Lets see, what are we gonna talk about today.... How about....
Computers & Clarksville
You might think that computers and Clarksville just don't go together...ah, but how wrong you are...
I'll just go over the current situation I see locally; feel free to send me an e-mail if you agree or disagree strongly with anything I say.
What's the best way to get a Computer in Clarksville?
Good question. What it really boils down to is how experienced you are with computers, and how much trouble you are willing to go to. If you have been using computers since green screens were invented, and can visually identify every CPU series made without reading it, go ahead & click over to www.jncs.com ; you don't need to read this.
If you Don't know what IDE stands for, but aren't a complete newbie (You have owned a computer, know how to set one up, what to plug in where, etc) jncs or places like it are probably still your best bet; failing that, go out and buy a copy of The Computer Shopper at Kroger's & drool until your ready to order. If you aren't all that intent on actually using new components, you can click to our buy & sell page or check out Auctionweb or one of it's clones to get still usable equipment that the seller is upgrading from, that might make a fair upgrade for you; And of course there are a LOT of computer users in Clarksville swapping & selling madly, check the bulletin boards at your work or school for deals.
But...If you are a newbie (which we all have to have been once, remember) these options are most likely not for you, unless you have a soon-not-to-be-close friend willing to take you under their wing, and help you out with the intricacies.
You're going to need to PURCHASE a COMPLETE SYSTEM. In order to do this, you are going to actually find a place you are willing to do business with; you have many choices; I'll try to point out a few of the +'s & -'s of each.
International Computer Manufacturers
The Big Boys. IBM. Compaq. Dell. Acer. Gateway. Apple. Etc. (By the way, note very, very, very strongly that I do NOT mention Packard Bell as a option) You will pay a little, or a lot, more for a computer from one of the big boys; Each makes a computer that you KNOW will work; each computer will come with extensive documentation, and full software suites are easily & relatively cheaply obtained. These systems are usually designed to be set up by a non-techie customer, and will almost always have simple to use newbie friendly instructions. Technical Support (Which you will be using, believe me) is very frequently free, and easily accessible, without long waits; In the case of IBM & Dell, there will most likely be no wait whatsoever.
Mail-Order Computers
The Not-so-big-boys. Places that advertise in the computer shopper, or on the web that will sell you a complete system for a decent price. About the only thing I can say about them, is that I can not say anything about them. Each and every one is different, with different strength's and weaknesses. Only use one of these outfits for a complete system if you are on a extremely strict budget, or have enough technical knowledge to get you through a few problems.
Local Computer Manufacturers.
There is a long list of places in Clarksville where you can walk in and buy a computer made to your specification, for a decent price, with Tech Support within driving distance. There is a slightly longer list of places like this that are out of business, with disgruntled computer users using their warranty information to light grills.
However, if you are a COMPLETE newbie, or for instance run a small business that HAS to have easily accessible tech support, this is probably still your best option. One of the places I can suggest in the area is Liberty Computers; you will get a fairly good deal, they can handle pretty much any problem that comes along, and they have been in business for quite a while, and will probably still be around when your warranty runs out.
Another Good choice is Tennessee Micom Systems, Which sells new AND used computers, has prices comparable to those found in the Computer Shopper, And might even help you get rid of that peice of equipment you are upgrading from....The biggest selling point for Micom is that they don't act like they expect you to expect them to be wearing a suit.
A new player on the scene is PC Circus, a home-based business in Clarksville working mainly from a web storefront; check'm out.(great site)
Agree? Disagree? Let me know!
What is this "Focus on Clarksville" stuff?
Good question. What we're gonna do is visit different various places around Clarksville, Tennessee with our trusty cameras, with the thought of drawing attention to things that, well, don't get enough attention. We could focus on anything....you'll never know when we'll strike! Some of the things we were thinking about doing a Focus on:
We'll probably do one Focus a week, unless interest suggests otherwise. Do YOU have an idea on what we should Focus on? you can let us know all about it! Get thee Back to Clarkweb