Don't buy Dell Vostros

[lsiberian]

our company bought a pair of these and they don't work.

It also seems dell support sucks badly. They have them swap the MB and hard drive as if that would solve the issue.

It seems there is a driver issue with Vista, but I've been unable to pinpoint it.

Kind of sad to see a good company put out junk. I guess corporate greed gets everyone eventually. Why they put their name on this kind of junk is beyond me.

 

[jinjuku]

our company bought a pair of these and they don't work.

It also seems dell support sucks badly. They have them swap the MB and hard drive as if that would solve the issue.

It seems there is a driver issue with Vista, but I've been unable to pinpoint it.

Kind of sad to see a good company put out junk. I guess corporate greed gets everyone eventually. Why they put their name on this kind of junk is beyond me.

I just put 10 Vostro 220's in a clients office about 6 weeks ago. 3GB RAM/250GB HD/Intel Core 2 Duo (2.66Ghz), 19" monitors. Been doing great. Really impressed. Made sure to upgrade from Vista Business to Windows XP Pro SP3.

 

[adwilk]

I've had nothing but good experiences with the Vostros..

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, though... At least the support could be decent...

 

[lsiberian]

I've had nothing but good experiences with the Vostros..

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, though... At least the support could be decent...

Yeah just send us XP already. The guy who ordered them didn't know anything about PCs and never consulted those who do. I understand where Dell is coming from they are just so big it's impossible to help folks with Vista and they are screwed because they sold the liscense. I don't imagine Dell and Gates are golfing much these days. MS better not mess up the next round of OS'es. I hear the Windows 2000 team is building it so I'm hopeful.

 

[Tomorrow]

Sorry about your bad experience.

Last week I replaced an old computer with a Vostro 420 with the free XP Pro "downgrade". (It comes with Vista and XP discs, but XP is loaded on board.)

Working great so far! I like it. I got it with a wireless card which also works pretty cool.

 

[Sheep]

Kind of sad to see a good company put out junk

Uh, I wouldn't call dell a good company. Quite overpriced for what you're getting, not to mention poor airflow in their cases.

SheepStar

 

[adwilk]

Uh, I wouldn't call dell a good company. Quite overpriced for what you're getting, not to mention poor airflow in their cases.

SheepStar

Compared to other OEM's, I dont see that they present a poor value...

 

[Sheep]

Compared to other OEM's, I dont see that they present a poor value...

But why go with an OEM? Most computer shops that carry the parts for cheap can put a system together for you that will trounce a Dell at a similar price point.

www.ncix.com Has pre-build computers, and if you buy an OS with it, it's only 50 dollars to have it all assembled and tested. They ship to the US as well, so it's really not a bad deal.

SheepStar

 

[adwilk]

But why go with an OEM?

Because thats what most businesses do and an apples to apples comparison makes Dell a viable option

The DIY route is always gonna be cheaper, but the "under one roof" warranty, R&D, and customer service you get with the OEM make it a far better option for business or somebody who doesnt know much about computers. Its the same reason why 99.9999 percent of the world own commercial subs... Does that make SVS a poor value?

 

[Sheep]

Because thats what most businesses do and an apples to apples comparison makes Dell a viable option

The DIY route is always gonna be cheaper, but the "under one roof" warranty, R&D, and customer service you get with the OEM make it a far better option for business or somebody who doesnt know much about computers. Its the same reason why 99.9999 percent of the world own commercial subs... Does that make SVS a poor value?

Wait, are you saying SVS is commercial? I don't think they fall into that category, pretty much a pre-built DIY Kit, and even considering DIY kits they are not a poor value, not by a long shot.

I understand business apps but I wasn't talking about a business application. They OP said not to buy one, assuming he meant for private use.

SheepStar

 

[res6jya6]

Yeah just send us XP already. The guy who ordered them didn't know anything about PCs and never consulted those who do. I understand where Dell is coming from they are just so big it's impossible to help folks with Vista and they are screwed because they sold the liscense. I don't imagine Dell and Gates are golfing much these days. MS better not mess up the next round of OS'es. I hear the Windows 2000 team is building it so I'm hopeful.

Dell is just... bad... bad... bad... I would see it more suitable for a company to order local; from a computer store that can do REAL tech support... most machines made in local shops have a little more care in the system configuration and software setup. Sure, it costs a little extra money - but the warranty is normally longer, and the problems fewer.

Uh, I wouldn't call dell a good company. Quite overpriced for what you're getting, not to mention poor airflow in their cases.

SheepStar

Compare the cost of the Dell system itself, and then just the parts on NewEgg... Heck, I might go do it tonight.

Nobody suggested the most logical solution:

http://store.apple.com

Most software is compatible (if not, you can have a Dual Boot of OS X/XP)... and the tech support is great, and the OS is great, and the fact that you don't need an anti-virus program is great, the warranty is great, getting the warranty fullfilled is great...

It's great

 

[GlocksRock]

I own nothing but Dell PC's, and have never really had any issues with them, laptops, or desktops. They have been reliable, but their outsourced tech support isn't the greatest. If I can get one for a good price, I will continue to buy them, otherwise I will pursue other options.

 

[MidnightSensi]

our company bought a pair of these and they don't work.

It also seems dell support sucks badly. They have them swap the MB and hard drive as if that would solve the issue.

It seems there is a driver issue with Vista, but I've been unable to pinpoint it.

Kind of sad to see a good company put out junk. I guess corporate greed gets everyone eventually. Why they put their name on this kind of junk is beyond me.

Im so done with Dell its not even funny.

My last computer from them was a pretty nice workstation (dual processor, lots of memory) for CAD work. When it came in I was out of town, and when I got back I was super busy and just didn't have a chance to set it up. Well when I finally did, it didn't even boot (software problem). So I called tech support, and went through (to make a long story short) Indian call center hell. I mean two days of Indian call center hell. Then I just demanded they take it back. They wouldn't because it had been 31 days (they will take it back after 30).

I called American Express, and they denied the charge. Week later I get an RMA from Dell and sent the computer back.

I'll never buy from them again.

I have no idea what I'll buy next. Any recommendations?

Next I might just buy an Apple and run emulation software, since some things I've read says stuff like Solidworks runs even faster on a Mac emulated than native on Vista.

At home I run emulation (wine) on a ubuntu computer. But, for work, I need tech support.

 

[lsiberian]

our company bought a pair of these and they don't work.

They OP said not to buy one, assuming he meant for private use.

I would never buy a desktop for personal use. LOL. But I do own a Dell XPS m1210 laptop and it runs perfect. I installed my own copy of Windows Vista Ultimate on it and started with a clean install.

My Desktop was traded for it. MSI motherboard with the first generation 64bit processors. The thing ran like a champ. Now it never gets used by my grandmother. But it's more stable than most computers out there.

 

[Nemo128]

Made sure to upgrade from Vista Business to Windows XP Pro SP3.

Love how you said "upgrade".

Unfortunately, the only way you get good products from Dell is if you spend serious $, and the only way you get stellar support is if you pay serious $ for it.

Our purchases and service contracts get our issues resolved within 12 hours, even if something needs to be replaced. For the consumer, I don't know how Dell gets any customers, but from customers like my job, I can see how they stay in business.

 

[Nemo128]

Next I might just buy an Apple and run emulation software, since some things I've read says stuff like Solidworks runs even faster on a Mac emulated than native on Vista.

Depending on what you're designing/testing in SW, and which version, you'd be better of building something and getting a whoop-@$$ Quadro off eBay.

 

[lsiberian]

Love how you said "upgrade".

Unfortunately, the only way you get good products from Dell is if you spend serious $, and the only way you get stellar support is if you pay serious $ for it.

Our purchases and service contracts get our issues resolved within 12 hours, even if something needs to be replaced. For the consumer, I don't know how Dell gets any customers, but from customers like my job, I can see how they stay in business.

Mind linking your company. I might toss it out there the next time we buy computers. We could certainly use good service.

 

[Nemo128]

Mind linking your company. I might toss it out there the next time we buy computers. We could certainly use good service.

Sorry if I was misleading, my job buys Dells and pays for their top tier support on every product, even monitors and printers. But, it's ridiculously priced.

For example, we just got 6 3008WFPs with 3yr on-site 24 hour contracts for each one. I wouldn't want to pay that pricetag.

 

[lsiberian]

Sorry if I was misleading, my job buys Dells and pays for their top tier support on every product, even monitors and printers. But, it's ridiculously priced.

For example, we just got 6 3008WFPs with 3yr on-site 24 hour contracts for each one. I wouldn't want to pay that pricetag.

lol my misread.

 

[Sheep]

I'm a mac supporter for Internet browsing, downloading, and editing (video audio). I used a 20inch iMac at school for mixing and I couldn't have been more impressed. It was a 2.0ghz Core 2 Duo model and it ran Logic Pro fine, even with up to 18 tracks playing at once. I have my main rig here at home for gaming, and I'm seriously considering an iMac for mixing, simply because they work so well.

SheepStar