22-03-2012, 11:16 AM
Hi,
Thanks for the nostalgia David and how things have changed.
Around 1998 I visited PC world as a total novice and bought my first PC. It was a Compaq with something like a 6gig hard drive which at that time was enormous. I detest insurance companies with a passion and the sales assistant kept banging on about insurance cover for four years and this was quoted at £240. The PC package was £1,000 but came with a discount of £100. The assistant wouldn't let it be regarding insurance and I was starting to become rather annoyed by his persistence; it finally ended when he brought the branch manager to explain the error of my ways in not accepting the insurance. I said enough of this; either accept my £900 cash or I'm going elsewhere. I did ask if the insurance actually covered five years to which I was informed no; it is for four years and I then pointed out that it was in fact for three years because the new computer came with a manufacturers one year guarantee. Not a good start to computing but I came away with the package and to this day still retain the old VDU although I upgraded a few years ago with the computer.
I recently bought a 1TB external hard drive for use in backing up and this was very cheap through eBay.
I wish printers had progressed as much. Printers are very cheap but then this is compensated for by the rip off price of inks; it hardly helps the planet by supplying ink cartridges containing about the same amount of ink as a decent pen. I no longer use the printing function on my Epsom Stylus DX 8400. Every time I install a new expensive cartridge and print a test page the cartridge then reads just over half full. In frustration I checked reviews of this printer on the web to find other owners have the same problem whether using OEM ink cartridge or compatibles. I've since bought an HP Laserjet mono P1102W printer which gets little use.
I have also owned a Samsung Mono laser printer but when I needed the toner cartridge the cartridge at £79.95 was 5p cheaper than buying the entire printer. I know the printer companies have to make profit to remain in business but this sort of thing is just ridiculous.
I hope your thread receives many replies David as it opens up a vast subject.
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks for the nostalgia David and how things have changed.
Around 1998 I visited PC world as a total novice and bought my first PC. It was a Compaq with something like a 6gig hard drive which at that time was enormous. I detest insurance companies with a passion and the sales assistant kept banging on about insurance cover for four years and this was quoted at £240. The PC package was £1,000 but came with a discount of £100. The assistant wouldn't let it be regarding insurance and I was starting to become rather annoyed by his persistence; it finally ended when he brought the branch manager to explain the error of my ways in not accepting the insurance. I said enough of this; either accept my £900 cash or I'm going elsewhere. I did ask if the insurance actually covered five years to which I was informed no; it is for four years and I then pointed out that it was in fact for three years because the new computer came with a manufacturers one year guarantee. Not a good start to computing but I came away with the package and to this day still retain the old VDU although I upgraded a few years ago with the computer.
I recently bought a 1TB external hard drive for use in backing up and this was very cheap through eBay.
I wish printers had progressed as much. Printers are very cheap but then this is compensated for by the rip off price of inks; it hardly helps the planet by supplying ink cartridges containing about the same amount of ink as a decent pen. I no longer use the printing function on my Epsom Stylus DX 8400. Every time I install a new expensive cartridge and print a test page the cartridge then reads just over half full. In frustration I checked reviews of this printer on the web to find other owners have the same problem whether using OEM ink cartridge or compatibles. I've since bought an HP Laserjet mono P1102W printer which gets little use.
I have also owned a Samsung Mono laser printer but when I needed the toner cartridge the cartridge at £79.95 was 5p cheaper than buying the entire printer. I know the printer companies have to make profit to remain in business but this sort of thing is just ridiculous.
I hope your thread receives many replies David as it opens up a vast subject.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
