<p>Ok a hobby of mine is building computers. Ive only built one, but ive worked on it a lot, kinda like people work on cars. I built it from scratch (bought all the stuff from Newegg.com, it rocks) </p>
<p>Im wondering if it’s worth mentioning on the app. i have more than enough ecs, but i like doing this and im wondering if they want to know? also if they do want to know about it, how big of a boost will it provide. is it equal to other ecs or is it just kind of an interesting quality about me? Im sure a lot of people do it, so im not sure if it is really that special.</p>
<p>Dude, that is amazing. Yes, list it. I don’t know what the h.ell y’all are talking about, but I bet you can’t build a computer and neither can anyone reading your application. That is soo impressive. Stop thinking of the rare 1 or 2 other cases that you have heard that happening in your entire life. It’s more difficult that attending NHS :)</p>
<p>Actually, UltimateFrisbee, I know multiple people who have built their own computers, and I know one person who has a custom computer company. It’s impressive, perhaps even amazing, yes, but it’s not as rare as you’re making it out to be.</p>
<p>I know a couple people who have done it. If it’s something that you think is significant to you, then write it down. They want to know how you spend your time outside of school; if this is it, write it.</p>
<p>Lol i thought of making a company like that (well a shop) but i knew i couldnt compete with dell, hp etc. (lol my even my own dad thinks that my building my own pc was a waste of money) still, it is fun. i could probobly do one once in a while just for the fun of it.</p>
<p>the only real problom is that dell can sell a pc for 300$ sure the pc will be really lame, but to the average consumer, it is good enough. besides who in their right mind would trust a high school student who cant offer a gaurentee to build their computer? hmm, maybe i could set up a computer instuction class. that might not be a bad idea.</p>
<p>I think the advantage would be getting one customized for what the buyer wants. He can’t get a computer made just for him by Dell or Gateway, though Dell certainly makes the effort, so if he can see through referrals and everything that your computers fulfill their promise, then he has a reason to order one. </p>
<p>The problem is that the average consumer doesn’t really care about getting a customized computer and may not be able to afford one, anyway. Since they take a while to make, you wouldn’t be able to produce enough to make a significant business out of it, it seems. In the beginning, there is also no way for a consumer to know whether your computers are actually decent, besides the one you’ve made already. Most consumers wouldn’t take such a risk based on only one working example.</p>
<p>hmm, maybe i can make a repair shop or something. still i absolutly loathe tech support sites. i hate trying to fix comp probs. still i like making pc’s. i can do one in a few hours (a sunday would be perfect)</p>
<p>still no one would want to buy a pc from me.
people dont want expensive super powerful game pc’s they just want computers that can handle word proccessing, pictures etc.
i cant give a gaurentee or warentee
people trust dell more then they’d trust a 16 yr old
at the cheaper prices, dells pcs are cheaper, its only when you approach the 2000$ or more pcs that savings begin to show up.</p>
<p>still maybe i can offer some sort of class. it would be cool. or for the ultimate lame i can go to my local computer store (the one that charges 100’s of dollars for the easiest tasks) what do you think i should do? this is a hobby of mine and i want to develop it.</p>
<p>i’ve never actually buit a computer, but it’s not hard at all…one of my best friends is building one, and if you’ve ever installed a card (firewire, USB, Ethernet, etc) and a hard drive, it’s not hard at all. IMO, the hardest part would be putting the chip in and getting the right type of motherboard…</p>
<p>but then again, only about 5 people in my school of about 700 can build one, so i’m not sure how rare it is to come across people who do…</p>
<p>One day, a good friend of mine decided that he wanted to build his own computer. He read up on the procedure, asked questions on forums and through AIM, read consumer reports, and did some other research. Of course, 2 weeks later, he spent about $800 on computer parts and we put it together (actually, I just did whatever he said). Then, once that one worked well enough, he built my friend’s computer. Then, we built the one that I am using right now. It cost half of what my family has spent in previous years. I think we did it when we were 15 or 16.</p>
<p>It’s interesting and rewarding, and I don’t see any reason not to list it as a hobby.</p>
<p>Didn’t Michael Dell start out building computers as a college kid or something? I’d look this up if I didn’t have a final tomorrow morning.</p>
<p>So, other people build computers. So what? There are a bazillion kids who play violin and no-one cites that as a reason for not mentioning violin on an application.</p>
<p>Quote: “the only real problom is that dell can sell a pc for 300$”</p>
<p>It’s called over-seas labor. Why pay John Doe 40K a year when you can have 10 or 20 guys in Asia do it for less than one of John Doe’s salaries?</p>
<p>yes, Michael Dell built his own computers at first…something with Macs actually; he eventually dropped out of UT and became an extremely successful business man (Forbes 500); interesting that Bill Gates also dropped out of college (Forbes 500)</p>
<p>Don’t even get me started on Peter Jennings…the HS dropout.</p>