Problems With Computer Clones
Computer clones are manufactured machines that are IBM compatible and operate similarly to name brand computers. Several IBM compatible computers designed and manufactured by name brand corporations are quality systems with good warranties and good customer support. Computer clones that are built with a mixture of low grade or incompatible parts often have limited warranties, below average customer support and various system problems.
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Mixed Parts
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Problems concerning computer clones sometimes originate from mixed parts. Computers that are assembled with a combination of old, new or refurbished parts, such as the main board (motherboard), hard drive or input/output (I/O) cards can cause the computer to run slower. Mixed parts can also drain the power supply and cause an electrical shortage on the main board and in the computer processor.
Warranty Issues
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Most computer manufacturers of IBM compatible computers, such as Dell, Hewlett Packard and Gateway systems, provide high-level warranty programs with a technical support range of one to three years. Off-brand computer clone manufacturers, those building computers with different matching parts, do not provide the same warranty program. In fact a warranty may be as short as 90 days, according to Slo-Business.com., leading to a lack of customer help after that time.
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Technical Support
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Technical support frequently poses a big issue with computer clones. Unfortunately, the individual or business that manufactured the machine may not have a 24/7 help desk for customer support for emergencies and may be open only during business hours. Another problem is trying to get new parts for a cloned computer system when the warranty or part is out of circulation or expired.
Outdated Firmware
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Firmware (read-only computer programming instructions) allows computer devices to communicate with each other as the computer is going through device check phases during start-up or system "boot" operations. In computer clones, firmware can become outdated without a warning, making the computer vulnerable to hardware crashes when you start it up. Unlike name-brand systems that have integrated firmware to handle system updates, you must update computer clone systems firmware manually.
Software Incompatibility
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Computer clones can have problems with certain operating systems and processors that cause the computer system to lock up. Lock-up occurs when the Central Processing Unit (CPU), or brain, of the computer is missing the correct version of system software to read the architecture of the clone computer. The only way to solve this problem is to track down the right system software that addresses the main architecture of the system board and install it, which may prove difficult for the everyday computer user.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Blake Patterson
