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Please help me land a job.

S

SchrodingersDog

Banned
Hello dear readers, here's the deal. A few months ago I was laid off from my job of ten years (non computing related) and I've had no luck becoming employed. My wife works for a small office that will soon be expanding. Over the last few weeks I've developed a good relationship with the owner while working on his current office pc setup (some software installs, dvd burner installs, three pcs networked) and some other light work for some extra cash. Now the business will expand sometime over the next few weeks and he's looking for a computer tech to set up an office from scratch and then stay on salary for general maintenance and future business expansion. I'm not a pro, I'm an enthusiest, but on the advanced side. Sometime soon (next few days hopefully) I need to submit a rough budget for this initial project, and I've come the the good people of AnandTech because I really can't afford to screw this up, and I may be competing against a couple of candidates that really know what they're doing. Oh, and I need to feed my family 🙂

Here's the job:
Three PC system, setup, networked, basic software installed to start (probably just OS). Business work is internet related and needs to handle light image manipulation (PSP 8).

He won't budge on:
Must be P4 2.8, and 1gig RAM.

I'm thinking:
I've read through plenty of Anand's buying guides and the need for the P4 2.8 makes it a little tough to just go by those, as Anand generally goes for AMD these days. I also am not sure if onboard video will do for a bit of Paint Shop touching up work, but if not I think something in the 9200 caliber would do. Hard drive in the 80-120gig range. He wants at least one DVD burner and at least a CD burner in the other two pcs.

My questions:
Could a prebuilt system do (Dell etc.)? Finances are a concern just because I'm submitting a budget against a couple of others attemping the same thing, otherwise ownership isn't very thrifty.

Labor is figured into this estimate. I've built a few systems, and I'm thinking 6-8 hours from cutting open the boxes to cracking open the beer. Does this sound right?

What is a reasonable hourly rate of pay for the above and after I land the job 😉 He's been giving me $20 an hour so far, which I've been grateful for being just a passionate amateur, but what do you think the other guys will ask for?

I think I'll piece together something out of the various Anand guides and Newegg it. Motherboard choice may be my biggest undecided point.


Thanks for any general advice you folks can offer, or links to rigs of this type.
Unrelated question, do you think this is the longest first post on AnandTech ever?
Next week - help me lose weight and organize my cd collection.
 
Could a prebuilt system do (Dell etc.)? Finances are a concern just because I'm submitting a budget against a couple of others attemping the same thing, otherwise ownership isn't very thrifty.

Labor is figured into this estimate. I've built a few systems, and I'm thinking 6-8 hours from cutting open the boxes to cracking open the beer. Does this sound right?
Click to expand...
Dell includes a legal copy of Windows and a warranty, and very low prices if you buy on a Hot Deal. Onboard video is prefectly fine for 2D work like PhotoShop or PSPro, especially since you'll have 1 GB of RAM.

The only thing you might want to get separately is extra RAM if Dell doesn't have a special on it, but in comparing costs figure in the extra shipping, labor to install, and chance that you'll have to RMA a bad stick.

What is a reasonable hourly rate of pay for the above and after I land the job He's been giving me $20 an hour so far, which I've been grateful for being just a passionate amateur, but what do you think the other guys will ask for?
Click to expand...
Is he paying you as an employee right now (collecting taxes, paying his share of Social Security, etc.) or just as a consultant?

If he's paying as a consultant now, you might get less per hour once he has to pay taxes and employment insurance and offer vacation time and other benefits like insurance. But salary questions belong in Off-topic like Gamingphreek said.
 
Thank you very much Dave that was very helpful. That's good news on onboard video, as I thought is was pretty competant these days, and that'll be a good cost savings. I had considered the OS cost issue, that's a big selling point for the prebuilt too, when it's times three you're looking at 300 to 500 bucks I would guess. Do you know if/when businesses get a discount or extra serial numbers from Micro for multiple Windows copies?
 
Dell, the warranty is nice to have. And how many setups have you custom built that ran perfectly right off the bat, if he wants a system to do heavy work then build one for him.

i can't help you on the pay, i havent even finished a year of college since i graduated
 
Dell includes a legal copy of Windows and a warranty, and very low prices if you buy on a Hot Deal. Onboard video is prefectly fine for 2D work like PhotoShop or PSPro, especially since you'll have 1 GB of RAM.
Click to expand...

 
YOU got some wonderful advice here but may I suggest that if you call Dell ask if it is possiable to get the PC'S with the ATI board installed money should be the same. and its a much better graphics solution it should be know problem. LooK the other guys are going to get better than $20 an hour . Thats not what you should concern yourself with the thing is are you happy with $20 dollars an hour if so figure that in and just do a good job. Good luck
 
We use Dell GX270's and 280's at work, and they have been decent PC's. Of course the main point is that they have warranty and an OS already installed. If you build the PC's yourself, and any single component goes bad, you look like the bad guy, where as if you get a prebuilt and it dies, it's not your fault. Plus the Dell support for corporate buisness is pretty good.

Ignore the comment about the ATI video card, as it really doesn't matter. Both Nvidia and ATI make great video solutions, and obviously this won't be for gaming. Dell does offer an upgrade from the onboard for a bit more, and it comes with a DVI output if you want to run LCD's. If it is in the budget, LCD's are great for a work environment.

Good luck!
 
Quote

( Ignore the comment about the ATI video card, as it really doesn't matter.)
This is not for the gentle man that posted but for the moron that would compare the ATI onboard graphics to a nvidia ARE YOU RETARDED TO EVEN MENTION THE 2 SOLUTIONS IN THE SAME SENTANCE IS NIEVE AS ALL HELL
 
Zinn that statement makes absolutely no sense what so ever. Nvidia boards are claimed to be THE BEST most reputable boards on the market. ATI is just starting, and also there drivers (though they are getting much better) are not as good or as stable as Nvidias.

As for onboard, Nvidia doesn't have onboard anymore. They stopped at Nforce 2 which is Geforce 4 MX. You cant compare them. If you want to why dont you compare the Nforce IGP with like a Radeon 7500 or something.

You once again are trolling. YOur reputation seems to fall daily Zinn.

Edit the post out OP before a mod does... YOU ARE IN THE WRONG FORUM Not trying to be mean or anything by the way.

-Kevin
 
Originally posted by: Zinn2b
Quote

( Ignore the comment about the ATI video card, as it really doesn't matter.)
This is not for the gentle man that posted but for the moron that would compare the ATI onboard graphics to a nvidia ARE YOU RETARDED TO EVEN MENTION THE 2 SOLUTIONS IN THE SAME SENTANCE IS NIEVE AS ALL HELL
Click to expand...


ok... someone needs to get some sleep.

I checked on the Dell site, and the GX280's are sold with the ATI X300, which is more than enough for any office computer.

I don't think you can argue that it really matters as far as ATI/Nvidia for an officer computer though Zinn. Either brand will be plenty of muscle for the job.
 
Originally posted by: Varun
Originally posted by: Zinn2b
Quote

( Ignore the comment about the ATI video card, as it really doesn't matter.)
This is not for the gentle man that posted but for the moron that would compare the ATI onboard graphics to a nvidia ARE YOU RETARDED TO EVEN MENTION THE 2 SOLUTIONS IN THE SAME SENTANCE IS NIEVE AS ALL HELL
Click to expand...


ok... someone needs to get some sleep.

I checked on the Dell site, and the GX280's are sold with the ATI X300, which is more than enough for any office computer.

I don't think you can argue that it really matters as far as ATI/Nvidia for an officer computer though Zinn. Either brand will be plenty of muscle for the job.
Click to expand...

If you've read some of Zinn2b's other posts - by which I mean "Incoherent babbling" - you'd see that he can argue anything. Not effectively, but he sure can run his mouth. 😀

- M4H
 
I was in know way cutting the nvidia chipset I said the 0n board graphics are the best and thats a fact in office work graphics qualtiy does indeed count eye strain DVI some 3d modeling . all the man had to do is give his opion he did not have to use the ignore word I was tring to help a fellow out. You set behind a screen 8 hours a day 5 days a week and than say your display quality doesn't matter.
 
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