RE: [cobalt-users] Cobalt Wish List

["Tony" <isplists@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

People who are running a business for the first time from their kitchen
table, spare bedroom or garage who never
had the responsibility and experience of creating a brick and mortar
presence ie retail store, mall operation, branch
office etc tend to exhibit this type of price vs quality logic. I'm not
knocking home-based or virtual operations...it's
a great and viable way to run a business. It just helps a lot if you have a
background/experience in the B&M world.
When you are responsible for paying $1000+/mo telephone bills, $200+/mo
photocopier leases, $3000+/mo equipment leases, $300+/mo insurance premiums
etc etc you get a clearer picture of the value of a $3000 machine like a
Raq3 that can produce
$60,000 worth of annual gross hosting revenue. Try buying a $120,000 Sun
Ultra server and NOT buying a support contract to go with it. This is not
limited to the computer industry. In the photofinishing industry there are
machines that crank out 8x10's & 11x14's in a hour that a lab can sell for a
paltry $5 to $10. When they first came on the market these machines listed
at around $150,000. A lab would be lucky if it could clear $20,000 in gross
annual revenue from a machine like this.
No support contract? $75-$150 an hour for a tech to travel to your lab when
it breaks and break it will...usually on a weekly basis.



> Personally, I think that you probably got into a product based on price.
> That should never be your primary concern when you are talking about your
> infrastructure of your business.  Support costs are usually a major factor
> in the price.  I don't understand why people don't understand
> this.  I guess
> its because they don't put a price tag on their own time.
>
> I feel that Cobalt's web site is actually a fairly valuable service, as is
> this list.
>
> Perhaps next time you'll buy a product from someone who can help
> you select
> the right product for the job and will be there to support you if
> you have a
> problem?
>
> Honestly, there isn't anything on the Qube, Raq, whatever that
> you can't fix
> on your own.  And really its not that complicated.  I've never had a beef
> with Cobalt support, and neither had any of my clients at the time I left
> ATC.  Of course none of my clients ever had to call Cobalt for
> support.  But
> then again, it cost them a few hundred dollars more for my
> time... which is
> a bargain compared to the obvious anguish you have gone through.  Put a
> price tag on your experience and tell me it was worth it.  I.e.  I would
> have been willing to pay $250 not to go through the downtime, lost hours,
> etc. of my Cobalt/Microsoft/Apple/HP/IBM/Compaq fiasco.  If its not worth
> what you'd have to pay a Systems Engineer, then you get what you pay for.
> If it is worth it, then you wouldn't be complaining like you are now.
>
> Honestly, its this sort of outburst that makes me doubt the professionally
> of some of the people.  Its pretty obvious that you don't take
> this stuff as
> serious as I do--and honestly, if you don't appear to care or be
> willing to
> put your money where your mouth is, then why should I even
> attempt to assist
> you?
>
> -k
>
>
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