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"White box," Mail Order or Retailer?

Where's the best place to buy a computer?

Is a new computer on your shopping list? If so, there are three main venues to choose from:

• local shops that build their own computers (also known as generic PCs and "white boxes")

• national online/mail-order companies

• local retailers that sell national brands

So who should you buy from? I'll list some of the advantages and disadvantages of each of these, so that you can consider what's important to you, particularly regarding price, service, and quality of product.

Local shops

The local shop is the wild card in this mix. They tend to have the best prices and service in the industry. So, if you're lucky enough to have a good local shop in the area, you should probably start there. They're listed under "Computer Dealers" in the Yellow Pages. Of course, the quality of service and prices can vary greatly from one of one shop to another, so be sure to check on their reputation.

Possible downsides? A big question is their staying power. If you need help two years down the road, will they still be in business? Do they build their computers with quality, name-brand components from companies that will provide updated software drivers in the future? A second thing to consider is, will you likely travel a lot, or move in the next few years? If so, realize that you'll need to seek out somebody else at your new location for support. Finally, if you need a laptop computer, you'll probably have to look elsewhere. There's no such thing as a white box laptop because the components used to build laptops are so specialized.

Online/mail Order Companies

These are companies like Dell and Gateway that base their business model on not having local retail stores. Because they avoid this cost, build in great quantities, and use "just in time" manufacturing to keep their inventories low, their prices are low too. (For an extra cheap price, check out their refurbished systems.)

Their (initial anyway) interaction with customers is done completely over the phone or Internet. Because support is done over the phone or Internet, it doesn't matter whether you're here or in Kalamazoo when you need support. If you're a "road warrior," nation-wide support has its advantages. And, if you buy from a company with a good reputation, you'll be in good shape when it comes time to upgrade your computer down the road, because they'll likely have updated drivers available.

Possible downsides? You usually can't try out the computer before you buy it (although a few companies are also experimenting with retail outlets). Many of the companies do have generous, no-questions-asked return policies, but you still have to deal with shipping the computer back.

Also, even though you can specify that you want a local support option when you buy a computer (they contract with local technicians to provide onsite service), you'll still have to do some initial hands-on trouble-shooting, via phone or Internet, in order to determine if they do indeed need to send out their local technician. So, if you don't like fiddling around with a computer that's misbehaving and just want somebody else to deal with it, an online/mail-order computer probably isn't for you.

Retailer selling national brands locally

The third choice is to buy a national brand, such as Compaq/Hewlett-Packard, eMachine, or IBM from a local retailer.

One of the biggest advantages with a retailer is that you can "test-drive" the computer before you buy it. For example, you'll be able to see if a 15 or 17-inch monitor suits you best, or whether you like the feel and layout of the keyboard. This is especially important when buying a laptop because of their crammed keyboards and smaller monitors.

Also, if after buying it you decide you made a mistake and want to return it, you can probably just return it to the store (you'll probably be charged a "restocking" fee however). And, if you need a computer "right now!" you can walk out of the store with one today. Even a local computer shop might need time to build one to sell you, and obviously if you buy from an online/mail order company you'll have to wait for it to be shipped.

Possible downsides? You probably won't get the best price, and the advice you receive in the store can vary greatly. Hook up with the wrong salesperson, and they might know less than you! On the other hand, at least it is a real live person – not just a voice on a phone or a message on the Internet. Another thing to consider is that you'll likely receive support from the original manufacturer – not the local store.

Need more info? Pick up a recent computer magazine such as PC Magazine or PC World. Both have regular reviews of national brand computers in various categories (e.g. entry-level, power-user, laptop).

And, of course, the Web has even more information. Go to a consumer review site, such as www.epinions.com. Another excellent resource is PC Magazine's "Annual Reader Survey: Service & Reliability," which is one of the most comprehensive and respected reports. It compiles statistics on the major brands (and local shops in general) for topics such as reliability, if the problem was solved over the phone, in person, or over e-mail, average telephone hold time, etc., and then assigns the company an overall satisfaction grade.

To see the survey, go to www.PCMag.com, and click the "Previous Issues" link (in the left-hand margin). Click the "August 1, 2002" issue (cover story of "Best & Worst"), and then click the "Service & Reliability" link.

Doing a little homework now to identify the best computer supplier for your needs can make all the difference. The wrong computer can be an expensive, frustrating, high-tech headache! But the right one can be a wonderful, useful tool that's well worth your money.