Tony1044
Please don't contact me either via private messages or in the main forum as I no longer participate here (and will not see your message as my writing this is the last time I intend to sign in).
This is unfortunately entirely due to the way some moderators with egos bigger than their IQ are allowed to behave with no controlling hand from PCS, so if Ubuysa is unpleasant to you, just bear in mind that you aren't in a club with an exclusive membership and don't expect PCS or other moderators to get him to tone his poor attitude down as, for some reason it isn't acceptable to challenge him (and he -will- delete your posts if you do then accuse you of being confrontational!).
PCS kit is usually of excellent quality and their customer service is second to none, and despite my advice below, I'd have no trouble recommending their kit if you can work within their imposed restrictions (but my recommendation would be check out competitors factory refurb sites as you often find much more bang for your buck than any mainstream purchase and get them faster).
So... Do be careful if you are planning to buy a laptop from PCS that is for a non-windows OS as they are fraught with limitations that may make the installation of e.g. Linux based distributions impossible and the stock answer from certain quarters is "PCS are a Microsoft partner and don't support Linux". Check the forums first to be sure you will not hit any blockers.
Likewise, it is a good idea to note that PCS cripple the BIOS on their Clevo based laptops to such an extent that basic options such as Virtualisation Extensions cannot be altered and they are the only company where you void the warranty if you upgrade the BIOS without their explicit OK.
I also categorically disagree with PCS' stated BIOS upgrade policy and the assumption that you never need to update a BIOS (another favorite refrain from some quarters!).
Check out these for some examples of what I mean:
https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/enterprise-oem-vunerabilities
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4044759/intel-discloses-bios-firmware-vulnerabilities
Keep your BIOS up to date, folks.
Just a handful of friendly warning notes.
This is unfortunately entirely due to the way some moderators with egos bigger than their IQ are allowed to behave with no controlling hand from PCS, so if Ubuysa is unpleasant to you, just bear in mind that you aren't in a club with an exclusive membership and don't expect PCS or other moderators to get him to tone his poor attitude down as, for some reason it isn't acceptable to challenge him (and he -will- delete your posts if you do then accuse you of being confrontational!).
PCS kit is usually of excellent quality and their customer service is second to none, and despite my advice below, I'd have no trouble recommending their kit if you can work within their imposed restrictions (but my recommendation would be check out competitors factory refurb sites as you often find much more bang for your buck than any mainstream purchase and get them faster).
So... Do be careful if you are planning to buy a laptop from PCS that is for a non-windows OS as they are fraught with limitations that may make the installation of e.g. Linux based distributions impossible and the stock answer from certain quarters is "PCS are a Microsoft partner and don't support Linux". Check the forums first to be sure you will not hit any blockers.
Likewise, it is a good idea to note that PCS cripple the BIOS on their Clevo based laptops to such an extent that basic options such as Virtualisation Extensions cannot be altered and they are the only company where you void the warranty if you upgrade the BIOS without their explicit OK.
I also categorically disagree with PCS' stated BIOS upgrade policy and the assumption that you never need to update a BIOS (another favorite refrain from some quarters!).
Check out these for some examples of what I mean:
https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/enterprise-oem-vunerabilities
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4044759/intel-discloses-bios-firmware-vulnerabilities
Keep your BIOS up to date, folks.
Just a handful of friendly warning notes.
Signature
No longer the owner of any PCS products.
