I'm just about to buy a Dell pc - am I doing the right thing?

Answer 1

I would recommend Dell - Have bought around 10 from them for work and home over the past 2 years. No problems at all. The reason you see bad publicity is because Dell sell many more PC 's than anyone else. Buy a Dell you won't be disappointed.

Answer 2

As a former dell employee, I would definitely say NO. Too often did I see customers calling in for complete replacements 4+ times. The way the warranty works is:

Joe Shmoe calls in, his computer is having problems. Dell tech support india spends an hour or so troubleshooting the issue and eventually decides to replace it so he sends a tech to pick it up, or sends a package to have the ocmputer sent in...

Joe shmoe will NOT receive a new computer. He will receive a "refurbished" one, which basically means you get one someone else returned. That's why I saw so many people calling in to have systems and axims replaced 4 or more times, they were getting someone elses already faulty equipment as a replacement.

Also, another note, we always were told to check 1 in 10 machines that were sent in. That meant far more were never even touched by us techs.

See something wrong with this picture?

Even if you get the extended warranty ( any plan over a year has 'at home" service attached to it) the phone support will only send a technician to take a look at it as a last resort. They would rather have you on the phone for 2 or 3 hours than send a field tech.

If you must buy a prebuilt computer (though self built, or having someone build one for you is always preferable to me) I would honestly only recommend HP or Compaq (because hp now owns compaq and will back their compaq products).

As a field tech, I work on dells still under warranty all the time. Something is wrong with this picture. The only hps and compaqs I work on are older ones that have been out of warranty for 3 years or more. Basically dell hassles the customers so much that they would rather hire someone else (me) to fix it...

PROS: Dell does have a few advantages, on some of the higher end systems, they use BTX form cases, which have better airflow and are quieter. Some of the lower end machines use standard ATX though.

CONS:
Proprietary up the wazoo. This is not to say that hp and other companies like sony dont also use proprietary parts, but not as often. The workarounds are also far easier for HPs and compaqs though. Say for example when you are buying the dell, you want a memory card reader, they will charge anywheres from $30-50 for that. You can sometimes get memory card readers for $5-10 but try hooking them up to a dell! The dells do not have a standard internal usb connection and use their own proprietary connection...so either way you need to buy from them. Many times I have also seen that they use proprietary connectors for their video cards. If you want to use a PNY or EVGA brand card, youre pretty much out of luck unless you buy from dell. This was outlined in a few reviews on the pc magazine maximumpc and it was actually an issue on 2 machines I was working on about a week ago...they were less than 2 months old, still under warranty, but I was being called out to fix them (no longer a dell employee at that point). Somethings wrong there.

Another issue I have with dell is that they recently began selling computers with AMD processors...great. One problem though, their machines are all socket 939 which is now pretty much defunct. That means that if you want to upgrade your processor a few years down the line, your options will be limited, and pricy. AMD has already pledged that the new (current) AM2 socket will remain the standard for 3-5 years. Why would you want to buy old technology?

Answer 3

I have been working with Dell desktops and laptops (Optiplex and Latitude) for 4 years and not experienced any major issues. One thing to be aware of though, some of the Dell's have a lower "baseline" quality LCD for the laptops than other makes like HP or Toshiba.

Also, be sure to keep an eye out for deals on systems if you go the desktop route. You might find that adding memory later and getting the free burner or monitor is a better deal long term.

Answer 4

I use a Gateway but people really like Dells. All of my friends who have Dells have had good experiences with them. Also, they are easier for computer technicians (like me) to work on. The only better option I ca think of would be home built but in you're inexperienced at that sort of stuff, a Dell should be fine.

Answer 5

I had three PC';s (not from Dell admitedly) in five years and they all went wrong so bad I had to get a new one. Been on a Mac now for three months and would never go back. You cannot get viruses, all the software is friendly, never crashes amd look so smart wherever you keep it.

Answer 6

I'm just about to but my third Dell pc and have always been pleased with their stuff. Would definitely recommend

Answer 7

Dells are usually good -- of course there are some manufactured (in any brand!) that just aren't any good. What is most important is that you are getting the system build for what you need it to do. Do you need a lot of memory? Do you need a large hard drive? I would suggest that you talk over your purchase with one of their sales rep. Tell them what you want to do with it, and then ask their recommendations. Make sure they tell you WHY they make their recommendations.

Then I would write it all down and go out and compare it to other computers. Then you can find out if you are getting the value you want and the set-up you need.

Answer 8

Yes you are .I bought a Dell Computer a year and a half ago and I am very happy with it. I bought an extended warranty and my computer has one megabyte of RAM. Now you can get a computer with a DVD Burner. Buy one with as much RAM as you can afford it will make a world of difference with the new Windows operating system. Enjoy your Dell :)

Answer 9

I have a friend who builds pc's and now works for Dell and he says they are excellent.

Good Luck

Answer 10

Yes you are. Mine is a Dell and it's fab! Very reasonably priced too.