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Why I could never buy a Dell or HP computer (rant)

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zridling:
Thanks for the tips, guys. Next time I will politely refuse the offer to help someone with a commercial computer, except to point them to the business machine section first. He didn't ask before purchasing, but I'll let him know for future machines that's what he needs to do.

Shades:
Totally agree with Deozaan on this one...I will gladly waver away any kind of support/guarantee plan from any laptop manufacturer even if that means sacrificing the rescue partition!

My laptop...my personal treasure chest so to speak. Get the (hardware) drivers from the original installation and start over from scratch. Now I have to say that I don't have (or see) any problem with using an copied Windows CD (the same version as was installed on the laptop originally!) using the Windows registration code provided on the bottom. In my point of view the license is payed for, and I can use whatever installation CD as long as it is the same version/edition (in my case an OEM Win2000).

Maybe that is why my HP Omnibook 6000 (PIII-500MHz-128MbRAM) still does a good job. No crap of any kind and that includes useless baggage as hardware specific software from the manufacturer as well! Using only the essential software you need on it and the life of your laptop will be greatly extended.

The only upgrade and re-install I did (after 6 years!) was changing its 6Gbyte harddisk for a 40Gbyte one. But in the mean time it has been a real lifesaver on many occasions.

Josh:
I have to stand by dell. For the past two systems, I have purchased from them, learning my lesson about building a system on my own when it is not really my passion. Yes, I can build a system given the time, but time has become a valuable commodity to me with the military and my family. Dell's warranty services are the best, turn around time just shy of two days for a received new part on failure. Their system configurations on their website make it very easy for me to customize their systems to my exact needs.

Also, when it comes to "crapware", my last system had about 4-5 apps I had to uninstall. Given how often I reformat, about once every year or so, this is a very very negligible annoyance and one I will gladly put up with to obtain a system that I know will work, continue to work, and if it breaks I can have it fixed without any out of pocket expense. Bravo to you Dell

J-Mac:
I have to stand by dell. For the past two systems, I have purchased from them, learning my lesson about building a system on my own when it is not really my passion. Yes, I can build a system given the time, but time has become a valuable commodity to me with the military and my family. Dell's warranty services are the best, turn around time just shy of two days for a received new part on failure. Their system configurations on their website make it very easy for me to customize their systems to my exact needs.

Also, when it comes to "crapware", my last system had about 4-5 apps I had to uninstall. Given how often I reformat, about once every year or so, this is a very very negligible annoyance and one I will gladly put up with to obtain a system that I know will work, continue to work, and if it breaks I can have it fixed without any out of pocket expense. Bravo to you Dell
-Josh (June 04, 2008, 12:19 AM)
--- End quote ---

I'll agree to a point - warranty services are much better for the business site than for home users.  Last time I purchased a Dell (prior to this last notebook), all Home service had been outsourced to India.  now I don't usually have any problem with that.  When I was still able to work I spent time at my company's Mumbai office and had (still have, actually) a lot of respect for the engineers and designers there.  As talented as any I have known.  But Dell had apparently gone the "cheap" route. Their Indian techs were extremely poor from an English language standpoint, and they only read from scripts - the same as you could read on the Dell support site or in the user manual.  No higher tier there, and they would not transfer you to the US offices.

And though their crapware levels are way down presently, they used to put a ton of it on their Home systems five years ago and prior. You couldn't even pay them to leave it off!

Jim

Deozaan:
Yeah, and members of the military get really good technical support contracts with Dell.

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