Nearest could be dearest

There are three desktop PCs in my office. One is a Compaq, one a Siemens and one is a Unisys. Can you guess which one is always crashing out, several times a day? That's right - mine, the Compaq.

Not that we haven't had trouble with the other machines - we have, but those problems have been straightforward hardware and resource problems.

The Compaq Presario on the other hand has been pretty consistent in its ability to flip out for no apparent reason.

The problem is probably something to do with the implementation of the power management system and Windows 95, or it might be a particular susceptibility to small power fluctuations somewhere on the main board. I don't know what causes it - all I know is that it happens regularly.

But at least it's consistent - it just keeps right on crashing on me. I've always thought this about Compaq machines, ever since I had the job of formatting two 25lb Compaq portables for the joint managing directors of the reseller I worked for back in the mid-80s - the power supplies on both units blew up within seconds of each other.

But if I was so sceptical about the reliability of the machines, why did I buy a Compaq machine in the first place? Well, I'm probably typical of most users in the UK and just as misguided.

Compaq is the market leader and has always been the champion of the channel.

A lot of dealers have made a lot of money out of - and a lot of money for - Compaq. Also, Compaq is a US company and the UK and the US have, as we all know, a common language and a special relationship.

We are a part of Europe, but we are much more influenced by the US. American things almost seem like British things, while European countries have their own languages and their own cultures. We are xenophobic about Europe - we consider products from Spain, Italy, France and, in particular, Germany, to be 'foreign'. Ford cars and Compaq computers seem almost home grown compared to Volkswagens and Siemens PCs.

The Compaq machine seemed like the closest thing to home. The Siemens and Unisys machines came in because they were good deals. Out of the three, it's the German one that has impressed me most of all. It looks good and, apart from one disk crash, it's worked perfectly. The Siemens notebook looks good, has an excellent specification, is solidly built and it works.

So why then does Siemens only have a tiny percentage share of the market here? It's certainly got nothing to do with relative reliability, performance or design. It's more to do with the closer affinity we have with US vendors and the fact that Compaq is the established market leader.

But maybe it's time we thought about that again. We are part of Europe, whether we like it or not, so - if you'll forgive the expression - we may as well give it our best shot.

Simon Meredith is a freelance IT journalist.