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Re: Consumers' privacy concerns not backed by their actions

Cross-posted to 3 groups.

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In article <fng1rmF697cU1@mid.individual.net>
Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> wrote:
>
> Jimmy Wilkinson Knife wrote:
> > Mike Easter wrote:
> >> Roger Blake wrote:
> >>> Cost is ridiculous when compared to similar-spec commodity hardware,
> >>> but as I said what you're paying for is the ease of use for people who
> >>> really have no knowledge of computers at all. I find it frustrating
> >>> to deal with since it is so locked down. However my elderly neighbor,
> >>> who is a WWII veteran to whom a computer seems like something out of
> >>> Buck Rogers, loves the thing.
> >>
> >> Another feature of the WOW which is an all-in-one design 22" touchscreen
> >> (2G ram, 32 G SSD, wireless kb/mouse) is their 'built-in' support
> >> situation.Ā  Free lifetime basic support and VIP support at $10/mo, which
> >> basic support is toll free phone, email, and claims to be US based (that
> >> may be the VIP v.)Ā  as opposed to a language barrier phone center
> >> somewhere in the world.
> >>
> >> The VIP support includes extras and remote access support.
> >
> > I dunno about the US, but in the UK if I get an Indian I just say "I'd
> > like to speak to an English person please" and they put me through to one.
> >
>
> The business of being able to provide sufficient quality telephone
> support is typically a very costly and difficult undertaking.  The
> typical scenario is that it is farmed out to call centers somewhere the
> support hourly wage is more affordable, such as India or the Philippines.
>
> This target marketed audience of seniors, particularly those who would
> choose to buy such a WOW computer, would seem to me to be a particularly
> difficult one. "I don't know anything about computers and my faculties
> are somewhat impaired as I can't see very well (or hear very well, or
> remember very well, or handle a mouse very well)."
>
> It is interesting that the WOW people decided to build their interface
> on the Tiny Core Linux base and other open source ware.  It seems that
> the hardware is very minimal except for what is spent on that 22"
> touchscreen, so the dollar distribution would be hardware-wise
> principally that monitor touchscreen and then the tech support.
>
> I'm sure they would 'immediately' upgrade the users who needed more
> support to the $10/mo VIP (1st 30 d. free VIP), but that is still pretty
> cheap price.  Being able to give remote support helps a lot, but that
> requires functional connectivity and hardware performance.  If one of
> those weren't operating properly, I think the customer would need some
> kind of outside support.
>
> The reviews on Amazon were more negative than positive.  There were
> worthwhile comments there from IT people who made suggestions about
> alternate ways to provide much better hardware, but I didn't find those
> suggestions satisfactory about how to achieve a 'foolproof' interface.
> There's the nut in this venture.
>
>
> --
> Mike Easter

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Re: Consumers' privacy concerns not backed by their actions Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com> - 2018-06-02 22:13 +0200
  Re: Consumers' privacy concerns not backed by their actions "Jimmy Wilkinson Knife" <nowhere@somewear.co.uk> - 2018-06-02 21:21 +0100

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