Eugene's observations

I have just finished work on a (Mesh) PC that developed a fault. The owner tried to resolve the issue himself but realised that the recovery CDs he was given with the PC when new, were not any use for reinstalling the operating system (Windows Media Centre Edition). He then bought himself a complete set of Microsoft produced genuine CDs (at a cost of almost £100) but found that he still did not have the necessary drivers to interface between the hardware and Windows.

I was able to get him going again, but the cost of new software, hardware and labour was almost £200. If only the PC was a custom build, the original operating and driver CDs would have been included in the price. The moral is that it is always cheaper in the long term (and in this case in the short term also) to take advise before making any purchase - hardware, software or a service such as broadband provision.