Laptop Support Improvement Lesson: Get the right answer

I needed a new laptop and asked Dell for a recommendation by providing how I will use it most: playing downloadable PC games, Office-related work and Internet. Obviously, resolution was important in this case and the ability to automatically switch resolution when entering a game or switching to another app with game still open. I never thought to ask for automatic switching as it's practically a standard.

Dell recommended Studio 1537 -- I studied specs and it was a winner. Great laptop except for two things:

1. No USB port in the back (due to screen unfolding). While it's not critical, I keep hitting the USB thumb drive on the side. I never hit it when was in the back.
2. Resolution would not switch automatically.

So first I contact Dell Chat support. (Thank you for offering chat as an option -- great for the deaf, too.) The tech said the laptop did NOT have automatic switching -- only manual. I really need it to automatically switch because of my frequent going back and forth between game and document / browser.

So I wrote a complaint to customer support explaining my conversation with tech support. Customer support send me back to tech support giving links to email and chat support. I clearly stated I had already talked to tech support and yet they told me to do it again. I replied to customer support clarifing that I had already gone to tech support. They said the same thing again -- go to tech support.

For the heck of it, I contacted tech support again, only I emailed this this time because I didn't have time to waste on a chat. Email takes up less of my time even though it won't be instant like chat. Once again, I explained that I needed a solution or to change laptops to one that can do automatic switching (I have an old Dell laptop and it does it fine). They replied it doesn't work on Dell laptops (and I know this is not true because we've owned many Dells). Then they said they didn't understand the problem.

I wrote back (it must've been the 5th time I touched base with Dell) explaining step by step.

This time, they replied to update my BIOS (newest was May 29, 2009. I ordered my Dell on June 11, 2009. Why didn't it come shipped with the newer BIOS? OK, so it was barely two weeks, so I can let that go... BUT Dell also told me to upgrade the graphics driver. My laptop's driver was dated October 2008. The new one was dated November 2008! This one should have already been updated before I got the computer as it was MONTHS ago.

This solution worked. But I would've never gotten it if I hadn't pushed for it knowing automatic switching should be a standard. Not everyone will think that and keep pushing.

Lessons
1. Why didn't the first Dell tech support person tell me to update BIOS and video driver in the first place?

2. Customer support didn't pay attention to the fact I said I contacted tech support already (good thing they ignored it because I ended up finding a technician who actually knew what he was doing).

3. All of this took a lot of my time, when it didn't have to.

4. Automatic resolution switching MUST be standard in all computers. Even I didn't think to ask if it came with it because I figured it was a given.

Thanks.