Would you buy a Dell?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John McWilliams
  • Start date Start date
Michael said:
So, based on the fact that one dell PC has never given trouble in 6 years the entire world should buy dell? :-)
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I would recommend an eMachine. With so many people having problems,
they're "ripe" to produce a good one.
 
I would recommend an eMachine. With so many people having problems,
they're "ripe" to produce a good one.
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<Sigh>
Everyone feels their choice is best, and for them that may be
true. Buyers have different needs and there are choices to suit
those needs whether from Dell or a shop-built clone or
wherever... main thing is to know what you're buying if the
potential difference is worth the time required to find out.

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with a Dell system for someone
wanting a complete, ready to use system that isn't expected to
accomdate as many upgrades as a clone box. That's not to suggest
a clone box automatically is better in this regard but "could"
be. They have their purpose and fill a niche nicely. I'd just
as soon recommend a Dell as a clone box built by a shop I wasn't
VERY familiar with... seem too many crap components used to max
profit at local shops, at least with Dell there is more of an
assurance they'll maintain a certain quality level.
 
I make plenty of money repairing Dells.


Gary

If you are going to buy instead of building your own.Than dell is the
one to buy.I have a dell that is 6 years old and has never give any trouble.
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I make plenty of money repairing Dells.


Gary
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.... and yet, of all the problems we see in this NG, very few are
Dell systems. I'm not implying anything, it's just a simple
fact.
 
kony said:
... and yet, of all the problems we see in this NG, very few are
Dell systems. I'm not implying anything, it's just a simple
fact.
Click to expand...

Could that indicate that people who buy Dells just get them fixed under
warranty? Or could it mean that if you're, ummmm, the sort of person who
buys a Dell then you aren't the sort of person who would know about usenet
or be interested in fixing it yourself anyway?

There are a myriad of possible reasons for your observation. :-)
 
... and yet, of all the problems we see in this NG, very few are
Dell systems. I'm not implying anything, it's just a simple
fact.
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Most of the folks who ate pickles 125 years ago...are now dead.

I'm not implying anything, it's just a simple fact.

lol



Have a nice week...

Trent©

NUDITY...birth control for folks over 50!
 
Could that indicate that people who buy Dells just get them fixed under
warranty? Or could it mean that if you're, ummmm, the sort of person who
buys a Dell then you aren't the sort of person who would know about usenet
or be interested in fixing it yourself anyway?

There are a myriad of possible reasons for your observation. :-)
Click to expand...


You could be right, it may be how a large percentage of problems
are handled, yet there are so many Dells out there that even a
minor percentage would be signficant. I've always considered
Compaqs to the the "pc from hell" but even they have improved
them and increased standardization over past years. If there is
one thing I'd beware of in modern OEM systems is whether they're
using power hungry CPU and/or video card and an ample power
supply to promote long life and upgradability... one of the major
failings of some Compaqs but especially eMachines.
 
kony wrote:

No more pickles for me!
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Making some nice beet pickles today, they'll be be good for a couple
years then start turning weaker color, and mushy taste. Kinda like old
computers, they too only last so long; and BTW yep me too will be dead
in another 75 years or so. ;)
 
kony wrote:



Making some nice beet pickles today, they'll be be good for a couple
years then start turning weaker color, and mushy taste. Kinda like old
computers, they too only last so long; and BTW yep me too will be dead
in another 75 years or so. ;)
Click to expand...

You might be wrong on BOTH counts!

The days of Bones are just around the corner. You may hafta transport
to the moon, however, for any minor changes to your body. If its a
complex operation, you may even need to venture to another solar
system. But it shouldn't take more than a few seconds to get there.

People will continue to live longer...and so will computers.



Have a nice week...

Trent©

NUDITY...birth control for folks over 50!
 
kony said:
You could be right, it may be how a large percentage of problems
are handled, yet there are so many Dells out there that even a
minor percentage would be signficant. I've always considered
Compaqs to the the "pc from hell" but even they have improved
them and increased standardization over past years. If there is
one thing I'd beware of in modern OEM systems is whether they're
using power hungry CPU and/or video card and an ample power
supply to promote long life and upgradability... one of the major
failings of some Compaqs but especially eMachines.
Click to expand...

You'll get no argument from me on Compaqs,they're the most proprietary PC
I've ever encountered,they use substandard,underpowered power supplies that
can't be upgraded,and their support is so bad that I've never gotten a
correct answer from them,twice I've had to return replacement parts because
they don't even know what's in their own systems.If people with Dells aren't
complaining because the problems are getting fixed under warranty,then their
support must be infinitely better than Compaq's!
 
You'll get no argument from me on Compaqs,they're the most proprietary PC
I've ever encountered,they use substandard,underpowered power supplies that
can't be upgraded,and their support is so bad that I've never gotten a
correct answer from them,twice I've had to return replacement parts because
they don't even know what's in their own systems.If people with Dells aren't
complaining because the problems are getting fixed under warranty,then their
support must be infinitely better than Compaq's!
Click to expand...

Isn't the average Dell warranty now 1 year? If so it's not very
long to get warranty work done, especially considering that a
PC's worst flaw is the nut behind the mouse, one who may start
fiddling with system more after that "new" feel wears off.
 
kony said:
Isn't the average Dell warranty now 1 year? If so it's not very
long to get warranty work done, especially considering that a
PC's worst flaw is the nut behind the mouse, one who may start
fiddling with system more after that "new" feel wears off.
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It's even worse with Gateway. My nephew recently purchased a machine
from them. 90 days warranty and support, or one year for an additional $50.
 
Grinder said:
It's even worse with Gateway. My nephew recently purchased a machine
from them. 90 days warranty and support, or one year for an additional
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$50.

I believe that most big dealers offer a year at most,they figure they can
make extra money by offering warranty extensions.But 90 days is ridiculously
short,and people I've known who bought Gateways seemed to have a lot of
problems with them.
 
Who said:
$50.

I believe that most big dealers offer a year at most,they figure they can
make extra money by offering warranty extensions.But 90 days is ridiculously
short,and people I've known who bought Gateways seemed to have a lot of
problems with them.
Click to expand...

I have to offer a counter-anecdote here. I've been very happy with a
Gateway that I purchased a few years ago. Notably:

1) I received actual actual OS (Win 2000) installer, not a homegrown
system restore. (It does check the bios to see if it's installing to a
Gateway machine however.)

2) Not a lot of pre-installed crapware. (trialware versions of
software whose principle purpose is to spend additional money with
someone for a product or servious of dubious value.)

3) No proprietary hardware.

4) I well-designed, but not extravagent, case. Thumbscrews, PCI
tension bar, quick-release drive bays (without having to mount rails)
and adequate airflow. (No case fans though.)

5) A good stable PSU that had some to spare -- 350W.

Around the same time, I purchased a similar machine for my parents.
Both machines have performed well for nearly three years now.

Although my nephews machine has come with a lot of extra plastic
"effect" on his case, it appears to be a similar endeavor. There's a
lot more junk pre-installed though -- I wish that was an option on their
"build a system" page. The machine is a refurb, and I couldn't beat the
price. $400 bucks got us a 2.7Ghz Pentium 4, 256Mb RAM, 40 Gb drive,
32 Mb AGP video card, PCI Sound card, onboard network, USB, ... Perhaps
I don't know where to shop, but I just could get all those components
together for less.

Adding up all of the Gateway's I've owned or maintained over the last 10
years, I have to say that they have given me less trouble than any other
major label. At the bottom of the pile: Packard Bell, and nowdays,
Compaq. At any rate, it's only opinion, and opinion based upon a
relatively small sample size.
 
kony said:
IMHO, there is nothing wrong with a Dell system for someone
wanting a complete, ready to use system that isn't expected to
accomdate as many upgrades as a clone box.
Click to expand...

My former company bought Dells by the pallet load and we rarely ever had
problems that weren't caused by the user. If the box worked when it was
powered up, it usually worked for years without problem. When my home
system needed upgrading, I bought a Dell box and have no regrets. I have
built dozens of systems for myself and others and I wouldn't hesitate to
buy another Dell, it's the best value for the money if you need the whole
system including software.
 
A Dell desktop might seem to be low cost if someone must have an
Intel based system with a brand name on the box. There are more
attractive alternatives, such as AMD based systems with carefully
chosen components. I am fairly sure that at each price point I can
find higher performing alternatives using an AMD cpu. As for
notebooks, one could probably get much better value from an
AMD based HP or Compaq than from a Dell.
 
A Dell desktop might seem to be low cost if someone must have an
Intel based system with a brand name on the box. There are more
attractive alternatives, such as AMD based systems with carefully
chosen components. I am fairly sure that at each price point I can
find higher performing alternatives using an AMD cpu.
Click to expand...


Dell often has additional discounts, coupons, rebates to result
in price MUCH lower than regular website pricing, making it
possible to end up with about same performance per CPU if you can
accept their chosen parts, which many power users wouldn't, and
even then it's for a system wilth minimal amounts of memory, so
it's cheaper to buy with least memory possible then add your own.


With additional discounts it's impossible to build for same price
when considering value of included software, but many of us don't
need the SW beyond windows if that's the target OS. I build my
own boxes but some people aren't as picky.... some don't even
upgrade because they need high performance, it's just that their
old box died and it wasn't cost-effective to pour $ into it.
 
JK said:
I am fairly sure that at each price point I can
find higher performing alternatives using an AMD cpu.
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Using an AMD would be the only way. In another forum, a guy claimed he
could build a higher performance AMD system for 10% less than the price of
a similiar Dell. He picked the Dell and got close but never did it. When
the Christmas sales start, you can forget it, you can't touch their
prices.

I bought my Dell 2.5 years ago during a Christmas sale and I could sell it
today for about the same price I paid for it. That's value.
 
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