Best Buy Computers Too Slow for Visual Studio 2010

NLL has issued a consumer safety warning for all Best Buy computers sold online and in store, specifically all Compaq and Lenovo models due to critical failures resulting from defective hardware or software. This problem is prevalent in the Compaq CQ5205Y and Lenovo K300 models.

Compaq Problems

After over six happy years my Dell started failing in late 2010 and I finally bought a new Compaq CQ5205Y from Best Buy. I bought the most basic computer available because I knew that I would not need anything special due to the fact that I never play 3d games, so obviously something with 2GB of ram and a 2.6 gig processor should do just fine for programs like Visual Studio 2008 and even it new replacement Visual Studio 2010 which only requires 1 gig of ram with 1.6 gigs of speed. Despite this I can no longer run Visual Studio 2010 on my Compaq computer at the speed necessary to work productively if at all. Just to run it I have to shut down other programs like Microsoft Word, Outlook 2003, and Firefox because if I don't none of those programs will run smoothly and one or more programs will stop responding to the point where I will have to shut down their processes in Windows Task Manager. Even after that tasks that should only require a few minutes of coding changes require HOURS of time because I have to wait for Visual Studio to respond whenever I want to open a web form for editing, access a database in Server Explorer, or fire up an admin page in localhost to do some editing. Those hours are spent working on this final project on my better computer while checking my Compaq periodically to see if it has completed the tasks given to it. As a result I had to all but suspend user support on prototypes because in all cases that may require administrative content management (ex: abuse complaints) I cannot interact with the forms used to make changes efficiently, so I have to do the next best thing and not regulate them at all.

Not just a problem with Visual Studio 2010 the Compaq CQ5205Y can only use Google Chrome for browsing the internet because Internet Explorer and Firefox run too slow. In the case of Firefox it consumes up to 90% of system resources just to browse the web most of the time. I thought it might have viruses on it, but I've scanned it with just about every antivirus software program and it always comes up clean. I can barely type in Microsoft Word due to sluggishness and I have a horrible time checking emails with Outlook 2003 because that computer runs it slower than my old Dell did. I also have trouble with other basic web development programs like PHPEdit, ConText, and Artisteer.

Lenovo K300

After a few months of horrible performance using the Compaq I had been working a new job for a couple weeks and decided to celebrate my first paycheck by buying a Lenovo K300 from the same Best Buy. This machine is far better thanks to its 4 gigs of ram and a 3 gig Pentium Dual-Core, but still comes up short at times. Most notably while accessing the query wizard for SQLDataSource controls in Visual Studio causing it not to respond for several minutes regularly. I dedicated this computer solely to web development use for obvious reasons and even did a complete factory restore recently because it only had Visual Studio, files for 3 sites, and Office installed, but it still has this problem.

Conclusion

Don't buy computers from Best Buy. You should also avoid Compaq and Lenovo machines just in case. This should be a standard rule of thumb all people who just need practical PCs for basic home or office use. As of now I have a month long backlog on complaints related to most prototypes simply because the files are installed on the Compaq computer, the Compaq can't run the programs needed to interact with them productively, and due to the fact that those are prototypes moving them to the good computer would not make sense because every minute spent using the good computer for those sites would hinder progress on the final product which is already behind schedule.

I wouldn't talk about the prototypes since this is primarily a problem with Best Buy and Compaq, but I need to give people waiting an understandable explanation that doesn't make me look lazy because I don't want them to think that I am lazy. I am actually very hard working, but working hard elsewhere because I know how to prioritize.

Now some people might ask why I don't just take the prototypes down since most of them were built primarily to test various things related to this project (code, marketing tactics, etc.). Although prototypes those sites were built with the idea of prototyping the design by building useful independent services and those services are still useful for users as well as myself, my business partner, and this site because we are always gathering new data for future analysis. The fact simple fact is that the prototypes are important to shut down, but not important enough to regulate at this time and that is the bottom line.

If you don't like it I understand because I don't like it either. If you have a problem with it feel free to write a rant about it, but in most cases the cause of your probably is how someone you know has used one of the sites, so we would prefer that you make the rant about them.

If you are still are not satisfied we understand and encourage you to complain directly to the technical problem by calling Best Buy at (503) 777-1200. In the call request that a $1,000 check or gift card be sent at their expense using un-certified mail to P.O. 86448, Portland, Oregon, 97286. If I receive a check (preferable) I will use all of it to buy a better computer elsewhere and if I get gift card I will use all of it on the most expensive $1,000 or less computer at a different local Best Buy.