How to Read a Computer Ad
Monitor Not Included?
As they've have been reduced to a commodity by market pressures, computers built by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) have been forced to cut all sorts of corners to keep their costs down and their customer's prices competitive. As a result, you can buy a "good-enough" computer for $500—less if you're not too fussy. And remember, monitor not included.
We think this is wrong.
That Cookie-Cutter Sameness
The other effect commoditization brings is that cookie-cutter sameness, illustrated by the table below, as if computers were no different from toasters, televisions and teakettles. They're all pretty much the same, aren't they? And, economics aside, that doesn't make sense. And, those economic considerations aid the companies, not you.
You can confirm this by looking at any ad these guys run; at the bottom of the ad is a fairly large footnote section. Printed in a type size too small to read, they contain:
- Disclaimers (they're not responsible if you somehow misread their ads or footnotes),
- Clarifications (the small-print reality behind the big-headline hype)
- Limitations (what they won't do for your hard-earned money).
Disclaimers, Clarifications & Limitations
One ad we saw had a list numbered from 1 to 80, in sequence, but with lots of notes missing in between. The notion that you'd need 80 footnotes you could plug into any of your ads to cover all the contingencies and legalities (legalities that protect their company, not you) is sobering and off-putting. What are these guys afraid of?
The fact of the matter is they have to use these footnotes, not only to cover themselves, but because they don't know who you are or what you want or need. So, they resort to the time-honored tradition of trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator or making systems that look just like every one else's systems, because, well, that's what computers look like, right?
- Monitor not included?
- Disclaimers?
- Limitations?
- Lowest common denominator?
- Cookie-cutter sameness?
Hey, We're New Yorkers; We Play at a Whole Other Level!
Does that sound like you? It doesn't sound like us.
Hey, we're from New York; even our nerds are cool.
Why would I want to have the same thing everyone else has? I have different needs. So do you.
The information in the table below was derived by ads each company placed in The New York Times in July 2003.
Updated: November 18, 2005
Category |
HP |
IBM |
Dell |
Model |
HP Compaq |
Netvista A30 |
Dimension 2350 Desktop |
Model Price, as advertised (USD) |
$529 |
$579 |
$449 |
Monitor included? |
No |
No |
No |
CPU |
Intel Pentium 4, 2.40 GHz |
Intel Pentium 4, 2.40 GHz |
Intel Celeron, 2.20 GHz |
RAM |
128MB |
128MB |
128MB Shared DDR |
Hard Drive |
40GB Smart III |
40GB |
30GB (7200 RPM) |
Video Card |
Intel Extreme Graphics 2 (integrated on mother board) |
Intel Extreme Graphics (integrated on mother board) |
Integrated Intel 3D Extreme Graphics (integrated on mother board) |
Motherboard |
Intel 865G Chipset |
Unlisted |
Unlisted |
CD-ROM/CD-RW |
CD-ROM unlisted, but |
CD-ROM |
48x CD-ROM, |
Audio |
Sound Max Digital AC97 integrated audio with internal speaker |
Unlisted |
Unlisted |
Operating System |
Windows XP, |
Windows XP, |
Windows XP, |
Productivity Software |
Microsoft Works |
Unlisted |
WordPerfect Productivity Pack |
Add Microsoft |
“Office XP, with Publisher” |
Office XP, Small Business Edition |
Unlisted |
Anti-Virus Protection |
Unlisted |
Norton Anti-Virus |
Unlisted |
Monitor Suggestions |
TFT 1701 17” LCD Display |
17” (CRT), 16” viewable, with system purchase. (#17MONB1) |
Four Digital Flat Panels Listed as follows: |
Modem |
Unlisted |
No |
Unlisted |
Network Card (NIC) |
Integrated Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet |
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet |
Unlisted |
Warranty |
|||
Other Options Available ($) |
|||
TOTAL COST: (If you actually wanted to work with this computer.) |
$1057 |
Ranges from |
Ranges from |
Difference from originally quoted price (to have a computer that's actually usable): |
+$528 |
Between |
Between |