| Product: |
Micro Computer Mart |
| Date: |
22/05/01 (56 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: see review
Forgive me if this is a rather short review, but this magazine is pretty one-dimensional, so there's not really that much to say on the subject.
Microcomputer Mart is one of two(that I know of) widely available magzines whose sole aim is to bring you, the consumer, computer goods at bargain prices. There are basically two ways that it does this. Firstly, there are a number of companies who advertise in here, promising to bring you top quality components, peripherals and complete systems at trade prices and secondly through private advertisements of second-hand goods.
~Advertisers~
The majority of this magazine is made up of advertisers offering you goods at prices far below that seen in the high street. Don't be put off though by these prices, I have had a number of dealings with these companies and am yet to experience any difficulties. The products have always arrived in perfect working order and promptly as well. On the one occassion where something was faulty(ok so not always, but nearly) - a floppy drive - this was replaced within 3 days...can't say fairer than that really. All of this is of course mail order, so you have to pay postage on top of your order price, but this really isn't a problem and they are still much cheaper than the high street - and less hassle as well from my dealings with certain high street branches which will remain nameless. Postage charges are of course dependant upon the company, sometimes free, but usually a couple of pounds, depending upon the size of the item, delivery time etc. upto £20 for a complete PC system. Generally I have bought components through these traders, but there are a number of complete systems to be found here at extremely competitive prices...although sadly I can not vouch for how good reliable they are, although they all come fully guaranteed so the choice is yours. Considering the dealings most dooyoosers seem to have with high street names, you can't do much wor
se really...lol.
~Private Ads~
Private advertisements make up the bulk of the rest of the magazine. This section is split up into various categories itself, hardware, software etc. and runs throughout the entire magazine, basically filling in space I think to make the editor's job a little easier. Many of the ads are repeated(same reason?) throughout which can be a little annoying and MM is quite unprofessional in this aspect, but its forgiveable...its only £1.20(although steadily rising) anyway. There are loads of ads here from private users selling on their unwanted goods and you could pick up a real bargain here. Of course, as with all private ads, you could also get stung...so caveat emptor! Sellers are from all over the country again, so once more there is the problem of postage, not being able to see the quality of the product etc. but its your choice. I have never used this section, not wanting the hassle of buying shoddy goods from a guy who lives 500 miles away and then having to sort it out.
~Events Diary~
The third and final major section of the magazine is devoted to major computer events are the country. This is basically limited to computer fairs, where most of the business advertisers on these pages can also be found. This lists all the major fairs around the country with their dates, opeing tims and prices, and is an invaluable resource because these are often poorly advertised elsewhere.
~Others~
The other sections of the magazine are basically rather weak. You get the obligatory news section at the front and a letters page for example. There are also some software reviews and hardware reviews but these are weak in comparison with other magazines and not exactly plentiful. Furthermore, MM is entirely in black and white, as reflected in the price and as a result screenshots etc. lose their appeal and generally I tend to skip over this sort of thing. The main reason for buying is to bag a barga
in and everything else is superfluous.
~Overall~
Overall, of the two mags. of this type that I know of, MM is the best. If you are looking for cheap computer products then this is the place to start looking. You get pretty much the same thing as you'll find at computer fairs at the same prices(+delivery costs), but here with a little more piece of mind to accompany your purchases as well. Its certainly worth the look and always my first port of call when looking to buy anything PC related - and such excellent value as well.
Of course you can always skip the cover price as well and go straight to the webpage which covers exactly what the mag does in terms of advertisements:
http://www.micromart.co.uk/
Have a browse around and compare some of the prices with the high street. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Summary:
|
|
