (I managed to keep this off the disc as I use Office)
AOL
Freeserve
Mosby Medical Encyclopaedia (I’m sure it’s only coincidence that I’m medically trained!)
Compton 3D Atlas
Compton 2000 Encyclopaedia
Super Karting
Spirit Of Speed 1937
Risk II
GP500
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Mech Warrior 3
Civilization II: Test Of Time
Worms Armageddon
WITH AN IOMEGA ZIP DRIVE:
Iomegaware Utilities CD
Iomega User Manual CD
Adobe Active Share CD
Real Jukebox CD (I bought a backup unit for heaven’s sake – not an entertainment system!)
Plus: an offer of up to four more titles at a cut price rate.
WITH THE PRINTER:
Three install CDs
Infrared software set up disk
Arcsoft Photomontage software suite
If you then add to this list the disks needed to install my existing software (Microsoft Office and Frontpage – 3; database management – 2, digital camera –1) I have had to rifle through a stack of 37 CD-Roms!!
None of these CDs came with any inkling of system requirements or compatibility issues. Manuals without exception were ‘on line’. The games selection are an irrelevance. If (like Civ II) I’m a fan, I will already have it. I will certainly have needed sight of the manuals and other printed aids to get started. If I haven’t seen a game before, it’s unlikely that the possession of a free CD will do much to spark my interest.
I well remember the days when MS-DOS moved from one to two high density floppy diskettes. Those were the days …. ! Now it seems you get a half a ton of stuff that you didn’t ask for (and that no-one else seems to want) and no operating system disc at all. What happens if the hard disk controller fails? I hate to think what will lie in store when I buy my next machine in two or three years time.
So what can you do with this level of redundancy? I’ve already made a set of coasters, given the kids Frisbees, made half a dozen matching plant pots – your suggestions would be more than welcome.
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Epinions.com ID:
AlanCrax
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Member: Alan Craxford
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK
Reviews written: 212
Trusted by: 37 members
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