Should the pastor of the Presbyterian parish in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, buy a mail-order PC clone for himself or his church? The prices advertised in computer magazines can look pretty inviting, but is the church that tries to save a few dollars at the outset setting itself up for trouble down the line when it comes time to repair, or just expand, their computer?
I lived in small towns during my years as a pastor, and soon learned to respect the advice of the people who said that the friendship of a local merchant was more important than the few dollars that might be saved by going out of town for a major purchase. When an item needs service, small town dealers typically give first priority to their regular customers.
The locals' advice is still good when it comes to items like furnaces, central air conditioners, and major appliances. Since parts for various brands of these machines are not interchangeable, getting service can be a hassle if the dealer is far away.
Are computers any different? In several big ways, yes. In a few small ways, no.
One way they are not different is that people sell and service them. So you have to take into account the feelings of those you will go to for help with your computer. If you buy your machine from a mail order house and then expect the local dealer to invest hours in helping you learn to run it, you'll no doubt be disappointed--if not rudely told to get lost.
The big ways in which computers are different include the number of brands, interchangeability of parts, repair methods, and accessibility of knowledgeable help.
There are literally more brands of computer clones on the market than you can shake a stick at, and by the time you have finished trying to shake the stick, several more brands will have arrived. Many of these are put together from generic parts in small back room shops.
This contributes to the wide interchangeability of parts, and makes computer repair easier. The typical method of repair is to yank out a board full of ICs and replace it with a brand-new board (typically for under $100). And if your computer is a true clone, it won't matter what the brand name of the replacement board is it should function perfectly in your computer. This type of repair can be done in any computer repair shop that works on clones.
The last big factor is that even small churches probably have a member or two who work with IBM PC-style computers on the job. If one of these members is truly computer literate (in other words, isn't limited to knowing how to run one or two programs, but knows something about how computers work), chances are that all the help you'll need to get the computer up and running is available on a volunteer basis.
I hesitated for a long time before even addressing the question of whether the smalltown pastor should consider a clone, I think my answer would still be no if there is any competitiveness at all in the computer market in town. There are many advantages to having a local dealer you can look in the eye if your machine develops problems, or if you just need help getting everything hooked up right. But if there are only one or two dealers around, and they are neither helpful nor competitive, you owe it to yourself to become as knowledgeable about computers as possible, and to give consideration to a clone--either from a mail-order house or from a shop in a nearby large city.
