Disagreements galore
It’s disagreement day here in the column, where my readers can take me to task for my comments, observations and reviews. Of the thousands of emails I get every week some of them, you’d be shocked to know, actually run contrary to my opinion. (grin)
Q. In your column about building your own PC, you compared the costs but forgot the $200 for the processor and $50 for the motherboard.
A. Yes, I did. That makes my argument even stronger that building a PC from retail parts may be a fun thing to do but no longer can be done for cost-savings. It’s no longer a Heathkit world out there, alas, even though building your own is loads of fun.
Q. When you discussed free anti-virus products you said the free AVG is just as good as the paid ones. How can that be? I can’t believe that something people give away for free is as good as something supported by millions of dollars in research and development.
A. I am not a testing lab but I rely on the results from the respected labs in reaching my opinions. The AVG anti-virus product is only free to home users; the company makes its money by selling the product to businesses. I would suggest that some of the companies out there are selling anti-virus products for a significant premium (read: high price) over what the market really is. Many rely on rebates and silly schemes to make the price seem low.
I guess the bottom line for me is when a new PC is $300, spending $50 on product that is available free elsewhere is a tough putt for me.
Q. I think your comments about the viruses (or lack thereof) for the Mac is nuts. The reason there are no viruses for the Mac is it is simply more secure than Windows. Every week there’s another patch issued for another problem in Windows. When will you just admit the Mac is just better?
A. I think you’re right on some fronts. I am a huge fan of Apple hardware. I have always said the Apple operating systems are better, more secure and far less susceptible to spyware and other junk. That’s mostly because nothing can be installed on the Apple OS without using the administrator password. That’s just a very, very good idea. However, I also believe my original point that the virus-writing community is focused on Windows is valid. Because it is easier to exploit Windows, it’s the obvious target.
Q. In your comments about rebates I think you overstated the problems. I have filed dozens of rebates over the last couple of years and never had one issue. If you follow the instructions there is nothing to it.
A. Well, thousands of other consumers disagree with you. Rebates and the lack of fulfillment is a growing consumer issue. I just filed one with memory maker K-byte a month ago and got a postcard the other day saying I used the wrong UPC code and therefore I would not be getting my rebate. Considering there is only one UPC code on a package of memory, the odds of me using the wrong one are pretty slim. I filed the procedure to make an appeal and never heard anything back.
WEEKLY WEB WONDER: I am a big fan of the Broadway musical “Rent” and now that the movie version is almost done I can’t wait. Check out the Web site at sony.com/rent/
James Derk is co-owner of CyberDads, a computer repair firm, and computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim@cyberdads.com
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