Staff Biographies

THEN: - before Puget -
I put my degree in German to good use by going to work for one of Seattle's first internet service providers where my main task was to help new Windows 95 users get on the internet. It was painful. We threw user parties where we held discussions on such topics as how to properly configure Netscape and Eudora. Those were exciting times. But the bulk of my career has been spent in various positions at Microsoft. I worked as a product manager for the Microsoft Office and Project groups before working on product launches, trade shows and conferences as a vendor.

NOW: - here at Puget -
I intentionally searched for opportunities at small companies because I prefer the culture and the chance to wear many hats. At Puget Systems, I've worked in production building computers. I'm currently working as a sales consultant helping people find the right computer. As with any small company we are all given the opportunity to work on projects and help in other others.

MY FIRST COMPUTER:
I saved up $2000 to purchase a PC from a now defunct company called ZEOS. I recall my main dilemma was deciding between the 484SX and 486DX processor. I went with the DX, but my system did not include a CD-ROM, sound card or modem. My first hands on experience with a PC was removing the case and installing these parts. My biggest splurge was adding an additional 4MB RAM module for $179. I ran into trouble installing the CD-ROM drive and ended up taking everything apart, loading the parts onto the backseat of my car and driving to my uncle's house who helped me get it working again.

MY DREAM COMPUTER:
I'm at the point where I don't want to spend more time fixing and configuring my system than actually using it. Even mainstream graphics cards are plenty powerful for the few games I play so I'd look for something small, reliable and quiet. My dream system would be one of our Serenity Mini SPCR PCs setup to dual boot Ubuntu and Windows.

RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE/GAME(S):
I spend most of my time in the browser and really like Google Chrome. It's sleek and fast. I'm also a big fan of Dropbox, Windows Live Writer and TweetDeck.

LIFE: - outside Puget's walls -
Most of my free time is spent with my family, but I enjoy writing, biking and playing racquetball.

HOMETOWN:
Ogden, UT

Brett Nordquist's Recent Comments: Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: The Samsung Pro series of SSDs are widely considered to be the best performing SSDs on the market today. I recently upgraded to this 512GB model and used the free to download Samsung Data Migration Software to clone Windows and all my programs. This is my favorite SSD you can buy. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: I recently swapped out my Creative Labs XFi Extreme Music card for the Asus Xonar DSX-PCI-E sound card after I ran into issues with the XFi card under Windows 8. The Xonar has been a nice upgrade in sound quality without any of the Windows 8 driver headaches I had with XFi. This drives both a 2.1 setup as well as all my headphone listening and it works well in either environment. If you're looking to step up from onboard sound to a quality all-around card, this is my first choice under $100. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: Although I own the Intel 120 GB version, I wish I had gone with this 240 GB. I have Windows 7 Pro installed along with Photoshop Elements, Office 2010, and a couple of games I'm already up to nearly 90 GB. If you're diligent at keeping programs large programs such as games to a minimum, then the 120 GB version is probably enough. But if you don't want to worry about monitoring your storage as much, go with this Intel 520 240 GB model. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: The NVIDIA GTX 660 is the card I recommend more than all others because it includes a major dose of performance found in the pricier 670 or 690 series, but at a fraction of the cost. If you're looking for the sweet spot between price and performance, put the NVIDIA 660 GTX at the top of your list. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: The Logitech T650 Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad is the first Windows 8 peripheral I could see owning myself. Like Windows 8 itself, it takes a few days to get accustomed to. If you spend most of your day in traditional desktop mode, it's not as helpful as it would be if you use a lot of Windows 8 apps within the Metro interface. The Touchpad is well made and feels good to the touch. I would buy one today if I could add my own gestures and remap the current available gestures. As it stands, I enjoyed using the Touchpad, but the price and lack of customization keeps it off my desk for now. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: This touchscreen monitor is the first model I've spent much time with, and it's better looking in person than the photos suggest. I've been using Windows 8 without a touchscreen, but after using this Acer, I can see why I believe they will become popular, and now I want one. The screen is responsive and has a quality look and feel to it. The transparent bottom portion of the screen helps keep the screen stable. This is a good choice for those who want the full Windows 8 experience. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: The Logitech T-620 is unlike any mouse I've used before. It's sleek and slick to the touch, but has no physical buttons. You "click" by rocking the mouse forward or tapping your finger on the touch surface. The T-620 include a number of Windows 8 specific gestures, that's supposed to make moving around the Metro interface much easier. I found the gestures to be a mixed bag. Some worked well while others required finger dexterity I don't possess. It did work well scrolling up and down web pages. Although the Logitech T-620 feels good to the touch and appears to be well-made, it's much too flat for my liking. I spend most of my time in the Windows 8 desktop, but if it fit my hand better and I spent more time in Metro, I'd consider it. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: I would strongly consider Windows 8 on any new system, but especially laptops due to its speedy boot times. It takes some getting used to, but it's not difficult to move from Metro to the traditional desktop and stay there for as long as you'd like. In fact, once I'm in the desktop mode I forget I'm running Windows 8. Boot and shut down times sure feel a lot faster than Windows 7. Windows 8 is growing on me and worth a look. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: I own the previous generation i5 2500k and this is today's equivalent. This is the CPU I would buy today as I believe it provides the best price to performance ratio. For those of you non-gamers who don't require a discreet graphics card, the 3570k also includes decent onboard graphics by way of the Intel. There are reasons to purchase the i7 series, but speak with a sales rep before spending more than you need to. Brett Nordquist (Customer Service) Says: This is a sharp looking and good performing case, and it simply looks more expensive than the price you pay. The USB 3.0 front ports, quality fans, and construction give the R4 the upper hand when compared to the Lancool case we've offered. The R4 is wider than most cases I've used so it's not a bad idea to measure to ensure you've got room if you plan to place it in a computer hutch.