Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron M Anderson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always been fascinated by technology. Computers, phones, tablets, TV’s… you name it. If it had circuitry, I wanted to know how it worked. As a kid, I can remember my dad bringing home a Packard Bell 486 computer that had 160MB of hard drive space, and 4MB of RAM. Keep in mind that in the 90’s that was state of the art technology. To see how far we’ve come in the past 20 years, to the point where I carry a computer in my back pocket that is orders of magnitude more powerful that than old PC my dad brought home is mind boggling. To be on the leading edge of that revolution is what got me to the point to where I wanted to create something I could call my own.
As a Southern California native, I received my education at UCI, studying applied physics, electrical engineering, and mathematics. I also spent 11 years in the tech industry consulting for companies like Verizon and T-Mobile on how to implement their wireless networks here in So Cal before going on to form Panda Design in 2014. My ultimate goal is to build custom, beautiful, high end PCs for my clients, as well as use my physics and engineering background to one day create our own components. I think we have an eye for design that can fill a void in the marketplace, and further the push to get more people to consider a custom PC before going to the big guys like Dell, HP, or even Apple.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course it hasn’t been a smooth road, and getting people to see the value in building their own custom PC versus simply buying one off-the-shelf has proven to be our biggest challenge. What most people don’t realize is that there is a measurable difference in the quality and craftsmanship of a custom PC. We obsess on the small details the big companies have to overlook. From the CPU to the power supply, we make sure all of the components that go into each computer are of the highest quality, greatest efficiency, and built to last years, not months. Truly the luxurious approach to buying a computer, that more often than not costs the same as, and even sometimes less than buying a Dell.
Also, part of what people pay for when they buy these off-the-shelf PC’s is the customer support, but we all know how well that goes in today’s climate of outsourcing. Most tech support staff are located in other countries, offer minimal help over the phone, and replacement processes can take weeks. We offer a level of personalization that they simply can’t compete with. Imagine being able to take your PC back to the place you bought it, and have the person who put it together diagnose and fix the problem, solving most issues in hours, not weeks. That is something that is hard to describe to someone who has never even considered going the custom route to meet their computing needs.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Panda Design – what should we know?
We specialize in custom PCs, for all types of users. Most people think custom PC’s are just for gamers, but they’re wrong. Almost everyone now has a video camera capable of capturing 4k video that they carry around in their pocket, at all times. That coupled with the fact that more and more people have jumped into the world of creating content for YouTube, there’s a definite need to edit these large video files that most off the shelf computers simply can’t handle. That’s where we come into the picture. We create machines that are tailor made to the specification of the end user. That is, if you’re not a gamer, you don’t need certain types of hardware. We take that into account when spec’ing out a build for each of our clients, and look at each person’s individual needs on a case-by-case basis.
We do of course love to build gaming PC’s, for both casual gamers and overclockers alike. The bottom line is, computing goes beyond pure functionality. It’s a form of expression. It’s having something that is unique to you, and only. Something that not only gets the job done, but is a reflection of the owner themselves. That’s something you just don’t get when you purchase a mass produced machine off the shelf.
Also, having someone you can just pick up the phone and call when you have a question is something the big box computer makers just can’t provide. We want our clients to feel like they have an expert they can reach out to at anytime with questions
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Customer satisfaction is key. What we really strive for is making sure that the customer is happy when he/she gets their PC home, puts it on their desk, and fires it up for the first time. Making the decision to buy a PC, especially one with enough power to edit 4k video, or play the latest PC’s games at high frame rates is no small investment. That’s why we want to make sure the customer is happy with their purchase, at that the overall experience is a pleasurable one. We treat each client with equal importance, and it doesn’t matter if you budget is $800 or $10,000, in our eyes you are on equal footing.
Pricing:
- $35/hr for a custom PC build
- $45/hr for a custom PC build while we teach you the process
- $55/hr for a custom water cooling loop design and installation
- $65/hr for a custom water cooling loop design and installation while we teach you the process
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pandadesignllcblog.wordpress.com/
- Phone: 949-385-3977
- Email: [email protected]
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/panda-design-irvine
Image Credit:
Aaron M Anderson
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