Episode I : Aspiration For Better Service
You would think that buying a notebook would be easy.
Why should it be otherwise? You do your research, determine what you need beforehand and choose a notebook that meets your requirements. Then, you eyeball it to examine its build quality, make a decision, pay and that’s it! Right?
Unfortunately, I apparently got it all wrong. My experience in purchasing my first notebook wasn’t pretty or easy at all. Instead, it turned out to be quite an insulting experience.
Place
: |
Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. |
Date
: |
6th November, 2004 |
Time
: |
Approximately 5 p.m. |
Vendor
: |
Acer |
Representing
Distributor : |
Asia Computer Gallery Sdn. Bhd. |
I have been eyeing the Acer Aspire 1681WLMi for a couple of months now. Its specifications were impressive; I did my homework and determined that it was the best choice for the budget I had.
On November 5th, 2004, ICTS launched their first Computer Fair at PWTC, Kuala Lumpur. I saw it as the perfect opportunity to purchase a notebook : the Acer Aspire 1681WLMi, in particular. So, there I was with Leian, scouting the booths at Computer Fair to check out the available notebooks.
After a bit of prowling, I determined that the only notebooks that fit my performance and feature criteria were the Acer Aspire 1681WLMi, the BenQ Joybook 7000, and the ASUS W1000N. The Acer Aspire was the cheapest notebook as well as the only notebook to actually fit my budget. The BenQ Joybook was pretty impressive too, with its magnesium alloy body. The ASUS, while very nice, was unfortunately way out of my budget.
The Acer booth at Computer Fair, 2004
So, I approached the Acer booth and enquired about the Aspire, focusing on upgrades and discounts. I didn’t ask more, as it was getting late and a hungry man can’t think straight! I left the quizzing to the next day, which was when I intended to make my purchase - the same time Adrian made his.
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