IDIOTIC REASON

Question

I have been waiting to buy a Dell Inspiron 8600 for about 6 months...best system for the money out there! Today I'm getting ready to buy it, and I discover that ONLY the 'promotional' models have the Serial and Parallel ports, and NOT the models they sell. Their reason was, 'we are moving forward in technology'! What a LAME, idiotic reason. YES I'm very angry, I really had my heart on this laptop, and YES, a parallel and Serial are important to me.   I WILL NEVER RECOMEND DELL to anyone again.   Joseph Pereira

quietpc · Answer

Try the refurbs in the outlet. You can view the system details & be sure you're getting one with those ports. Oooooor......you can always go to ebay & buy from a reputable seller there.

I don't know that I'd say I *prefer* the outlet, persay, but I have had the best luck with them. I've had very few probs with refurb equipment (my philosophy is that systems get looked over twice as much as new since they're run thru the gammit twice) and had good luck with new as well, but recorded a few more probs with the new equipment. Just my .02!

ejn63 · Answer

If you want the legacy ports, buy a Latitude D800. They have them, along with a pointing stick, additional USB ports and slightly different trim.

jwerfel · Answer

how do you shop for a machine for 6 months and only now realize it doesn't have what you want? The 8600 hasn't had the legacy ports for a while now, I agree its annoying and stupid, but its not the end of the world. You can get serial and parallel ports through USB easy if you really need it. You might try reading some documentation in the 6 months it takes to shop. Anyway, the person before me was right, go with the D800 if you want the legacy ports. I have the D800 and its a good machine.

jpereiradfgsd · Answer

Q: how do you shop for a machine for 6 months and only now realize it doesn't have what you want?

A: Because 6 months or so ago both ports were offered!

Comment: Go with the D800 if you want the legacy ports

A: D800 has a Go5650 "imbedded" graphics chip and I need Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo

I'm going to see if I can get a refurbished that has them; if not I'll have to go with a PCMCIA solution.

It really bother me that some clueless higher up decided, "hey, lets save a few dollars by removing these ports"! I can see doing it if you would at least increase the 2 USB, or the MEASLY one card slot. There is ABSOLUTLY no reason to do this, other then PURE GREED, or just STUPIDITY.

All that being said, for the money, no one touches the Inspiron 8600 and what you get.

Joseph

Nirolf · Answer

There are many people who don't need those ports. Yes, the new technology is here. If you really need those ports you can use a USB converter. I can understand, that there are some peripherals you don't want to change or upgrade, but DELL as a company has to move forward. You are talking about a laptop, so everything counts, and if you can take something out, it's more space inside, less IRQs and memory addresses to block and a better cooling.

I had serial and parallel on my old I8200 and never used them in the last two years, so I'm happy I don't have them on my 9200.

jpereiradfgsd · Answer

You said, 'but DELL as a company has to move forward.' How exactly have they moved forward by removing these two ports, and not using the extra space for anything??? This laptop is in dire need of an extra pcmcia slot, USB and Firewaire ports, BUT none were added.   In my opinion, Dell has NOT moved one inch forward by removing these two ports; as a mater of fact they have moved backward.   The sales rep confided in me when I told her how disappointed I was by this decision to omit the two ports; she stated that there were many others that were just as bewildered as myself as to why management made this decision.

GreyMack · Answer

Yeah, and what am I supposed to do with all these 5 1/4 floppies I've got!?! GM

quietpc · Answer

Although (and believe me I'm not *trying* to defend Dell) truth be told........these units are not *designed* by Dell, they're designed by ODM's.  The ODM's are the ones choosing what we get & don't get.   I will, however, defend the slot decisions with one caveat!  With wireless now taking up most folks' Mini-PCI slot instead of pcmcia, I can certainly see why they dropped the 2nd slots.  I have a 3yr old Thinkpad that has only have used 1 slot from day 1 and if it had mini PCI, I'd even have ditched that slot long ago for onboard wireless.   The caveat I find unexcuseable is that they haven't replaced the aforementioned legacy ports with more USB 2.0.  At least with more USB 2.0 that gives us the option to add more stuff.......and in different places too, I  might add.  My 600m's usb ports are on the back and while I really only use the usb ports for my card reader (digicam) I do wish that they were on one of the sides or even front.  Obviously this is not nearly as a big a deal as it is on a desktop, just a *wish* kinda' thing.   If you ddidn't plan on onboard wireless, I'd say DO IT.  The option is worth it.  Even after the fact it's only like $30-$40 to add even from Dell.

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IDIOTIC REASON

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