PeeVee_Hermann said:
Hi
we're trying to decide what kind of new computer to get. Looking at
Dell stuff. Anybody here have a Dell? Good or bad experience?
Here is an entertaining anecdote about one man's struggle with Dell:
http://www.brokennewz.com/displaystory.asp_Q_storyid_E_1130mbcone
I wouldn't really base my actions on that story, however. As
entertaining as it is, there's not way to tell if it's representative of
the average user's experience.
I've purchased a number of Gateway systems because they give me the
right answers to a number of questions:
1) Will the PC case take standard parts, or do you have some sort of
freaky proprietary parts that I will have to use.
You see this less often now, but at one time it was popular to have
"stylin'" cases that need special parts to work. For instance, I have a
sony VAIO that uses a special floppy drive without a face plate, because
that part is molded into the case. When replacing it, I managed to
retrofit a regular $10 floppy drive instead of shelling out $25 for one
to make it look cosmetically perfect.
In a recent exchange with an HP Pavilion user, I noticed that their
cases have eject buttons mounted, on the case, for the optical drive
bays. Although it turns out that many standard drives will likely work,
you have to be careful to get the right one.
2) Does the system restore allow me to just reinstall the OS, without
all of the extra promotional software (read: crap) that the manufacturer
has seen fit to include with your system.
Gateway systems, thusfar, have come with bona fide *Windows* installers,
with application and driver installation done seperately. Perhaps Dell
has come around since I last checked, but if they are still distributing
a one-shot system restore, that would qualify as a deal breaker for me.
I noticed that a fairly recent HP machine I've seen still uses the
all-in-one restore.
A related piece of advice: Do a system restore as soon as you get the PC
and drop all of the trial crapware. Install software as you need it to
run an efficient system. Also, you might find some relief in this
regard by purchasing a small business computer, instead of a home user
system.
3) Can I call for technical support after my warranty expires, for a
per-incident fee?
Sony gets major kudos in this regard because they took my calls years
later for only $30. I can also attest they they seem to have a
relatively low ****wit ratio. Frontline techs generally were able to
ascertain that I had done my homework, and moved me on to a more
experienced engineer.
Gateway's phone support has been decent. My experiences with Dell and
HP have been poorer, but characterized by much fewer interactions, so
perhaps it just back luck for them (and me) that I got the idiots.
4) Ask if you can be give access to their tech support knowledge base
*before* you make the purchase.
The answer will be no, but I keep hoping. On your own, search the web
for the model/series that you are thinking of purchasing. Sometimes
these products have a design flaw that shows up early. You can save
yourself considerable grief by avoiding those lemons. Laptops, in
particular, can suffer nagging, irrevokable problems from bad design
decisions.
Good luck!
