OT Adventures at Fry's

[Rich Grise]

Well, one of the office computers gave up the ghost, and so the PHB asks,
"If you replace the motherboard, all the stuff on the drives will still
be there, right?" "Right." "Well, get one." "Ok."

So, I call Fry's, since it should be the simplest, explain to the guy I
want a motherboard, a processor, and some RAM. He says, Yup, we got it,
it comes to $194.48 (or whatever), the boss gives me a check, and I
trundle on up to Fry's. This order is supposed to be at Will Call. So
I go directly to the checkout, give them my quote number, and the gal
comes out with a motherboard. I asked, "Does this already have the
processor and my RAM installed?" "Uh....."

It took almost an hour before they got their stuff together enough to
find the parts that I'd ordered a couple of hours previously.

I wonder if that's where Radio Shack rejects go. ;-)

Now, of course, I have to stick the CPU & RAM in the MB, install it,
and probably boot Linux Live to save all the crap from the system
drive before I reformat it, but that _is_ my job, after all.

I'm kinda looking forward to seeing the RED screen of death when I try
to fire up the system with a new motherboard and the old system drive. ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

 

[[email protected]]

So, I call Fry's, since it should be the simplest, explain to the guy I

want a motherboard, a processor, and some RAM. He says, Yup, we got it,
it comes to $194.48 (or whatever), the boss gives me a check, and I
trundle on up to Fry's. This order is supposed to be at Will Call. So
I go directly to the checkout, give them my quote number, and the gal
comes out with a motherboard. I asked, "Does this already have the
processor and my RAM installed?" "Uh....."

You ordered parts not something assembled right?
However the complete order should be delivered thoe

It took almost an hour before they got their stuff together enough to
find the parts that I'd ordered a couple of hours previously.

I wonder if that's where Radio Shack rejects go. ;-)

Now, of course, I have to stick the CPU & RAM in the MB, install it,
and probably boot Linux Live to save all the crap from the system
drive before I reformat it, but that _is_ my job, after all.

MS-Win tends to be "confused" about all new hardware it finds on the
motherboard when being reinstalled. So in the end one might be forced to
reinstall where a unix os wouldn't even been bothered.

I'm kinda looking forward to seeing the RED screen of death when I try
to fire up the system with a new motherboard and the old system drive. ;-)

RED? ..Guru meditation?

 

[Jim Thompson]

On 17 Jul 2006 19:16:44 GMT,

You ordered parts not something assembled right?
However the complete order should be delivered thoe

Here at the Phoenix Fry's it's where the Burger King rejects go.

I've never before seen so many stupid people collected all in one
place ;-)

[snip]

...Jim Thompson

 

[Luhan]

On 17 Jul 2006 19:16:44 GMT,


Here at the Phoenix Fry's it's where the Burger King rejects go.

I've never before seen so many stupid people collected all in one
place ;-)

It cuts both ways. I got some real bargains on WW sockets (10 cents
each) because nobody there had any idea what they were worth!

However, I no longer buy any computer parts there due to my 'three
strikes and you're out' rule on defective equipment.

Luhan

 

[Glenn Gundlach]

It cuts both ways. I got some real bargains on WW sockets (10 cents
each) because nobody there had any idea what they were worth!

However, I no longer buy any computer parts there due to my 'three
strikes and you're out' rule on defective equipment.

Luhan

The trick to Fry's is to do all your homework on your own and don't
talk to them except for 'what aisle is ??? on ? ' But I don't think
that trick is unique to Fry's, unfortunately. As Andy Rooney commented
many years ago, If this is a service economy, why is it so hard to get
good service?

GG

 

[Rich Grise]

You ordered parts not something assembled right?
However the complete order should be delivered thoe




MS-Win tends to be "confused" about all new hardware it finds on the
motherboard when being reinstalled. So in the end one might be forced to
reinstall where a unix os wouldn't even been bothered.


RED? ..Guru meditation?

It's like the Blue Screen Of Death, but red, and the message is terribly
ominous - like "Help! I've been stolen and installed in the wrong
computer!"

As it happens, when I got to installing this set in the existing case,
it turns out it has no on-board VGA, none of my spare VGA adapters will
fit in the provided slots (nor the one out of the previous computer),
and it's only got *ONE* IDE jack! So, I put them back in the boxes, and
went back to Fry's, and got my money back. Then, I went back to the
components counter, and after waiting forever in line, got some droid
who was able to help me. "I want one of these, one of these, and one of
these," pointing. They have such nice displays there - I think it's not
a good idea to buy stuff sight unseen. Finally got back, and I think
I'll wait until tomorrow morning to slap in the new new MB etc. - I'm
virtually exhausted from all that running around in all this heat.

But, on a brighter note, the parts I picked came to about $50.00 less
than what the droid had put together for me, so I can tell the PHB, "Sorry
about wasting all of that time, but I saved you fifty bucks!"

Cheers!
Rich