Any good local computer stores?

[adrian]

I always shop at compUSA for my computer needs since online shopping's s/h to Hawaii is damn high.

Is there any other good local computer store that has an internet presence (I can either check if the product's instock, or see what they sell).

I know that Personal Touch Computers (http://www.personaltouchcomputers.com) has one, and of course, compUSA has the ability to check the products (like in my example). But, Personal Touch has an ad in their website, and you have to call them to know if they have a product in stock.

I surf the web for deals at stores, and would like to view the products stock w/out dialing my cell to distrupt the class (I can type silently, so no one knows I'm on the 'net).

Suggestions appreciated!

[pzarquon]

In terms of having inventory online, Byteware (http://www.byteware.net/) at the Kam Shopping Center keeps their site relatively up to date. Of course, I'd never pay their prices for stuff, but, it makes for decent browsing.

I still buy most of my computer stuff online, in spite of the shipping charges. Unless you're going with FedEx Ultrafast Overnight or something, the difference is usually still going to be less than the premium the brick-and-mortar store is charging you. And every time I've bought a big-ticket item from Amazon.com, for example, I've just paid for their "regular" shipping but ended up with a "complimentary upgrade" to UPS.

Paying $499 for a digital camera (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000W533W/) plus $7 for second-day air still beats paying $599 plus tax in a store here (http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/MapQuestView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&languageId=-1&city=Honolulu&state=HI&zipCode=).

I avoid CompUSA as much as possible. If I need something right now I just hope they've got it at CostCo.

[adrian]

I also want to see the product in action (or atleast hold the box). And I don't want to go through the hassle of depositing my money into my debit card, just to wait for the product a few days later.

And since the nearest store from my house is CompUSA (I live in Waipahu), it's a good 3 mile walk to go there, and visit.

Thanks for your suggestion about byteware, but they don't have the part I'm looking for (it's a heatsink).

[helen]

Another company to try is PDCS (http://www.pdcsystems.com). They are located a couple of blocks from the Ala Moana CompUSA store.

[Tako Poke]

I miss Software Plus. :(

[808_m3]

When Byteware was at their old location, they had pretty good prices, comparable to the ones you can get on the mainland. Ever since they moved to their new retail location at the Kam shopping center, their prices haven't been that good. Gotta pay for the extra retail space, I guess.

Forget CompUSA, I don't go there at all..I usually refer them as ComPUKE USA. I usually only go there for any of the special sales, but as of late, I end up wasting my time because they don't have it stock anymore.

Mail order is the way to go.

[Konaguy]

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Home.jsp

[craigwatanabe]

When Byteware was at their old location, they had pretty good prices, comparable to the ones you can get on the mainland. Ever since they moved to their new retail location at the Kam shopping center, their prices haven't been that good. Gotta pay for the extra retail space, I guess.

Forget CompUSA, I don't go there at all..I usually refer them as ComPUKE USA. I usually only go there for any of the special sales, but as of late, I end up wasting my time because they don't have it stock anymore.

Mail order is the way to go.


You're right about CompUSA's stock levels. I went online to find out if they had the Acom 80Gb external hard drives they had on sale in the Sunday fliers one day and according to their website, there were about 11 of them at the Honolulu location.

When I went down to pick up one they told me they were out of stock. My friend who went down with me called his friend to check for availabilty. He called back saying there's still 11 supposed to be there. We had the stock clerk look thru everywhere in that store and he still couldn't find them.

Either their online warehouse inventory was messed up or CompUSA was hiding their stock for "Preferred" customers. I ended up taking a raincheck and purchasing later on.

[kimo55]

In terms of having inventory online, Byteware (http://www.byteware.net/) at the Kam Shopping Center keeps their site relatively up to date. Of course, I'd never pay their prices for stuff, but, it makes for decent browsing.

try supporting the lil guy and the local vendors. If you know something they have, is priced lower elsewhere, show them that total price and ask if they can come somewhere near it.
If you buy something at byteware, you get their assistiance if or when it needs attention.
Sending all your business to the cheapest online out of state copmaney will quickly help in all the local smaller mom and pop shops dissappear and then this island will resemble another suburb of L.A., not that it's not getting there already.

[mel]

If you are a Mac person, shopping is a little easier as we have less of everything available to us. So if you like to go to a Mac place and play with all of the latest and greatest, the best stop is the Apple Store in Ala Moana Shopping Center. They even have a website that is pretty much the same as the main online Apple Store.

Mac Made Easy and Mac Mouse Club are good places to go for repairs. Both have people active in the Mac community and are very knowledgeable. I bought my last Mac (Power Mac G4) from one of these places.

However some of the best bargains for Mac stuff is online... just like computer stuff in general. Despite shipping costs one of the advantages of buying online and out of state is not having to pay the GET.

Some items purchased through Amazon.com (like software, blank media, batteries, etc.) include free shipping.

I echo others who say to avoid CompUSA. Don't ever buy anything over $100 from them, especially if it is a digital camera, computer or other high end item. The place is only good for buying the kinds of things that you know exactly what you want... you know, blank CDs, media cards, that kind of low margin stuff where you just walk in pick it up and pay for it without having to deal with their sales staff.

[j3rr3y]

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Home.jsp

Yeah, thats what I would recommend.. you will pay $10 shipping to HI..

[Konaguy]

Yeah, thats what I would recommend.. you will pay $10 shipping to HI..

Yeah but you get 2nd day UPS on most orders, so the cost balances out.
I have seen some OUTRAGEOUS pricing by someone these e-tailers for
second day UPS.

[j3rr3y]

Yeah but you get 2nd day UPS on most orders, so the cost balances out.
I have seen some OUTRAGEOUS pricing by someone these e-tailers for
second day UPS.

Yeah, I was agreeing with you, bro... I always order from zipzoomfly. unless i am ordering a whole system. then i use newegg.com - they have the best prices and selection on the web. their shipping is expensive to hawaii so its only good if you are ordering a lot.

[Konaguy]

I have found Crucial Micron www.crucial.com very good for PC RAM also.

[adrian]

I have found Crucial Micron www.crucial.com very good for PC RAM also.
Yeah, the prices are competitive, and I have one stick of RAM from them.

But since memory prices are high right now (a half gig of RAM for my computer at the pc2700 speed will cost $100, which was way more than what I paid for last year).

[Glen Miyashiro]

Alliance Computers at City Square (Dillingham Blvd in Kalihi) is a small hole-in-the-wall, about the same size as Personal Touch Computers. They have a good selection of parts, but I don't think they sell complete systems. I checked their website, but it is apparently still in development -- it has some sort of default computer-store template with dummy data. Still, it's another local small business to go to if you don't like the big guys.

[adrian]

Alliance Computers at City Square (Dillingham Blvd in Kalihi) is a small hole-in-the-wall, about the same size as Personal Touch Computers. They have a good selection of parts, but I don't think they sell complete systems. I checked their website, but it is apparently still in development -- it has some sort of default computer-store template with dummy data. Still, it's another local small business to go to if you don't like the big guys.
I went there once, but since it was on a sunday, they were closed.

When I looked inside, the store was full of computer towers/parts.

[Konaguy]

But since memory prices are high right now (a half gig of RAM for my computer at the pc2700 speed will cost $100, which was way more than what I paid for last year).


I was able to find a 256MB of PC2100 RAM from them for 43.99. So I have
one 256MB PC2700 and one 256MB PC2100 on my motherboard.

[adrian]

I was able to find a 256MB of PC2100 RAM from them for 43.99. So I have
one 256MB PC2700 and one 256MB PC2100 on my motherboard.
Yeah, but then you're running at the slower speed (PC2100).

[craigwatanabe]

I thought you cannot run two different speed memory chips on one motherboard without some conflict? I was running 1Gb of ram on my computer with half from PNY and the other from some other company. My computer actually ran slower at 1Gb than at 512Mb and it had a tendancy to lock up at 1Gb.

[craigwatanabe]

Alliance Computers at City Square (Dillingham Blvd in Kalihi) is a small hole-in-the-wall, about the same size as Personal Touch Computers. They have a good selection of parts, but I don't think they sell complete systems. I checked their website, but it is apparently still in development -- it has some sort of default computer-store template with dummy data. Still, it's another local small business to go to if you don't like the big guys.


I know the owner of Alliance Computers, he's a straight shooter.

[adrian]

I thought you cannot run two different speed memory chips on one motherboard without some conflict? I was running 1Gb of ram on my computer with half from PNY and the other from some other company. My computer actually ran slower at 1Gb than at 512Mb and it had a tendancy to lock up at 1Gb.
What are the specs of the two sticks? (and while your at it, what's the specs of your computer hardware?)

But yeah, if you have two different speeds of memory in your computer, the fastest memory will underclock to your slower memory stick's speed.

[adrian]

Anywhere else?

Somehow, my debit/credit card is declined at all online stores http://www.applepics.com/5/userfiles/416c1fca67f5b.gif, so I have to use cash to get memory.

I'll try that Alliance computer place (if I can catch a bus other than Route A), and Personal Touch Computers.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Alliance Computers has their web site (http://www.alliancehawaii.com) running now. It's just a single-page ad listing their parts and prices, but it does the job.

[adrian]

Alliance Computers has their web site (http://www.alliancehawaii.com) running now. It's just a single-page ad listing their parts and prices, but it does the job.
Just like Personal Touch Computer's (http://www.personaltouchcomputers.com/) website before. They also had the ad up, but recently, they had links.

[808_m3]

Just like Personal Touch Computer's (http://www.personaltouchcomputers.com/) website before. They also had the ad up, but recently, they had links.

The prices on both sites are a bit on the high side.

[adrian]

The prices on both sites are a bit on the high side.
I never checked, but it has to be better than compUSA (I've been getting some bad experiences on my own from them, and a small Mom/Pop store might be better than big business.)

[Glen Miyashiro]

The prices on both sites are a bit on the high side.
What, compared to the Bay Area? I'm sure they are. You've got plenty of competition over there for the consumer tech dollar. Hawai'i is another story...

[808_m3]

What, compared to the Bay Area? I'm sure they are. You've got plenty of competition over there for the consumer tech dollar. Hawai'i is another story...

Actually, some of the local mom and pop shops here in the bay area do charge a lot for their hardware as well. Prior to newegg, I used to buy from them. I knew it was more, but the benefit was getting it right then and there.

[boy143878]

Try www.digitalpchawaii.com (http://www.digitalpchawaii.com)

They are purely an internet web shop located in Hawaii, with no actual brick and mortar store. They have lower or equal pricing when compared to other online vedors when adding the shipping costs, but they do not have that many products listed right now but you can email them if you need any product not listed.

I just bought a Raidmax Scorpio case for $108. CompUSA charges $119.

[808boomz]

Really cool online shop mightymonk.com located on oahu. fair prices free shipping :eek: .

[pinakboy]

Last nite my mobo or psu died and can't turn back on after da system locked up. :mad:

So it's been a while to Alliance Computers in Dillingham and Personal Touch near Compusa fo pc parts.

I checked Alliance website but look lame and Personal Touch site not working.
Alliance from what I rememba had mail order prices on all deir stuff and friendly service.

U guys rememba da rude service from Byteware in Kalihi??!! :rolleyes: lol

i rememba i get one item in my hand to pay at da cash register checkout and da salesguys jus ignore me!! lol :eek:

[808boomz]

yeah i remember how those guys would make anykine if you look poor or too local. :mad: i would bring my friends that needed parts to there store. if the owner only knew how ron and his other dense buddies would make anykine too certain real customers :eek:

[craigwatanabe]

Last nite my mobo or psu died and can't turn back on after da system locked up. :mad:

:

Does it power up at all? Any beeps. If you're getting a sequence of beeps (preferrably even number of and not odd beeps) then try reseating your memory modules then reboot.

If absolutely nothing like even your CPU fan not running, then it's probably the power supply (PSU). I'm thinking its the PSU as they tend to go out sooner than later especially with this hot weather we've been having lately.

[pinakboy]

Does it power up at all? Any beeps. If you're getting a sequence of beeps (preferrably even number of and not odd beeps) then try reseating your memory modules then reboot.

If absolutely nothing like even your CPU fan not running, then it's probably the power supply (PSU). I'm thinking its the PSU as they tend to go out sooner than later especially with this hot weather we've been having lately.

da mobo was a oem micron and had been transplanted in a clone atx case due to previous probs with its soft switch.

found out with a psu tester bought from CompUSA dat it wasn't da psu at all. it was da mobo... so afta pleading wit my wife i bought a new mobo from Alliance. i bought a good quality shuttle for $99 and 1 gb or DDR ram for $139, a few tiny case fans and i was good to go. :D

pc running gud now. burn in for a week now. no errors with winxp pro sp2.

but i do need a bigger newer case with more vents etc. i was lookin at those water cooling systems... dang now das trippy!! :rolleyes:

[adrian]

Okay, I read through some of the links in this thread, and now I'm trying to look for a local store that sales Small Form Factor (SFF) cases.

I'm doing a grad project for school this quarter and I'm thinking of doing a watercooled SFF computer. The reason why I'm doing a SFF computer, is because I take the bus to school, and I've seen my brother take his SFF computer to the airport in a backpack (where airport security questioned him about the contents, so he busted out his computer, LCD monitor, keyboard and mouse and booted the computer at the security gate) and I want to do the same thing (minus the security check). I added the watercooled technology because this would need to be something special to the computer, and not a boring 2 hour build.

[Pomai]

What amazes me is how gamers are turning CPU's into a desktop version of a pimped-out import car.

Neon Lights, processor heat sink fans that look like turbo chargers and heat sink fins that look like they belong in the avionics compartment of a B-2 bomber.

What next? Hydraulic Keyboards that you can make dance on your desk with the touch of the mouse!
:D

[adrian]

What amazes me is how gamers are turning CPU's into a desktop version of a pimped-out import car.

Neon Lights, processor heat sink fans that look like turbo chargers and heat sink fins that look like they belong in the avionics compartment of a B-2 bomber.

What next? Hydraulic Keyboards that you can make dance on your desk with the touch of the mouse!
:D
Don't tease my baby. I modded it with a window, added a few lighted fans, and I'm this close to painting it.

Actually, its like every hobby: you make your computer your own creation. I'm just waiting for someone to chrome his case (or keyboard/mouse or even monitor.)

[craigwatanabe]

Talk about modding, I have this 14" electric radiator cooling fan I bought from Checker Auto Parts to help cool my BMW (never needed it). I'm thinking of mounting it in one of my many computers that I've built and running slow on +5vdc from the PSU. With that low voltage the fan should run slower but because of the large blades, it should cool pretty quickly and quietly.

Imagine the looks on the faces of people who see that monster cooling fan :eek:

One thing I could never understand is why would you want to show off your computer's innards. I'd rather look at a sleek case instead.

[adrian]

One thing I could never understand is why would you want to show off your computer's innards. I'd rather look at a sleek case instead.
Its like a car's engine. People pop their hoods to show their work, and since its a pain to open the side of the case to people who see your computer, we add a window. Plus, it'll let us show our wiring skills, what we have, and how clean we keep our computer.

But then again, if you don't do it right, then the plastic will break while on transport.

[craigwatanabe]

And if you don't do it right you're just letting everybody see your messy wiring.

If you want to let everybody see your work just breadboard the entire computer.

There was a time when showing off your latest circuit board was kinda geeky. I guess times have changed and everybody's trying to show off their attributes. :D

Muscleman: Check out these abs...pure tone man!

Gamer: Das nothing...check out my ATI Radeon graphics card! Smooth man!

Hot Chick: Hmmm decisions decisions.

[Pomai]

One thing I could never understand is why would you want to show off your computer's innards. I'd rather look at a sleek case instead.

Have you ever seen the innards of an off-the-shelf OEM APPLE G-5? An electronic work of art!

We remove the hood off the one in our office every now and then just to show it off to the PC guys in the other dept.. :p

Speaking of customizing, seen one once at theapplecollection.com. Oscar De La Hoya (the boxer) had his Apple G4 POWERBOOK gutted and fitted with a solid wood carved case duplicated exactly like the OEM shell. Not sure what type of wood, but looked like Koa! Kinda' neat how the keyboard and screen looked framed with real wood instead of metal or plastic.

Definately one of the most original custom cases I've seen yet.

[adrian]

I just checked out Alliance computers on Dillingham, and they're a geek's paradise. The salesperson there was very knowledgable and made sure that the components I choose were compatible and performed at the utmost fastest speed possible. I only checked their cases (which they have my case of choice), watercooling kits, and XP pro 64 bit OS, but looks like I'll be shopping locally for this project. Personal Touch Computers finally has compeition.