Ken's Corner - Computer and Technology Tips
Being cheap usually costs more.....
Things are getting more expensive with each passing year; it’s a fact of life and has been for years. Because of that, many people will search for ways to save money. That, in itself, is not a problem but where to cut corners is sometimes hard to know, and that can come back to bite you hard.
Some time ago, a man brought in a computer for repairs (No names will be used, but you’ll see why.). As soon as he walked in, the smell of charred metal wafted through the room. The laptop he had was maybe two years old; a system that was built strictly for computer gaming with a fast processor, a powerful graphics card, and lots of memory and storage. The computer was under a three-year warranty but his battery had recently failed (Batteries aren’t always covered by a computer warranty, but are still warrantied for one year in most cases.).
This laptop had to cost upwards of two thousand dollars, but the owner wanted to save a buck when he replaced the battery. He bought a cheap $20 battery from a cheap battery store. Turns out, it was inferior and not quite compatible with his computer. He replaced the battery, turned on his computer, and watched as halfway through the start-up process the battery experienced a critical failure and shorted out his system.
Long story short: The computer warranty didn’t cover repairs since he used a knock-off battery. The battery warranty covered the replacement of the battery, but not the computer since it “wasn’t totally” compatible. While the computer could be fixed, it would cost almost as much as just replacing the computer. In a quest to save about $80, he turned his gaming laptop into a $2,000 doorstop.
It’s a lesson for all of us: Cheap doesn’t always translate into functional. You’ll still see some cars from the ’80s on the road, but very few of them will be Yugos. Carry-out from an authentic Cantonese restaurant will likely taste better than the can of Chun King in your cupboard. Personally, I don’t know anyone who prefers the feel of generic toilet paper.
Yes, you can find $500 used cars, $2 six-packs of beer, new $300 computers, and $2 gallons of ice cream, but be prepared for a little disappointment. You get what you pay for.
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