5/5
posted Oct-29-2006
I've built many systems over the years. The worst part is having to find parts at different places - meaning you pay shipping several times over, and none of the parts are tested together. When I needed 3 new systems for my kids, I knew I would not be able to do it the same way as in the past.
Looking for shops that sell custom-built computers, I hit on puget systems - superb reputation, and the pre-sales experience was fantastic - but they seem to want to only build expensive systems. They suggested that perhaps I might find what I want elsewhere. Well, I did!
I stumbled on Georgia Computer Workshop - but you need not. Listen to this story, and I'll try to not sound like a sales ad for them (it's going to be hard to do).
I configured a few systems, sent them to GCW for eval, and they replied in email in each case, with notes regarding compatibility. I asked if they did 24-hour burn-in, and they said no, they did 48-hour burn-in (!). In this instance, the boxen were put together on Friday, so they ran the burn-in through the weekend.
I bought three systems, total over $2,500. Dual-core, 'cool' Aspire cases (it's for my kids, after all...).
GCW put them together, installed the OS, drivers for DVD-RW, etc. They included CD-ROMs for everything installed - as they know as well as we do that you sometimes have to reinstall from scratch.
There were two problems. One of the PCs locked up twice in the first 24 hours - a fact I still cannot explain. my email to Dennis got me an immediate response, though it was in the evening (and we're in the same time zone!). I downloaded some stress-testing software (RAM, Disk, CPU, etc.) and could not bring about another lockup. Dennis sent several messages asking for status as I sat on pins & needles watching the stress-testing but the PC never locked up again. It still has not.
The last problem I really must mention: As a technology consultant with nearly 20 years in the business, you'd think I'd do a bit of research before choosing "windows xp home". For whatever reason, I did not - I didn't even ask friends about it. This was my only (incredibly) poor decision, and I wish Dennis or someone had tried to tell me just how abysmally bad this "operating system" can be. I asked people *after* I found that it was so horribly broken, and of course *that's* when I learned the magnitude of my mistake. Dumb, dumb. But that's the only thing I'd have to say against GCW - and it's really an admission by me of my own mistake.
My kids need windows at present, for distance learning (this is a community school for the gifted, curriculum is computer-based) but the instant they don't need windows, these computers will be switched to Linux.
These PCs are just wonderful, I felt I made an absolutely fantastic find in GCW. I'll be buying all my PCs from them from here on out. It's not that they're the best in class, there really was no one else to rival them - I suppose I'm saying they are in a class by themselves. I can't help but think that if I'd had $6,000 instead of $2,500 I'd have gone with Puget Systems, they were that impressive, but GCW did the same and without insisting on expensive componentry!
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posted Apr-26-2007 
This review was modified by 
posted Apr-21-2007 
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![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Stayed away from \u0027batteries.com\u0027 due to really bad press they are getting. Tried microbattery.com - and it has been great.<br><br>This was replacement for an APC UPS BackUp 650 - even though it\u0027s a heavy battery (8 lbs, 3.5 kg) shipping was less than $10 (halfway across USA). $43 to replace a battery in a $150 UPS is a great deal.<br><br>It arrived today, very VERY securely packaged - bubble wrap, in a box, that was in another box, with paper & twine tape that read \u0022TAMPER-PROOF\u0022. It was a pain opening that box, but that\u0027s the best shipping TLC I\u0027ve ever seen. <br><br>This is the first time I\u0027m trying a replacement battery in a UPS. If it works out (lasts more than a month or two), I\u0027m going replace a bunch more I have in the house, and I\u0027ll buy them all here.<br><br>update 5\/6\/2007: it went well, so went to replace the rest of my UPS batteries today: APC BackUPS 500, APC BackUPS ES 725, and Energizer ER-HM450. This time, didn\u0027t use google link, tried to search on site, and it\u0027s just abysmally bad. It found nothing at all. Next I negotiated their menu system and though they had a list of batteries for APC, they only had one of the three I needed. Bought other two from amazon, which uses batteries.com (sigh). These guys lose business because you can\u0027t find the items you want! Hint: use google with \u0022inurl:microbattery.com\u0022 to *really* search their site. It\u0027s far better, but the experience sucks when you are forced to do it this way...<br><br>Update - 3+ years later. Same battery needed, it\u0027s been \u0022discontinued\u0022 by IBM\/Lenovo.....and now the price is not $105, but $146. sheesh... Just a note. I\u0027ll shop elsewhere at those prices.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/MicroBattery_Micropower_Battery_Co\/review\/312993#comment312993","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/MicroBattery_Micropower_Battery_Co.jpg","store_name":"MicroBattery.com \/ Micropower Battery Co.","username":"Bill Privare","rating":"4"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"This is an update. ZipZoomFly held the order. They sent an email to a little-used offshore account I use. I noticed it 6 days later. Partly my fault...but their email said they tried to call and \u0027couldn\u0027t get through\u0027. Since email is for all intents & purposes *free*, I have to assume they don\u0027t try to call at all. Just words. They\u0027re free too, you know.<br><br>Of course, this order just happened to be for someone\u0027s birthday...on the 21st. So I ordered it next-day from someone else, and cancelled the order with zzf. <br><br>It sure seems like vendors are trying to prevent fraud, but these days it\u0027s getting more like \u0022false positives\u0022 are becoming (intentionally????) annoying. Especially when you use a card often, or *you have used your card at the same place in the past*.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/ZipZoomFly\/review\/305604#comment305604","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/ZipZoomFly.jpg","store_name":"ZipZoomFly.com (Formerly Googlegear)","username":"Bill Privare","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Just ordered dual-link DVI cables from them. I\u0027ll update this info when it arrives (ground shipping), but their costs are low and I have to say that\u0027s one impressive web site! I wish it was that easy to order from all web sites.<br><br>Update: cables arrived, in good condition (they\u0027re cables, after all). Just what I expected. Just as I hoped, no surprises.<br><br>Bill","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/DataPro_International_Inc\/review\/308168#comment308168","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/DataPro_International_Inc.jpg","store_name":"DataPro International, Inc.","username":"Bill Privare","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"I\u0027ve built many systems over the years. The worst part is having to find parts at different places - meaning you pay shipping several times over, and none of the parts are tested together. When I needed 3 new systems for my kids, I knew I would not be able to do it the same way as in the past.<br><br>Looking for shops that sell custom-built computers, I hit on puget systems - superb reputation, and the pre-sales experience was fantastic - but they seem to want to only build expensive systems. They suggested that perhaps I might find what I want elsewhere. Well, I did!<br><br>I stumbled on Georgia Computer Workshop - but you need not. Listen to this story, and I\u0027ll try to not sound like a sales ad for them (it\u0027s going to be hard to do).<br><br>I configured a few systems, sent them to GCW for eval, and they replied in email in each case, with notes regarding compatibility. I asked if they did 24-hour burn-in, and they said no, they did 48-hour burn-in (!). In this instance, the boxen were put together on Friday, so they ran the burn-in through the weekend. <br><br>I bought three systems, total over $2,500. Dual-core, \u0027cool\u0027 Aspire cases (it\u0027s for my kids, after all...).<br><br>GCW put them together, installed the OS, drivers for DVD-RW, etc. They included CD-ROMs for everything installed - as they know as well as we do that you sometimes have to reinstall from scratch.<br><br>There were two problems. One of the PCs locked up twice in the first 24 hours - a fact I still cannot explain. my email to Dennis got me an immediate response, though it was in the evening (and we\u0027re in the same time zone!). I downloaded some stress-testing software (RAM, Disk, CPU, etc.) and could not bring about another lockup. Dennis sent several messages asking for status as I sat on pins & needles watching the stress-testing but the PC never locked up again. It still has not. <br><br>The last problem I really must mention: As a technology consultant with nearly 20 years in the business, you\u0027d think I\u0027d do a bit of research before choosing \u0022windows xp home\u0022. For whatever reason, I did not - I didn\u0027t even ask friends about it. This was my only (incredibly) poor decision, and I wish Dennis or someone had tried to tell me just how abysmally bad this \u0022operating system\u0022 can be. I asked people *after* I found that it was so horribly broken, and of course *that\u0027s* when I learned the magnitude of my mistake. Dumb, dumb. But that\u0027s the only thing I\u0027d have to say against GCW - and it\u0027s really an admission by me of my own mistake.<br><br>My kids need windows at present, for distance learning (this is a community school for the gifted, curriculum is computer-based) but the instant they don\u0027t need windows, these computers will be switched to Linux. <br><br>These PCs are just wonderful, I felt I made an absolutely fantastic find in GCW. I\u0027ll be buying all my PCs from them from here on out. It\u0027s not that they\u0027re the best in class, there really was no one else to rival them - I suppose I\u0027m saying they are in a class by themselves. I can\u0027t help but think that if I\u0027d had $6,000 instead of $2,500 I\u0027d have gone with Puget Systems, they were that impressive, but GCW did the same and without insisting on expensive componentry!<br>","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Georgia_Computer_Workshop_Inc\/review\/282099#comment282099","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Georgia_Computer_Workshop_Inc.jpg","store_name":"Georgia Computer Workshop, Inc.","username":"Bill Privare","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Well, I haven\u0027t been back to this site in a while. Decided to wipe the subscriber data base, eh?<br><br>And I suppose all the comments over the years have been wiped .<br><br>And now my userid seems to have been taken. Well, that\u0027s fine. I only re-registered to post that I\u0027ve found another complaint site, and tiger direct (which was never a very good company, I had bad vibes from them every time I called them) is turning out to be as much a bad off-shore operation as Hi-Tech USA or any of the other sham operations out there.<br><br>Check out http:\/\/www.consumeraffairs.com\/computers\/tiger_direct.htm for some truly frightening stories.<br><br>I don\u0027t even know if I\u0027ll ever come back here. I can\u0027t count on the history (especially my contributions from *years* of coming to this site) being kept. It\u0027s too dern convenient that the owners (whoever\u0027s name they are using today) can choose to wipe the past, just like in \u00221984\u0022. <br><br>\u0027Bye. Stay away from tiger direct.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Tiger_Direct\/review\/51529#comment51529","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Tiger_Direct.jpg","store_name":"TigerDirect \/ Systemax","username":"Bill Privare","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
“I want to assure you that every single customer complaint is fully investigated and not only do we make every reasonable effort to resolve the issue to the customers satisfaction but we also proactively take steps to prevent that same issue from causing future complaints.
Please contact me at:
TigerDirect.com
Danny Murciano
7795 West Flagler St, Suite35
Miami, Fl 33144
Phone: (305) 415-2941 or (800) 955-1888 ext. 2941
E-mail: danny.murciano@tigerdirect.com
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