It is so familiar. You put your lifetime's saving into a stateof- the-art computer with a Viper graphics card, the mother of all motherboards, RAM coming out of its gills. And then a few months later, it is too slow to run the latest version of your favourite application or Quake III. The planned obsolescence of hardware in this business can get on your nerves and empty your wallet.
So what do you do?
Even before you plunk your money down, it is important to know what upgrades are possible and whether you can afford them so that your hardware has a longer shelf-life. Computer sales and services have come a long way in Kathmandu, today it is not seen as a luxury anymore. It is not just the telecommunications industry, banks, studios, creative media like animation, graphics that use computers, it has become a communication, information and entertainment device for the home as well.
Deciding to buy a computer might not be as hard as choosing which one to buy, especially with the gimmicks in the market that extol the "fastest, highest and strongest". Moreover, the market is crowded with computer resellers offering every brand you have ever heard of. When you start off on a computer hunt, to choose between branded computers and assembled ones could be a major dilemma. Our survey of the Kathmandu market for branded products got us these companies- IBM, Compaq, Acer, Dell and Toshiba. The major difference the brand names have with clones is, of course, the price.
In a price-sensitive market like Kathmandu, the 30-40 percent differential between branded and clones is a point to consider. While a top-end branded computer will cost at least Rs 95,000, an assembled one could be as low as Rs
40,000 depending on the configuration you choose. For instance, a difference in just one key component like an Intel (genuine) and a Tomato motherboard could cause a price difference of up to Rs 7,000. The challenge for dealers of
branded computers is that the clones are so much cheaper. Rajan Man Shakya of CAS Trading House says, "The market for branded computers was not so bad in Kathmandu 3- 4 years earlier because the custom duties on the components was at par with that on the entire system. But now that the duties is far less for components than for the entire systems, the assembled pieces have become very cheap."
But what you get in return for the extra money for a branded computers is reliability, performance and durability. In addition, they come with a three years' warranty. The first year of the warranty period is on site while for the rest of the two years you will have to take the computer to the reseller. The warranty is an assurance that if anything happens to the computer, you need not cover the maintenance cost. But in case of assembled computers, a dealer would not be able to give a warranty of more than a month. With assembled computers, the only guarantee you have is that it'll hang frequently, and there will be a major problem within three months of purchase.
Branded computers give you fewer surprises. Since all parts of a branded computer are standard products of the company that manufactures it, any compatibility problem would be a rarity. Even if there is a problem the reseller is
unable to solve, you can always get to the manufacturers and get it fixed.
The total cost of operation is also much lower for branded computers as the power consumption is less (maximum electricity consumed by a branded computer is 150 to 200 Watts). Durability is higher and the system is safer, at least you know what you are dealing with! The advantage of clones however is that because of the higher turnover, delivery is fast. Within a few hours of ordering, you have a living breathing computer sitting on your desk waiting to carry out your every command. There is a small catch, though: you never know when it will crash. However, assembled computers give you a variety of choices as far as configuration is concerned. From Pentium 300 MHz to the latest Pentium III 1 GHz, everything is available in the assembled market. So, even if your requirement is for a glorified typewriter, then you can get a cheap one. No point buying a Ferrari when all you need is a Maruti.
Designer computer brands come with only a standardised configuration and they are packed with the latest chips and that jacks up their cost. Kathmandu has various authorised branded computer resellers. Mercantile Office Systems on Durbar Marg is the authorised reseller of IBM and Acer computers.
Computer Advance System (CAS), Kathmandu Plaza, is an authorised reseller that sells Compaq, NEC and Hewlett Packard products. Within a delivery time of 2-3 weeks, any model of Compaq desktop or laptop computer will be served. If your choice is Dell or Toshiba products, then there is World Distribution Nepal, Siddhi Bhawan. World Distribution does not have anything in stock but within four days of order, the chosen item can be delivered.
