"Finest computer systems made that I have seen.

These guys are Dell, Gateway, HPaq, eMachine, and (insert crappy computer brand name here) KILLERS.

Thank God someone decided to sell a great computer for such a decent price."

"I spent a considerable amount of time reading reviews and shopping for just the right computer to not only take care of my business needs as a CPA but that would also allow me to expand my personal hobby of video editing and short digital film making. Given the sensitive nature of my accounting practice, I wanted to purchase from a vendor who would stand behind their product with solid customer service as well as provide me with all the "bells and whistles" I needed for extreme multi media use. After contacting all the usual suspects (Dell, IBM, Gateway, etc.) and doing a lot of due dilligence, I decided to buy the Awesome 6300 (with the AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 processor) from ABS. The sales guy I worked with was "Eddie". I was impressed with his technical knowlege but was really won over when he patiently slogged through all of my questions until I was satisfied. We put together a system with a lot of upgrades on the leading edge of multi-media, but he did not over-sell me with stuff I didn't need. The process took several days and he made a point of not only remembering my name, but also making himself available to me by giving me his personal extension # and his email address. I was promised the computer in 7-10 days but didn't actually receive it until 15 days later (those extra 5 days are hard when you can't wait to get going with your new computer). Still, it was within shooting distance of what was promised considering the holidays. I also made an unusual request for a Raid 1 real time mirror back-up of my hard drive. Eddie came back with his usual "can-do" attitude and cleared my request with technical within 10 minutes. This may have also slowed the delivery time down but it was well worth it. If you are combining heavy multi-media use (which can be suseptible to crashing) with sensitive business records, a Raid 1 configuration is the way to go. None of the other vendors could even discuss this with me, let alone make a commitment within 10 minutes!

When my computer arrived, it was packaged very well and everything was in excellent shape. The ABS PC Organizer (a binder with all your documentation and program disks neatly organized for you) was a pleasant surprise. With the exception of a problem with my printer port, eveything functioned perfectly and exceeded my expectations (extremely fast and smooth!). However, I could not resolve the printer port problem so I called the ABS tech support. I was a little disaappointed that I had to leave a message and wait for a call back the next day. However, when "Tony" from technical support called me back, he quickly resolved the printer port problem (something in bios needed to be reconfigured). I was greatful for the help because I don't think I could have figured this one out on my own. Tony also gave me his extension # and told me to call if I had any further problems (which I haven't...).

All in all, this has been the best computer buying experience I have ever had. I feel that I got personalized attention, an unbeatable price
and a top of the line "extreme machine" that serves both my business needs as well as my film making hobby. If you want a refreshingly different experience compared to the mainstream computer resalers, I recommend you give these guys a try."

"Customer # 233576. Purchased a system online in mid-December. The machine (Awesome 3500, 1GB RAM, P4 3.0, Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB) arrived at my house on January 5. Setup, all looked good. Installed my online game and upon first entering the server, the system crashed. Reboot, try to enter the game again. Message from the game server that 'No 3D device found'. Ran DXDIAG, diagnostic says card not capable of DirectDraw/Direct3D. Installed newest drivers for card, tried game again, got in, played a little while (30-45 mins), game locked up again. Gives me message that card has stopped responding to driver commands. Does the same in other games and has locked at least twice while surfing the Net. I have done everything in Windows I can find relating to troubleshooting video problems, nothing works. Called tech support. Had to wait til next day for callback. Craig at ABS tech said reseat the card and reinstall the original driver. Did that. No luck, same problem. Called tech again. Again had to wait for call back. This time suggested restoring original image. Tried that. Still no luck. Called tech support AGAIN this past Tuesday, again had to wait for call back which has not occurred as of yet. VERY rapidly descending from 'somewhat dissatisfied' into 'very dissatisfied' territory.

Update: received two voicemails at my work number on Friday, Feb. 6. Unfortunately, I was not at work that day. Received another voicemail today from Craig in Tech Support. Called both he and Rosemary back, wound up having to leave VM for both and am awaiting their response. I will continue to update as things happen.

As of 2-10-04:
Received three voicemails from Craig after 6pm EST at my work number. The third of these advised to contact customer service and give them his name and ok to cross-ship a new video card to me. When I called, they would not cross-ship without a credit card on file. Since I don't have one, I'm out at least another week due to this issue. Still have not received a call back from Rosemary, but I guess that what 'solution' can be made at this point has been done. Again, I'll update when the new card arrives, and I certainly hope that will be the end to the problems.

2-20-04 Received the new video card today. Guess what? Same thing. Guess I'll be calling YET AGAIN on Monday. "

"Ordered top-end Awesome 6300 with help of sales rep Ed Maldinado, who was courteous, helpful, professional. System was built ahead of schedule and shipped via FedEx. ABS alerted me of this by email, which included a hyperlinked FedEx tracking number -- very helpful in tracking the shipment (which FedEx mismanaged, unfortunately). The computer was beautifully packed, easy to set up, and ran right the first time. ABS included a wealth of software, documentation, and all the extra parts that were not needed, though included with the various OEM components of my computer. Nice! Right now, I am struggling to keep alive a Dell Dimension 8100, which I purchased only three years ago and paid quite a bit for. Dell techs have had me open up the Dell case in order to attempt a service procedure. I wish the Dell was constructed as well as my ABS. The Dell is a tangle of cables inside. By comparison, my ABS is a work of art. Best of all, my ABS 6300 gives me amazing performance for an almost unbelieveably-low price. I know that ABS doesn't have a massive tech support operation like Dell, but size isn't everything. Dell service has left me hugely frustrated on more than one occassion. I did call ABS service with a minor question, and someone got back to me the next day. He was courteous and knew his stuff. I am very pleased with ABS. They offer top performance and superb pricing, and I gather they endeavor to make their customers as happy as they possibly can. By the way: this is one awesome computer. It's cool looking. It offers exceptional performance.

I read some of the earlier reviews here and thought, "these reseller rating reviews must be done by employees of the computer company." But I see now they are not -- at least mine is not. Thanks ABS."

"Bought a computer (Awesome 3500) on January 21, 04. Took 7-8 days for processing time, and was shipped out on the 28th. I received it yesterday, February 2nd, 2004.

Overall, my experience with ABS is very good. I setup the computer yesterday without any problems. I initially wanted to include the Blue Cold Cathode light in my system, but it was never in stock and so I e-mailed CS about it. They took a while to e-mail me back, but I finally did get an e-mail. I filled out the bizrate survey after completing my transaction, and in the comments field, I ranted about how slow their replies to e-mail were.

I got a call from 'Rosemary' a few days later. She really was concerned about me not getting some replies back. She said she would ship out the Blue CC light as soon as they had them in stock, but I'm not holding my breath on that. That is the only thing that keeps me from being 100% satisfied.

Still though, I would highly recommend ABS! If you're thinking about buying from them, configure your system, and check it every few days. The price fluctuates, like the stock market. You have to get it when it's at a low. I got my system configured for $865.01.

PROs:
+)ABS has good prices, with name brand parts, easy for upgrading.
+)Computer 'guts' are neat and tied with zip cables. The LED fans are beautiful to look at!
+)Great looking manual with all the items/info you need in color coded zip bags.

CONs:
-)Very slow e-mail service. They probably only check it once a week, or even less than that. If you want service, you might have to call a number.
-)Processing time takes quite a few days, but you can't do much here since the computer components are very neat.

I have taken pictures of my system and the manual. When I find a place to host the images, I will edit this review and add a link and will also edit this review if my computer happens to die or some problem occurs. Also will change my position to 'Excellent' and 'Very Satisfied' if I receive the Blue CC light.

Update: I received the Blue CC light on Feb 05th, 2004 and installed it in my system. 'Rosemary' kept her word. It's true what another reviewer has said, these guys bend over backwards for you to be completely satisfied. I highly recommend ABSPC. Here are some pics I took of my system, which has 4 LED fans, which are very quiet. I will post the pics with the Blue CC light later on.

http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/blurry_led_nf.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/caseflash.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/caseflash2.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/decent_nf.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/frontend_flash.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/macroled_flash.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/outcase_flash.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/outcase_nf.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/outview_twins_nf.html
http://www.geocities.com/griever_fx/wideshot_nf.html


[edited February 07, 2004]
[review written February 03, 2004]
-Doan"

"I want to pass on my compliments to Maria Gonzalez. I hope ABS computer recognizes what a valuable employee she is. The great customer service provided by ABS is why I recommend your company to my friends. While other computer giants are neglecting customer service, ABS continues to outperform the industry.

I have had several occasions to contact customer service in the year we've owned our computer. Simple questions as to where I can get the plastic folders that come with the 3 ring binder, to replacing a defective fan on my heat sink, to sending me software that I thought was not included in my computer package. It turns out I had the software, I just couldn't find it. The import thing was keeping the customer happy. In almost all of these cases, I dealt with Maria Gonzalez. She is the greatest.

The one time ABS dropped the ball, someone forgot to ship the new power supply, it was Maria who was there to take care of the problem. Don't ever let this employee go, she is a super star and I want ABS to recognize her dedication to the tough job of keeping customers happy. Not an easy job, but she sets the standard for the industry."

"I am a 2 time Dell buyer for my last 2 PC's. After doing serious research, I decided to take a chance with ABS. The visibility of brand/make of components and the price for performance were the primary factors. My order was placed on 1/5/2004. I received the PC on 1/23 but was dissapointed to find out that the monitor was missing. Called Fedex and found out that another box was on the way shipped on 1/23, due to arrive on 1/28. The documentation is brief, but effective. The only surprise is that they do not install any software other than the operating system. This wasn't a big issue, but I didn't realize this from the buying process. The front cover also had a broken plastic retainer, but customer service called me quickly after sending an e-mail and shipped one out as a replacement. I'm very pleased with the speed and quality of responses to my issues and overall would recommend ABS to users that are PC savvy or have someone to help them with installation / set-up. "

"Originally ordered system in at the end of March and received it around April 3 or 4, 2003. When I first plugged in the system it shocked me and I found that a little suspicious. I passed that off as it just being a new PC. My DSL speeds were not very good but that was blamed on the DSL system. Then in October 2003 my PSU went out. I payed to have them send a new one out to and I put it in. My DSL speeds went up dramatically so I believe the PSU was jumbing in to the NIC that I was plugged into on the mobo.

Then in December 2003 the CDRW chewed up one of my daughters games. The game was in excellent condition until the CDRW caused it to bust into hundreds of pieces. This also destroyed the burner so I called again. Paid to have them ship me another. I keep paying to have one shipped because their policy is that you pay they ship and then you ship old back to them and they refund you. Also when the burner went out I called tech support and left my name and number 5 times before getting totally irrate and going off. Everytime they would call back it was when I was not at home and they would say call back but when I called back they would have to take name/number again. See a pattern here.

January 22, computer would not start up when I came home from work. Cathodes was working, burner and DVD would flash their lights at me, etc. So I shut down and when it restarted it gae me a CMOS checksum error. Called tech support and when they wanted to take my name and number I went ballistic and started cursing the guy on the other end of the phone. Needless to say they got my message and 5 minutes after I left my name and number I got a call back from tech support. We went through troubleshooting and found out it is a bad mobo. So now I am waiting on a new mobo to come in but I must say that the tech support guy, Tony, went above and beyond the call of duty on this one. He pulled alot of strings and is to be commended.

Overall, the total experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. My dad and other people kept saying for me to buy a Dell or Compaq but I wanted to give these people and opportunity. Don't know if I would ever buy from them again.

01/28/04: In response to Rosemary-- I received the mobo on 01/26/04 via Fed Ex. Rosemary did not call on 01/27/04 either. Now I am waiting on the on-site people to come install it. Also I found out this is not a trustworthy company. Tony in tech support said that ABS and New Egg was not connected in anyway. I found out through investigation that they are indeed connected. This is definitely not the way to earn my repeat business.

02/05/2004: Ok. So I contacted the people that provide on-site service for ABS, 2NET. They sent a technician out to put in my new mobo. Well when he put it in he didnt put the memory in the correct config to be running in DDR mode. He also didnt install the drivers for the new mobo and said it was because he couldnt login to the system. I informed 2NET it was because he never called me after I left my name and number at work and at home. I only work about 10 minutes away so that was no excuse. I had to call and reactivate the Windows install, one of my fans mounting brackets was broke, the 1394 cables was not connected to the board because he was so stupid he put in the sound card which is where the cable should have plugged in and instead of taking the card back out, plugging in the cables and reinstalling the card he just left the wires laying in the bottom of the case.

OH one last thing. I would trust much of what they say at ABS because when I questioned them about being affiliated they assured me that they was not affiliated but that was a lie.

Overall I would say that what should have been a pleasureable experience has been everything but. I find that as this time I am unable to recommend ABS to anyone.

I am changing my rating to Very Dissatisfied because I hate companies lying to me.

07/11/2004 - Update on this Wonderful computer. My video card has now died. Being that the warranty period is over with ABS I contacted ASUS. They gave me an RMA and address to send it to. I paid shipping to them and they fixed the problem and sent it back to me. The problem was a fan had went out.

Again let me warn any potential customers. Stay away from ABS. I have read some of the other posts where the people was offered for ABS to pay shipping to and from them. Well even with all the trouble I had I was not offered that. I was offered to pay for shipping to ABS and then they would completely go through the computer, fix it and ship it back to me. It would have been nice to have them offer me both ways shipping.

With ABS, BUYER BEWARE!"

"A loyal Dell customer, I was extremely put off by their failure to honor a “No Interest/No Pay Until 2005” program. Numerous calls to Dell’s credit department (in India?) produced no explanation. My conclusion (and mine alone?) was that this program was a scam.

Clearly it was a time for a change. ABS ads and reviews always caught my attention as did the aluminum casing of the Z2. On 1/16/04 I ordered the notebook with a few bells and whistles. Loaded it put me about $200-$300 less than the comparable Dell I wanted. ABS does not have a “No Interest/No Pay” plan but then neither did Dell from my viewpoint.

Customer service assisted in my order and I actually spoke to the same person twice! In English! On 1/20/04 my order was reported shipped and they even provided a Fedex tracking number.

The computer arrived on 1/23/04 and was beautifully packed. And a carrying case was, in fact, included. I put it through a complete series of checks: installing games, devices, playing DVD’s, connecting to the internet, etc. Everything worked fine.

We used the system extensively throughout 1/24/04 and no problems surfaced. I am completely satisfied with ABS and will purchase from them again.
"

"It was a pleasure ordering a computer from ABS, specifically Mike Karuga. He was very knowlegable and responded to all of my questions. I compared the prices and service of many other top sellers and found my self very excited about this purchase. "

"Recently, I ordered an ABS Awesome 3300 computer system from ABS Computers. The experience was easy while ordering online because they listed the components details along with links when you choose which items you want inside the computer. Dell and Gateway don't even come close to disclosing that much info over the net since many of their parts are generic no name or made by them specifially. However, I like th fact that I was able to build a complete system for only $1032.00 without monitor and speakers. This system has full upgrade expandablity and will last me a good 5 to 7 years I think. Now I havent received the system yet, but I will let you know what happens when I get it. There is one downfall. I hate to say it, since they provide the most spec's about the products they sell to go into the system out any computer maker online (that I saw); ABS needs to display the expandablity specs for the system, such as RAM Memory slots, PCI slots, AGP slot, USB type, Internal and External drive bays. I had to call after I placed the order online to find what they were. The rep I spoke to was very polite and knew his stuff. Casey was his name and thanks to him I feel more enlightened as to what the expansion capabilities my machine was going to have. Maybe they omit these specs from the website to get you to personally call them about the computer and answer any questions you might have. Who knows. All I know is I cant wait for my computer to get here. I hope this helps you out. "

"I like to extend my gratitude to ABS. This is my third computer through the company, and I love each and every one. My last computer bought is a 3.06Ghz Laptop. I always get super custom jobs; in which is the reason I do not get into every piece added. My salesrep is not super but great; Eddie Maldonado! This guy rock! He knows the hardware and is easy to talk to. You got questions he can answer. My first computer is a 733Mhz, second a 2.0Ghz and now this laptop. Infact I got it today even on a holiday. I ordered my laptop on 1-9-2004 and had it in hand 1-19-2004. Ten days incredible. 10 days may seem sort of long but if you take in account for ground ship to ensure everything in one piece, and burn in testing and everything compatible no fuss no muss. I had a problem with a hardware issue with my second computer not due to ABS had a power surge that killed my fans in my Server tower these guys took care of me with an overnight ship. AWSOME. Not once had a problem with hardware, only a bit of software from a virus but easily fixable. All of my three computers are working perfectly. My rating is a ten out of 10 on all three computers. To give an idea of each computer cost over $2000.00 each. My first computer would have cost me over $3,500 to $4,700 any where else. My second was the same and the third was averaging $3,200 easily across the board with any other company. These guys use name brand new equipment. I could write so much more but will end with this. If anyone is looking to buy a computer, laptop or anything they should check ABS at least to get price quotes and then buy later after finding out all the other companies are expensive for the same equipment. When I am ready to buy another computer you bet I will still look for the best price and service. It seems like the last three time Its been ABS. Check the website and call their sales and see if I am right. When buying a whole system package and service there is no one better for me than ABS. ASK for Eddie Maldonado and ask for the best, configure the system to youre hearts content, you'll be surprised at the price isnt too high compared to everyone else. These guys rock."

"January 7th 2004, I ordered an Ultimate M5-64 and my sales rep. is Casey. He was so helpful in the ordering process, he called me back on the 8th of January, he told me there was a 3400 processor available now. He refigured everything and was able to save me $ for a better computer. I have in the past purchased 4 Dell's, after reading in the Computer magazines about ABS, decided to order one. I have been very impressed with the Customer Service that I have received so far, and if the Computer is as good as the Customer Service that I have received from Casey, I will be a very happy person. I am anxiously waiting for the arrival of my computer, and based on the service from Casey will not hestitate to recommend ABS to all my friends & family. Casey has restored my belief that true Customer Services has not died. Update will follow after the arrival of the computer. Larry Vacca

Follow up:I finally received my computer about 2 weeks ago. Everything was as I hoped for. From the time I unboxed it I found it in perfect condition.Setup was a breeze. When I first booted up the computer, it worked great and all software was installed. Thanks again ABS I will sure recommend your product to my friends and family."

"So far, the Customer Service has been excellent in the ordering of our 3 systems. Our questions were all answered and our rep, Eddie, proved to be most helpful and efficient. We have not recd. our shipment yet, but am confident we will be most pleased in our purchase with this company. "

"This is my order number. I haven't received my system yet."