Marketing for your Dollars

[Dafaad]

Hi All,
I have been reading the scrolling articles here at Tom's ever since the changes were made a while back. It has come to my attention that many people out there need help with their home systems. It is good that we have a site like this in which to discuss hardware and computers in general.

I think in America and other countries we are at the mercy of "Marketing Ploys' for the "almighty buck". The computer industry is following this as well.

Not being a professional computer builder, but a home computer builder I have noticed a few things that bug me, so thought I would bounce a few off of you.

First is Microsoft itself, while their software seems to be better and is. You would think each new version would change the world, but you know, all they do is change the graphics a little bit, add a couple of fair features and make us all buy it again, over and over. However, if you try to go back to some older stuff, without plug and play and such. You quickly remember the headaches.

Chip wars got to a fevered pitch with each saying how great their speed was. Then they got to a point where they couldn't make something faster under current limitations, so they decided to change the nameing scheme in order to cover it up. That worked for a while, until we the people got the idea, then they decided...Hey lets do duel core, everyone will think they are getting twice as much! Duel core may one day be the thing to have. Right now however, why do you need it? Single core often runs the same application as fast or faster. (Is it just because you want to say you have "headers" on your car?)

Now we have the display adapter (video card) people playing the same game. Do we really need SLI or is it just another way to get us for twice the money? You know that when you buy this stuff it is outdated. Why loose twice the money for outdated or old tech?

Anyway, what started all this was the fact that I recently made a nice SLI computer myself. It has an AMD 4000 and works fine graphically. The thing that upsets me is that I have an AMD 3000 that actually boots faster and runs more stable then the new one. So one asks, why spend the money? Are we all caught up in this, are we accepting the marketing crap they are giving us? I am disappointed in the industry right now, but since it is my hobby, I am going for a new quad video adapter set, maybe pacman will run better on it.......lol Not!

 

[pwnage]

i work in the industry so i know how you feel.

the chips wars will continue forever until the end of time and maybe even in the after life. : ) it's just the way life goes. dual core's wow, what to say about them. well there fast worth the price. and yes some single core proc can run certian app faster and better than dual cores. but if you like to multi task like a mother then dual is the way to go.

Ah, and how can we forget the wonderful world of Microshaft. i cant disagree with you on this one, they SUCK. it won't be long before they start charging for the software updates. but with about 96% of the world using Windows the change from one dominat OS to another is unlikely. so people will pay for it and again and again be ripped off by that robber baron Bill Gates.

SLI was designed for the high end graphics people. then us gamers got our gready little hands on it and it turned into a gamer thing. gamers don't need SLI. it's nice, i admit, but not needed. a lot of these high end products that are out are over kill for what people acctualy need.

but eh what ever, to each his own

 

[mdd1963]

"gamers don't need SLI."

If you are content to play some of the newest titles at a modest resolution, that is true...

Take a 7800GT, for instance.....averages (in Performance Test) in FEAR about 50 fps at stock clocks at 1024x768/4xAA/16xAF...

Add another in SLI....99 frames/sec.....

Can I 'get by' with one card? Yes...and I do.

But I wouldn't say it's a feature gamers don't "need"...it's all a matter of budget, and priorities...