Hello. I recently applied for a job at a major technology retailer. The first interview pretty much seemed to me as if I were hired simply because I was told I'd train 6-7 people when I started, I answered all of the questions with ease, and so on. I was told I was completely qualified for the job becuase I run my own computer company, have done repairs, and I've worked in grotesque environments.

However, on the second interview, the other manager wanted to know if I could drive sales, since they were falling. I don't blame the customers, since a gig of ram is $249.99, but that's HyperX. However, no other 1GB is offered, and $100-something 512 sticks may be combined. Also, their power supplies are a gip, since the cheapest is a $50 300W Antec. Anyway, I explained that no matter how pricy the ram was, I was sure it would sell if I worked there, but the PC-2700 had to go since it drove customer satisfaction into a brick wall. It was worded much more gently, but I'm already typing too much, I think.

The highlight of the discussion: They had a 3GHz P4 gaming system with an X700 Pro set up to run Microsoft Flight Simulator (oh, the stress on the GPU!) I explained that a P4 is not the product of choice to gamers, and he responded by explaining that Intel pays to train the staff (an 18 year-old beginner needs to train 6 - 7 people; thanks, Intel). Also, Intel pays for an assortment of other things, so "AMD will not be used in our custom built computers for a very long while."

My computer company has no cut in benefits if I order a few hundred AMD CPUs instead of Intel CPUs. It's all the same to me. I don't know what AMD means, but that's probably because my company is now small-time and owned by a teenager. I'd be bothered if I were financially forced into a loophole of death in terms of performance and customer satisfaction. I clearly remember the article when a 5.2GHz P4 beat an FX-55, and with the release of the 57, Intel will have to dish out quite an overclocker to get anywhere.

Because of a very strange accidental purchase and something else that I will not describe here, I ended up with a 3GHz P4. It's nice, but I really would like to have a 2GHz or faster Venice core Athlon64. That would be great. I had to do an 870MHz overclock to beat my friend's Newcastle core 3500 by just a hundred points or so. I am surprised, however, that my PC was stable at that speed. That's pretty good.

So, to continue my first paragraph or the like, I did not end up with a job at Circuit City. I should have sworn I'd sell Intel, faster or not, and I'd sell the ram with a smile, but I did not. They never called me back, and I know it is because of the way the second interview ended - I was told that, in the corporate world, money wins over performance. I know this is the reason they didn't call back because my second interview was really just sitting down and explaining why I am the best one to sell their overpriced Intel and PNY DOY garbage, as well as their asynchronously-bused AthlonXP 3000 (400MHz bus, 333MHz ram) eMachines and P4 HPs and Compaqs.

I am offended to the bones by Intel. Being a PC vendor, I am aware that this post is unprofessional in some sense, but it is never good for business to have major chip companies filing lawsuits over, as it seems, price-to-performance value. Also, I wasn't hired at the retail store, so now I will sell all the high quality goods I want. Buahahahahaha. Behold my wrath, garbage!

Also, I care a lot that AMD doesn't trust Intel because it is surprisingly fascinating news all over, not just in the technology world, so I can follow it more easily than the latest GPU development process or the like.