Need help with College paper (Cool interview)

[LukeDFI]

Hey all, I am doing a college persuasive essay on why it is beneficial to build your own PC. If you have time, please read and answer the questions. I would greatly appreciate everyones help on this. I am trying to make my point as valid as possible.

 

DISCLAIMER: Your answers will be quoted and used in the essay but will not be used any further than that. I will quote accurately and will not use your answers in a negative way. You can also request a copy of the essay to have for after I am done writing it. Thanks.

 

1. What do you do for a living/education and how old are you?

 

2. What prompted you to build your first computer?

 

3. Where did you get information for building your first computer?

 

4. How was your experience building your first computer?

 

5. How much would you say that you save by building your own computer?

 

6. Do you feel more confident in your computer experience now that you have built your own computer and why?

 

7. Do you think that building your own computer is more beneficial than buying a pre-built computer with preinstalled software?

[logan]

1. Industrial Engineering major at Kansas State, early 20's.

 

2. I was bored and had a bunch of old computers that all had different problems, so I took them apart and made one working one.

 

3. Reading random things that I came across and just paying attention when other people were working on computers.

 

4. The computer booted on the second attempt, I felt pretty pleased with that considering the parts were all just laying about and I had no idea what was actually good.

 

 

5. Personally when I need a new computer I don't save much by building, because I figure out my budget and the basically max out the budget. If you were building on the cheap, I'd say you could probably save around 25%, much more if you were patient and were able to shop around and get the deals and mail in rebates.

 

6. Yes, I feel I have the ability to troubleshoot most any problem there is on a system, I was fair at troubleshooting before, but now that I have a much better understanding of how the different components work together I am more confident in my abilities.

 

7. For most people I would say that it is easier to just buy a computer instead of building it. It takes a fair degree of knowledge to build one on your own, and for most people the knowledge or desire isn't there. The standard out of the box unit or the units you can get from dell or gateway are probably sufficient for 75% or more of the population. However if you are good with troubleshooting, have patience and a friend or 2 that are very knowledgeable with building systems, go ahead and give it a try. You'll have a better understanding of the sytem when you are done, and will also have something to be able to say you've built. Plus who knows, maybe you'll enjoy it and you'll build the next system with oc'ing in mind.

[red930]

1. 22 years old, Senior in Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University.

 

2. I can't stand all the crap that new computers come loaded with, plus it seemed like an interesting and fun project to do.

 

3. Basically just bought random stuff off of ebay for my first one, and put it together using common sense. Got lucky that everything was compatible I spose.

 

4. It was fun and interesting. Definitely got me hooked more on computers than I was, and gave me a better understanding of how they work, especially now that I've read up on lots of stuff.

 

5. Definitely didn't save a damn thing, ended up costing me a lot more. A $300 Dell would be a better move than the computer that I have right now. To be fair though, you can't buy this computer anywhere really and its unique since I made it.

 

6. A bit, I know more than enough to hold my own in troubleshooting now, though I'm also forced into helping friends.

 

7. Hell yes. The day Dell offers the exact computer I want with absolutely no software on it for less than I could build it--fine, I'll take it. But until that never happens...

[red930]

1. I'm a partner in a computer consulting firm with a storefront presence for walk-ins. I'm 45 with just a few credit hours left till graduation. Of course I haven't been to college in many years. LOL

 

2. Save money and learn.

 

3. After reading lots of computer hobbyist mags, I picked the parts and made the order.

 

4. It took most of a weekend being very careful.

 

5. I didn't save any money because I was able to buy better parts.

 

6. The build gave me the confidence to keep building and now I can make money putting rigs together for my customers.

 

7. If you don't mind paying for the exact software you need, building yourself is the best way to go.

 

BTW This was my very first computer build with my Uncle...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800

[UncleDavid218]

1. 16 years old, Sophmore at Duluth Central Highschool.

 

2. Basically, the thing that made me want to build my first computer was the desire to have something I could say I built, while still being significantly faster than anyone elses.

 

3. Information came mainly by use of the Internet. There's a wealth of information out there, waiting to be read and practiced. Sure, it took time, but in the end you know more than anybody else, and that's a great feeling.

 

4. Everything worked remarkably well, with no major problems.

 

5. As of now, I have approximately $1200 into my system, without a monitor/keyboard/mouse. A similarly configured system from Alienware, for example, would cost closer to $2000.

 

6. Absolutely. I knew nothing before this experience.

 

7. Yeah. No bloatware, and you know what you're getting.

[ReelFiles]

1. Freelance PC Tech/Associates Networking, PC Tech Diploma, 26yo.

2. Bought a custom PC and got ripped off.

3. Google, taking the old one apart.

4. A lot of double checking, and a bit nervous, but all went smooth.

5. My $1500 PC out-performs Dell's XPS for $4300.

6. Yes, because it's easy and fun.

7. A custom PC is more beneficial to the user, as it is made to suit his/her needs.

[Choralone]

1. What do you do for a living/education and how old are you?

Quality Assurance tester for a medium-large website, 26yrs old.

 

2. What prompted you to build your first computer?

The ability to choose the exact parts i wanted.

 

3. Where did you get information for building your first computer?

Websites mainly, anandtech.com, hardocp.com, and dfi-street.com ofcourse also PCGamer and Maximum PC and take bits of information from each and combine them with my own thoughts.

 

4. How was your experience building your first computer?

Flawless.

 

5. How much would you say that you save by building your own computer?

Hard to say cuase now it feels like a never ending process, I would still say there are some parts missing that I planned on getting and will get, but I wouldnt say its a bad thing.

 

6. Do you feel more confident in your computer experience now that you have built your own computer and why?

Yes, less fear when mucking around in a computer I would say, before I built it I had this fear of dealing with the CPU and HSF for some reason now I dont, and i know more about the computer from just buying a pre-built one.

 

7. Do you think that building your own computer is more beneficial than buying a pre-built computer with preinstalled software?

I would say it depends on the reason, like if its for a family member maybe it would be better to get them a dell for instance that way i dont have to support it, and it also comes down to time if i had no time but i had the money i would definatly get a prebuilt computer, but since i have time now i'd rather build my own for myself.

[baaj]

1. What do you do for a living/education and how old are you?

I'm the Country Manager for an engineering equipment distributor. I'm 34 and studied Industrial Engineering.

 

2. What prompted you to build your first computer?

Cost, ability to control the quality of the components, and to learn.

 

3. Where did you get information for building your first computer?

Mostly from DFI street and similar forums on the web (Anandtech, Tom's Hardware, etc.). I also read countless reviews and benchmarks from various sources. In this part of the process, Google is your best friend!

 

4. How was your experience building your first computer?

It took me a day to assemble and test everything. There really is a great sense of accomplishment when it posts the first time! It took another day to install the OS, other software and get everything running properly. Most people will be excited about getting a new computer, but building it yourself really increases the sense of satifaction.

 

5. How much would you say that you save by building your own computer?

I saved a minimum of $600 when compared to systems of similar speeds and ended up with a configuration which has better components and looks better than anything else on the market under $3k.

 

6. Do you feel more confident in your computer experience now that you have built your own computer and why?

I learned long ago the functions of all the components, when I started modding pre-built systems. But in building everything from the ground up, you are inherently familiar with the system and are fully confident to tweak any part of the system, should the need arise.

 

7. Do you think that building your own computer is more beneficial than buying a pre-built computer with preinstalled software?

It really depends on the user's individual needs. The leading brands of computers offer customer support for a reason. It gives people the sense of security that goes beyond a simple warranty on the functionality of the components. You have to approach the decision with the mindset that if you DIY you'll have to be your own troubleshooter. The answers are always out there on the web somewhere and there are plenty of people online that want to help, but you have to know where to look.

 

Hopefully you can get some material out of this! Good luck!

[supraboytt]

1. What do you do for a living/education and how old are you?

College/Accounting Student Senior/23

 

2. What prompted you to build your first computer?

One Day I just decided to go out and build a computer... out of pure boredom and frustration with my old pc. It was a shuttle which made it very easy for me to build and allowed me to have the confidence to build my 2nd computer, the one Im using now which was a greater challenge.

 

3. Where did you get information for building your first computer?

Frys (didnt know about newegg at that point) and the manuals that came with my shuttle.

 

4. How was your experience building your first computer?

1st time -> 3 hours, pleasant experience, easy

2nd time ->5 hours, hard work, stressful, FUN

 

5. How much would you say that you save by building your own computer?

1st computer -> got ripped off by going to Frys so didnt save anything

2nd computer -> probably $400

 

6. Do you feel more confident in your computer experience now that you have built your own computer and why?

Yes. I feel that I've gained a valuable skillset -> the ability to build a PC! Also increased my troubleshooting skills and overall knowledge of computer hardware. I am confident enough to say that I never have to buy a prebuilt computer EVER.

 

7. Do you think that building your own computer is more beneficial than buying a pre-built computer with preinstalled software? Yes! Its fun, saves you money, and very satisfying in the end. I think everyone should build their own computer or at least try it once in their lifetime. Death to Dell!!

[Smoken Joe]

1. What do you do for a living/education and how old are you?

 

40

 

2. What prompted you to build your first computer?

 

To save money and get something a little more reliable than something you could buy.

 

3. Where did you get information for building your first computer?

Internet forums and the manual.

 

4. How was your experience building your first computer?

 

Very strait forward and anticlymatic it was easer than putting together one of those "some assembily required" grills or toys.

 

5. How much would you say that you save by building your own computer?

 

You can't buy a computer as fast or as reliable as the one you make. You can also upgrade as things improve you cant really do that with a Dell you might as well buy a new one. You can also sell the computer or the parts a year later. Some parts are the same price a year later so the computer often costs very little.

 

6. Do you feel more confident in your computer experience now that you have built your own computer and why?

Of cource- it often takes less time to drive to the store and back than to fix even a serious problem.

 

7. Do you think that building your own computer is more beneficial than buying a pre-built computer with preinstalled software?

Most companys dont give you a copy of the OS so you cant install a bug free version of windows- some have the backup files on your hard drive so if that fails all can be lost untill they get around to fixing your computer.

[fariss]

1. Corrections Officer - 56

2. Curiosity & cost.

3. Tinkering with older computers.

4. Flawless 1st build.

5. Unknown savings. I built w/ some salvaged & new parts.

6. Yes. Because each build teaches you something new.

7. Absolutely.

[Guest oRiOn]

1. What do you do for a living/education and how old are you?

15 years old, Esperanza High School, Graphic Design

( http://demitasse.homeunix.com:81 )

 

2. What prompted you to build your first computer?

Wanted to know how it all worked, plus the sound wasn't working.

 

3. Where did you get information for building your first computer?

I didn't get any information anywhere.

 

4. How was your experience building your first computer?

Was very fun, took my 75mhz Packard Bell apart and then reassembled the whole thing, while figuring out what the sound card was and how to fix it, wasn't seated in the slot properly, was hit pretty hard. During this process I figured out where the proccessor was, what the ram was, and the CD drives.

 

5. How much would you say that you save by building your own computer?

I would say, around the time I got the hardware, about 400-1k depending on brand, Falcon and Alienware being around 1k.

 

6. Do you feel more confident in your computer experience now that you have built your own computer and why?

I feel extremely confident, I now have 4 computers I have built operating in the house and I try to maintain the network here while doing much troubleshooting with Linux -> Windows compatibility, if I had never built that 75mhz computer when I was about 7-8 yrs old I doubt I would be at the skill I am now at computers.

 

7. Do you think that building your own computer is more beneficial than buying a pre-built computer with preinstalled software?

I know it is more beneficial, but depending more on the case, for instance my Papa needed a desktop to browse the web; he went for a Dell due to the price and the customer support those were the only two reasons. Now when I build computers I compare it to a similar Dell and Alienware system. With a Dell you can get a high end graphics card and loads of ram, but what brand is it?

 

Hopefully you get something out of this, I actually wrote it sorta-maybe good.

 

-Will