UNSOLVED
Are Dells Still Good?
Yesterday I ordered a new Dell for over $4000. Since then I'm hearing nothing good about them. Here's what one person just emailed me and she's had computers for 17 yrs. Is this all true?? I'm starting to feel sick and I don't even have it yet. I saved a long time for my dream machine and I should be excited, and not feeling like I just flushed the money down the toilet :( ~~Ruth~~
SHE SAID:
I ordered the PC on August 14, 2000 ( 17 months ago). You are either very lucky or don't use the PC as often as other folks.Ya know, the more you use a PC, the likely you are to see problems too.
As far as a bargan price," I will let you be the judge of that by showing you what I ordered, which by the way cost me nearly $4,000.00 in 2000. I don't call a 75 GIG hard drive a bargain, do you? How about 384 MB memory? 21 inch monitor?
I have the EXTENDED "In-Home" service too and have had to use it when they "Replaced the Mother board, Hard Drive, A-Drive, & Video Card " after I had it 6 months. 24 hr service? NOPE! Do they send the contractor the right components to be installed? Not with me! Even the Contractor said Dell is using tech Support in India.. It doesn't matter where the "Support" comes from as long as they KNOW what they are doing. One tech had me install the wrong drivers which ended up a mess and the PC had to be reformatted.
All systems change and so do Companies. Dell had such a great reputation when I bought this PC which is why I called Dell. Could the company be getting too big fer there britches?
Upset, Yes I am upset and one thing you all will learn about me is I document like crazy and I don't lie.Maybe members in this group KNOW how long I had the dell before I began having problems and I know many more horrow stories concerning Dell PC's. Truthfully, I think it's sad because at one time they were the Top of the Line PC's :-(
Well here is what I bought and by the way, they Swore on the phone that I didn't purchase my "Network Card from them". I think it was deleivered to me on August 22 and I won't EVEN go into that story of the delivery!
SHE SAID:
I ordered the PC on August 14, 2000 ( 17 months ago). You are either very lucky or don't use the PC as often as other folks.Ya know, the more you use a PC, the likely you are to see problems too.
As far as a bargan price," I will let you be the judge of that by showing you what I ordered, which by the way cost me nearly $4,000.00 in 2000. I don't call a 75 GIG hard drive a bargain, do you? How about 384 MB memory? 21 inch monitor?
I have the EXTENDED "In-Home" service too and have had to use it when they "Replaced the Mother board, Hard Drive, A-Drive, & Video Card " after I had it 6 months. 24 hr service? NOPE! Do they send the contractor the right components to be installed? Not with me! Even the Contractor said Dell is using tech Support in India.. It doesn't matter where the "Support" comes from as long as they KNOW what they are doing. One tech had me install the wrong drivers which ended up a mess and the PC had to be reformatted.
All systems change and so do Companies. Dell had such a great reputation when I bought this PC which is why I called Dell. Could the company be getting too big fer there britches?
Upset, Yes I am upset and one thing you all will learn about me is I document like crazy and I don't lie.Maybe members in this group KNOW how long I had the dell before I began having problems and I know many more horrow stories concerning Dell PC's. Truthfully, I think it's sad because at one time they were the Top of the Line PC's :-(
Well here is what I bought and by the way, they Swore on the phone that I didn't purchase my "Network Card from them". I think it was deleivered to me on August 22 and I won't EVEN go into that story of the delivery!
674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 09:00
rloger,
Are Dells still good? Yes without a doubt. USE those thirty days and if not completely satisfied after many sleepless nights of going over your invoice and parts received and trying everything out then return it. So you lose the shipping costs. Big deal. Costs only 40 dollars to return. Just think you can use a new computer for a month and if you don't like it you can return it no questions asked. You are already off to a great start by posting at Delltalk. Obviously you are the kind of person that stays on top of things. Just stay that way and keep posting questions.
Four thousand dollars does sound high....average new top of the line new computer price is 2500 to 3..... gather you did not get the free shipping deal.
Considering most people buy from Dell to get a good deal and is new user friendly and still get quality products. I think you made a wise decision to go with Dell.
Hmmm....is that including printer, scanner, camera, extra software???
I agree, TELL US what all are you buying so we can comment and advise. Just list out the specs one by one. Include everything. Showing off later will be unacceptable. Just kidding.
I love my all bells and whistles custom built Dell and I love all that I have learned since I owned my Dell 6 months ago from using Delltalk. I have learned so much I am eager to build my own just cause I can not because this puppy has let me down in any way.
You may kick yourself a few times for not knowing down the road. But that is what you are really paying the most for...your lack of knowing. As one or two wise men have already said, "knowledge is power." Hopefully you can afford to hang out at Delltalk. It's another reason why so many people buy from Dell. Welcome. :)
Message Edited on 01/24/02 04:35AM by gothummingbird674
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Posted January 24th, 2002 10:00
i too had concerns about dell and how it seems they leave you hanging,when i got my 8100 in 12/2000.
it did look like they didn't put any time into testing the pc's before marketing them.
but a lot of the problems are just 'tweaking' 'fine tuning' their pc's. dell just needs to put a little more care in that, because a lot of us don't understand the in's and out's of a pc.
and when a problek does arise they should take care of it, not turn the other cheek or pass the buck or as you said playing the stalling game.
so many times here at the forum i see the same problems over and over and over. when dell sees that there is a commond problem, they should send out a news letter to all dell owners addressing these problems and direct them to the proper site to correct the problem.
this way it would show dell is on top of things. it shows the highest customer care and their rating would go thru the roof.
---------------------
that 30 days scares me. someone can do alot of damage in 30 days. what does dell do with returns? repack them and sell them new again? if they drop a big juicy steak on the floor they don't just throw it away and cook up another...
don't get me wrong, i love my dell and think i got a great deal but companies always forget where they come from... 'they' are there because 'we' are here... without the customer, their is no company...
it would be interesting to know the statistics on satifaction rate...
i bet dell still would blow the competion away...
good luck with your situation...
Rich
674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 12:00
I'm satisfied with mine overall. It just doesn't like games. Remember, people usually only post problems or complaints in these forums. You don't often hear from the people who are happy and content with their computers. Don't be too discouraged by what you read here. You may never encounter most of the problems you read about here. If you have any problems, post them here and we'll do what we can to help. If we can't help, then call support. Enjoy your new system but don't try to fix it if it isn't broken by doing unnecessary tweaking.
Mecadon
Dell Dimension 8100
Windows ME with BIOS A09
1.5 Gh Pentium 4
256 Mb RAM PC800
40 Gb hard drive (7200 rpm)
32 Mb Nvidia video card (tv out)
Soundblaster Live sound card
16x DVD ROM drive
16x10x40 CD-RW drive
17" Trinitron
AL speakers with subwoofer
Epson 777 printer674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 12:00
for games..., this system is great,
i play games like Quake 3 Arena, which is power hungry,
and the graphics are EX-CEL-LENT!!!
- DELL DIMENSION 8100
- PENTIUM 4
- 1.4GHZ
- 128RM
- WinMe
- 40gig Hard Drive
- SAMSUNG DVD-ROM SD-612
- CD-RW 16X 10X 40X
- CREATIVE SOUNDBLASTER LIVE
- NVIDIA TNT2 M64
- 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller
- Lexmark Z52
- Mustek 1200III EP
674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 13:00
rloger wrote:
- Yesterday I ordered a new Dell for over $4000.
- Since then I'm hearing nothing good about them.
- Here's what one person just emailed me and she's had
- computers for 17 yrs. Is this all true?? I'm
- starting to feel sick and I don't even have it yet.
- I saved a long time for my dream machine and I
- should be excited, and not feeling like I just
- flushed the money down the toilet
~~Ruth~~
Ruth:
My first computer was an IBM. On the IBM forum there was plenty problems posted everyday... the big difference in their forum and DellTalk... IBM would delete any message that bad mouthed IBM.
I returned my first two IBM'S. The third one still performs today and never has had a hardware problem.
Just remember how many computers Dell sell everyday.... there is always going to be some problems in anything that is man made.
I received my new Dell three days after I placed the order. The only complain I have had was the clock gained about a minute a day. I tried all the suggestions that were posted but nothing helped. So I downloaded/installed Rocket Clock and solved my problem. I did have a problem with my cable ISP. I called Dell tech, thinking it was the computer. He spent quite some time talking me through some checks and after he was dead sure he said it was a problem with my cable. The Dell tech sure seem to know his job. I called my ISP and they took care of the problem.
Good luck!
Dimension 8200 @ 1.8GHz
In Service 12/06/01
512MB PC800 RDRAM
40GB, ATA-100, 7200RPM, HD
64MB NVIDIAGeForce2 MX Graphics Card
1024 DigitalSound Card
10/100 PCI Fast Ethernet NIC
21 in. P1130 Trinitron Monitor
16X/10X/40X CD-RW Drive
Windows XP Home
Toshiba PCX1100 Cable Modem
IE 6.02, Netscape 6.2
Zone Alarm
God Bless the USA
674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 14:00
If you are spending $4000 for a new computer, I would STRONGLY suggest investing another $100 in a UPS/surge suppressor. Most problems where multiple components fail, as in the first posting, are caused by electrical problems.
As for dropping prices, they will continue to drop. No one can do anything about this. $4000 next year at this time will buy a lot more hardware. A computer is a tool, afterall. Do not expect is to appreciate in value. This will not happen.
My criterian for purchasing a new computer was waiting until XP came along. I have wanted a new computer from mid 2001. I just waited, knowing I would want to upgrade eventually.
Despite the problems I had getting a good set of ADA995 speakers, I am quite happy with my 8200, also with an M991 monitor.
A $4000 machine must be a real beauty!
Charles,
Tag # 6VMY111674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 14:00
I got an 8200 and M991 monitor about a week ago. Everything works flawlessly, fans are quiet, and the 19" monitor is great. You really can't appreciate the Dell system quality until you sit down in front of it and start exploring. The state of the art xp driven audio and visual experience really is impressive. I also know how the forums can freak you out while you're considering a buy or waiting for an order. It seems like alot of posts are operating system / software / periphial / driver incompatibility problems that were not installed or otherwise caused by Dell. I would screw up a system faster than anybody if I tried most any alteration. For people like me, "factory installed" and tested components , accessories, software, drivers, and reinstallation / repair cd's give you the best chance of long term, trouble free operation. A Dell can be very good.
674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 19:00
i have a 8100 i bought in june. i have upgraded to xp which was a little difficult but worth the hassle. i bought the video system to convert home movies to digital with the origional system. never did get it to work. Dell replaced all of the components still did not work. returned to dell for a refund and bought the Dazzle system which worked fine. I have a problem with the integrated 3 com card which Dell does not seem to have a fix for. I have bought hundreds of machines at my work and 2 at home from Dell. I have been more dissatisfied with my experience with this one than any in the past. However let me say i have had experience with other companys and they are no better. With the exception of the network card i had to disable the system is working fine now.
301
0
Posted January 25th, 2002 01:00
I continue to believe that the hardware is good. I think most of the problems are related to the extra software and special items. Dell's software support is thin. I have gotten great hardware support. I have purchased 7 computers, and the Dells are the only brand without a hardware failure of some type.
nilo
2 Intern
•
491 Posts
674
0
Posted January 24th, 2002 08:00
If you don't have buyer's remorse, you haven't spent enough money :-)
I have had a Dell XPS-T600 since September 1999. I really have no complaints. My boss has a Dell Dimension 4100 he bought in in 2000. The fan was a bit noisy, but he's satisfied. My mom has a Dimension L433c purchased in late 1999. It's been very reliable.
I helped a friend set up a new Dell 4400 almost two weeks ago. We had a bit of trouble getting the DVD drive to play CDs burned on his CD-RW, but now it's working fine. Fan is quiet.
My take on this is, Dell tech support has slipped a bit in the past couple years (growing pains?). But it's still probably better than anybody else's. I'm not trying to say that owners should settle for mediocrity. Demand satisfaction. But I also think that 80 to 90 percent of problems are caused by software and user error -- NOT hardware.
Also be aware that most of the people posting on Dell Talk have problems. That's why they post. The people who don't post are having NO problems. Dell Talk is a great resource. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here. And, regardless of what you think about Dell, the fact that they allow people to post terrible things about them here says something about the company. They could easily delete negative posts. Nobody else I've seen has a board this good.
And remember, you have a 30-day return privilege. Put your new computer through its paces.
In short, you probably can't do better than Dell. Sheesh, I sound like a commercial. Regardless, if I had to order a new computer today, it would still be a Dell.
I'd love to know what you're getting that costs $4,000.
Message Edited on 01/24/02 04:31AM by nilo
Message Edited on 01/24/02 04:36AM by nilo