Raise your hand if you think Dell is s***

[Chaoticknight16]

I just want to know if people are with me on this one.

Dell is so popular and any average person that needs a computer automatically thinks Dell. I've worked with a bunch of Dell computers for friends, and found them to be terrible. They mess with windows and fill it up with so many Dell logos i feel like i'm going to close my eyes and see them. They ship out computers with XP and 256mb of RAM. They're a major computer company, they have to have a few smart people there that know there is no way in hell to run XP and open word with any kind of decent speed with 256 mb. They take advantage of people that don't know better. (like my friend) and then when you open the case to put in the stick of Ram you had to go out and buy, there is no room for it, because they make it so nothing that isn't ordered from them can fit in the case. He had to buy an external floppy drive...because you couldn't fit a standard 3.5 in the case and they didn't send him a computer with a floppy.
I just feel that all the hype out about them is complete bullshit, they use friendly commercial to take advantage of the customer that doesn't know enough about computers to know how much RAM they need, or that CELERON is completely useless also.

 

[mechBgon]

Now where did I leave that 11-foot pole...

 

[minendo]

For an inexpensive rig for the average consumer, they are great. Plus if you get in on one of there deals you can come out on top. 1800FP for ~$350 is a great deal.

 

[JPMNICK]

I have run XP on a PII 266 with 256MB of RAM and it was not to bad.

Before the current computer, I was running a P3 500 with 256 and ran beautiful. Actually better than my IBM Optiplex i have at work which is a P4 with windows 2000 on it.

Dell makes great computers for people who do not know a lot about the inner working.

They have built in config utiliies to help with such things as wireless networking and file sharing.

They are great at what they do. provide low cost computers to people who need them. And nothing is stopping you from clicking the radio button to upgrade the RAM

 

[Nessism]

When a friend needed a box I told him to get a Dell. They use above average hardware, have a good warranty, and are cheap if you watch for a deal. What's wrong with that?

 

[KoolDrew]

Theres nothing really wrong with Dell for a home user who doesn't want or know how to build their own. For myself and just about everyone here I would rather build one myself, but that is not saying Dell is crap.

 

[dionx]

STFU N00B. stop talking like you know all about computers just because you can diss dell. i don't use a dell personally other than at work, but dells are probably one of the best options for an average computer user. not everyone can justify having an alienware for a family computer

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: minendo
For an inexpensive rig for the average consumer, they are great. Plus if you get in on one of there deals you can come out on top. 1800FP for ~$350 is a great deal.

And a lot of people here seem to love their monitors.

I have 3 machines here. One is emachine, one is Dell, and one is Alienware. I find good qualities in all 3.

 

[dionx]

Originally posted by: Chaoticknight16
I just want to know if people are with me on this one.

They ship out computers with XP and 256mb of RAM. They're a major computer company, they have to have a few smart people there that know there is no way in hell to run XP and open word with any kind of decent speed with 256 mb. They take advantage of people that don't know better. (like my friend) and then when you open the case to put in the stick of Ram you had to go out and buy, there is no room for it, because they make it so nothing that isn't ordered from them can fit in the case. He had to buy an external floppy drive...because you couldn't fit a standard 3.5 in the case and they didn't send him a computer with a floppy.
I just feel that all the hype out about them is complete bullshit, they use friendly commercial to take advantage of the customer that doesn't know enough about computers to know how much RAM they need, or that CELERON is completely useless also.

they ship out their computers with 256 ram because thats what people pay for. you know you can customize dells for more than 256 ram and you'll pay for it. thats not taking advantage of anyone. dell is not forcing anyone to buy a computer with ONLY 256 ram. its just a standard and people do have the option to choose.

and if you're friend still needs a floppy drive, sounds like 256 ram is probably alot for him. hardly anyone uses floppies and those that do on this forum need it for things like RAID, SATA, flashing BIOS, etc. not for actual data storage. i doubt your friend needs to flash the bios on a dell.

 

[drpootums]

Well, the reason i wouldnt buy a low end dell (or recommend them) is that i went to a Lan Party place and the guy that owns it fixes and builds computers. He had a dell there with a passive HS on the P4 1.8 GHz cpu. I know it's not unheard of, but come on! What kind of a manufacturer wouldnt spend the extra $3 to put a fan on a CPU like that? Especially when he told me that he's seen a few cases when the CPU and the HS accually melted together...

 

[Accord99]

Originally posted by: drpootums
He had a dell there with a passive HS on the P4 1.8 GHz cpu. I know it's not unheard of, but come on! What kind of a manufacturer wouldnt spend the extra $3 to put a fan on a CPU like that?

One that's done enough research and testing to know how much cooling a system actually needs.

Especially when he told me that he's seen a few cases when the CPU and the HS accually melted together...

Aluminum melts at 660 degrees Celsius. Much more likely is that it's the thermal compound sticking the two together, which happens a lot on many system.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: drpootums
Well, the reason i wouldnt buy a low end dell (or recommend them) is that i went to a Lan Party place and the guy that owns it fixes and builds computers. He had a dell there with a passive HS on the P4 1.8 GHz cpu. I know it's not unheard of, but come on! What kind of a manufacturer wouldnt spend the extra $3 to put a fan on a CPU like that? Especially when he told me that he's seen a few cases when the CPU and the HS accually melted together...

In a properly cooled computer eliminating the whiny and fallible HS fan is a good thing. People pay $30+ for monster copper coolers so they can turn their fan down or off.

"Melting together" happens most of the time with the thermal pads intel uses for all P4 retail HSFs. It's normal and expected.

People with this "fans must be better" attitude give us unecessary whiny fans on motherboard chipsets and low-end graphics cards that could run silent. :|

 

[bjc112]

I just think their telephone support is AWFUL.

Products as whole = :thumbsup:

 

[amol]

Originally posted by: Chaoticknight16
I just want to know if people are with me on this one.

Dell is so popular and any average person that needs a computer automatically thinks Dell. I've worked with a bunch of Dell computers for friends, and found them to be terrible. They mess with windows and fill it up with so many Dell logos i feel like i'm going to close my eyes and see them. They ship out computers with XP and 256mb of RAM. They're a major computer company, they have to have a few smart people there that know there is no way in hell to run XP and open word with any kind of decent speed with 256 mb. They take advantage of people that don't know better. (like my friend) and then when you open the case to put in the stick of Ram you had to go out and buy, there is no room for it, because they make it so nothing that isn't ordered from them can fit in the case. He had to buy an external floppy drive...because you couldn't fit a standard 3.5 in the case and they didn't send him a computer with a floppy.
I just feel that all the hype out about them is complete bullshit, they use friendly commercial to take advantage of the customer that doesn't know enough about computers to know how much RAM they need, or that CELERON is completely useless also.

wow, can I get the website off of which you copied that off of? :roll:

not everyone uses computers for gaming either . . . my parents computer is an HP Pavilion 6730 :

600MHz Celeron
192MB RAM
32MB PCI Video Card
20GB HDD

it runs Windows 2000 quite well, they don't need anything higher than that . . .

and the reason dell is able to offer such low prices is BECAUSE of proprietary hardware . . . . if they didn't, their prices would be MUCH GREATER!

<=== sittin pretty with his 2005FPw for $480

 

[vtqanh]

You've gotta be kidding me. Ever heard of 400SC?

 

[Tarrant64]

Originally posted by: Chaoticknight16
I just want to know if people are with me on this one.

Dell is so popular and any average person that needs a computer automatically thinks Dell. I've worked with a bunch of Dell computers for friends, and found them to be terrible. They mess with windows and fill it up with so many Dell logos i feel like i'm going to close my eyes and see them. They ship out computers with XP and 256mb of RAM. They're a major computer company, they have to have a few smart people there that know there is no way in hell to run XP and open word with any kind of decent speed with 256 mb. They take advantage of people that don't know better. (like my friend) and then when you open the case to put in the stick of Ram you had to go out and buy, there is no room for it, because they make it so nothing that isn't ordered from them can fit in the case. He had to buy an external floppy drive...because you couldn't fit a standard 3.5 in the case and they didn't send him a computer with a floppy.
I just feel that all the hype out about them is complete bullshit, they use friendly commercial to take advantage of the customer that doesn't know enough about computers to know how much RAM they need, or that CELERON is completely useless also.

So are you saying your experience with this Dell justifies calling it sh*t?

No, i'm not with you on this one.

Dell may be cheap about their parts and may be 'generic' happy, but their computers run on what they got, and for the price they sell you pay for what your getting. No one said Dell was supposed to sell top notch quality components for the cheapest around. Their Dell brands, and personally I know that if I had $500 extra cash and needed an extra computer(not for gaming or anyting, probably chat and basic word processing like most people who buy dells do...), Dell is the place to go for the full package.

Don't let your one experience with Dell destroy what others believe to be a better deal. At lot of times for those who don't have the time or the place to build their own computers, it's their only solution. And with Dell's unbeatable warranty, you'd never have to worry about not be able to get something fixed on your computer.

Just my 2cents.

 

[RickH]

Dells are great computers for 99% of the people who use computers. If you are reading this web site you are a part of that remaining 1% and will be disappointed. Dell owners would never consider opening up the case--it's too scary in there. R

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: malak
I have 3 machines here. One is emachine, one is Dell, and one is Alienware. I find good qualities in all 3.

Do they argue amongst themselves when you leave the room? Which one is the "leader" of the gang?

 

[amol]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: malak
I have 3 machines here. One is emachine, one is Dell, and one is Alienware. I find good qualities in all 3.

Do they argue amongst themselves when you leave the room? Which one is the "leader" of the gang?

The Alienware, duh!! The eMachines doesn't have enough upgradeability to fight with, and the Dell can't find proprietary parts to work with!

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: drpootums
Well, the reason i wouldnt buy a low end dell (or recommend them) is that i went to a Lan Party place and the guy that owns it fixes and builds computers. He had a dell there with a passive HS on the P4 1.8 GHz cpu. I know it's not unheard of, but come on! What kind of a manufacturer wouldnt spend the extra $3 to put a fan on a CPU like that? Especially when he told me that he's seen a few cases when the CPU and the HS accually melted together...

Actually, their older (and pretty well-built at the time, I have to admit) XPS-75 (Pentium-75) machines were like that too. They have their own thermally-engineered chassis, and with proper airflow and case cooling, you can actually get by with a passive heatsink, with the result that, overall, the system is quieter, and nearly just as cool. Now, I wouldn't overload such a machine with hot components, nor try to overclock the CPU. It's no enthusiast rig. But for a nice, relatively-quiet office machine, they were all right.

Now, given the thermal dissipation of P4 chips these days, I kind of have to question that, sure that it wasn't a Celly 1.8Ghz? You do have a point though.

 

[modedepe]

Originally posted by: Chaoticknight16
They ship out computers with XP and 256mb of RAM. They're a major computer company, they have to have a few smart people there that know there is no way in hell to run XP and open word with any kind of decent speed with 256 mb.

Well if your computer can't run windows xp and open up word with 256mb or ram, you have bigger problems (probably spyware or loads of programs running in the backgrond). And you do realize when you order from dell YOU decide how much ram you want. Kind of like I can also build a computer with 256mb for myself if I decide that's how much I want..

Originally posted by: drpootums
Well, the reason i wouldnt buy a low end dell (or recommend them) is that i went to a Lan Party place and the guy that owns it fixes and builds computers. He had a dell there with a passive HS on the P4 1.8 GHz cpu. I know it's not unheard of, but come on! What kind of a manufacturer wouldnt spend the extra $3 to put a fan on a CPU like that? Especially when he told me that he's seen a few cases when the CPU and the HS accually melted together...

As pointed out by others, passive cooling is generally a good thing, except mayb in the case of ocing. But then again, who is going to oc a dell?

 

[KoolDrew]

Well if your computer can't run windows xp and open up word with 256mb or ram, you have bigger problems (probably spyware or loads of programs running in the backgrond). And you do realize when you order from dell YOU decide how much ram you want. Kind of like I can also build a computer with 256mb for myself if I decide that's how much I want..

I do agree. I have a Dell w/ 256MB of RAM and with all of the eye candy turned off it works fine. Even without all the eye candy turned off it works fine

 

[Amaroque]

I had worked on this Dell P3 box about a year ago...

The thing that bothered me is that they had the HDD mounted vertically, smack up against the front intake vent. They had a shroud over the P3 HS (no fan) going to a 120mm exhaust fan out the back.

Well now, the rear exhaust fan was covered with a shroud, and there was no front intake fan. The only airflow in the case was from the PSU fan. But the HDD was covering the intake... So any airflow would have to come from whatever air leaks are in the case itself?

To me, this seems like they want the components to run hot, so they die prematurely.

IMO This was a rather idiotic design, being that there was free 3.5" bays.

To make a long story short, I mounted the HDD in an available internal 3.5" bay, to unblock the front intake. Tossed the shroud, HS, and the noisy 120mm fan, and put a quiet (thermally controlled) 120mm fan in place of the old one. I then put a quiet HSF on the P3 for the customer.

He was ecstatic. It ran much quieter, and cooler then ever before. I literally put about $20 into it.

 

[imported_Salvatore]

I would contest that their computers are worth it when a great deal comes along. The recent XPS Gen.4 deal allowed for a very strong gaming rig for about $1850, while building would have cost $1639 shipped. Yes, more than $200 difference, but if you really want to build a computer and your parents are clueless(Ahem), a Dell with a great deal is the way to go.

Self-Building>Falcon-Northwest>Alienware>Dell>HP, Compaq, Gateway, et cetera. At least in most cases. And FNs and Alienwares are almost always out of the price range, so it falls between self-building and Dell.

 

[layoutd05]

yeah dell is making a killing with the uneducated people who buy them. Which for them they are good. My Highschool buys like atleast 25 every year for our rather expansive computer/writing labs. To further my point is that most people purchasing dells dont use them for much other than email or internet for a few minutes. i recently was paid to set one up for my english teacher who paid me 40 bucks for 30 minutes of work just to unhook the old computer and set up the new one which was a joke....