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From: Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: Forget Mice... are you ready for subscription COMPUTERS?
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2024 09:13:48 -0700
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
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On 8/4/2024 8:25 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Sat, 3 Aug 2024 17:24:30 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
> <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
> 
>> On 8/3/2024 10:20 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>> Read about it here: https://nzxt.com/collection/flex
> 
>>> Most notably, for what you're paying, you aren't really getting that
>>> good of a machine. Their highest-end option would cost you over $4000
>>> USD, and all you get is an i7-13700 CPU, a GeForce 4070, and 32GB of
>>> RAM. That's not a /bad/ computer at all (it's pretty close to what I'm
>>> using right now) but it's /waaaaaay/ over-priced for what you get.
> 
>> Uh, wait a minute.  You have to _buy_ the computer and THEN pay a
>> monthly fee to keep it?
> 
>> Why would I go for that when I can just buy the computer for less?
> 
> No. There is an initial shipping fee (I believe $50USD) followed by a
> monthly rental (subscription) fee. In two years, you get a 'free'
> upgrade to a better PC.
> 
> However, at $169 USD per month over 24 months (2 years) that comes to
> $4,056. Which is incredibly overpriced for what you're receiving.
> 
> Of course, you /could/ 'cancel any time', so I guess if all you want
> to do is play around with a moderately high-end gaming PC for a month
> or two, the cost ($400) might be worth it. Except in the end you have
> to return the computer and you're left with nothing. So maybe not.
> 
> I just don't see the Venn diagram of "people who can't afford a $2000
> for a new gaming PC but somehow can still afford to spend $170/month"
> being all that large.
> 
> Although maybe NZXT is betting on 'people who are stupid with their
> money, only look at monthly costs and don't calculate how much it will
> cost over the course of a year'. There's a lot of those sort around.
> 
Enough that stores lower prices by one cent ($5.99 instead of $6.00) 
because it has been found that doing so DOES increase sales.

-- 
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky 
dirty old man.