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Why I got out of the hardware biz

So I decided to upgrade my RAM today. Little did I know it was going to be an ALL DAY EVENT.

Today RAM stands for the Ridiculous Amount of Mileage I put on my car trying to get the right sticks First I got 1-512 MB PC2100 stick. That wasn't right, cause my stupid motherboard needs it in pairs. So I take it back and try to get pairs... they don't have 2-256MB PC2100 sticks for the price I want. So I drive 30 miles to a Best Buy in Ahwatukee to get them, but not before I call to check if they are there (waiting on hold nearly 30 minutes in the process), and ask them to MAKE SURE they're the right ones. I get there, and there aren't any more. so I drive 15 miles to another Best Buy, and find 2 sticks of 256MB PC2100 RAM for $50 total after mail-in rebate. Killer deal, huh?

I get home, and the sticks don't work because the stupid motherboard on this stupid 1-U, rackmounted, loud as all get out server takes REGISTERED, ECC, 2.5CL PC2100 DIMMS, IN PAIRS. It's like, I can't go out and just buy a bottled water. I have to buy the water that flows from a fountain at the top of the highest mountain, and only a really fat man can be the one to put it in a flask made of a reinforced titanium alloy, while standing on his head singing the opening number to “Guys and Dolls“. WTF??!?!?

Not only will I seriously reconsider ever going to Best Buy again, but I will never buy a proprietary computer again either. What a waste of a day. What a waste of a week. Forget staying home, I'm going to Cali after all. I need to relax and forget about all this trash for a few days and enjoy a trip with the best friends a guy could have.I'll see you guys on Tuesday. PEACE!

Posted: Aug 30 2003, 02:23 AM by interscape | with 2 comment(s)

Comments

Dave Burke said:

I've been enjoying your saga of upgrading your memory. So true. Whenever I have upgraded memory over the past several years I photocopied the motherboard pages and read every spec available about the darn RAM SIMMS. Not a small task for something which so be a mindless purchase, you'd think. As for Best Buy, I'm a borderline customer myself. Last time I was there I had to call the manager and complain about something ridiculous.
# August 30, 2003 3:43 PM

Brian Desmond said:

Nothing proprietary there. That's pretty darn standard on the server front. ECC means Error Checking and Correcting. You want that stuff in a server. Pairs has been around since when you put 72 pin EDO simms in. It may be an ECC thing that requires pairs. I know my Compaq Proliant servers all need memory put into the banks in pairs.
# August 31, 2003 1:44 AM