Why not to buy computers from Future Shop(TM)
My advice to everyone is this: Take a little more time and do some thorough research on what you want, then avoid the big box stores and find a local computer retailer to patronize. The smaller, independent local stores will often be able to provide you with a more personal, customer oriented atmosphere. My own personal experience shows me that this is where the most knowledgeable, professional computer salespeople and technicians can be found. While it's often possible to get a good deal at larger chain stores, such as Future Shop, Computer City, The Good Guys, and Circuit City, it's more likely you'll be given good solid information to help you buy at a local shop that specializes in building custom PC's. The big box stores seem to hire less experienced, younger salespeople, who are more concerned with getting a high commission from selling you that "extended service contract" with every piece of hardware you take out the door than they are with making sure you're getting the computer you need.
Here is a couple of anecdotal experiences that happened to me and my co-workers to illustrate this point. Around May of 1996, a co-worker purchased an IBM thinkpad from one of the local computer mega-stores. Within a few months, the hard drive had failed making it useless, so he returned to the store where it was purchased. Because the store did not perform maintenance, they sent him to the nearest authorized service center, which happened to be a local computer retailer. The local store replaced his hard drive and returned the unit within a two weeks, which is reasonable amount of time, given the fact the part that needed to be replaced was not standard. Within two days of bringing the unit home, the screen cracked and the service shop agreed to replace it as they suspected that it had become damaged due to the tightening of the screws on the case during the initial repair.
As luck would have it the unit turned out to have more serious problems, and was shortly not functioning at all. Unfortunately for my friend, the local computer store that serviced this brand of laptop had gone out of business in the meanwhile. They had made the choice of focusing on Apple computers and products, and Apple was in deep trouble during 1996, with weakening sales, and a unorganized product line. The mega-store took back his laptop and told him it would be fixed in two weeks.
Many months later, and after countless calls and visits to the store and to the corporate office, my friend still had no working laptop. There existed no desire to resolve this customer's problem from the store's point of view, even though he had paid roughly $3,000 for a laptop, accessories, and an extended warranty. Finally they agreed to exchange the laptop he bought (which was no longer being made) for a model from a different manufacturer. Being frustrated, the exchange was accepted, but the replacement turned out to have problems that were as serious as the original unit. The store agreed to replace the second laptop for a third, by my friend was never happy with the second replacement, and eventually purchased a new IBM thinkpad at a different store.
In contrast, my business recently acquired several new PCs from a local computer retailer. The graphics adapter (the card that makes your monitor work) in my computer was incompatible with some programs I was running, so they happily exchanged it for another model. This same local store was also happy to send a technician over to our office late one afternoon, during an emergency to replace a failed hard drive. I can rest assured they'll be there the next time something goes wrong, which is not a confidence I have in any of the big computer retailers, when buying hardware from them.
These are just a couple of examples of what I see as a trend in the computer sales and service arena. Smaller stores continue to provide better, more personalized service, while large mega-retailers flounder in their approach to the market with a battle plan of "move large amounts of product, while leaving the service to someone else."