Just flew back from a quick trip to Fort Worth on American Airlines. It was a typical trip with some good points and some not so good points. I did want to mention that on the flight out I was treated to a question that is not asked very often. Do you want you orange juice with ice or without? I do not care for ice as a rule. I don't like the way it hits my lips and teeth or they way it always seems to come crashing down on you when you are getting close to the bottom of the glass so when someone ask me if I want ice or not, it is a real treat.
The second treat factor was when he offered not only one glass but a second glass of orange juice. I gladly accepted. I don't travel as well as I would like all the time, and part of the secret of a good trip is to stay well hydrated. I usually drink Ginger Ale when I am flying because true ginger has motion soothing qualities but with my stomach acting up and fighting a cold I thought I would forgo the carbonation and head for the vitamin C. It hit the spot.
Whoever you were, I wish I would have caught your name to give credit where credit is due. Thanks for the kindness. Little things truly do mean a lot. Especially in comparison to the flight from last week. And just to let you know, this act of kindness was not the norm because on the flight home we were back to the glass of ice with a dash of orange juice.
Like I said this was a quick trip but it included enough time for me to sneak in a side trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to watch our money being made. This is another check off from my list of things I have always wanted to do. It was very interesting and well worth the trip. I even got to see the new $5 bill on the production floor before its release tomorrow. They are working on a new $100 bill but that won't debut for awhile and was hidden from view by curtains so we will just have to wait and watch for the coming announcement.
Though it costs less than ten cents to produce a monetary note, they will charge you up to 5 times its face value when they stick it in a fancy wrapper and sell it in the gift shop. The power of collectibles is truly amazing.
If you are in the area and have an interest I can recommend the tour. Also, if you are in Denver, stop into the mint and watch them make coins. With increase security it pays to arrive early because you will go through a screening like at the airport. Also, during the busy season you may have to sign up for the tour in advance to make sure you can get in. Since I was solo this run I was able to fit in with a group of elementary school students out on a field trip. The kids seem to be enjoying the tour almost as much as I did.
There is still a lot of this great country for me to see and I intend to see as much of it as I can. Who knows, we might run into each other out there on the road.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
12 March 2008
08 March 2008
The pain of buying a new computer
I hate shopping for new computers. I should really enjoy it because I do like new technology and the discovery process and comparing but for some reason computer shopping is just not as fun as it should be.
When you go shopping for cars you have a pretty diverse range of subjects to choose from be it color, body style, number of doors, tires, engines, transmissions, stereo systems, and that is without mention of make and model preferences, reliability records, mileage, performance, insurance. Yet for cars you can quickly eliminate many of the items and focus down on what will meet your needs the best, then find a store (dealer) that will take the best care of you and figure out the price you’re willing to pay.
Computers on the other hand can be broken down into a commodity item, or at least it should be, and the first place you want to look is the manufacture (dealer) for reliability, dependability, and price. Once you have found a place you can work with and rely on then it becomes a matter of which machine fits your budget, or how can I get the most bang for my buck.
This is where it starts getting difficult and they know it. It is not just a simple matter of saying bigger is better because sometimes it isn’t. Newest and latest does not guarantee anything either. And the truly rotten thing is no matter what you get there are no guarantees that it will be compatible with anything else in the industry, now or in the future. They have you on the hook for a continual rotation.
Because of this I have set my price point for the next computer buy to be on the lowest end possible that will still function reasonably well for the next three years. I know that is asking a lot but I should be able to buy a machine now and a new one in three years for the same amount of money I would have to spend to have a machine that would last four years. Did I mention I’m a numbers guy?
Back to point, this should still be a fairly easy process. Decide desktop or laptop, size screen, DVD writer and be done with it, but no, that is just the beginning. Which processor do I choose Intel or AMD? Which video card, though most pre built boxes are fixed? How much memory will I need to run the Vista hog? Why does it costs more to “upgrade” to Windows XP? That should tell me something right there.
Anybody that has done this (and you all must have to be reading this right now) knows that I haven’t even scratched the surface. Every week there is a new introduction of what the latest and greatest new hardware item is. From CPU, to Video cards and all points in between there is always a reason to wait for the next release which is also the reason that what you just bought just became yesterday’s news. Yes my friend, your machine is now obsolete and you haven’t even gotten it out of the packing yet.
Now I understand that and I am o.k. with that. It is pat of what innovation is all about. New technology is wonderful when it continually leads you to new and better things. My hardship stems from trying to figure out the here and now. The manufactures (and here I refer to any that make prepackaged boxes) have done their best to make things just a little different so that you have a hard time comparing them to the next guy down the block. I can understand that as well, that is just normal marketing for a commoditized product. What I can’t understand is why they make it so difficult to compare one item from the other within their own lineup.
I am a little more aware of computers than my fellow cube mates and I could probably build a computer ala carte easier than most, at the very least I could pick out a list of items and have someone put it together for me but then you are talking customization which is best done at a local shop. Actually that would be my preference if I had the time and money, but need and budget are driving factors at this point. Also, the problem with local shops is they can be opinionated, backlogged and pricey. Come to think of it, so are the big boys. The local shops don’t have the buying clout of the big boys so they have to pay more for their stuff which means you have to pay more for your stuff. To be at the same price point you are dealing with older or lesser technology.
Speaking of price points, the big boys should have better economies of scale with the volume they are producing. Second point is they should also be able to assembly line pre packaged units far cheaper than the customized boxes by using mass production techniques. I have not seen much evidence to support this theory in their pricing but I have seen evidence of it in their profit margins.
So why can’t I find wonderful deals on Dell or HP or whatever for pre-built, pre-packaged, all in one, inclusive 80 percentile, desired machines? I don’t know. It should be a no brainer, even from a marketing standpoint.
I have gone to their web sites, often, and tried pricing out various machines looking at both pre-builds and customization builds. All I get is more confused and frustrated. They have a hundred (self recognized exaggeration) slightly differently named models with very little in the way of figuring out what makes them different. This makes it all but impossible to compare even within the same lineup. And if you use their customization order form to personalize your choice and you want to compare between the regular case and the slim line you will go insane because you can run a dozen different scenarios in the same line and still not be able to compare apples to apples. I know about what I want and about what I want to pay but I have yet to build a list the same way twice on the custom list.
My answer at this point is to just give up. I am not going to be able to get what I want, how I want it, for the price I am willing to pay (I will always want more) and it isn’t worth the aggravation of going through the hassle of an overloaded web site, which never really gets around to providing the choices you want. I think I will just go down to Costco and find the one that is closest to my spec list and if it is on sale, load up the truck and bring it on home.
No machine I get will be a perfect answer. In the world of computers and Microsoft, incompatibility is the norm. That is why I decided years ago, after buying my first computer and the troubles I went through, that my gaming machines were going to be a Sega or a Playstation because all the compatibility problems would already be taken care of. Life is easier that way.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
When you go shopping for cars you have a pretty diverse range of subjects to choose from be it color, body style, number of doors, tires, engines, transmissions, stereo systems, and that is without mention of make and model preferences, reliability records, mileage, performance, insurance. Yet for cars you can quickly eliminate many of the items and focus down on what will meet your needs the best, then find a store (dealer) that will take the best care of you and figure out the price you’re willing to pay.
Computers on the other hand can be broken down into a commodity item, or at least it should be, and the first place you want to look is the manufacture (dealer) for reliability, dependability, and price. Once you have found a place you can work with and rely on then it becomes a matter of which machine fits your budget, or how can I get the most bang for my buck.
This is where it starts getting difficult and they know it. It is not just a simple matter of saying bigger is better because sometimes it isn’t. Newest and latest does not guarantee anything either. And the truly rotten thing is no matter what you get there are no guarantees that it will be compatible with anything else in the industry, now or in the future. They have you on the hook for a continual rotation.
Because of this I have set my price point for the next computer buy to be on the lowest end possible that will still function reasonably well for the next three years. I know that is asking a lot but I should be able to buy a machine now and a new one in three years for the same amount of money I would have to spend to have a machine that would last four years. Did I mention I’m a numbers guy?
Back to point, this should still be a fairly easy process. Decide desktop or laptop, size screen, DVD writer and be done with it, but no, that is just the beginning. Which processor do I choose Intel or AMD? Which video card, though most pre built boxes are fixed? How much memory will I need to run the Vista hog? Why does it costs more to “upgrade” to Windows XP? That should tell me something right there.
Anybody that has done this (and you all must have to be reading this right now) knows that I haven’t even scratched the surface. Every week there is a new introduction of what the latest and greatest new hardware item is. From CPU, to Video cards and all points in between there is always a reason to wait for the next release which is also the reason that what you just bought just became yesterday’s news. Yes my friend, your machine is now obsolete and you haven’t even gotten it out of the packing yet.
Now I understand that and I am o.k. with that. It is pat of what innovation is all about. New technology is wonderful when it continually leads you to new and better things. My hardship stems from trying to figure out the here and now. The manufactures (and here I refer to any that make prepackaged boxes) have done their best to make things just a little different so that you have a hard time comparing them to the next guy down the block. I can understand that as well, that is just normal marketing for a commoditized product. What I can’t understand is why they make it so difficult to compare one item from the other within their own lineup.
I am a little more aware of computers than my fellow cube mates and I could probably build a computer ala carte easier than most, at the very least I could pick out a list of items and have someone put it together for me but then you are talking customization which is best done at a local shop. Actually that would be my preference if I had the time and money, but need and budget are driving factors at this point. Also, the problem with local shops is they can be opinionated, backlogged and pricey. Come to think of it, so are the big boys. The local shops don’t have the buying clout of the big boys so they have to pay more for their stuff which means you have to pay more for your stuff. To be at the same price point you are dealing with older or lesser technology.
Speaking of price points, the big boys should have better economies of scale with the volume they are producing. Second point is they should also be able to assembly line pre packaged units far cheaper than the customized boxes by using mass production techniques. I have not seen much evidence to support this theory in their pricing but I have seen evidence of it in their profit margins.
So why can’t I find wonderful deals on Dell or HP or whatever for pre-built, pre-packaged, all in one, inclusive 80 percentile, desired machines? I don’t know. It should be a no brainer, even from a marketing standpoint.
I have gone to their web sites, often, and tried pricing out various machines looking at both pre-builds and customization builds. All I get is more confused and frustrated. They have a hundred (self recognized exaggeration) slightly differently named models with very little in the way of figuring out what makes them different. This makes it all but impossible to compare even within the same lineup. And if you use their customization order form to personalize your choice and you want to compare between the regular case and the slim line you will go insane because you can run a dozen different scenarios in the same line and still not be able to compare apples to apples. I know about what I want and about what I want to pay but I have yet to build a list the same way twice on the custom list.
My answer at this point is to just give up. I am not going to be able to get what I want, how I want it, for the price I am willing to pay (I will always want more) and it isn’t worth the aggravation of going through the hassle of an overloaded web site, which never really gets around to providing the choices you want. I think I will just go down to Costco and find the one that is closest to my spec list and if it is on sale, load up the truck and bring it on home.
No machine I get will be a perfect answer. In the world of computers and Microsoft, incompatibility is the norm. That is why I decided years ago, after buying my first computer and the troubles I went through, that my gaming machines were going to be a Sega or a Playstation because all the compatibility problems would already be taken care of. Life is easier that way.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
07 March 2008
Time to end Daylight Savings Time
It is time to do away with Daylight Savings Time. In fact, there is never a bad time to do away with a bad idea. DST may have had a purpose when it was first introduced but it has no relevance at this point in time. I still think that the world is filled with grown ups that are perfectly able to make big and little decisions on their own. If one person wants to get up early and go to bed early and another wants to get up late and stay up late, why should the rest of the world interfere, and more importantly why should the rest of the world adjust what it is doing to accommodate.
One person can not make the stand alone. If you are going to meet someone, somewhere, at sometime you must be able to agree on all three things for it to happen. If your nine o’clock is another’s 10 o’clock it just will not work. In other words, other people have to play the same game or we all end up playing alone.
Some people have gotten together to play the same game and say no more to the DST. Arizona for example does not bother with this silliness. Way to go Arizona. There are others out there that haven’t folded to the pressure of joining the crowd in a dumb idea so why can’t the rest of us come to our senses?
You can’t control the Sun, you can’t control the rotation of the Earth. Why pretend that you we are trying to control anything other than people that use clocks? This is nothing more than a pain that messes up our sleep twice a year. Let’s bring it to an end while there is still time.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
One person can not make the stand alone. If you are going to meet someone, somewhere, at sometime you must be able to agree on all three things for it to happen. If your nine o’clock is another’s 10 o’clock it just will not work. In other words, other people have to play the same game or we all end up playing alone.
Some people have gotten together to play the same game and say no more to the DST. Arizona for example does not bother with this silliness. Way to go Arizona. There are others out there that haven’t folded to the pressure of joining the crowd in a dumb idea so why can’t the rest of us come to our senses?
You can’t control the Sun, you can’t control the rotation of the Earth. Why pretend that you we are trying to control anything other than people that use clocks? This is nothing more than a pain that messes up our sleep twice a year. Let’s bring it to an end while there is still time.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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