Windows 7 Hate to say it but Windows 7 sucks in my experience

[cozofdeath]

Funny how many of these people who build their own PCs from scratch and choose all the components have problems. They always blame Windows since it couldn't be their superior Knowledge of hardware.
Joe

LoL, have you seen some of the OEMs. Not that I have a custom built machine but man some of the Toshiba's I've seen are ridiculously loaded with crap. I mean the pc is slow from the beginning. I don't know if you guys remember AOL and the many many advertisements and software but man were they annoying. The one time I pick up one of their "free" to use internet cds and use it I get charged for 3 months. And yes I did cancel is before the free time was up so I wouldn't get billed. They stilled billed me after I called and was assured by them it had been canceled 3 times. After contacting the attorney general it magically stopped. Anyway I was wondering if it is still worth it to build a computer that rivals or surpasses an OEM computer?

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I'm not selling computers but I have so say that my Falcon Northwest computer it by far the best I've ever had.

It came with no extra junk, everything perfectly set up and configured, already registered to me, I real Windows DVD, a bootable system restore DVD, that would restore the system image, it was tested for days (I have a complete book of the tests with component temps and performance) and it's run perfect for a year and a half now.

I run everything on this computer, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Poser, Games, Text to Speech, and old stuff from the 90s and it all runs great.

I'm convinced the fact that is was so well done to start with is the reason I don't have problems.

In Age of Conan a game that anyone would admit it hard to run, I can get frame speeds as high as 250 fps when unlimited.

I've had local, custom builds, Gateway and Dell XPS, computers and this one makes them all look like turtles.

OK I'm getting a little over zealous, but I really love this computer!

Since I got mine 2 of my friends have done so as well.
Both of them are having similar experiences to mine.

Mike

 

[Joe S]

Hi

I'm not selling computers but I have so say that my Falcon Northwest computer it by far the best I've ever had.

It came with no extra junk, everything perfectly set up and configured, already registered to me, I real Windows DVD, a bootable system restore DVD, that would restore the system image, it was tested for days (I have a complete book of the tests with component temps and performance) and it's run perfect for a year and a half now.

I run everything on this computer, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Poser, Games, Text to Speech, and old stuff from the 90s and it all runs great.

I'm convinced the fact that is was so well done to start with is the reason I don't have problems.

In Age of Conan a game that anyone would admit it hard to run, I can get frame speeds as high as 250 fps when unlimited.

I've had local, custom builds, Gateway and Dell XPS, computers and this one makes them all look like turtles.

OK I'm getting a little over zealous, but I really love this computer!

Since I got mine 2 of my friends have done so as well.
Both of them are having similar experiences to mine.

Mike

Mike
I'll have to check them out. It really sucks the bloatware the major box makers install and frequently their choice of AV. I really like having a clean install disk so you can slipstream it if your wish.
Joe

 

[NaiyaShamiso]

I agree Joe. Most of the manufactures put in crap software and call it the greatest thing since sliced bread. The second thing I do after I build/buy a system, is install a clean copy of an the OS I will be using. No bells and whistles, just the OS. Then I add what I want to.

Mike, is the DvD you got an OS install, or just a system restore. I remember the system restore disks from Dell where just Windows install disks with a Dell specific tin on it. That was very awesome.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi Guys

My Falcon came with a real Windows DVD in the original Microsoft package with the serial number on it.
As well as manufacturers disks for everything else. Video, Motherboard, Sound Card etc.

In addition it came with a System Image, Restore disk made on this computer that will restore this computer to exactly the way it was when I left the factory.

I can't say enough about Falcon, if you do need to talk to some one you can talk to a real person right there at the factory.
I've never had any reason to call support but I did actually talk to someone who knew what they were talking about when I bought it.
They listened to what I wanted made sensible suggestions and answered my questions without having to switch me to someone else.

Falcon has been around since 1991 and their reputation is the best in the business. They don't sell retail, just the hand assembled units direct.
I spent months researching my last computer purchase and I went with Falcon, I'll never buy anything else again.

Check out the Falcon Talon, the Mark 5s get a little pricey.

If you compare the Talon prices with an equivalent Dell you will see that there isn't that much difference in the price and Falcons components didn't come over in a plastic bag in containers from Indonesia. Everything is first class.

I have had 2 Dells that wouldn't boot when I took them out of the box, that's what got me to Falcon to start with, after spending 7 hours on the phone with my last one, on the day I got it, I said never again.

The Best Custom Built Computers for Gaming and Business | Falcon Northwest

My friend Paul bought the standard Talon, (about a year after I bought mine, at the time about $1,400) only upgrading to two 500 Gb hard drives and it totally blows everything away.

But as you can see you can get many options to suit your own needs, I went with two 1 TB drives and two DVD writers.
A Soundblaster Audigy sound card and the fastest video card on the market at the time, an ATI 5870.

I get a new computer about every 5 years so if I'm still around it 3 and a half years, (I'm 73) it will be another Falcon.
Just think how fast they'll be by then. LOL

As I said in the original post I'm not trying to sell computers but I've never had a better built computer then this one.
Anyone who want's a really well built and fast computer, and like me does not want to put their own together, should at least check them out.

Mike

PS, I just want to add that even the shipping container was fantastic, the computer comes suspended between two flexible plastic membranes that allow it to float so that it doesn't get jarred during shipping.
I've never seen that before.

 

[Highwayman]

just a shame that the good companies like Falcon dont have worldwide branches...

 

[alfred01]

I think this is the most controversial thread I've seen on this forum. Very interesting.

 

[cozofdeath]

I've never heard of them but I would stick with them. They are easily the best I've heard. It is never fun to buy a computer from a store with two full antivirus suites that last only a month or have limited functions. Why two? Geez. ?

 

[NaiyaShamiso]

Mike, I have to admit, most of the time I have to assume people are stupid and have no idea what they are talking about. This is good, or that is good, and it is no where near as good as they said. I was about to flame you because I found Falcon Trading Systems, I thought you where plugging some crap made computer you or your uncle or what ever makes. Then I realized that you where talking about Link Removed I have to admit...very nice. It's not quite as custom as doing it yourself, but it had quality options. Then you could choose AV or no AV, nice. All around a very present experience on the web site. My next will be a Falcon Northwest.

 

[Highwayman]

Indeed, sounds like Falcon Northwest have filled the vaccum once held by Alienware before they went crap (under direction of HP or Dell who bought them out a few years back)

 

[Super Sarge]

Dell bought Alien

 

[Conduct]

Dell bought Alien

Alien is a great Computer Video Game Machine!

 

[NaiyaShamiso]

I wouldn't say that AlienWare's product has done down hill, but it is owned by Dell. Dell is really flaky when it come to keeping people employed and just general customer satisfaction. I would say the only thing that Dell has done right in years is the System restore disks. It is nothing more than a Windows Install disk, at least Windows 98, 2000, XP and Vista where, that looks to see if you are installing to a Dell system, then pre-activates the Windows for you. Very cool idea.

 

[Adamsappleone]

Very impressive Mike, thanks for sharing

 

[MikeHawthorne]

I've owned 4 Dells, counting my wife's laptop's, she has one right now.

My last Dell XPS was such a bad experience that it drove me to look elsewhere when I got ready to replace it.
7 hours on the phone to India the day I received it!

I actually had to hand type screen after screen of code into a blank hard drive taking dictation form a person who's native language wasn't English, while holding the phone up to my ear with one hand. And then re-install the OS before I could get it to boot.

And their was no system restore disk either, I had to install every driver and piece of software.

It wouldn't even see the DVD drive it was set to boot to at the start.
They had me getting inside the case and switching the Drive Connections around.
They didn't want to send a tech to my house and they didn't want me to return it.

I didn't even consider Alienware because they are now part of Dell.

I read a lot of stuff by people who did say that Alienware computers are not what they were before.
But who knows whether they really had direct experience or not, but if there service is the same as the rest of Dells then it doesn't inspire confidence.

I decided that I wanted to buy a computer from someone I could actually talk on the phone to.

Falcon Northwest didn't really fill a niche left by Alienware, they actually were around for many years before Alienware was founded.

Well that's my blast at Dell.

They just don't have the personal touch anymore, just like Gateway. I used to buy their computers too.

Now their CEO is screwing things up in my state, he's the new Governor.

Mike

 

[Adamsappleone]

My first computer was a HP6643 back in 1998, had it for 3 years, made some upgrades to it, sold it on Ebay and have been building my own since then, had a couple eMachines in there that worked pretty good, sold 1 and still have the other in a closet, picked up a used Dell Inspiron 1525 lappy for the wife, zeroed out the hard drive and installed Windows 7, haven't had any problems.

 

[NaiyaShamiso]

I feel your pain Mike. I should have built my own, but I was just being lazy. LoL

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Yes, I could build my own if I had the nerve.
Over the years I've replaced or upgraded every part in one computer or another.

But I just picture myself flipping the switch and nothing happens.
Then what do I do, I wouldn't even have some guy in India to call. LOL

Maybe I will put together a budget build just to do it one of these days, then I would know the whole process from scratch.

Since I knew exactly what components were going into my computer I considered buying all the parts and putting it together my self.

But when I priced out all the stuff I didn't think I would save enough money to be worth the hassle.
They did all the work, installing the OS and setting everything up, testing for days, and making a Restore DVD all I had to do was plug it in and turn it on.

Today I spent the entire day cleaning up my computer. I went through everything, defraged, cleaned the registry, ran Malwarebytes, the works.

I reorganized my data drive so things were stored in master folders by category, Music, Books, Lucy Story Related, Photos, Downloads, Game Related, Graphic Arts Related etc. instead of having a zillion folders all directly under D:\.

Then I installed my new 1TB External Fire Wire drive in a daisy chain with my old one and made a new Image of my C:\ Drive On it.

Tomorrow I will back up my D:\ data drive to it as well. Both drive have older backup on the other one so once I have the new one done I will format the old one and make new backups to it using Windows Backup, instead of Ghost.

My third external which is USB is used to back up important stuff like, Photos, Music, Software that I have downloaded and that sort of thing uncompressed, so most of my stuff is backed up 3 times. I hope my house doesn't burn down!

I have 20 years of old job files stored.

Mike

 

[nmsuk]

But I just picture myself flipping the switch and nothing happens.

For me that's when the fun begins.

 

[NaiyaShamiso]

Have you tried tuning it off and on again?......Are you sure it is plugged in?.....Okay, first you got to plug it in. LMAO