PC Fair: Is it really worth all the hassle?

Had our obligatory KL PC Fair walkabout over the weekend. We had a horrid time. How was your PC Fair experience?

Honestly speaking, there’s really not much to look forward to when PC Fair rolls into town. Year in, year out, we see the same promos, the same deals and the gimmicks. If you ask us, is it really worth it slogging through the traffic jam, spending hours looking for parking and then wade through the throngs of people while being shoved, pushed, groped and stepped on…no, it is absolutely, irrevocably, positively not.

In our opinion, the deals at PC Fair is not really that big enough for you to go through hell and back to save a measly RM100 or get a free DECT phone that really has no value to you.

Also, did we tell you people with bad BO and bad breath are rife at PC Fair? Well, they are. Not to mention you risking yourself to being exposed to the second wave of H1N1 in a very densely packed and crowded public place, as well as losing your valuables to the many pick pockets and opportunist thieves there.

So if you really have to go to the many upcoming PC Fairs this year, here are some tips:

1. Go only if you already know what to want. If you’re planning to go and browse around and look for good deals, forget about it. On Saturday and Sunday, once you enter the convention centre you’ve stepped into a human conveyor belt and there’s no stopping or turning back.
2. Plan your mission, get in make the kill and get out. We’re of course refering to how you approach PC Fair. That is, plan your route, locate the booth where you want to purchase whatever it is that you want to purchase, go there directly, make the deal and get out of there! The less time you spend at PC Fair, the less risk you take to losing your belongings and exposing yourself to diseases.
3. If you really want to browse, we recommend going on Fridays, where the crowds are less and you’re less likely to loose your mind.
4. Study the market prior to going. If you’re going to get a notebook at PC Fair for example. Go to Low Yat first and ask around find out what’s the best deal you can get there then head on over to PC Fair. At least you’ll be able to compare and perhaps bargain for a better deal.
5. Travel light and keep everything close to you. The crowd at PC Fair is unlike anything you have ever encountered, trust us, it is crazy. So reduce your risk of losing things and travel as light as possible.
6. Bring as little cash as possible.
7. Wear a facemask. This is pretty obvious.
8. Use public transport if at all possible.
9. Don’t bring your kids, they won’t enjoy it.
10. Carry with you lots of water. The sheer number of people coming to PC Fair is so enormous that even the air conditioning can cope. Over the weekend, it will get very stuffy in the exhibition halls so bring enough H2O to keep hydrated and cool while browsing.

And that’s pretty much it. Don’t get us wrong, you do get some good deals at PC Fair, the question we’re posing here is, is that deal worth the hassle. To some people, it is, to others it is not. You’ll have to judge that for yourself.

Good luck!