Dude, I'm gettin a Dell...

[NYPinTA]

Would you buy a dell computer? I have heard both horror stories and love fests about this brand... so I am leary about buying one, but I can get a deal on a PC from where I work.
So... who has one? Do you love it, or hate it?
Spill.
Please.

:D

[stlscape]

Would you buy a dell computer? I have heard both horror stories and love fests about this brand... so I am leary about buying one, but I can get a deal on a PC from where I work.
So... who has one? Do you love it, or hate it?
Spill.
Please.

:D
I work in the IT Department, and my company has replaced all their old computers with Dells nationwide. From my experience with the ones we have, Dells are quite reliable.

[vikingscaper]

I'm on a Dell right now and I think that it pretty good. The only problems that we have ever had with ours was my fault. Once, I decided to go on the internet during a thunderstorm and our modem ended up getting fried. I called up Dell to order a new modem and they were able to get us a new one. The other time that I have had trouble was when I was trying to remove a virus that my dad downloaded to the computer. While I was trying to remedy it, Windows became all messed up and I ended up re-installing Windows. Dell's customer support was able to walk me through the process since I had never done it before.

This is probably the best computer that my family has ever had since my dad picked out all of our other ones........ :rolleyes:

[hmissesh]

I have a Dell at work (dude)--I love it--no problems at all.
My bro bought a refurbished one from Dell on special--He raves about it. Given him no trouble--and he uses it for work also.

I have never met anyone personally that had a problem with one.

If I can ever bring myself to get rid of my Commodore 64 at home--I will buy a Dell. (Dude)


oh...as a plus they are opening a new facility right near here--JOBS!!!!

[LiLOrion]

I gotta Dell too!

Its still running, so thats a good sign. :)
I never had any problems with it (that I can remember).

[Jul]

I have a sony at home but both my school and the site where I do my apprenticeship are stocked with dells and they haven't seemed to have had too many problems. :)

[NYPinTA]

Cool.
Thanks guys.
:D :beer:

I have a Dell at work (dude)--I love it--no problems at all.


Well, that's cuz all you do is surf the net and read about people who hate mayo as much as you... ;) :lol

[BaseLine]

I also have a Dell. It's a good pc, haven't had any problems with it. I very much like the silence compared to my previous pc's. First time I booted it I wasn't really sure if it was on or not.

[General]

We have a Dell, and we wouldn't trade it for any other! Only minor problems to date, and we've had it for 3 1/2 years. The wife and I have done some upgrades ourselves and we really enjoy this machine. We'll buy another if this one peters out!

General

[trinamick]

I have a Dell at work, and I love it. I have a flat screen, so now I'm completely spoiled. We used to have Gateways and they were total hoovers, so we switched to all Dells. The only time I have problems with mine is when I overload it with games and pictures, err, I mean, I have too much work on it and haven't backed it up. Yeah, that's it. :ewink:

[Boron]

I have had 4 computers. First one was a Packard Bell. Don't buy a Packard Bell. Second one was a Proteva. Good machine, just that the company doesn't exist anymore. Third one was a Compaq. DON'T EVER buy a Compaq. I finally bought a Dell last year. I can't brag on this machine enough. I love it. BTW, I need to ask BillFrugge a question. Anyone seen him lately???

[NYPinTA]

I saw him in the mandatory psych screening thread... yesterday.

PS I ordered mine! Yay!
Then I can play on FMD at home too!! Boy! You're all gonna get so sick of me. :lol

[LT Garrix]

You know, I've had 3 compaq's, all premerger though, and never had any problems with them that weren't self inflicted.

I'm thinking my next purchase may be a Dell laptop once I've worn out the one I have now.

[sny]

I work in the IT Department, and my company has replaced all their old computers with Dells nationwide. From my experience with the ones we have, Dells are quite reliable.

I'll just say "me, too", because that's pretty much what I was going to post!

I have the sleek 'n' sexy black tower with a nice flat panel and all the bells and whistles. I got it for being good and not having had a new work computer for four years. It also has the required DRDs and Baby Draks running around on top. Which keeps the gremlins away.

[Coinean Crichton]

Funny you should ask..........
I have two Dell computers: one is a Latitude D600 laptop and it is the best machine that I have EVER worked with.
The other is a 2400 desktop..........I have had it for about 6 months or so, and have called the tech center at Dell 9 times.
The desk top is the slowest machine I have ever had to deal with. I don't know if it's software or hardware, but something is so wrong with this machine! As a matter of fact, I am sitting here waiting for a tech to call me from Dell so we can wipe my hard drive and reload all my software...........
if this sounds like something that you would enjoy, then by all means, dude, get a Dell.
If you want a really good laptop, then Dell is your company~but I am NOT happy with the desk top..........

[BillFrugge]

Yo, I'm here! :D

As everyone may know, I repair Dell computers as a Dell service provider (I do not work for Dell.) Naturally, I look at computers from the repair point-of-view. Most of my Dell service calls are on the laptops, but I occasionally get a service call for a desktop PC. A typical desktop problem for me runs along the lines of a failed hard drive or noisy fan, although I have seen a couple of dead computers.

Despite the fact that I see bad computers everyday, I really like Dell. If a part is needed, they overnight it -- rarely is the computer down for a week. If on-site service is available, go for it -- it is next day by 6PM. A lot of the desktop PCs have become tooless -- anyone can reach in and replace a part without a tech. (I've had many people shocked at how quick their computer was repaired.)

In contrast, when I go on a service call for some of Dell's competitors, I'm shocked at how long they've waited for service. My Dell customers are surprised at how soon we show up at the door. I think that every computer company tries to shrug off support at the helpdesk level, but I couldn't bear to be without my computer that long. (withdrawal symptoms, you know?) True, there are some 'Dell From Hell' stories, but most of the people I meet are satisfied.

[Boron]

Hey, Bill. I need to ask you a question. I bought MOH Pacific assault, and after installing it, it tells me my video card is not adequate. I have a Nvidia Geforce 4 MX 420. Do you have any suggestions for a video card?? I have a Dell 4500, 256 mb RAM, 80 gb HD, Intel pentium 4 2.0 ghz cpu. Any suggestions??

[BillFrugge]

Yeah, the MX 420 might be a bit too old at this point...

I just checked the specs on the Dimension 4500, and you can run a 4x AGP card at 1.5v. That's a mess, but it means that you've got the AGP v2.0 on the motherboard. You should be able to pick up one of the newer FX series and run it. I've got the FX 5700 LE Optima card, and I like it.

[BrowderChick]

The Dells are nice but the service sucks. If something happens you are basically on your own. The service center number will put you through a ringer.

[Defect9]

build your own. i can build a 3Ghz P4 thats really quiet for about $700.

[bubblez]

Dude, I've soooo got a Dell. Desktop 8300. Only problem so far has been IE 6 which has been mothballed and replaced by the Mozilla browser.

I would like to be able to build my own, though. Kinda like rolling your own (evil) cigarettes. You know exactly what you get and you don't mind the spit 'cause it's your own.

[Boron]

Yeah, the MX 420 might be a bit too old at this point...

I just checked the specs on the Dimension 4500, and you can run a 4x AGP card at 1.5v. That's a mess, but it means that you've got the AGP v2.0 on the motherboard. You should be able to pick up one of the newer FX series and run it. I've got the FX 5700 LE Optima card, and I like it.


Well, I ordered an FX 5700 LE Optima, and I thank you for your advice. I was worried that if I just jumped in and bought a card, it wouldn't be compatible with my system. I may need to cry on your shoulder again when it comes time to install it, but I don't see any immediate problems.
I really recommend dell to anybody buying a computer nowadays. I've been really impressed with my system, and if I buy another one, it will be a Dell, too.

[Coinean Crichton]

UPDATE~
After 3 1/2 hours on the phone and with reinstall discs in hand, my desktop is working much better. It was obviously a software glitch~ But in the last 6 months, I have called the tech center 9 times and spent hours-litterally hours-trying to get it to work right.
At this point, I still wouldn't give them better than a D on service-and a B+ for equipment...
This is just MHO...

[AgentSun]

i don't know about dell's service but when the usb port in my laptop screwed up, and it wouldn't read anything, all i had to do was go to the dell support website. all the information was there, and there are even forums for you to post questions in or look at other people's questions.

[BillFrugge]

I was worried that if I just jumped in and bought a card, it wouldn't be compatible with my system.

I never really took a good look at the AGP connector until I got the newer FX board and read the docs on it. I was also afraid about compatibility. I found out that the connector is physically different, so if it isn't compatible it won't connect. It looks to me like the v2.0 connector has been around a few years so there isn't much to worry about.

The card I bought was sold with the PNY name on it. They carry a lifetime warranty, and I have actually taken advantage of that. The hardest part about PNY is getting the RMA, but they also require a copy of the receipt. NOTE: Most store receipts are printed on thermal paper -- after time, that receipt is blank. Make a photocopy ASAP.

i don't know about dell's service but when the usb port in my laptop screwed up, and it wouldn't read anything, all i had to do was go to the dell support website. all the information was there, and there are even forums for you to post questions in or look at other people's questions.

I've found the forums to be a great source of help. The people in the forums tend to be more resourceful than the tech support desk.

[Vampgrrl]

I am Microsoft certified on Windows, Exchange server admin, Win2000 Server admin, PC tech all things Microsoft and Dell..



Get a Mac..
TRUST ME. I did. (Not that Windows is bad but it's Dell, their computers arent what they once were, and their support is terrible now)

[AgentSun]

comparing a dell to a mac is definitely not the case...you can't compare a dell to a mac. pc vs. mac sure, but obviously NYPinTA wanted a pc, so dell was a choice. i like dell as a pc, if you wanted a mac, then sure, but as for a pc brand, dell is entirely customizable and it's affordable. and their service support isn't wonderful sometimes but no service is 100% wonderful all the time. you just have to know where to look for information and support if dell's support isn't what will solve your problem. i looked on the dell.com support pages. they have massive message boards that have every problem you would ever encounter. you can search them too. to me, support lines aren't that necessary if i have the dell message boards and help tutorials.

[BlackThorn]

Build your own desktop. Then you have to learn how to be your own tech support, and if something goes wrong, you don't have to deal with rude people on the phone.

That said, my laptop's a Dell.

[AgentSun]

and if you don't know how, or if you can't find someone that you trust to build a good one for you that you would enjoy, dell is the most customizable brand out there.

[BlackThorn]

The information's free on the internet. Plenty of people have sites with instructions on how to build one, what parts are better for what needs, etc... I didn't know beans about putting computers together before I built mine. So I looked it up, eard what they had to say, and then when I followed the very simple directions, I found it was much easier than one would think. And now if something goes wrong, I'm more prepared to fix it. Just sayin' . . .

That said, I am very happy with Dell for my laptop. Customizable, good price for what I got, good support when there were some problems with my order.

[BillFrugge]

I have several Macs. They're a fine machine, and fun to use, but they're not without their problems. And Dell isn't the only company that makes hardware that runs Windows... But this isn't the time or place for platform wars.

I have built several machines, including the one I am currently running. It's fun to do, and you do learn some things. But when I add up the money I spent in upgrading this last one, I could have purchased an entirely new computer. I could have at least saved enough money to buy some more memory.

There have been problems in the past with compatibility. Some video cards have proven to be incompatible with certain chipsets used on motherboards. Purchasing a pre-built computer from a major brand at least gives you some insurance that all of the hardware will work together.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't build your own, but it is becoming impractical with the falling price of computers.

[sny]

There have been problems in the past with compatibility. Some video cards have proven to be incompatible with certain chipsets used on motherboards. Purchasing a pre-built computer from a major brand at least gives you some insurance that all of the hardware will work together.


And that, in a nutshell, is why I didn't build my own systems, despite working with computers day in and day out. (Well, that, and a desire to leave work at work...). Instead, I customized my system to suit my needs and ordered it online. My toughest job was clicking the mouse over a dropdown box. I wanted to be pampered when I bought a new machine. I didn't want to work for it.

Incidentally, my home computer isn't a Dell. It's an IBM. Never had a hiccup with either one I've owned, really. They've been pretty boring and reliable. In fact, I'm still using the IBM monitor I got with my first new computer back in 1994.

Every company has its advantages, disadvantages, quirks and strengths. A lot of support call centers are just some poor person reading from a script, and sometimes, they are really restricted to that script, or a series of questions/tests by regulations. And you can get a dud or a lemon from any company, unfortunately. I'm sure everyone's got at least one dud/horror story. I'm thinking when I get the upgrade bug again(which won't be for a good, long while, as I am lazy about moving my files), I might get a Dell, because I love my work machine, but I really only have one computer-related brand loyalty that probably won't budge.

I wish HP made all laser printers. They're built like tanks, easy on toner, lovely printing quality, and pretty much every other brand we've tried at work has been nothing but trouble for us. And I figured out the cost and realized it was actually cheaper for me to spring for the nice HP 2500L color laser and only refill the toner every blue moon than it was to have a cheap inkjet that needed $50 of ink refills every time you turn around.

HP has definitely made me love their printers. We have one Minolta on campus that we would like to shoot to tiny pieces when it finally dies. We got a dud that only works when it takes a notion to, won't work at all with the duplex unit attached, even though it's made by the same company for that model, and it won't rotate the drum properly to let you change the toner. You have to open the door and catch it in mid-rotation. And to top it all off, the company we ordered from refused to accept returns on that brand and only that brand, even though they acknowledged it was likely a lemon when it left the factory. And Minolta just shrugged at us when we asked what they were going to do about it. Kind of a red flag that this wasn't an isolated incodent, we thought. Ah, technology. Still put together by and operated by fallible people, sadly. I joked when I got my new work box that I could screw up twice as fast, now.

[AgentSun]

my roomates and i (there are three of us) all use HP printers. mine's the best. :)

[Pip_The_Great]

I enjoy my dell, I've had it for about a year and a half now and I've only had to force it to shut down on about three occasions. The Gateway my parents have, you have to do that about every other time you use it, so I guess my verdict would be Dells are good, but stay away from Gateway.

[Vampgrrl]

I guess I'm still bitter over run ins with Indian technical support at Dell, or hell even US tech support has gotten pretty bad.

I really do hate Dell now, they are becoming the Wal Mart of computers, crap service, low cost and push small players out of the market.

[sny]

I guess I'm still bitter over run ins with Indian technical support at Dell, or hell even US tech support has gotten pretty bad.


On the bright (sort of) side, Dell caught a LOT of flack over outsourcing their support to India. They received a great many complaints from customers and businesses about the quality of support and the rigid way the support personnel would stick to "the script", even if you could already tell them what was wrong. (Hard to get support when you can't understand each other.) Dell is in the process of moving their support centers back to the U.S. and is terminating all outsourcing, last I heard. They found having more expensive call centers was worth the happier customers.

Gateway used to be considered the best phone-based customer support company at one point, but I'm not sure any phone-support is all that stellar, these days. Been a while since I've seen a survey on that item. Years, probably. Online support is generally a better option these days. IBM wasn't bad, the one time I had to call, I spent a while on hold, but they were helpful and efficient once I got through.

HP's phone support for consumers and businesses makes you go through an evil (to me) voice-activated voicemail tunnel to get to someone, which is the only bit I hate. I feel 1) stupid talking to a machine and 2) angry when it doesn't understand and says "Let's try that again." Honey, I've got a Southern accent. When my HP box at work is possibly fryin' itself and making loud squealing alarm-y noises, I don't have time to listen to a freaky automaton voice ask me "Did you say CASA?" every time I breathe too loudly into the receiver!

[Vampgrrl]

Dell is in the process of moving their support centers back to the U.S. and is terminating all outsourcing, last I heard


Only for enterprise corporate customers, I know consumers will still talk to India and small business too [/quote]

[AgentSun]

i advocate learning about computers as much as you can, whether by taking classes or by just doing some digging online. i think that it's easier for consumers if they know something about what they're using, so they can at least be able to fix something themselves.

[sny]

Only for enterprise corporate customers, I know consumers will still talk to India and small business too

I thought the article I remembered reading indicated that was phase 1, and eventually (probably take a few years) all the call centers were probably moving back. But that was probably about a year ago, and one of the first articles to mention the backlash. Didn't read up much on it after that, since I don't own a Dell at home and don't call support at work.

The latest-dated articles I've found via Google do say that lower level "consumer" lines may still be routed to India, so they're probably more up to date than the article I read. Of course, if you're in the U.S. and buy an OptiPlex desktop or a Latitude notebook (both considered corporate line), you apparently shouldn't be routed to India. At least if I'm reading this article right and it's up to date. And if I were purchasing, I'd probably go with the OptiPlex, anyway, since that's what I'm familiar with from work.

http://news.com.com/Dell+drops+some+tech+calls+to+India/2100-7342_3-5110933.html?tag=nl

One of my coworkers does some work on the side for some other folks, and one of his consulting clients is Indian. His voicemails tend to (unfortunately) remind us of a rather hyper Apu from the Simpsons, and he has a lovely fondness for the phrase "I am not knowing." I met him in person once at a conference and thought "Whoo! This is accent city between the two of us!" Wonder if Nawtherners ever call the Tennessee and Texas support and think they can't understand the drawl?