Geoff was kind enough to invite me to respond to his review. I should probably start a new thread with this, but copied below is my initial response and I've posted it here for your amusement. There's lots of good suggestions and design ideas here and I'm grateful for the discussion. My comments below are lengthy but just scratch the surface of what can be said so I'll try to respond to any questions you guys have as time allows.
Thanks! Scott @ highspeedpc.com
******
"Let me begin by stating that we stand by our product 100% and if any customer has issue with it, whether purchased directly though us or through a reseller, we won't stop until the problem is solved and the customer is happy. If there is anyone reading this that has purchased a Tech Station with a missing part or other problem (including assembly problems!) email support[at]highspeedpc.com right away.
Reading this review was disheartening to say the least, none of the previous reviews had problems like this. Graeme at www.kustompcs.co.uk is a great guy and I apologize to him for any inconvenience brought about from this.
To address the issue of missing parts and build quality. Our quality assurance has been stepped up and our current inventory is error free. The Tech Stations are built and packed by hand so occasionally human error comes in to the equation, each unit is essentially custom built. But our customer service is outstanding (read our ResellerRatings.com entries!) and we deal with problems and questions promptly. There's no doubt that the units reviewed here had a problem but this is the exception and not the rule.
A quick comment on pricing. The retail cost in the UK is hampered mainly by shipping expenses, these are heavy buggers. The US market is different since freight is not a problem. In general, the materials used in the Tech Stations are NOT cheap (neither is labor), and the prices of petroleum based materials (99% of the parts used) continue to rise. Despite this, and despite the fact that we have made many improvements and added new features (based on user/reviewer feedback), we have not increased our prices since the Tech Station's beginning almost two years ago. We do offer lower cost options and are considering switching materials to lighter, cheaper, less indestructive parts such as fiberboard. Remember also the Tech Station is made to last a lifetime and not just one system build. And Geoff, we buy all the parts in bulk and not at a hardware store.
I can't defend the design and functionality because it is what it is... either you get it or you don't. Don't fault the product for poor end user assembly, the instructions provide clear direction on how to get a proper fit. We do offer pre-assembled versions and unlimited support for those who need the help.
I understand that the Tech Station is not for everyone, it is a niche product and has it's place. Just like bit-tech readers we build and mod our PC's and the Tech Station was created to make this process a little more safe, secure and convenient. It's a work-in-progress and we rely on feedback to help make it better. Over the last year or so we've gotten lots of emails with suggestions for improvements and alternate designs. All the ideas that come in are saved and carefully considered and many of them have been put into action, such as taller vertical supports for easier access and extra drive rails (see our Accessories section).
We feel the current version 2.0 is very functional, but we're just getting started! Stay tuned for more changes and accessories in the future which include: a slide out mobo tray, revised non-slip top surface, removable top bench, mATX support, dust cover, Plexiglas side panels, separate RAID storage and a completely new line of benches. Remember we're a small but growing company doing mass production/wholesale/retail sales and even a minor change takes time. Of course we can make a variety of custom designs to meet specific design requirements.
The Tech Station project (patent pending) is taken very seriously and we have a lot invested in it. My personal goal is to give customers the best product and best support possible. Before you jump to conclusions inform yourself with facts and opinions from more than just one source. Constructive feedback is always welcomed.
You know if you have too many graphics Cards, those of us with too few would graciously accept your refuse. lol. For some reason, I am new to bit-tech. I have trolled anand, Make, Gruntville, and the like, and am relly liking the way things are done here. Props to bit-tech and Geoff Richards, for saying it like it is. Only reviews like this will the products we want ever be made the way we want em.
In all due respect though, you gave your "PC case replacement" product to a site dedicated to "PC case replacement" ;) so this is probably the toughest review you'll ever have to sit through since we're both modders and enthusiasts. As modders we're used to whacking stuff together like you've probably seen from the pictures in this thread.
Good luck with your future designs though ;) and I think we all appreciate your input and not going nuts about a "less than fantastic" review that a lot of other manufacturers might tend to do.
Not as ghetto as some-- i.e. mine but seriously an i-ghetto??? come on it has to be like socket 754 with an agp 4x card to be ghetto, that has an sli capable card in it.
Originally Posted by customholle Not as ghetto as some-- i.e. mine but seriously an i-ghetto??? come on it has to be like socket 754 with an agp 4x card to be ghetto, that has an sli capable card in it.
Ghetto-ness just denotes how hacked together and crap looking it is. Yours is very ghetto cause youve just whacked a puter on a few bits of wood and plonked a fan on it. The hardware is irrelevent, it's how you use it that's the ghettoness.
posh, thats not wood my friend, those are 2 miniblind boxes :D Also i just read what the HSPC guy said and im just curious if he saw our little part that said "pssst put the motherboard on top since we dont need easy access to peripherals like hard drvies, opticals or our psu. Those things should be on the bottom and the motherboard and stuff should be on top because thats what we tinker with and most other people too (i would think) Just my two cents.
Originally Posted by highspeedpc It's a work-in-progress...[/url]
You don't pay that sort of money for a work-in-progress product.
From what i can see it doesn't offer anything over just a bit of space on your desk (which is what i always seem to lack). It needs more features, like sliding mobo tray, and better build quality (less of this plastic please) before it's anything like a worthwhile product.
Originally Posted by customholle posh, thats not wood my friend, those are 2 miniblind boxes :D Also i just read what the HSPC guy said and im just curious if he saw our little part that said "pssst put the motherboard on top since we dont need easy access to peripherals like hard drvies, opticals or our psu. Those things should be on the bottom and the motherboard and stuff should be on top because thats what we tinker with and most other people too (i would think) Just my two cents.
Fatal flaw with motherboard ontop of liability tho.
Far more likely for accidental damage, or for something to fall onto open motherboard, finger in moving fan etc...
I also was mystified as to why HSPC placed the motherboard on the bottom shelf. It is the main reason I desided to do the DIY Test bench article--other than the price. As all of you seem to have opinions on the subject, please have a look at mine and offer your tips as well.
Though be sure to at least look at all the pictures so you have a good grasp of the design. The video shows a system being assembled in just minutes with water cooling if you have the bandwidth for the download.
grabbed this image for those to lazy to go look http://boxgods.com/global/images/articles/A188-50.jpg
holy crap...now THATS a test bench. HSPC...skip further R&D and just build that one. even has AS5 storage slots LOL
What do you mean with "Fatal flaw with motherboard ontop of liability tho." ??????
Maybe it is easier for damage but its meant for ease of testing and stuff right? Not protection of motherboard.
Originally Posted by customholle What do you mean with "Fatal flaw with motherboard ontop of liability tho." ??????
Maybe it is easier for damage but its meant for ease of testing and stuff right? Not protection of motherboard.
Perhaps build a sort of roll cage for the motherboard? Designed so it doesnt impeed access but keeps your components safe(r)?
Though the idea of a top has been presented before and I can see where it might be useful for those just running an open case, I think it defeats the ourpose of a TEST BENCH in that the primary goal is access...plain and simple.
Also, if you add a clear plex top or some other type of top, you end up with heat disipation issues. Its a test bench, I need to be able to assemble a complete system in 2 minutes, be able to swap any component in a minute...
Roll Cage--thats a funny image though I see your intent...roll cage...then it would REALLY look like a big yellow hummer LOL
I built a case like the Tech Station out of Al angle from Lowes, cost me maybe $20, but then again I had rivets and all the tapping tools and all from my dad... My design had the PSU and drives below the board, tho. :)
Originally Posted by Sherk I built a case like the Tech Station out of Al angle from Lowes, cost me maybe $20, but then again I had rivets and all the tapping tools and all from my dad... My design had the PSU and drives below the board, tho. :)
Comments 26 to 50 of 50
Replybest picture evar!
Geno from BoxGods has a guide to build one:
http://www.boxgods.com/dept/modding/index.php?Action=Article&ID=188
ARM
Thanks! Scott @ highspeedpc.com
******
"Let me begin by stating that we stand by our product 100% and if any customer has issue with it, whether purchased directly though us or through a reseller, we won't stop until the problem is solved and the customer is happy. If there is anyone reading this that has purchased a Tech Station with a missing part or other problem (including assembly problems!) email support[at]highspeedpc.com right away.
Reading this review was disheartening to say the least, none of the previous reviews had problems like this. Graeme at www.kustompcs.co.uk is a great guy and I apologize to him for any inconvenience brought about from this.
To address the issue of missing parts and build quality. Our quality assurance has been stepped up and our current inventory is error free. The Tech Stations are built and packed by hand so occasionally human error comes in to the equation, each unit is essentially custom built. But our customer service is outstanding (read our ResellerRatings.com entries!) and we deal with problems and questions promptly. There's no doubt that the units reviewed here had a problem but this is the exception and not the rule.
A quick comment on pricing. The retail cost in the UK is hampered mainly by shipping expenses, these are heavy buggers. The US market is different since freight is not a problem. In general, the materials used in the Tech Stations are NOT cheap (neither is labor), and the prices of petroleum based materials (99% of the parts used) continue to rise. Despite this, and despite the fact that we have made many improvements and added new features (based on user/reviewer feedback), we have not increased our prices since the Tech Station's beginning almost two years ago. We do offer lower cost options and are considering switching materials to lighter, cheaper, less indestructive parts such as fiberboard. Remember also the Tech Station is made to last a lifetime and not just one system build. And Geoff, we buy all the parts in bulk and not at a hardware store.
I can't defend the design and functionality because it is what it is... either you get it or you don't. Don't fault the product for poor end user assembly, the instructions provide clear direction on how to get a proper fit. We do offer pre-assembled versions and unlimited support for those who need the help.
I understand that the Tech Station is not for everyone, it is a niche product and has it's place. Just like bit-tech readers we build and mod our PC's and the Tech Station was created to make this process a little more safe, secure and convenient. It's a work-in-progress and we rely on feedback to help make it better. Over the last year or so we've gotten lots of emails with suggestions for improvements and alternate designs. All the ideas that come in are saved and carefully considered and many of them have been put into action, such as taller vertical supports for easier access and extra drive rails (see our Accessories section).
We feel the current version 2.0 is very functional, but we're just getting started! Stay tuned for more changes and accessories in the future which include: a slide out mobo tray, revised non-slip top surface, removable top bench, mATX support, dust cover, Plexiglas side panels, separate RAID storage and a completely new line of benches. Remember we're a small but growing company doing mass production/wholesale/retail sales and even a minor change takes time. Of course we can make a variety of custom designs to meet specific design requirements.
The Tech Station project (patent pending) is taken very seriously and we have a lot invested in it. My personal goal is to give customers the best product and best support possible. Before you jump to conclusions inform yourself with facts and opinions from more than just one source. Constructive feedback is always welcomed.
Thank you for the consideration,
Scott A Brown
Managing Director
HighSpeed PC, LLC est. 1999
http://highspeedpc.com
In all due respect though, you gave your "PC case replacement" product to a site dedicated to "PC case replacement" ;) so this is probably the toughest review you'll ever have to sit through since we're both modders and enthusiasts. As modders we're used to whacking stuff together like you've probably seen from the pictures in this thread.
Good luck with your future designs though ;) and I think we all appreciate your input and not going nuts about a "less than fantastic" review that a lot of other manufacturers might tend to do.
That is niiiice
:D
heres mine
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c105/customholle/HeapPCMountsOFF.jpg
Ghetto-ness just denotes how hacked together and crap looking it is. Yours is very ghetto cause youve just whacked a puter on a few bits of wood and plonked a fan on it. The hardware is irrelevent, it's how you use it that's the ghettoness.
You don't pay that sort of money for a work-in-progress product.
From what i can see it doesn't offer anything over just a bit of space on your desk (which is what i always seem to lack). It needs more features, like sliding mobo tray, and better build quality (less of this plastic please) before it's anything like a worthwhile product.
Fatal flaw with motherboard ontop of liability tho.
Far more likely for accidental damage, or for something to fall onto open motherboard, finger in moving fan etc...
http://boxgods.com/dept/modding/index.php?Action=Article&ID=188
Though be sure to at least look at all the pictures so you have a good grasp of the design. The video shows a system being assembled in just minutes with water cooling if you have the bandwidth for the download.
Geno
http://boxgods.com/global/images/articles/A188-50.jpg
holy crap...now THATS a test bench. HSPC...skip further R&D and just build that one. even has AS5 storage slots LOL
please don't leech images - bigz
Maybe it is easier for damage but its meant for ease of testing and stuff right? Not protection of motherboard.
Edited for ease of lazy bums, tell me this isnt image leeching bigz.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c105/customholle/A188-50.jpg
Also, if you add a clear plex top or some other type of top, you end up with heat disipation issues. Its a test bench, I need to be able to assemble a complete system in 2 minutes, be able to swap any component in a minute...
Roll Cage--thats a funny image though I see your intent...roll cage...then it would REALLY look like a big yellow hummer LOL
Geno
Seems like they even have CAD files with all dimentions... now I dont have an exsuse not to build it!
If you have thumbs you have no excuse as it really is simple to build :D
Geno
Just right now it's not good enough for people who do this as a hobby... maybe IT staff might like it more...
Like the addition of Patent Pending and everybody else looking into ways of building one - but that's just poor legal humour
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