To Dell, or not to Dell?

[silvermusic]

I'm looking to buy an additional new basic PC, just email, internet, MS Office type stuff so don't need anything too powerful or high spec, but what I do need is reliability and speed of fixing it should it go wrong. their range of Optiplex looks like it's fit the bill both product and service wise. Anyone got anything good or bad to say about Dell business PCs and their after sales service in general?

Normally and in the past I've built my own PC's, but quite frankly i don't have the time or inclination anymore, there seems to be less case to do so now on a pricing basis either.

 

[paultnl]

Dell are good but if you do anything "out of the ordinary" their process can't cope

 

[stugster]

I've personally found that the less expensive equipment from Dell is crap. If you pay more, you get much better from Dell though.

 

[silvermusic]

I've personally found that the less expensive equipment from Dell is crap. If you pay more, you get much better from Dell though.

The Optiplex range is their business machines range, the configuration I'd be using would be with a lower spec, i.e not as powerful CPU, etc. but the basic machine chassis is the same. Must admit I don't like their cheaper vostro range or their consumer models at all, but the business one's seem to have a good reputation.

 

[stugster]

Yes, business ones seem to be much nicer. The insides of an Optiplex are really nice

 

[silvermusic]

Yes, business ones seem to be much nicer. The insides of an Optiplex are really nice

I searched for some pictures on Flickr over the weekend, and yes you're right, extremely well laid out, unlike the home made tangle of wires inside mine. That aside, the idea of being fixed next business day on my premises appeals to me no end. While i do have an excellent knowledge of PC's and trouble shooting, I'd much raher be making money than trying to work out any problems and sourcing spare parts and fixing it 2,3, 4 years down the line.

 

[HarveyBall]

I used to build bespoke machines for companies but now I just recommend they go with Dell business machines. For what most people at work use the machines for, the Dell business machines can cope just fine and more importantly you get a decent warranty service too.

The price of the Dells is very competitive as well.

 

[Morgy]

Are the insides of PC's not al the same?

Processor - Intel/AMD
Motherboard, Graphics Cards, Sound Cards etc etc etc

 

[silvermusic]

I used to build bespoke machines for companies but now I just recommend they go with Dell business machines. For what most people at work use the machines for, the Dell business machines can cope just fine and more importantly you get a decent warranty service too.

The price of the Dells is very competitive as well.

That's pretty much my reasoning as well, I need a day to day workhorse that I don't have to worry about for the next few years. It would however be different if I was buying a home machine though, I'd probably still build it myself and fuss over each componant.

 

[Eagle]

Dell are superb machines these days.

 

[Mister B]

The machines which we use are pretty good...only had one problem and that was when the hard drive died. Initial levels of customer service were poor, (as in passed between four departments all of whom asked the same questions,) but once the problem landed in the lap of the local service engineer, then yes, service was good.

Mister B

 

[J-Wholesale]

You can pick up some really good machines on dabs.com for very little, though the best deals often exclude monitors. Picked up a great HP machine running XP pro a couple of months back for just over £250. Not super fast by today's standards, but for an office machine, today's specs are overkill anyway. If all you're doing is running the MS Office suite, along with web browsing, then what was a top of the range machine 3 years ago will be more than adequate.

I gave up on Dell after being forced to spend time after every delivery removing all the 'free' software it inevitably comes with.

 

[estwig]

We've had 4 Dell Dimensions for over 18 months now and (touch wood) no problems at all. Customer service was good, no complaints at all.

 

[FireFleur]

Time or inclination, it probably takes you longer to read these posts

Dell has lost the cool factor, being the number one box builder, but most of their systems are fairly solid.

You still get a cost saving building your own though, and can fit all the funky extras.

Could look around for a local box builder, quite a lot of people offer it as a service, but if you just want a box, there isn't lot in it really amongst most of the big box brands. HP are quite nice, could compare there.

 

[PaddyPawsPetServices]

As soon as this PC dies ( HP - Hopeless Pile ) Im going back to Dell

The OH bought it 4 years ago, and its really suffering, struggles to do anything too complex. My sis has a Compaq, she says hers in the same, as is Dads. ( apparently Compaq and HP are the same company )

I really like Dell's when I had one, very fast and effiicient, the newer ones look v.funky!

 

[stugster]

Sounds like you've got a PEBKAC issue there PPPS

 

[PaddyPawsPetServices]

ive got a what now?

 

[Multivariate]

Hi,

I once tried to call a Dell helpline to solve a hardware problem and ended up tearing my hair out and throwing the phone out of the window...welll almost. I got connected with a call centre - I asked to speak with technical support, but got put through to another call centre and another and another and another... this was so ridiculous I couldn't believe it. it went on for longer than an reasonable person could tolerate.

So no, I wouldn't recommend Dell on the basis of this experience. It may have changed since then (this was about 3 years ago)

 

[silvermusic]

ive got a what now?

"PEBKAC"

Problem exists between keyboard and customer.

I use to sell PC's many years ago. There's other not so complimetary versions of that one as well.

If you have a spare couple of hours and want a good laugh try this one. http://www.techtales.com/

 

[silvermusic]

You can pick up some really good machines on dabs.com for very little, though the best deals often exclude monitors. Picked up a great HP machine running XP pro a couple of months back for just over £250. Not super fast by today's standards, but for an office machine, today's specs are overkill anyway. If all you're doing is running the MS Office suite, along with web browsing, then what was a top of the range machine 3 years ago will be more than adequate.

Indeed, there's plenty of box shifters out there, but from my point of view on site service is really worth paying for. Also i see little point in paying for a machine that'll just about do, I'd rather pay for a decent performance (though not a crazy spec) that will last 4 years. the sort of spec I had in mind is something like a P4 dual core, 4gig ram, 250gig HD, plus a decent graphics card, running Vista.

I gave up on Dell after being forced to spend time after every delivery removing all the 'free' software it inevitably comes with.

Good news on that one at least on the business range, there's no shovel ware on it anymore. From what I've read one of the major things business users didn't like, so Dell stopped doing it.

 

[BootCamp]

PICNIC

Problem In Chair Not In Computer

 

[PaddyPawsPetServices]

"PEBKAC"

Problem exists between keyboard and customer.

I use to sell PC's many years ago. There's other not so complimetary versions of that one as well.

If you have a spare couple of hours and want a good laugh try this one. http://www.techtales.com/

cheeky monkey!

 

[Jenni384]

We bought some quad core Inspirons in January.
Distinctly unimpressed indeed.

 

[stugster]

We bought some quad core Inspirons in January.
Distinctly unimpressed indeed.

Aye, but I hear it was a monkey that set them up.

 

[dp0848]

Aye, but I hear it was a monkey that set them up.

I want my Mac back

 

[dp0848]

The insides of an Optiplex are really nice

That is very sad Stu.

 

[Emcar Vending]

I love my Dell. It's about 5 years old now and never given any bother. It's a bit sluggish at times because of its low memory, but still does what I want it to do, which is web browsing, emails and some documents. If & when it gives up the ghost I'd certainly go for Dell again.

 

[CrispyUK]

Have set up a few clients with Dell Vostro PC's over the past couple of years - never had any problems with them and they seem well built bits of kit.

Have a bit of bloatware on them, Google pre-install and a couple of other things but much less than I've seen Toshiba and others install. Dell also supply a 'vanilla' OS disk so you can make a clean start if you so wish (the recovery partition contains the factory build).

 

[cmcp]

I bought a high spec vostro laptop a couple of years back, spent about £1500 and it was built like a tank. Great system.

 

[Pete Crane]

Hardware is much of a muchness really. As I used to work in the IT channel Dell were regarded as somewhere around the level of a snake's belly for a lot of their comments about the so-called superiority of using a direct model - which funnily enough nearly ruined them not long back.

Statistically speaking I'm aware the Dell repair rates in EMEA were something like 8 times higher than the likes of Sony, IBM and HP - this is going back to when repairs were handled by Celestica. In addition Dell's R&D budget was pretty laughable too. Times do move on though and matters may well have improved. Ultimately people do tend to choose in part on gut instinct, and if you think a Dell machine will suit your purposes then go for it.

 

[peterstagg]

I use Acer PC's and laptops. I found them better then Dell. I had a lot of issues with the networking, Dell balmed it on my ISP, refusing to understand that it was one of 5 computers on the netowrk and it was the only one losing the network.

But apart from that the only other reason I use anything but Dell was demonstrated to me at Raleigh in North Carolina where I stopped to meet up with a major software company. 1 plane full of mobile workers using Dell laptops except me. Going through security we had to take them out of the bags, put them on a conveyor and walk through the security system.

Guess who found their laptop the quickest?

 

[DickM]

I'm looking to buy an additional new basic PC, just email, internet, MS Office type stuff so don't need anything too powerful or high spec, but what I do need is reliability and speed of fixing it should it go wrong. their range of Optiplex looks like it's fit the bill both product and service wise. Anyone got anything good or bad to say about Dell business PCs and their after sales service in general?

Normally and in the past I've built my own PC's, but quite frankly i don't have the time or inclination anymore, there seems to be less case to do so now on a pricing basis either.

Bought my current Dell PC desktop in 2003 as a personal computer, and apart from a monitor drivers problem upon initial setup, which the Indian e-mail centre did not understand , as kept on offering solutions to probs I did not have, and never once mentioned the drivers, which I stumbled on myself eventually - it's now my Co computer and is still outperforming any other makes my family have purchased since. All I have added to the Dell since, is some additional memory (doubled existing), for about £13.

This is in contrast to my son's HP laptop (purchased on-line 2008), which has spent 10 % of it's time in HP's outspourced workshop!
Also a 2007 Packard Bell Media computer he purchased from PC World proved to be a disaster - but fortunately received a full refund, after some persuasive letters from your truly

 

[silvermusic]

Well it looks like I'm going to find out how good Dell are sooner rather then later. My main PC decided to bite the dust this morning, it had been running on a wing and a prayer for too long. The basis of it are circa 2000/2001 vintage with several additional add ons over the years. Gone through everything I can think of but it's still no go, I think the motherboard has died. I could mess about patching it up but half of the bits aren't even made anymore and way behind current standards. Been working out my best options on the Dell site until I've gone square eyed. I have a better look tomorrow.

Thank heavens for the laptop.