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Rant: My brother broke his keyboard...

Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
I built my brother and his wife a computer for their wedding present cause the one they had was a hand-me-down from my parents, and basically it was junk. This was about 15 months ago... I put an XP2000 in it, 512 MB of RAM, and a GeForce3 Ti200. Not the best, but he has a PS2, but I got him the GF3 because if he wanted to play a game or two on it, that would be sufficient.

So during a not so good time in their relationship before the wedding (I gave him the computer early because his other computer was so fudged up he couldn't even send e-mail) he was plugging in his camera and put the USB cable in the wrong way, but forced it in so it broke the plastic piece in the port, and smashed the contacts together and shorted out the USB header on the motherboard, and it seems it also ruined the power switch on the motherboard.

Then later on he was mad at something else and broke his mouse. Then he got mad at his printer for printing in bands of color because he switch the black and color cartridges around when putting new ones in, so he punched the printer and broke that too. Then he bought a scanner and couldn't get it to work, so he slammed the lid down and broke the glass. (see a pattern here?)

Then just this week, he orders Jedi Outcast from the Lucas Arts website... so, he overpayed needless to say... then he got it last night, installed it, and it didn't work... so he followed the troubleshooting thing in the manual, and that didn't help, so he slammed his fist down on the keyboard and broke that.

Then he's been talking about wanting a new computer, and I'm wondering if he's going to ask me to build him another one... I don't think he'd ever say it, but I think he blames his computer problems on me, because afterall, I built the computer
rolleye.gif
... if he doesn't, I know his wife does. So in a way I'm hoping he doesn't even consult me, and just buys a Dell or something. But if he asks me, I don't want to come out and be like "no, I won't build you one because you keep breaking things, and I don't want you to think it's a crappy computer that I just threw together."

I built my Grandpa a computer, I built my aunt a computer, I built my uncle a computer, I built 4 of my friends computers at college, I've built at least 6 computers for myself, and I built my neighbor a computer... so I think it's safe to say I know what I'm doing since none of them have any problems. I kinda want him to just buy a Dell so that for one thing, he'll learn his problems aren't specific to my custom build, and also so that Dell are the ones who have to listen to him when he breaks stuff, or deletes files or downloads viruses.

He's one of those people who thinks computers are awesome, and is just itching to use a computer for something... but has no clue how they work (or don't work), and doesn't really have any desire to learn. He asks me stuff sometimes, but when I explain it he just nods and says "yeah" and I don't think he really understands. I don't think he understands that you have to have at least SOME knowledge of how a computer works, in order to be able to troubleshoot a problem. He doesn't have any idea where to start even. And that's fine, I'm not knocking him because of that... lots of people don't know how computers work and couldn't care less how they work. But he seems to want to know... I think because I've never had any formal schooling, and he went through 2 years of courses mainly for web design type stuff he thinks it's easier than it really is to learn it. It's like he expects the knowledge to just come to him since the stuff that's basic to me is a mystery to him. What he doesn't realize is that because it's been so long since I've had a steady job, I spend hours a day using computers, many of which are here on AT either learning from others, or researching on my own because a discussion sparked my interest... or made me want to prove someone wrong, or at least try to 🙂

Ok... I'm done... comment as you wish 😀
 
Cliff Notes;

build system for brother
things go wrong
brother blames you


This is a classic case of "should have got a dell," seriously, for friends & family, suggest a dell or something b/c people that can't do computers will always blame the person that sold/built/gave it to them. Lesson learned, send him a link to dell.
 
My reply, if it were me and he asked me to build a new one...


"Dude, you're gettin' a Dell...and anger management."

I say F him. He shows no respect for you and the work you did for him. He systematically busted up the rig you built for him, let him (and Dell tech support) worry about his next one.

My .02
 
Yeah, it's difficult to be that blunt with him though cause we have a good relationship even though he lives like 800 miles away... and I'd like to keep it that way. There's already bad blood between him and our dad, I don't want there to be any between him and myself. I just need to think of a nice way to tell him he should buy a Dell when he wants a new computer. I suspect he'll throw his current computer off his 2nd story deck when he gets a new one... so I probably won't get that back to use as a file server or gaming server or just a backup computer or a spare parts source.
 
Originally posted by: Flyermax2k3
Did you ever think perhaps your brother shouldn't be using a computer? I feel sorry for his wife, btw.
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Thankfully he's not violent with her... but don't feel sorry for her... she's a bit of a... 😀
 
Go over to his house, put a dvd in and hit the menu button. When it makes you sit through the FBI crap throw the remote down and stomp on it. Turn on the oven to cook a pizza, when it isn't preheated in 1 minute kick it as hard as you can. Maybe he will catch on that you don't fix stuff by breaking it. I have some relatives who are clueless but won't admit it so I have an idea what you are dealing with. At least its your brother, and not your father-in-law😕 hopefully you have a level playing field and can set him straight.
 
Do you see him often? If no, just say that it may be somewhat difficult and/or risky for you to build something complex like a computer and send it 800 miles via ground freight without it breaking in transit. Or that the price of all the parts, plus shipping charges would make it not worth it when he could just order a Dell with a full warranty for nearly the same price.

Non computer people don't really know (or care) what's inside, they just want it to work. Most of us on this forum are very picky about what components go into the computer, so we build our own, but someone like him may be perfectly happy with a Dell, and all of its integrated proprietary warranted free tech-supported goodness 🙂. Dells are so cheap now anyways that this may even be the better way to go for someone like him.
 
hopefully you have a level playing field and can set him straight
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Well... it's no secret that I know more about computers than him... but... I'm non-confrontational most of the time, and probably a bit too nice/considerate... so it's difficult to just come out and tell him "your computer doesn't work because of YOU, stop breaking shyt!"
 
If I tell him to get a Dell, I can see it coming back to bite me in the ass... "you told me to get this and it's a piece of crap." He see's my computer running the Dawn demo... or playing Unreal 2... or ya know, doing SOMETHING semi-impressive... and he wants the same thing... and to get the same thing, you either have to buy a $2500 Dell, or build one yourself for $1500. What he doesn't see is the maintenance I do, the steps I take to ensure it doesn't get as messed up as his is, and all the tweaking I do to get it to run at 110%.
 
Originally posted by: CheapArse
Cliff Notes;

build system for brother
things go wrong
brother blames you


This is a classic case of "should have got a dell," seriously, for friends & family, suggest a dell or something b/c people that can't do computers will always blame the person that sold/built/gave it to them. Lesson learned, send him a link to dell.
Click to expand...

yeah, but the way things are broken is so funny that everyone should read it
 
Originally posted by: Jeff7181 . . . I don't want to come out and be like "no, I won't build you one because you keep breaking things, and I don't want you to think it's a crappy computer that I just threw together."
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That's exactly what you should tell him--that and "Dude, you're getting a Dell!"

Tell him to call you when he's ready to order and you'll help him with the custom configuration on dell.com if he has any questions. Or maybe not, because he'll probably blame you for configuring it "wrong" when he inevitably has some minor problem.
 
You could politely suggest to him that Dell could provide him with a better computer at a better price than what you can do. And then talk up the advantages of Dell customer support. Do NOT suggest to him that you don't want to do it because he has anger management issues.
 
I dunno... I'd say it's Yay for you if you don't have to build the guy a computer. Doing PC favors for people is "teh suck", so to speak. :frown:
 
Yeah have him get a Dell so he can talk to someone in India that has so little experience with the English language that your brother will likely break his phone too.
 
Never build computers for non-IT family members. They will call you all the time when something goes wrong, blame you if some fault happens, and generally annoy you bigtime. Best just to point them out to some store.
 
lol. sounds like your in a pickle.

I would tell him that you feel that a dell would cost the same price as a built computer by you and that they have a warrenty plan, 🙂.
 
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
You could politely suggest to him that Dell could provide him with a better computer at a better price than what you can do. And then talk up the advantages of Dell customer support. Do NOT suggest to him that you don't want to do it because he has anger management issues.
Click to expand...

yueah i agree
make Dell sound all exciting and stuff. 😀

your bro has some serious issues.
 
Originally posted by: djNickb
Yeah have him get a Dell so he can talk to someone in India that has so little experience with the English language that your brother will likely break his phone too.
Click to expand...

LOL! Very true this may spark yet another violent outburst towards an inanimate object 😀

Jeff7181 you seem like a nice guy so I can see where you wouldn't want to 'rock the boat' too much with your brother. But, the guy does indeed have some anger managment and maturity issues to resolve. Do you really want to build a great system to have him smash it up like the Incredible Hulk everytime he gets teed off?

If convincing him to go Dell doesn't work (I can't believe I am recommending Dell..ugh) then you'll have to politely tell him something along the lines of "bro, I would love to build you one but you're getting too frustrated with them and I am worried you are going to blame me everytime something goes wrong."
 
Well... now he's buying Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
rolleye.gif
I can only imagine how it's going to go when it tells him he needs to install Direct X 9 after I told him his Geforce3 Ti200 isn't DX9 compliant, but it will still run any DX9 game, only in DX8.x mode.
 
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