I got my new machine from TilDeath on Feb. 14th, Valentine's Day - exactly one week from the timed I pay-paled the $$ for it. Definitely no "UPS fiasco"with this one. It arrived in prefect shape by FedEx. Rich ('TilDeath) did an excellent job in packing the computer for shipping - I think the FedEXguys could have played volleyball with it and it would have been ok.
First impressions - one of the nicest, "cleanest" builds I have ever seen! All cables were sheathed and the majority of them were hidden and out of the way behind panels leaving easy access to the internal components if I needed to get to them.
I got it all unpacked and fired it up. Rich had already installed AHII with the hi-res pack, so of course I had to start that up an have a look, even though I hadn't hookedup my joystick yet. I was very impressed with what I saw and the way the machine just hummed along. In a hurry to get on-line and try it out for real, I made my first mistake. I used a USB memory stick with my home network settings on it and tought I'd ust plug it in like I had with my previous computers and be on-line and getting shot down in a matter of minutes. However, because my other computers were all XP machines and this new one was Vista, the info on the memory stick screwed up some of my router settings and I wasn't able to get on-line. Bummer!
Well, during this time, Rich was calling me to see how things were going (he called before I got the computer unwrapped as soon as he got the e-mail saying it had been delivered...) so I explained to him what I had done. He immediately recognized that the USB thing was probably a mistake and gave me several ideas on how to try and correct it. He ended up spending several hours on the phone with me talking me thru a re-install of the OS, drivers, etc, and a re-set of the D-link router - all without a complaint. THings are now working great and I love my new computer!
I would defintely recommend that anyone thinking of a new computer contact Rich ('TilDeath) here on the boards. He takes the time to listen to your needs and wants, then makes recommendations based on what you tell him and what your budget is. His customer service is topnotch, and you'll get a system that will defintely meet and probably exceed your expectations! I gladly add myself to the list of satisfied customers here on the boards!
Ok, back to the game. . . .