I just bought a Dell...Don't ask me anything.

[JM]

I am not happy about it. I didn't want to spend the money, especially at Dell. We just had a computer die, and based on my limited skills, it looks like it is the motherboard. The only good thing is Dell generally builds better equipment than Compaq did with their desktops.

No video on boot. I checked with another monitor, tried a new video card, and nothing changed.

So here I am, buying a computer in a hurry since it is for the kids and they are going through withdrawals. If it were for me, I would be having a local build a box for me to spec.

Later,
JM

[pinkpops]

1. and your support will come from

India (unless you are a corporate customer)

[JM]

3. A major reason

why I am not happy about it. I hope not to have to get support from them. In the 4 years we had the Compaq piece of shit, I didn't call them once. I just fixed and replaced parts on my own as necessary.

My custom box I have now had for nearly 5 years and have yet to have an issue. All I have had to do is upgrade the drive. That machine rocks. If I could locate the guy who built it, I would order more from him. Last I heard he is in Guam...

Later,
JM

[Deja Q]

11. Well, their American support wasn't hot either

8 years ago, an associate of mine bought Dell.

They were having some problems with it (file corruption) and asked me to look. I diagnosed it, said the hard drive was failing.

They called Dell.

Dell dude came over.

Said nothing was wrong.

Two days later, the hard drive had died completely. If it weren't for me, all the data would have been lost.

_|_ to you, Dell. x( (remember what _|_ did? :-) )

[Shakespeare]

17. Not necessarily--story last week said they're reversing that move

Because of all the attention this has gotten, and because they've apparently been flooded with calls and letters from angry customers, they're moving the customer support jobs they'd outsourced to India back to the states. They never should've moved them TO India, but at least they're making a move in the right direction now.

I have mixed emotions about Dell. I've disagreed with a lot of their business decisions, but they DO seem to listen to feedback from their customers. They also stopped using prison labor to recycle their computers after that got attention (and resulted in negative feedback).

[muchacho]

2. computer buying

I'm looking at laptops now and based on feedback here and other places on the web (Consumer Reports, CNET, etc) I'm going with a Toshiba Satellite M35-S359 .

[JM]

4. Toshiba makes

some serious laptops. I had a Tecra for several years and it was an absolute workhorse.

Later,
JM

[GregW]

5. Bummer! I have had nothing but good experiences

All my home computers are Dell for about as long as I can remember, as are our standard desktops at just about every company I have worked for the past 10 years. I have known friends and co-workers who own Dells to have had to use onsite service on occasion and again, no problems.

Guess you got a lemon :(

[JM]

6. I had no trouble with Dell either

Compaq build the pice of shit the kids were using.

I just didn't want to support the big boys that are offshoring.

Later,
JM

[SiobhanClancy]

7. I've had my Dell for over a year...

and I've never had any problems with it. I had to get in touch with them once when I first got it because I had a question,and the service was prompt and very courteous.

[Ernesto]

14. I'm with you Greg

After years of fighting (NEC,HP,etc) the manufacturers, I went to the custom clone boxes. Then went through more agony..... Finally got a Dell. What a difference! Great performance. Now I we have 2 Dells in the home..... 2 Dells, 7 cumlative years= only 1 glitch! My 11 year old dialed the 800 number and in 10 minutes was up & running.

[Another Bill C.]

8. My Dells

I'd been assembling my own since 1987 but three years ago my son bought a Dell for me. I've had absolutely no problem with it. I bought a Dell laptop a year ago -- same story.

[Old and In the Way]

9. I've got a 325N Laptop.

That's a 386/25MHz machine - that still runs fine...Dell makes excellent stuff, although I don't share Mr. Dell's politics.

[prolesunited]

10. What about Gateway?

I've had two of those and any problems I've had (like speakers that went bad) were quickly resolved. Are they doing the same thing with their CS?

[coloradodem2005]

12. Dude, you're gettin a Dell

[Ratty]

13. I LOVE Dell

I bought my last computer from them over 3 years ago and I'm fixing to buy my next one soon. Several years earlier I paid somebody to build a custom system for me. It turned out to be way too expensive. I was shocked. Plus, he wasn't able to get the very latest state of the art components (they always save those for the big OEMs before they're available to the general masses).

I actually used to work in the PC systems office where I work. We'd build computers, install them, trouble shoot them, so I *do* know my way around a PC but I've never been tempted to build my own. First, I don't have the tools at home, second I don't have the space, third I'm lazy, but fourth I haven't kept up with all the latest technology and when you're talking drivers and interrupts and plug-n-play, it makes all the difference in the world.

Playing the latest games is important for me so I need a top of the line system, optimized for games and I'm amazed at what Dell was able to set up for me. My computer plays games far better than other systems with similar specs.

The only crappy thing about Dell was how they kept nagging me to buy all their extended warranties. When the basic one-year warranty expired they kept calling me AT WORK trying to get me to buy more. I finally screamed at them to STOP CALLING ME! Next time, I'm not giving them my phone number!

[Character Assassin]

15. MPC and/or Systemax, citizen.

If you're going to ditch it, give me a PM

[patdem]

16. Compaq is not a good computer to add to...Dell is just

a good quality built from scratch computer.