Please read everybody. I'd like everyones input.

[TheOtis]

So many of you have heard of the company VoodooPC's. Their are other companies like them as well, boutique computer companies.

These computres are geared towards the high end computer market. They are obviously expensive computers.

My question is this: If a computer is hand built. Meaning the case is hand made and of high quality, as is the paint job. The computer components are also of high quality, and it also had a custom watercooling solution.
If you had the money, would they interest you?

 

[kfinchie]

ummm seems really cool.. but i'd rather do it myself ^^

 

[TheOtis]

Let me explain why I'm asking this.

I was talking to a friend of mine, who is working on her major in international business. We were taling about my interest in computesr and how I've always wanted to start my own computer company. The only reason I haven't was because I didn't want it to be just like everyones elses.

I wanted to find something different I could do with computers then most other companies. And I'm not sure what the different thing could be. I'd like to make it 100% legit. I'd like to have a nice boutique like store and warehouse(sp?) in the Portland area. At the warehouse I think it'd be cool to have a shop set up there too, so I could build the casses and put together the rigs there.


Obviously this would take more then just myself eventually. So i'd have to find talented individuals for building the cases and people I can trust enough to put together the rigs. That'd be the hard part.

 

[Trotter]

For cases, consider unique (for your business) modded cases of main-stream cases. There are a lot of nice cases out there, and adding a unique touch or three would let you set them apart.

Actually, custom ordered rigs are a nice setup. You have to consider that there are a lot of small businesses like this. Pick up a copy of MaximumPC or PC Shopper and flip through it looking at the small ads. You'll see several of them in there. your hard part will be making yourself stand out from this crowd. by looking at their ads you will see that many of them either have no marketing budget, no creativity, or both.

Another point will be your company's name, and the names of the rigs. Many people do buy the book based on its cover, both visually and by the sound of the name.

 

[atomic tofu]

isn't voodoo bought by hp now?

handbuilt usually means they just put it together from parts stamped out in the same asian countries other pc makers parts come from (mostly)

if i had the money...and that's a gigantic IF...i'd still build my own, it's just so much fun for me. Even rich people I know I don't want to build for them...just me and I always suggest they go with any of the premade brands.

IF I had the money, I'd just buy some more tools...to allow me to really DIY...cut my own case from aluminum sheets or even wood...or fab a poly carbon case....

ah money...it has it's purposes sometimes

 

[FireFox]

Aye...building your own computer is like Christmas...only this Christmas happens at least 5 times/year.

 

[TheOtis]

For cases, consider unique (for your business) modded cases of main-stream cases. There are a lot of nice cases out there, and adding a unique touch or three would let you set them apart.

Actually, custom ordered rigs are a nice setup. You have to consider that there are a lot of small businesses like this. Pick up a copy of MaximumPC or PC Shopper and flip through it looking at the small ads. You'll see several of them in there. your hard part will be making yourself stand out from this crowd. by looking at their ads you will see that many of them either have no marketing budget, no creativity, or both.

Another point will be your company's name, and the names of the rigs. Many people do buy the book based on its cover, both visually and by the sound of the name.

I like that case idea Trotter, thanks. I thought building cases would be a nice way to go. I have a copy of CAD somewhere around here and I should probably look into getting a copy of Sketch Up.


Yea, knowing ther are alot of small business like this is the only thing really concerning me. I know a few graphics designers around here that I'm sure I could get to help me out abit.

And thanks for the heads up on the names of the company and rigs. That's going to be another hard part. Thinking of a good name for the company and for the rigs that don't sound generic, stupid, or used, is going to be the hard part.

Alienware has their theme, ABS has theirs, and so does Voodoo. They were very craetive in that sense. Coming up with a company image is also going to be difficult.

Once I get this business plan done and some other ideas I'll come here and ask some of you what you think about it and hopefully get some input on it.

 

[TheOtis]

isn't voodoo bought by hp now?

handbuilt usually means they just put it together from parts stamped out in the same asian countries other pc makers parts come from (mostly)

if i had the money...and that's a gigantic IF...i'd still build my own, it's just so much fun for me. Even rich people I know I don't want to build for them...just me and I always suggest they go with any of the premade brands.

IF I had the money, I'd just buy some more tools...to allow me to really DIY...cut my own case from aluminum sheets or even wood...or fab a poly carbon case....

ah money...it has it's purposes sometimes

Haha yea. Your the demographic I wouldn't be aiming this at. Alot of techies and computer enthusiats build thier own computers, like 99% of the people on this forum. But their are still those people out there that want the hardware and nice rigs, but don't want to be in the time and research.


I think a key selling point for this is going to be the custom cases. I think if anything that's what would sell to the DIY'ers out there.

 

[Jorsoft]

Cooler Master seems to be friendly to doing custom cases for companies. Microcenter uses Cooler Master cases with their logos on them and they look really nice. Plus they're usually a little cheaper than the "real" stuff

Maybe that'd be a starting point.

 

[TheEnd187]

Haha yea. Your the demographic I wouldn't be aiming this at. Alot of techies and computer enthusiats build thier own computers, like 99% of the people on this forum. But their are still those people out there that want the hardware and nice rigs, but don't want to be in the time and research.


I think a key selling point for this is going to be the custom cases. I think if anything that's what would sell to the DIY'ers out there.

Dont forget Exclusives, soe Mainstream companies have Certain technologies available to them exclusively or semi-exclusively, Like Quad SLI was first only allowed to be sold by big companies like Dell,Alienware,Voodoo,ABS,etc... Which Brings me to the point why i bouht my comp a while back like a year ago, pretty dumb just for braggin rights but by the time i bough they werent using the crappy 7900GX2's they were using 7950GX2's, and Alienware was the only company that had all four peltier cooled. Also same with the Qx6850 only 15 i think were made and all those smaples were sent out to mainstream manfacturers, so if a customer wanted them then u had no choice, just thought id bring this up, offer something that customers can get nowhere else!!!

Excuse my spelling