Ventura County Computers Eletter

Proprietary hardware complicates repairs

It all started when the Sony Vaio laptop came in for repairs. None of the fixes worked, so we backed up the data and wiped the hard drive in preparation for reinstalling Windows 98. Called the customer to get the restore disk. "Hmm. Not sure if we still have it. Call you back."

A couple of hours later: "No luck. Must have lost it in the move." We can get the drivers off the Internet and use a standard Win98 disk, but it takes longer and costs a bit more. No problem.

Except that there are no Win98 drivers on the Sony Web site. A call to tech support produced, "Install Windows XP or buy the Win98 restore disk." By the time we upgraded the RAM and purchased WinXP, we'd have spent more than the computer was worth, so we decided to purchase the disk from Sony for $15 -- except they were out of stock and weren't planning on making any more.

Several Compaq laptops used the same sound chips, so we were able to get those from Compaq, but for other hardware we were unable to determine the chips used or find drivers. The client has to either pay for an upgrade to XP or throw an otherwise perfectly good laptop away. How does Sony get away with it? Why isn't someone warning everyone NOT to buy Sony laptops? Their support has been nonexistent for ages, but this is beyond all reason. At the shop, this set us off on all the proprietary junk that major manufacturers put into their computers so their customers have to get them repaired from authorized vendors using authorized parts.

Sony is the worst offender, but Dell isn't far behind. It is difficult-to-impossible to find some of their drivers, too. Hewlett Packard/Compaq tends to have more accessible drivers, but their hardware is sometimes proprietary. There was the customer who brought in his brand new Dell. He hadn't realized it didn't come with a floppy drive when he ordered it online. Could we install one? Sure. Floppies are cheap, and it only takes a second. Except on a Dell. The mounting brackets are nonstandard and you have to order them from Dell. For $35. For a cheap, plastic bracket. You can't even mount a Zip drive or camera card reader without the bracket. Comment as the client was leaving: "It would have been cheaper just to buy it from you guys to start with."

Or there was the Hewlett Packard that needed a new power supply. No problem. Except they mounted it upside down from standard, and the air flow was all wrong. Another customer had purchased an inexpensive Hewlett Packard at a local electronics retailer. When the power supply went out while still under warranty, she called HP tech support for a replacement. The tech asked her how she was using the computer. When she said that it was on all day, five or six days a week, the tech said: "That machine isn't designed for that workload. The power supply is designed for occasional use in evenings and on weekends." Didn't say it on the box.

There is a reason for industry standards. You can get replacement parts anywhere, anytime. Large manufacturers like to lock customers into their system, making sure they buy replacement parts only through the manufacturer and installed only by authorized dealers. There is no money in manufacturing computers. Prices are so low that unless you get add-on business, you go out of business. Hence the predatory practices.

A year ago Michael Dell was bragging that Dell earned 110 percent of the industry's profit -- which means he was the only one profitable. It has gotten worse since.

For companies that buy new computers on a schedule, it isn't too much of a problem. You buy the onsite service contract and forget about it. For users at home or in small offices, it is a different story. They tend to keep computers longer and single-computer service contracts are expensive. If you are a hobbyist and like to fiddle with the innards of your computer, you may well be disappointed. Stuff you buy at the computer show may well not work inside a proprietary machine.

Despite all the attention given to the large manufacturers, the majority of all PCs are industry standard units sold through local computer retailers. Their initial prices are higher, but their service is better, and you aren't tied into them forever. As major manufacturers cut prices even further and sell through volume retailers with no computer expertise, we will see a more distinct two-tier pricing scheme. If you want a standard computer with support, you'll pay more initially. If you want the cheapest initial cost, you'll lock yourself into a proprietary solution with no local support. That time is coming, if it isn't here already.

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Proprietary hardware complicates repairs

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