Going, Going, Gone

Is It Really Gone?

Buying a notebook computer a few years ago was a daunting process. From someone who likes to build a computer to exacting specifications, it was difficult to find something affordable that had the right parts. When it was all said and done, I ended up purchasing an Averatec. They are kind of a no name, generic computer company that rebrand their notebook line for other companies, and also sell under their own name. They are sold discounted at retailers like Circuit City and Staples.

How did I end up with this brand, and the purchase of a 3250HX? One of the things I really liked about this brand was that there was a vibrant community around these notebooks. There was an extensive community that met in a forum, known as the Unofficial Averatec Forums. Even the Wikipedia article on Averatec mentions this busy community.

It was neat once in a while to go and check out what users were doing with their notebooks. Topics ranged from processor upgrades, to beta wireless drivers, the power trio and optical drive replacements. While my notebook has done well in the longevity department, the time I did develop an issue, I turned first to these forums, and I got good advice that facilitated a fix to the problem. Rather than run by the company, in a spirit of honesty and openness users got good advice from those more experienced.

I'm bringing this up because sometime over the summer, these forums went offline. Apparently, they are blaming a hard drive failure. It's a little hard to swallow that this entire community could run off of one hard drive. I was wondering if my next notebook purchase would be an Averatec, and without the community, the answer would likely be no.

When I was researching this article, I actually did find that the forum has been started anew. While just about all of the old content is lost, it's still nice to see that at least some of the old members have found it, and started anew. Hopefully over time, these forums will be as useful as the old were in supporting the Averatec notebooks. Also, the next time you consider which notebook brand to purchase, take into account where you will get support for it.

--Jonas

PS: I recommend to the new forum that they backup early and often to avoid the same fate!