Microsoft to Special Bloggers: Freebie Vista-Loaded Laptop
I looked on the front door porch. Nada. Ditto for the back door. I was looking for the Acer Ferrari laptop loaded with Vista and Office 2007 that Microsoft was sending to a long list of select bloggers.
Bass's Special List
With all my bad-mouthing of Microsoft, you might not be surprised to hear that I'm not on any of its lists--except that very special one that starts with a capital "S" and ends with a "t." I was put on that list in 1995 after making what were called "disparaging" remarks. It happened at PIBMUG, the users group I ran. Microsoft was there to show off Win 95 to the group's 2000 members. I was on stage doing the intro. The microphone wasn't working and a Microsoftie fiddled with it for a few minutes. When I got sound, I glibly said, "wow, that's the best tech support I've ever had from Microsoft." Wrong comment, I know, but I couldn't help myself. I've happily remained on the list ever since.
The Laptop Deal
The free laptops, according to 18-year old Long Zheng, a blogger living in Australia, aren't gifts, but review units to help bloggers become familiar with Vista. Recipients have options: Keep the computer, return it, or donate it to charity.
I don't know any of the bloggers on Zheng's list except for Ed Bott. Ed worked here at PC World eons ago. I know Ed and he's an ethical, by-the-book, straight arrow kinda guy. He has a different (and lengthy) take on the laptop business.
Ed's bottom line is the same as mine: We can't be bought or influenced.
My Vista Plan
While you're partying and watching football games, I'm going to take my time and install Vista on my old production PC.
I thought it would be good to install Vista on a squeaky clean machine. So I also asked TigerDirect if I could use a brand-new Venture VX2 Systemax PC for a little over a month. (FYI: It comes with an invoice. I have the option to ship it back in 45 days or pay the invoice.) It's a $2000 machine with an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66-GHz 1066FSB, Intel D975XBX 2KR S775 ATX motherboard, 2GB PC6400 800-MHz DDR2 RAM (see PC World test report), a 500GB RAID 0 Stripe SATA drive, and an ATI Radeon X1950 512MB video adapter (see test report).
I'll give you my impressions after I get back from the Consumer Electronics Show in a few weeks.
Quick aside: I've used lots of Systemax PCs in the last few years as a result of TigerDirect's annual Build Your Own PC Race. I compete with 25 other journalists to build the PC the fastest; win or lose, the fully loaded computer is handed over to a school of their choice. They've all been top-notch computers, ones I'd be happy to own. I know these rigs intimately, because for the last seven years, I've been the support person for the organization receiving the PCs.
I have to run. I think I hear the dogs barking at the DHL truck.
PC World's Marketplace
PC World's Free Whitepapers
tech news tech blogs community & forums laptop prices software reviews downloads
Agree about Systemax. I just bought a Kraken, (see comment below), and a comparable Dell would have topped the Systemax's $899 by about $600. Only complaint: the processor fan gets pretty loud when you load the system up. A piece of HEPA filter taped over the intake helped a lot (I have cats) and, to be fair, the box is only about a foot from my right shoulder.
Systemax (and TigerDirect) rock! Made in the USA, too.
I'll go away now...
Bill
Since 2001, our school district has purchased over 400 comuters from Systemax with absolutely no complaints. The machines are great and the support is excellent. When I need a part, I e-mail a tech and he overnights it to me. In fact, in our last batch of 105 computers that completed their warranty cycle, we only used about $350 worth of parts from their support. I beleive in them enough that I bought one for my daughter and my wife is looking at a high-end machine for her video business.
As a subscriber to both Steve's and Bill Webb's blogs, I've noticed a definite resemblance in looks.
This has nothing to do with the fact that I'd love to see them as recipients of a Vista Model T or Vista Studabaker for review. I really trust my elders opinions.
Pete
I read Ed Bott's blog and he took a lot of heat from people who apparently have no idea what kind of a guy he is. I'll be interested to see the results of his time with the Acer, and with Vista in general.
As for you, I think it's time for you to go back on your meds... The dogs aren't barking and there's no DHL truck....
But Happy New Year anyway.....
Steve's (and PC World's) anti-MS bias is one reason that I won't be renewing my PC World subscription when it runs out. He's entitled to his opinion, but I think he ought to give them credit when they get something right, which they do on many occasions. And I don't blame MS for not sending him the Acer Ferrari -- why bother when it would just elicit more of the same vitriol in his column or blog?
BTW, I reached this page from an outside link. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered reading this blog. I hope Mr. Bass didn't interrupt his daily session of genuflecting toward Cupertino to read my comments here. I know he has more important things to do, like watch for the DHL truck bearing his new MacBook Pro. . .
What would be nice is that with the Vista Express update, they handed out 64-bit versions for all 64-bit machine that have been sold! At the moment M$ are being cheap and only handing out 32-bit versions to everyone who got a machine with a 32-bit version of XP. This isn't fair for the people who bought a 64-bit machine, it means they still have to upgrade to Vista 64-bit anyways. So they don't get true "improvement" or much for "free".
I don't think it's unethical for them to send a free computer for you to evaluate the OS. Don't you get lots of free hardware and software so you can evaluate it for the magazine? I get tons of free DVD's, books, and CD's so that I can review them for my site. I always give a very honest review. If Microsoft sent me one, I'd be happy to do the same thing.
BTW I added your blog link to mine. http://tvmeg.blogspot.com/
Happy New Year, Steve!!!
"BassPilot" definitely needs to read this blog more often, for all kinds of reasons. But I specifically refer to his allusions to fascination with a(A)pple(s) ... perhaps he doesn't realize that the user group that Steve Bass founded -- PIBMUG-- was the Pasadena IBM Users Group??? Pretty funny--which is why BassPilot needs to catch up or shut up, to avoid embarrassing himself any further.
Steve will give credit to MS--just like to anyone else--WHEN it is deserved.
A former PIBMUG-er,
Cynthia
Well on TigerDirect Canadian website that same computer is $530 more than their US website. Now the exchange rate is 1.173 CDN $ = 1 US $ making a $2,000 computer USD worth 2,346.01 CDN. Hmm.