Any one got a Dell???? Opinons????

[GT_03]

I just got approved for a Dell computer, and thinkg about getting one by weeks end. I was just curious if anyone had any feedback about them. I'm kinda torn, i asked the only 2 people that know alot about computers and 1 said they suck and the other said their great. So any help would be great.

[AKLGT]

i had a dell laptop and i thought it was a good computer. don't recommend compaq or hp, they tend to have more issues. now i have a toshiba satellite and it works great!

[wicked1981]

I have a Dell desktop and I think its great. I had it for 3 years now I think and still running good and there service is good. When I was stationed in Oklahoma lightnin storms were not rare. Well a lightning storm took out our power one day and fried my D drive. Called Dell told them no question and 4 days later the new drive was in my mailbox. Installed put the busted one in the bow with the postage they sent with it and that was that. The only problem is that they are hard to upgrade. My brother knows about computers and he said aI would have to get a mother board and this and that because the way they build it it wont let you upgrade small things. but overall Im verry happy!!

[joatmon]

The full service package is great. had a laptop, abused it, screen and video card broke, called them up and the next day a guy showed up at work with replaceent parts and fixed it. A week before the 3 year service plan ended. Imagine getting that prompt and convenient service on your car!Now I have a new dell laptop (work buys them, I wear them out) and the only problem I am having with it is that after I use it for a while, the touchpad starts to get erratic, wierd cursor jumps. Today I figured out that I am building up a static charge. If I reach around back and touch a metal part on the back (like one of the D connector shields) the touch pad works great again. Odd. Gotta hate that static.

95552=3101-computer.wav

[Reynoma]

I have a dell desktop for about 4 years now. It still works fine. I've called their support a couple of times when I've had to add cards to it and they have been more than helpful. I used to have a Compaq and their service STUNK. Called them up, told them my problem, they said "tough, it was your fault" and charged me $30.

[millster]

They are pretty nice. I've purchased Dells for a number of years for a couple of workplaces as well as personal friends and clients (servers, workstations, laptops). I've always been impressed with the service, the quality, and did I mention the service? You certainly can't go wrong.

[SGT]

I have a Dell desktop that I bought about a year ago. I love it, and (knock on wood) have had absolutely no problems with it.

[NSimkins]

I just bought a Dell laptop and have 2 newer Dell desktops and no problems whatsoever. I used to be a fanatic on building my own, but I recently found Dell's Refurbished area and bought all my Dell systems and saved a few hundred off the new price and it still includes a warranty. Good deal IMO.

[ShotInTheDark]

I have never in 8 years "bought " a computer system. I build every one from scratch and it's been a much more satisfiying process. If you desire the babysitter of around the clock protection that some like dell or gateway provide then feel free. But you'll never learn how it works unless you do it from the bottom up.

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by ShotInTheDark »I have never in 8 years "bought " a computer system. I build every one from scratch and it's been a much more satisfiying process. If you desire the babysitter of around the clock protection that some like dell or gateway provide then feel free. But you'll never learn how it works unless you do it from the bottom up.To a point, I agree. I used to build all the machines I had to deal with (work and home) but I quickly came to realizu something. When something did go wrong, you had to go to the manufacturer of the part for help. If multiple parts failed, usually caused by failure of another part, you had to contact all of those people. Not to mention the issue of component intercompatibility. Make no mistake, I still love to build my own, but I've found that for the cost difference and the peace of knowing that I need only call one place for service, buying whole is a little more practical.

[fuel4soul]

hmm. My dell lost it's internal modem in a lightning storms..Here, in OK.

[ragingfish]

I have only owned Gateways, and their desktops have been running, more or less, trouble free.However, my gateway notebook PC was nothing more than a nightmare. Never worked right from day one, and now the warranty ran out, so I'm stuck with a POS notebook PC.Have a schweet gateway desktop I bought in August 02, only parts I ever had to replace were the HD (went bad) and my CD drive, which I broke...shhhhh!!!....Most people I know own dells though...seem to be happy wtih them...though i have heard they do have a history of excessive hold times...though their support is supposed to be great (once you get someone)

[Houston]

I've had this Dell for almost a year and had a Gateway for the previous 5 years. Both are great computers. I switched just to see if Dell is better... gave my Gateway to my girlfriend. She still has it and it's still gangbusters. We're both happy.

[cibomatto]

I have a Dell 4400 Desktop and it has been great. When I first got it I had some trouble with the modem and I had some hassle from support to resolve it but eventually the issue was resolved. My laptop is a fujitsu C series which I LOVE..My gut feeling about Dell is that they have GREAT products. Before I purchased my Dell PC I asked for advice just like you and the feedback I got was that "Dell was the way to go", "Dell has GREAT support" , "Dude get a Dell".The only thing now is that support which they were famous for might have suffered a bit. Here is an article that explains the Dell Support fiasco...http://news.com.com/2010-1042-5130816.htmlIt looks like they are making steps to improve One thing that I realize when purchasing anything.. One thing you must ask yourself is the quaility of the product you are getting which in this case I would say is good but the second question should be the quality of technical support...

[cibomatto]

Quote, originally posted by GT_03 »I just got approved for a Dell computer, Hey, what are the financing terms on the approval?if you don't mind me asking...

[Big_Red]

I recently got a dell desktop and notebook from Dell....actually it has been almost a year. I haven't had any problems with them in any regards...I recommend them to anyone in the market for a computer.

[msmyer]

I got a desktop, that I bought in May of last year! Dell's are fine! Good Luck!

[GT_03]

I think i got my answer with all the positive feedback. Thanks alot, now i have too chose which one i want

[msmyer]

Here is all the one's on sale! http://www1.us.dell.com/conten...de=JP and this is the one I got... the 2400 series!

[cibomatto]

Dell Coupons and Dealshttp://www.xpbargains.com/dell_coupons/http:// ... _home.html

[wicked1981]

Well unless you care about how it works why would it matter? If it does what you need then who cares how it works? Not everyone needs to know how it works.

[Stang2Vibe]

I've got a Dell Dimension 8200 desktop that I got in October of 2000. I've had 0 problems so far with it, I'm very impressed. I've never had to call customer service for anything, so I can't really comment on that. It has surpassed my expectations. I also haven't had to upgrade it, as I had it overbuilt a bit when I ordered it. I ordered it with the newer type of memory so that it would run faster and be easier to upgrade in the future. The only upgrade that I'd really like would be a faster video card, though the one I have is sufficient.My mom and my sister both got Dell Inspiron laptops just before I got mine. My mom's is the 8300 (I think) and my sister's is probably the 4300. No problems with either of those that I've heard of, either. My mom's is also running the Windows ME which is too unstabile and crashes more than a computer should. That problem is the fault of the OS, not the computer. I bought her the XP upgrade for her birthday last year, but she's afraid to install it herself in case something goes wrong. But all is well for all 3 of our Dells that we've been using for over 3 years now. I always recommend them to people looking for a new computer.The only problems with Dells that I've heard of were with the systems that they were selling this past fall where the whole system cost $500. A few people my g/f knows bought them for going back to school, and they have said that they sucked and had problems with them. I guess you get what you pay for.

[Charlievibe]

I just upgraded a friend's dell with a new DVD-burner and when I opened up his Dell, it was very nicely put-together. Unlike some of the computers I have had the joy of working in, the Dell was nice.I have a Dell here at work and really have no complaints.I think you would be happy with a Dell.Best of luck with whatever computer you do get.

[Merzbow]

I bought a dell 6 years ago. It has a pentium II processor and windows '98. I have a ton of games and all my machine music synthesizers and sh*t on it. It stills runs almost as good as when we got it. So in my opinion Dells are the best. My engineering computers are made by Dell too. They all have CAD and autodesk and architectureal desktop. All kinds of giant programs and they run beautifully.

[drunkenmaxx]

my company had a RIP made by dell until recently, i would say they are good

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by ShotInTheDark »I have never in 8 years "bought " a computer system. I build every one from scratch and it's been a much more satisfiying process. If you desire the babysitter of around the clock protection that some like dell or gateway provide then feel free. But you'll never learn how it works unless you do it from the bottom up.The same thing applies to cars. It is very satisfying to build your own, and then you certainly know how it works, If you desire the around the clock babysitter, then buy a factory made one. However, most people really would rather have the finished product without having to build it. I've built and bought computers, there are advantages to both. I've never built a car from scratch, but I have rebuilt a few, and that was satisfying, but lately it's a matter of time and priorities, and I am quite satisfied just buying a car that some factory cranked out.

[drunkenmaxx]

that is one of the best points i have ever read on genvibe!

[Merzbow]

Yeah, I think so too Drunken They should have like a hall of fame on this site where famous and wise coments are listed lol. I have no clue how computers work mechanically or what you need to build one and make it work so I would probably just buy a pre-made one if i get a new one.

[joatmon]

you guys are nuts. It was just some rambling off topic pretentious bs, definitely not hall of fame material.

[VibeChick]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »you guys are nuts. It was just some rambling off topic pretentious bs, definitely not hall of fame material.Ha ha, too funny! You are so modest joatmon, just accept your greatness and go forth and create miracles...Seriously though, my step-dad just bought a Dell laptop on my recommendation. They are reputable, build good systems, and are not a fly-by-night operation. For many people, just learning how to use the computer is the most they want to do - or at least the first step. Dell makes quality products, and backs them. And that is a rare thing in the retail computer sector.

[ShotInTheDark]

I'll tell you what, you tell me what you expect to spend from either dell or gateway and I will not only beat thier price, but probably 1/2 it. I can also offer 24 hour support, computers arent rocket science ppl. It;s just a matter of common sense.

[VibeChick]

Quote, originally posted by ShotInTheDark » I can also offer 24 hour support, computers arent rocket science ppl. It;s just a matter of common sense.Great, if you are willing to offer 24 hour support for free...I am saying the average user does not want to build their own system. My stepfather as an example, wanted a laptop to learn how to use a computer - so I recommended Dell. This is someone who can barely operate a mouse...Myself, I can and have built my own system - but that is not for everybody.

[VibeChick]

And for that matter, since I am not that familiar with laptops, please explain how you can halve the price? Do they mark them up that much? He paid something like $1200 cdn for a 2.4 ghz processor, 80g hard drive, 512 mb ram, 17 inch screen...What is the price for parts seperately, and can you get them for laptop?

[ShotInTheDark]

laptops are a different story no one can "build" a laptop, but as for a desktop computer, yes I can literally 1/2 the price of a dell or gateway. You built your own computer, it's not that hard.

[joatmon]

Definitely true. And if you build one yourself you can fix/upgrade it a lot easier too. I used to spend 95% of the time at work trying to get a computer to work, or to do something that it didn't used to do, and the other 5% using the computer as a tool to do something else. Now, the percentages have shifted for me to about 75-25. Some of the people I work with have absolutely no computer aptitude. Last month I had to explain to someone what "double-click" meant. There are some pretty funny stories about what IT support people have to put up with.

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »Last month I had to explain to someone what "double-click" meant. Sometimes it's harder to get people to just click once. As for building computers, I've been doing it for some time now. It can be great fun and it can be cheaper. What I've found lately though is that I just lack the time to do it. It seems like the more sophisticated these parts get, the less they want to work together. I have a machine right now that is practically new but a problem between the chipset on the mainboard and the video card keeps it from doing much of anything. I've struggled with it enough now that I've frankly lost interest. I'm not saying that I'll never build another machine for myself, I'm just bringing to light the possibility of problems if you don't do your research. It doesn't always happen, but it can. Of course, it's always wise to research before purchasing a retail system as well, but at least you're researching the whole system, not just a bunch of parts. OK, I really think this discussion warrants a new thread if it is to continue.

[GT_03]

Okay, i'm going to get a Dell. Now a few more questions. I know enough, but would like some suggestions. What are some of the system requirements that i should get??? Like RAM and Hard drive space. I'm thinking about 256RAM, 80 Hard Drive, and a 2.4 P4. i absolutely want a 17" flat panel. Any comments would be appreicated.

[millster]

256MB RAM would be the absolute minimum you want with XP. Honestly if cost isn't too much of a concern, 512MB would be strongly recommended. 80GB would be good for the hard disk, that should suffice for normal use. If you do any video work or want to store music, you might even want to go a little larger. Oh, and I'm definitely with you on the 17" LCD.

[cibomatto]

I echo what Millster says.. 256 is good although consider bumping the memory up some. 80Gigs is plenty of space although consider a larger drive if you need considerable amount of storage for large music and video files....1 gig = 200 mp3 files

[Stang2Vibe]

Mine is 256 MB RAM, 60 gig hard drive, 17" CRT screen, Pentium 4 1.8GHz processor. I've had it for a bit over 3 years now and I'm currently only using about 17% of my hard disk memory. 512 MB RAM would have been great, but I think it was about $500 more at the time and I couldn't justify that much more expense. I have an NVIDIA GeForce2 32MB video card that I'd like to upgrade sometime because it is a little slow sometimes. Other than that, I'm quite pleased my my computer. XP is the most stabile and easiest to use OS that I've ever used yet, though it's not perfect.