Computer Shows Are a Good Place for a Byte
Santa finally left a computer under the Christmas tree--and you don’t know RAM from ROM? Chances are, your kids can help. If not, you can learn together. One of the most convenient--and cheapest--places to start is a computer show, says Jeff Levy, the host of “Jeff Levy on Computers,” which airs Sunday mornings on radio station KFI-AM (640).
“There are a lot of games and educational software,” says Levy, whose “byting” sense of humor is often broadcast live from a computer show in Los Angeles or Orange County. “The other things people go for are the parts and upgrades. If you need a new keyboard or mouse or better speakers, you cannot touch the prices at these shows.”
One of the largest computer shows in the Southland takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Fairplex in Pomona. There’s also a one-day show slated for Ventura’s Seaside Park on Sunday. Then there’s one Jan. 15 at the Sherman Square Entertainment Center in Reseda and Jan. 15-16 at Sequoia Conference Center in Buena Park.
Grant McBride and his stepson, Robert De La Luz, have frequented the Pomona show since purchasing their first computer five years ago. Back then, McBride had been working as an auto mechanic for 20 years and Robert was in grade school. McBride got so turned on to computers that today he does technical support for an Internet provider. Robert, now a sophomore at Pasadena High School, not only knows his way around home computers but also builds them.
“All of us go [to the computer shows],” says 15-year-old Robert. “I taught my grandpa how to use a computer; he does word processing and files his bills. My mom uses the computer for checking and to organize her day.”
It’s not unusual at a computer show, says Levy, to see a couple with a kid in tow who’s telling the adults where to go and what to get for their computer system.
While a complete computer system (including a printer) is available for less than $1,000 at a computer show, Levy suggests that first-time buyers purchase a system that offers easy access to technical support. “If you’re brand-new to computers--what I call a Computer Cream Puff or a Windows Weenie--it’s probably not a bad idea to get a brand name, because of the hand-holding you get,” he says.
Otherwise, the shows are a good place to pick up a customized “clone,” along with odds and ends for an old or new system.
Among the biggest advantages to shopping computer shows is the wide selection of software available under one roof. The Pomona display featured about 100 vendors when it began 16 years ago; now it averages about 300.
“There’s tons and tons of software, whereas computer stores are kind of limited,” says McBride. “As far as somebody who’s new to computers, you can go there and get this stuff for a really good price.”
The downside is that there is less personal service at a computer show, because of the large number of people attending.
For kids, computer shows offer the opportunity to test the latest games, from sports to simulators to educational fare. Up and down the aisles, games are set up with functioning joysticks and speakers at the ready for kids--and adults--to play.
“I see it all the time,” says Levy. “The vendors are scratching their heads wondering how these kids got so good.”
Popular educational titles for kids include Reader Rabbit and Math Blaster. The trick to a successful educational venture, Levy says, is obscuring the fact that the kids are learning; instead, they’re just “playing a game and having fun.”
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The computer show is not, however, a place for parents to drop off their kids to play. “The shows are a good family outing,” says Levy. “You literally can pay for your trip by saving money on what you buy. But because the crowd is rather eclectic, you just don’t know who’s there. I’m not saying there’s any danger there at all, I’m simply saying as a parent you don’t do that.”
While price and selection are reason enough for many, such as the McBride family, to spend a morning at a computer show, buyers should beware of certain things.
“I tell all my listeners,” says Levy, “to buy from a vendor who has a place of business outside of the show. The other thing is to get in writing on the receipt that whatever is purchased can be returned without a restocking fee.”
One thing that’s proved helpful to “cream puffs” and veteran computer users alike is to take a tour of the vendors before buying anything. Typically, after a broadcast on location at a computer show, Levy will lead listeners on a shopping tour.
“We’re able to go and talk directly to the vendors,” Levy says. “We’ll see what’s available--and what’s a bargain and what isn’t.”
BE THERE
National Productions Computer Show at Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona. Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7; 10 and younger free. (909) 623-3111. MarketPro Computer Show at Seaside Park, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura. Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7; 12 and younger free. (805) 648-3376.
