The GREAT SA Notebook & CPU RIPOFF

MidnightWizard

MidnightWizard

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I notice postings about an INTEL six core cpu -- how fascinating.

Why not try and purchase an INTEL MOBILE CPU in SA -- you know for a notebook. :(

Now I HAVE tried and looked everywhere. I even phoned INTEL SA and spoke to their CEO -- but to NO avail. :mad:

Maybe you have had this experience :confused: You phone one of the SA Laptop distributors and ask about upgrading the CPU in your machine -- only to be told that you CANNOT upgrade the CPU in a Laptop -- when you have the machine in front of you stripped down and the CPU free out of it's socket.

ALL major brand Notebook manufacturers have MB/s with a ZIF socket -- ie IT is pretty easy to pop out the CPU and pop in a new one of a higher rating.
( as long as they are of the same original family of CPU )

So WHY are these CPU's SO Elusive and why do you get told with a straight face that you CANNOT upgrade :confused:

Because then these daylight rip-off bandits would not be able to sell you an "ADVANCED" ( with a higher spec CPU ) model for a whole pile MORE cash.

WHY does INTEL NOT supply the upgrade market in SA with these CPU's :confused: but you CAN get every version of DESKTOP and SERVER CPU

After all on the INTEL site you can find these MOBILE CPU's with BOTH a BOXED as well as an OEM -- * ORDER NUMBER *.

They are pretty much freely available in the USA market as well as the UK and Europe ( perhaps to a lesser extent)

Do they think that we here in SA are too stoopid to strip and upgrade a Laptop :confused: -- or rather they KNOW that we are too stoopid to complain and MAKE them come clean. Our consumer watchdog organisations are as reliable and usefull as our electricity supplier ( NON ) :mad:

So PLEASE someone anyone tell me where I can purchase a new CORE 2 DUO MOBILE CPU (at a fair price -- US$ 250 in that shoppers paradise)

Laptop distributors PLEASE tell us why you keep on saying that these machines are not UPGRADEABLE :confused:

the exsanguinated one
 
MORE RIPOFFS

gifs said:
You can buy them here:
http://www.prophecy.co.za/-c-19_20_166.html
Click to expand...

AAaahhh thank you -- but did you not see the part about FAIR PRICE :confused: :(

These people are just continueing the unupgradeable scenario with their exhorbitant prices.

I already have a 2Ghz Processor in the machine. I am looking at something like a T9300 (2.5) or a T9500 (2.6) at about R2,3000 == FAIR PRICE

the EXIGENT one
 
Are you from South Africa?
Cos you should know South Africa and Fair Price do not belong in the same sentance!!!
You rather order from overseas yourself.
 
Eish, economics 101.

MidnightWizard said:
WHY does INTEL NOT supply the upgrade market in SA with these CPU's
Click to expand...
Intel is a manufacturer...not a distributor/retailer.

MidnightWizard said:
So WHY are these CPU's SO Elusive
Click to expand...
Supply & demand. Compared to desktop CPU's there is almost no demand. Without proper demand, economies of scale are not possible....so the prices are high. Naturally "fairly" priced CPU are elusive if the going rate is above your idea of "fair".

MidnightWizard said:
(at a fair price -- US$ 250 in that shoppers paradise)
Click to expand...
Unfortunately prices are set by the market as a whole and not by an individuals idea of a "fair price".

MidnightWizard said:
Because then these daylight rip-off bandits would not be able to sell you an "ADVANCED" ( with a higher spec CPU ) model for a whole pile MORE cash.
Click to expand...
Businesses aim to make money. If buyers are willing to pay a high price, then that is what the will charge. That is the way capitalism works...just look at BMWs.

You can always import the CPUs yourself if you feel the local prices are unnaturally high. I'm pretty sure that you'll end up paying more for your CPU though than the price from prophecy if you take transport & taxes into account.
 
Economics -- How much can you SQUEEZE

Sure I know all about the "CHANNEL" ( Be careful about making hasty assumptions)

INTEL supplies to RECTRON , AXIZ , SAHARA , PINNACLE etc etc. who then sell to their dealers , Who then sell to the poor sucker end users.

( Is my Economics OK so far ? )

IF the Laptop people keep on telling everyone that it is "impossible" to upgrade , then of course the demand is going to melt away.

I even tracked down someone at the INTEL HILLSBORO FAB in OREGON where they make the PENRYN CPU's :eek:

You may be suprised to know that a computer outlet in the same town had NO STOCK of those CPU's. The whole consigment gets sent to -- CHINA. Where ALL Laptop bits and pieces are manufactured and assembled -- in the CHEAP LABOUR SWEAT SHOPS. :(

I am in the process of ordering from overseas. Even if it does cost more -- which I very seriously doubt -- I will at least have had the pleasure of having uitilised CHOICE !

IF your idea of Capitalism = the main stream view -- I want NO PART OF IT. ( Economics 101 notwithstanding )


the EXASPERATED one
 
Intel, like any other semiconductor manufacturer, sell directly only to authorized resellers. That is how it works my friend. Like it or leave it. Their business is semiconductors they're not interested in selling to end-users and the problems that this kind of sale might bring.

It is not impossible to upgrade a laptop, it just becomes difficult and especially so when you consider some laptops are a bitch to take apart.

I would like to see how you can get it cheaper overseas? What you going to do when SA customs gives you a nice little bill? And, generally speaking, prices of PC hardware is a tad bit more expensive in the US, this is from experience
 
MidnightWizard said:
Sure I know all about the "CHANNEL" ( Be careful about making hasty assumptions)

INTEL supplies to RECTRON , AXIZ , SAHARA , PINNACLE etc etc. who then sell to their dealers , Who then sell to the poor sucker end users.

( Is my Economics OK so far ? )

IF the Laptop people keep on telling everyone that it is "impossible" to upgrade , then of course the demand is going to melt away.

I even tracked down someone at the INTEL HILLSBORO FAB in OREGON where they make the PENRYN CPU's :eek:

You may be suprised to know that a computer outlet in the same town had NO STOCK of those CPU's. The whole consigment gets sent to -- CHINA. Where ALL Laptop bits and pieces are manufactured and assembled -- in the CHEAP LABOUR SWEAT SHOPS. :(

I am in the process of ordering from overseas. Even if it does cost more -- which I very seriously doubt -- I will at least have had the pleasure of having uitilised CHOICE !

IF your idea of Capitalism = the main stream view -- I want NO PART OF IT. ( Economics 101 notwithstanding )


the EXASPERATED one
Click to expand...

i'm not even going to try pretend i can change your mind because it is pretty clear you have made it up already, but seeing as this is mostly my field i'll fill in the blanks, so you have something else to argue about

1) why tell end users the laptop is not upgradable? because it stops them putting screwdrivers where they shouldnt go. it isnt a desktop, your "buddy" down the road DOESNT know what he is doing (even if he and you think he does), quite often you need bios upgrades and dip switches flipped. info the manufacturer doesnt want to give out. they are protecting you from the stupid questions they get to field on tech support lines about "faulty cpu's" and "faulty laptops". believe me, if you work in this industry you have heard all the stories.
2) why is the price higher? simple, as you touched upon. economies of scale. intel sells cpu's in trays and boxed. through various channels to big fish, who then sell to smaller fish etc. but consumers want to buy at the price the big fish buy for. so the little fish cant compete on price. with notebooks, something special often happens. large distributors and retailers (sahara, rectron..that bunch) may buy 500 chassis from china, and china will fit the cpu's to the chassis in advance, because china bought them in large quantities so can supply the cpu;s to rectron and that bunch at a price cheaper than they can buy from intel direct. this means, rectron and crew DONT have stock of the cpu, because they didnt buy any, because they got the cpu from china, already fitted to the chassis. so when joe public moans and groans he wants ONE fsking cpu, they then have to go buy a boxed product from grey market. which means higher price. and then you moan and groan on a public forum about "price gouging"

you asked why does intel not supply the upgrade market in s.a.? because it isnt worth the hassle. so they are going to ship one tray (1000) of t2500's to s.a. and after a year midnightwizard and his posse and the rest of s.a. will have used at most 50. it is not worth it.

do some maths...cost of cpu+cost of fitting+courier costs vs just buying another laptop. and then the bloke doing the fitting has to carry the warranty for the machine, because no doubt 10% of them will mysteriously die in 2 months time and midnightwizard will be spending his time on the phone getting his ear bent trying to pacify the customer and explain why it isnt his fault. 5 months later you decide to just stuff it and stop doing that work altogether. so now 950 cpus sit in a tray. but i'm alright jack, i got my t2500 $10 cheaper and who cares if 950 sit and devalue in a stockroom somewhere.

look at the bigger picture pls.

there have been times int he past where we (anonymous) supplied cpu;s to intel. that is how crazy this business can sometimes be. we have sent cpu's to china because for whatever reason we got them cheaper than china did.
we have built hitachi laptops, and hitachi have supplied us with seagate harddrives to go inside (even though hitachi are a harddrive manufacturer in their own right). we have built demo machines for intel, using intel cpu;s we bought from intel, then invoiced the machine to intel with the cpu at full retail. as they requested. life is weird, just take it on the chin and carry on. the channel si pretty mature by now and it isnt going to change because one bloke in a far away land is moaning he cant get a mobile cpu cheap.

sorry to offend, but if you buy your cpu's by the tray, then you got clout. otherwise, just hand over the cash and accept it.
 
I see nobody here has called the OP a whining idiot who doesn't know how things work, the companies involved, economics and to know that fact we are in South Africa.

At least complaining about Telkom makes sense, they can actually change their prices!
 
If you do get a better chip , i want to buy yours!
I have a 1.5 core 2 duo
 
You may be suprised to know that a computer outlet in the same town had NO STOCK of those CPU's. The whole consigment gets sent to -- CHINA. Where ALL Laptop bits and pieces are manufactured and assembled -- in the CHEAP LABOUR SWEAT SHOPS.

- I'd beg to differ about that.

Not really cheap labour sweat shops. OEM Factories like FoxConn and other major OEM's pay their staff a decent wage, and they work in clean conditions.

People working at factories get food, lodging generally, and a decent wage compared to the area outside.

Your average factory drone gets between 1000-1500RMB (R1000-1500) a month.
Thats a decent wage in China outside of the major cities.

..but yeah, in China I can get pretty much any CPU, mostly because everything is grey import from somewhere.

Stuff isn't cheap in China necessarily, its mostly all for export, but the grey import stuff via HK is pretty readily available.

Maybe when my younger brother gets his ... into gear, I'll start sending him stuff. (No doubt to get stolen by customs, which is another MAJOR reason why IT stuff in ZA is expensive).
 
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