Why do people have so much pride in "building" a computer ?

[notfred]

<<

<< Why do people have so much pride in "building" a computer ? >>



Well then, why do people take so much pride in their cars???

>>



You buy a motor, some seats, an old rolling chassis, a rear end, some gauges, etc, and tell me you can start after lunch and have a worknig, diving car before dinner time. Then you can compare the two.

A lot more money, knowledge, skill, and plain old effort is required to build a car than a computer.

 

[Bignate603]

Half the skill in building something like a computer is being confident that you're doing it right. Sometimes you have to use alot more force then you would think and alot of my friends i've helped build systems couldn't get themselves past the point of it being an EXTREMLY delicate machine... I ended up using one hand (the other arm was in a sling) to put in all the cards and RAM because my friend was afraid he was putting enough pressure on it to break it.

 

[deftron]

These people saying that they can fix a computer when it breaks...

Yeah, you can update the drivers are get a new video card, but can you really
solder on a new transistor or tracing...I doubt it.. that's skill.
You can basically do the same stuff that the manual says.

And your comparisons to a auto mechaninc and a computer assembler...

True, a car is a bigger "kit"..an like a computer, when something breaks
the part is usually replaced than trying to "fix" the part, but a car
is much more complicated than a home PC. Car repair requires special tools
and knowlege of much more parts.

 

[deftron]

Basically, the supporting statement in this thread
from those that feel special seems to be
"its makes me feel smarter than really stupid people"

ex:


<< anybody can press the "enter" key, not everybody knows when to press it

They don't know where the RAM goes

Sometimes you have to use alot more force then you would think

They don't know how to remove the slot cover, or screw down the card >>





What an accomplishment

 

[tops2]

its fun to build a computer
especially for hardcore overclockers, its about who can overclock the most and keep their system cool and stable

 

[Geekbabe]

<< Basically, the supporting statement in this thread
from those that feel special seems to be
"its makes me feel smarter than really stupid people"

ex:


<< anybody can press the "enter" key, not everybody knows when to press it

They don't know where the RAM goes

Sometimes you have to use alot more force then you would think

They don't know how to remove the slot cover, or screw down the card >>




Actually my clients are ultra smart folks, they pay me to provide them with service and support so that they can go about their
respective professions... I don't claim to be "smarter" than my Doctor at DX medical problems or more knowledgable than my lawyer in drafting a will. I do take pride in what I do and if you have a problem with that I'm really sorry.

 

[docmanhattan]

<< Yeah, you can update the drivers are get a new video card, but can you really
solder on a new transistor or tracing...I doubt it.. that's skill.
You can basically do the same stuff that the manual says. >>

I think you're over simplifying it. there's more to troubleshooting a problem on a PC then just updating drivers. Ask anyone who's done technical support, there are a lot of factors involved in diagnosing and fixing a problem. Albeit, 90% of the problems with average users is probably either a driver issue or between the keyboard and the chair, but the "skill", i suppose, is knowing what to do, where to look, and how to fix the other 10% of the problems.


<< And your comparisons to a auto mechaninc and a computer assembler...

True, a car is a bigger "kit"..an like a computer, when something breaks
the part is usually replaced than trying to "fix" the part, but a car
is much more complicated than a home PC. Car repair requires special tools
and knowlege of much more parts. >>

Does a mechanic weld your muffler when you go in to have it fixed? Does a mechanic build a new bumper for your car when you need sa new one? Building and maintaining a PC is far different than building the components themselves. The people that do both, my hat's off to them, BUT that does not diminuish the skill involved in putting together a machine that will work well consistently, be fast, easily upgradeable, and do so cheaply. THAT is not something you will not find in a manual. THAT takes knowledge and skill.

I agree with mrCide. If you don't take some pride in what you do, then why are you doing it in the first place?

EDIT: I should qualify this by saying that it's not like I boost about DIY computers, in fact I encourage my friends to as well, but I disagree when the notion that it requires no skill. And really, manuals do not cover all the things that you'd need to know. A bit Google research, though, and anybody would be armed with the knowledge they need.

 

[StageLeft]

It is very very easy to do but as mentioned below that doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of the population could not do it, even if you could show anybody but a Corky-style retard how to do it in an hour or two easy.

 

[vi edit]

Just about any person with an IQ over 80 and some remote enthusiasm to learn can put together their own computer. It's just that it's easier to have somebody else do it, and with todays competitive prices, it's almost cheaper to have somebody else do it, and then lay the burdon of support on them, instead of yourself.

About the only really difficult thing anymore is installing the OS and loading all drivers. But, with Microsoft putting almost all OS's out on bootable CD's anymore, that's really not an issue either.

It just comes back to laziness and the lack of desire to actually read a manual or "how to" guide. As for picking out parts and what not, with the abundance of "hardware" sites, all you need to do is sit down and do 20 minutes of research looking at their system guides. Pick out how much you want to spend and just go to newegg and order the parts that the site had listed.

But again, this takes time, and a little innitative, something that a lot of people don't have, so they just call dell and say "Give me the best thing you have for $XXXX". 3 days later they have a computer sitting on their doorstep.

As for things that take a little more "know how", 3D drivers and direct problems can be a bitch to sort out. Sometimes troubleshooting network settings can be a royal PITA too. But really though, just about anything you encounter can be solved with a little bit enthusiasm and some time spent scouring tech sites and trouble shooting BBS's. It just takes time and energy, once again, something that many people lack.

I don't think there really is much skill involved in building a machine, and in fact I tell people that regularly. It's just a comfort thing, and requires a few minutes of reading to figure out. I tell people that they could just as easily do it, but to them, it's just easier to pay me $30 to swap out a card, or install some software.

It's their money, and I'm not complaining about getting paid.

It's really no different than me changing the oil in my car. Yeh I can do it, but it would require me to go to the store and buy oil, and an oil filter. Then I'd have to go back home and put my car up on the ramps and crawl underneath and do all the dirty work myself. Sure I can do it, and I'll save maybe $5 or $10. But, it's half an hour of my time and if I don't screw the oil filter back on all the way or something stupid like that, it's my fault then. I'd just as well take it to a dealer and have them take 20 minutes and change my oil for $17. I get free pop, and a chance to read some automags that I otherwise wouldn't be able to read. That's worth a couple extra bucks to me. Just like it's worth it to someone else to spend a couple extra bucks on a Dell or something along those lines.

 

[ElFenix]

<< hahahaha. Dell computers are a POS. Have you ever tried upgrading one? Or even looked inside? I would like to smack that Dell kid in the head sometimes. If something goes wrong with it, get ready for a LONG wait to get it fixed >>

if you're "upgrading" the board for all intents and purposes you're doing the same thing as building a new computer. thats the only part that can't be taken out and used easily in another case. well, that, and the PS, which is dell-specific. but it could still be done. and you can upgrade the PS, pcthe cards, ram, and processor are just as interchangeable as they would be on any other motherboard.

 

[gopunk]

why do people take pride in building anything? it's just satisfying to build things.

 

[Harvey]

Personally, I think it's more a matter of satisfaction than pride. If you're willing to do your homework and evaluate your choices, there are many advantages to building your own system:

1. You get more and better hardware for your money. The motherboards in most "department store" computers do not have many of the features of stand alone boards.

2. With a pre-built machine, you're stuck with the video and sound system the manufacturer chooses. Often, these are compromised systems on their motherboard.

3. Once you put a machine together and set it up, you have the knowledge to fix, replace and/or update various parts of it without spending a lot of time on hold (with bad music and annoying promotional voice overs) relying on hand holding by some tech support guy who may or may not really know how to do more than read the page on his screen.

4. You get a real installation of your OS, not a setup disk from the maker that includes a lot of useless proprietary software that slows your system.

I could think of more, but you get the idea.

This approach is not for everyone. Some people (for example, most of my sisters, aunts, etc.) are from the AOL school of computers. They want an appliance that plugs in and goes. They don't care about maximum performance. As long as they're not looking at a BSOD, I doubt they would recognize it, let alone understand it, if they saw it. I do what I can to keep their machines clean when I visit, but aside from installing things like Zone Alarm, etc. or advising them if about stuff like needing more RAM to run some application, they phase out whenever I try to tell them about things that would enhance their systems.

 

[NaughtyusMaximus]

I'd be damn proud if I'd made this.

 

[ntrights]

For me it's a hobby that i enjoy and take "pride" in if you will. Skill? ofcourse there is skill involved. IMO skill is something that comes with practise and enthusiasm, if you don't have it you arent a skillfull builder.

 

[docmanhattan]

<< I'd be damn proud if I'd made this.
>>

That is SO cool. I have a spare setup with no case. I just might try that.

wow.

 

[areohbe]

the only reason i built mine was because i couldn't afford a whole system right off the bat. Bought each part individually over the span of a couple months. Yeah i coulda just saved money and bought it all at once, but i'm bad at saving money.

 

[rudder]

I have pride in building my computer, because my idiot brother in law spent $1500 last year for a 1ghz dell. With the knowledge I got form building PC's I have been able to upgrade the motherboard, cpu, ram, video card etc as technology progressed. My p200 is now a p3-800 with 512megs ram and geforce that benchmarks a lot higher in quake 3 than his 1ghz, 128meg, tnt2 dell POS.

Plus if he has a problem with his PC he has to spend $$$ to take it somewhere or deal with Dell for hours on end. (I have offered to help)

 

[Demon-Xanth]

<< You buy a motor, some seats, an old rolling chassis, a rear end, some gauges, etc, and tell me you can start after lunch and have a worknig, diving car before dinner time. Then you can compare the two.

A lot more money, knowledge, skill, and plain old effort is required to build a car than a computer. >>



Actually, I have a friend who might be able to pull that off. He was able to swap a small block in a '68 El Camino in about an hour and a half.

As far as "the RAM only goes in one place". Here's an i850 motherboard, 4 slots. Where does the RAM go? What about the two empty slots? WHAT RAM is needed? Hey, guess what. Even experienced end users don't know the answers. A programmer had to ask me about bumping the RAM in his P4 system from 128 to 256MB. Do you expect the average user to know that RIMMs must be installed in pairs with C-RIMMs in the empty slots? Or that using PC1600 DDR in an XP1700+ system generally doesn't work? Or that the PC133 from his old system won't work in the 8KHA+ he just got? PC133? PC800? PC2100? DDR333?

That slot isn't as universal as you guys are making it sound. And don't get me started on CPUs, Intel has _3_ socket370 standards (original, FC-PGA, Tulatarian), 2 P4 standards (423, 478), and that's not including the slots and Xeons.

The hardest part of building the first system is getting parts that will work together. (oh, you didn't know about the Abit-WD compatibility issue?)

 

[MWink]

<< You buy a motor, some seats, an old rolling chassis, a rear end, some gauges, etc, and tell me you can start after lunch and have a worknig, diving car before dinner time. Then you can compare the two. >>



Show me a "worknig, diving car" and I'll give you $100.

 

[swayinOtis]

i goof on the people that have links to their "rigs." lol

 

[Jzero]

I take pride in my computer because it's not just a computer.
For one thing it has 2 processors and 2 displays.
For another thing, it serves as my television, radio AND computer.
In the coming months it will drive my home-automation equipment.

You couldn't just call up Gateway or Dell and have something like this shipped to your door, and building such a system is not without its fair share of OS-related idiosyncrasies. I STILL can't get it to run under XP.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I agree that a monkey can build a system now a days, however that being said, here's my philosophy. As Will Hunting said in the movie when accosted about why he was working as a janitor "It's honorable work" and for me it matters little if it's working on computers, sweeping the floor, cooking dinner, or any other task complex or mundane, I take pride in the task and intend to do it to the best of my ability and when the results are as I intended I derive satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. As the old axiom states "anything worth doing, is worth doing well" Furthermore, I've gotten a lot of work lately because the "average user" can not make an upgrade to windows XP on their OEM system work and after several calls to Tech support and being told they need to contact the manufacturer of the periphereal E.G. webcam, printer, scanner, ect... find out that they require firmware flashes(huh?), drivers(what are those?), ect. Many find that their version of easy CD creator isn't compatible and it's suggested they buy a new version which costs them yet more money on top of what they planned to spend(you mean to tell me I need to buy a 100$ program just because I want XP?). At this point they call me confused and/or upset and/or disgusted and/or angry that their supposedly easy upgrade to a new OS has gone awry. In conclusion, I find that our society has become one of instant gratification and that a deliberate, studious attempt to resolve a SNAFU with anything they are not familiar with results in "I'd rather pay someone else to fix it and save myself the headache because I have better/more important things to do with my time" which means watch T.V. and eat cheesy puffs. So to summarize, not only do I take pride in building, servicing, and supporting computers, but I take pride in ANY endeavor I undertake and when I'm complimented on how smart they think I am or how delicious the Coq au Vin was I beam with pride

 

[yakko]

<< I don't understand why a lot of people have so much pride in "building" a computer. >>



<< Yes, I assembled my computer from individual parts, but I don't act like I'm elite for doing so >>

Acting elite and taking pride in what you do are two different things. If you don't feel it is a skill then fine. You probably wouldn't consider being a mechanic a skill either because it is not like they are making the parts. They are prefabricated and either bolt or snap together.

 

[Frosty3799]

its an accomplishment... better than sitting around and postin on anandtech all the time, when i build a computer i feel like i have made a difference in the persons life i built it for, by making their computer usage to their optimal wanted level

 

[911paramedic]

It is the fact that you can drop your pants, spread your cheeks, and give the major computer builders a look at the brown starfish.