At Niagara Electronics, we have been custom building Intel based PC’s since the introduction of the Intel 286.  Our systems are built and warranted in-house.  Niagara Electronics will provide you with a system that can stand the test of time.  A system that you will enjoy for many years!  A system that, if necessary, can be repaired the next day!  Stop by and have a chat with our friendly staff.  We always make time for our customers.

Some computer terms can be overwhelming.

• Buzz words.  ( meaningless babble that has very little substance )
• Vista vs XP.  What is the real difference?
• Initial setup of the machine, Wireless, Security, Viruses, Office.
• Spyware, Email, LCDs, Printers, Backup, DVD burners.
• Reality?  What is a good deal?  How can you tell? 
• Who do you trust?  Who do you believe?  Are they qualified?

 

Buzz words are just that.  They really don't mean much without an explanation.  Many PC sales people are up on the latest terminology and that can be a good thing, but they often don't know the pieces of the puzzle that are missing.  If you have a dual core CPU, but a low quality motherboard with a cheap chipset, the buzz words sound the same but the performance is missing.  Many times that PC won’t run nearly as well as a properly designed one.   Sometimes the computer manufacturers use a limited power supply that can only run the computer. If you try to add a gaming video card often the power supply won’t carry the extra load.  So now you will have to buy a new power supply.   Remember that there are about 15 parts that make up a computer system and you can pick these from over two hundred thousand parts on the market.

Vista vs. XP.  Microsoft has made many different operating systems (OS).  Many people are forced into an OS that does not fit their lifestyle.  XP will be available for a few years yet, but you need to know that most of the lesser quality motherboards on the market will only support vista.  Sometimes people will think that they can buy this deal, and just install XP on it if they don' like Vista.  Most of the time, the manufacturer did not write XP drivers for that kind of system.  You might want to write down the name of the PC and go to their website, type in the model # and see if you can download XP drivers if this is important to you.  Vista and XP run great on our systems, you can still choose the version that is right for you.

Some computer companies sell name brand PC's, often filled with trial software, needing several updates before they can be used.  You will be asked many questions that can be confusing.  Often they entice to sign up for special internet deals that you don't need.  These companies get a cut for everything that you sign up for.  This process will take you several hours to complete.  The salesperson will sell you an extended warranty, home PC setup, extra security software, and claim that he is giving you "a deal".  For example, they have a package deal that sells for $599 including a 20" monitor and a printer that might have a profit margin of $50.00. The monitor might be worth $125, the printer $50, the operating system $100, and the keyboard, mouse and speakers $25. That means the tower is worth $249.  They often use a couple of good compontents but the majority of the components are of lower grade quality.  The buzz words on the box make this system sound fantastic.  Since there is next to no profit in this "deal" they will do anything to up the price.  For example, extended warranty,  home delivery, the initial setup of the PC and security software.  The sales person will make you believe that the 20" monitor, printer, keyboard and speakers should be upgraded to a higher quality.  By the time you have finished, you've spent the $599 on the "deal", $199 on the extended warranty, $100 to set it up and turn it on for you ( clean up the trial software & install the updates )  $70 for  Antivirus and you will likely be talked into spending $200 to upgrade the monitor, printer and keyboard.   So the entire package cost you $1168 + taxes for a tower that  originally sold for less than $250.   So when is a $599 deal a good deal?  The great "deal" they are selling you is obviously is not such a great deal. 

Reality.  What is reality?  In the computer business reality is so hard to find today.  Reality is common sense.  For example, if you look at 5 computer systems and read the buzz word list that is written on the side of the box, you will find that they show about 15 buzz words as a feature set for each system.  Most of the features between one box and another are different.  So how can you tell what is what?  Let’s say there are 100 features that you need to know in order to buy a system.  They only show you the top 15 and they hide the other 85.  How can you make the right decision with missing information?  When it comes down to the final decision, the most important thing is trust.  You have to find someone who is qualified, and believe in them.  Someone who can take care of your needs and when the chips are down, help. 

At Niagara Electronics.  We can design a computer system that fits your needs.  One that will last you a long time. One that you will be happy with and that we can repair in-house ( typically the next day ). A computer system that is designed with newest the technology.  With our experience you won’t be gambling your money away based on fancy jargon.  At Niagara Electronics we repair all makes of PC’s and notebooks for a flat rate of $49.95 for labour.  We never charge more.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about computers. 

Joe Kollee   905-357-4305

Thank you.