For that I am sorry...
I do appologize to anyone I have offended. Along with Fellers, We will "bend over backwards" to please the customer (or potential customer). That is the way we have always done business and always will. I believe that this is one of the reasons that we have been successful.
SignBurst would love to be a Merchant Vendor on this site. I joined several months ago and didn't see the option when I joined.
I know that I have contributed to creating a few heated posts on this thread. Have I been defensive, yes. Please take a look at this from my point of view. I would love to let the two systems (Sign Monster and SignBurst) co-exist without any problems. But please, before you point your finger at me, please take a look at Johns webpage and you will see that before I even knew about him or The Sign Monster, he was saying derogitory things about our systems. It is not easy to stand by and see someone bashing your product without at least explaining where I feel he is wrong.
I joined the site in October, but never felt the need to post until I felt our product was being attacked. In my honest opinion, I am sure that he builds great computers. I am sure that he is a great guy. Why couldn't John have introduced his computer without bashing ours? Why does ours have to be wrong in order for his to be right? I am simply trying to explain that there are reasons that some of our systems are more expensive than his.
Yes, he will probably always be able to offer a less expensive computer than ours (we offer serveral different models by the way, all with different price tags and can customize any one of them for any customer). Only one came out in the Fellers catalog. We are working to offer all of the models throught Fellers as well. Something you have to understand is that we see him comparable to any other system builder. He can build computers. There are thousands of them out there. We took a look at his specs (since they are public) and we can build and sell his computer for hundreds of dollars less. Is that what we want to do. No. Dell can offer it for half. Is Dell a better deal than John? No. In my experience, the support you get from a local computer builder is far and above that which you would get from any of the "Big Guys". To be fair, The SIgn Monster is not rock bottom pricing either. It doesn't have to be. He is offering things that the "Big Guys" or someone who builds their own can't touch, the support of an computer industry veteran.
We offer an entirely different kind of computer and value. If you are going to offer a computers from $2700 - $7500, you had better know what you are doing and why you are doing it. We do.
We focus only on sign and wrap shops. We can offer the ins and outs of the software that you folks use on a daily basis. That is where are value is. We are able to keep up with your industry, our industry. I am not trying to keep secrets from customers. I HAVE to keep secrets from comptetitors. I HAVE to know how my hardware changes effect design software. We used to build computers for all types of businesses as well as support them. That is where we are different from other computer companies. We are able to live and breathe sign and wrap shops. I have laid vinyl and weeded lettering. I am with you guys at the trade shows. I spend time talking to sign and wrap guys every day. We have relationships with Flexi, Adobe, and others. We want to constantly put out the best "wrap and sign focused" computers we can.
I am not trying to take anything away from John. We used to build computers for the masses. I understand his side of this and don't hold any grudge. I just wish that this didn't have to be a pissing contest. Those that know me understand that this is not what I like to do. Don't piss on me and I won't piss on you.
The Wrap Daddy (the most expensive of our 4 design computers) is $7500. That is complete with $1000 worth of accessories and the fact that your computer has been designed and built with you in mind buy guys who do what you do. Our specs might me a little overkill for now. Slightly, maybe. If anyone wants a 15 minute explanation why, I would be happy to explain why we have made our harware choices. John has been kind enough to expalin why he thinks that they are wrong, but I believe that real world design experience might differ from his opinions.
Think about this. I have been talking the guys over at Adobe America and CS4 is already being tested. Without giving anything away, I would bet that The Wrap Daddy will be ready. 64 Bit, 8 GB of RAM are good harware choices now even now. Ask you fellow forum members how their 64 bit systems run. Just wait for CS4. WOW. Being that we are engulfed in the wrap design biz, it is our duty to not only keep up, but stay ahead.
Again, I am sorry this has turned ugly. I appologize to you John. We are just trying to offer the industry something that it has needed for a while. There are differences between the two companies and computers. I think that we both understand what they are. The Sign Monster is a great computer for the price. I would just offer that there are differences and that we have and always will offer computers to the industry that we feel are the most appropriate.
We strive to help shops make money as well. That is why we strive for the fastest systems that we can reasonably offer. If you can pump out one more wrap (per year) with the speed that our design computer gives you, the computer has value.
