[SLL] OT--Hardware: New Build Won't go to POST

[Glenn Stone]

On Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 12:45:45PM -0700, Andrew Sweger wrote:
>It was at this point I stopped building my own machines and only buy them
>from http://siliconmechanics.com/  It may be more expensive at first, but
>compared to my time and sanity, worth every penny. 
>
>On Mon, 15 Oct 2007, Abha Harting wrote:
>
>> Whenever I get a problem, I wonder why the hell I subject myself to this and
>> drive myself crazy?

Has to do with time and temperment.  If you absolutely positively have to
have the machine work, and hardware drives you nuts, then it's definitely
worth the bucks to go with a professional outfit.  I've seen SM's facility
and a bit of how they work, and was impressed... and having the company that
builds your box be local has some huge benefits that don't often show up on
an accountant's spreadsheet.  

Myself, I used to work for one of SM's competitors, so I have a fair bit of
experience with figuring out what the heck is wrong with the hardware, even
when the only link I've got to it is a tech on a phone.  And I don't mind
getting my hands dirty.  But that's the way my brain works; some folks are
pure software, and changing a light bulb can be a bit daunting.  And if that
turns out to give the boys in Bothell job security?  I think that's a happy
thing.  Particularly when some of that comes back to the community.  

(Shameless plug on a related topic:  For those of you who haven't already
seen it, GSLUG is Saturday at noon, I *believe* SM will be there, and I'm
speaking first, so be there on time! :)  Oooers, I see from the Wiki that
Garret Honeycutt from Speakeasy is complimenting my small-scale anti-spam
talk with how they handle 4 *million* emails a day... 

http://wiki.gslug.org/index.php/Meeting_2007-10-20 for the full scoop.)

-- Glenn
p.s. I've got quite the little tale to tell...