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From: Xocyll <Xocyll@gmx.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: Forget Mice... are you ready for subscription COMPUTERS?
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:08:15 -0400
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Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> looked up from reading the
entrails of the porn spammer to utter  "The Augury is good, the signs
say:

>On Sun, 04 Aug 2024 08:15:57 -0400, Xocyll <Xocyll@gmx.com> wrote:
>
>>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> looked up from reading the
>>entrails of the porn spammer to utter  "The Augury is good, the signs
>>say:
>>
>>>
>>>So, this idea has a little more meat to it. Computer manufacturer NZXT
>>>(they make boutique gaming PCs) wants to make PCs with a subscription
>>>(or perhaps rental) fee. Prices range from roughly $50 to $170USD per
>>>month (plus initial shipping costs), depending on what sort of
>>>computer you get. NZXT also promises "seamless upgrades" every two
>>>years and 24/7 support
>>
>>Not really anything new, it's been around for decades as "rent to own."
>>
>>Had a friend who did this, you end up with a substandard computer that
>>you paid about 3x it's value for.
>>But for people who don't have a few thousand to buy a new one with...
>>
>
> 
>But NZXT isn't offering a lease-to-own option. It's just pay-pay-pay
>and miss-a-payment-and-no-PC-for-you. In fact, the subscription
>agreement is quite clear on this topic: "This subscription is not a
>rent-to-own program. At no point will Subscriber own the Rental
>Devices... even if Subscriber payments aggregate to more than the
>collective retail price for all services."

Yes, that's why I put in the bit you snipped;  
"Only difference is you might get a decent computer in the first place,
and aren't stuck with an obsolete boat anchor at the end, you have
nothing at the end."

>Rent-to-own at least gives you an option to buy the computer; it's not
>much different from buying a PC on installments. Financially, it's
>still a bad idea for the consumer as you always end up paying more,
>but I get it; it can be hard to make that initial bulk payment, and
>with some items, it's absolutely necessary you get the goods NOW
>rather than wait until you've saved up. 
>
>    [I wouldn't count gaming PCs in this category though. 
>     You're much better off just putting your own money aside 
>     for a few months or years. If you really need a PC in the
>     meantime, buy a $400 laptop (two months of FLEX payments), 
>     and then save up your 'real' PC]
>
>But you dont' get that option with NZXT Flex. You just get to keep
>paying and have nothing for it at the end.

As I said and you snipped.

>Still, I /could/ see NZXT Flex working... just not at the prices
>they're offering. Certainly not when their real competition is online
>streaming for a fraction of the cost.
>
>It's a bad deal all around. For the end-user, anyway. 

It's going to be funny watching it play out.

Oh look, foreign exchange student, rents computer, then 3 months later
moves back to Africa, Eastern Europe, etc, cancels the credit card they
used to pay and close accounts at bank linked to it.

I had a roommate once, from Botswana, for the next year after he was
gone, bills kept arriving - he'd just stopped paying them a few months
before graduating - what're they going to do, chase him back to Africa?

Xocyll