I have to give Dell one thing: At work, we got a used Dell for an auxiliary machine, the case is simple to open. Push a button, and it opens like a suitcase. All the internal components like CD drive and hard drives are on color coded rails, with spare rails attached inside the case. 2 screws on another hard drive, and it just slides in and snaps in place. Plug the cable in, done. I figure this must be so the techs can have minimal training and fast repairs.

Paolo wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:44 am I have to give Dell one thing: At work, we got a used Dell for an auxiliary machine, the case is simple to open. Push a button, and it opens like a suitcase. All the internal components like CD drive and hard drives are on color coded rails, with spare rails attached inside the case. 2 screws on another hard drive, and it just slides in and snaps in place. Plug the cable in, done. I figure this must be so the techs can have minimal training and fast repairs.

There is still training involved for computer repairs. Hell to be part of the Geek Squad at Best Buy, I'm pretty sure if you know how to turn it on they'll hire you on the spot. Hell they told my grandmother that she needed a converter box for her brand new Digital HDTV, That gave me a laugh and a half in their face at the store.

About a year ago, I had a lot of trouble with my HP, and a technician made three home visits, covered by my service contract. We became friendly, and he advised me to get a Systemax next time. He said Systemax was the best built, had the best service, and the best service contracts. A look at their website confirms that they offer comprehensive service, with contracts lasting as long as 5 years. HP will only go 3 years. I can't confirm Systemax quality from personal experience, but my next computer will be a Systemax. For people like me, who aren't computer experts, and can't do our own repairs, this kind of support is essential.

P.S. Standard HP service is as bad as Dell's. You're routed to India. The agents are friendly and polite, but they look only for dumb user errors (is your computer turned on? is it plugged in?). If the trouble is not something elementary that can be solved with a few words, they don't know what to do. They ask to control your computer remotely, and then you can see that they're just noodling around without ideas, hoping to stumble on a solution, while talking to you about the weather in Mumbai compared to that in the US. After about an hour, they give up and wish you well, and you're free to put your head in the oven. It's often hard to understand them. Then, I found the answer. Call India once to get a case number. Then call the HP headquarters group for customer support, located in the US. Competant and caring case managers will do whatever it takes to help you. The trick is to know this group exists, since HP does not publicly reveal its existence. I found out by calling the CEO's office, in despair after my last call to India. I'd guess other companies like Dell have something similar. Call their CEOs to check.

P.P.S. My friend the technician had also worked for Dell, and he told me their customer service really is bad - deliberately, to save the company money. HP is much better.

Visionary (imported) wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:53 pm There is still training involved for computer repairs. Hell to be part of the Geek Squad at Best Buy, I'm pretty sure if you know how to turn it on they'll hire you on the spot. Hell they told my grandmother that she needed a converter box for her brand new Digital HDTV, That gave me a laugh and a half in their face at the store.

I worked selling computers for almost eight years in the retail market before the industry bottomed out....

I worked at Best Buy for six months before the whole Geek Squad crap. By this point I had been selling computer and related for 5 years at Staples, so I knew my stuff. The assistant manager of the store pulled me aside one day and said, "We are amazed at your level of knowledge with computers, but we feel you would be better over in merchandising." They then shifted me over so that I went in before the store opened restocked shelves and updated the price tags five or six times before the store opened. At the time all they wanted was an A+ certification to work the computer repair section. It was a brand new store and the trainer told my group, "If someone comes in to purchase an ink cartridge then talk them into buying five more!"

I put my hand up and said, "I can logically talk someone into buying one extra cartridge, but what can I say that would get a customer to buy the equivalent of a new printer in ink cartridges?"

If looks could have killed, the person replied, "Don't think just do!"

I was transferred out because all the company is interested in is selling protection plans, or service plans, or what ever they want to call them. Best Buy's manager on duty could print out at any time a current list of the number of protection plans sold by anyone, and would come over to you pointing to his clip board and say, "you need to get your protection plan sales up!" Then walk away. Best Buy decides the percentage of protection plan sells versus product sales you are suppose to have and if you cant meet it your out!

The basic problem is that the highest markup on any computer for any store is $100 per unit and printers are lucky if they see $20 per unit, so they have to make it up in other ways like...

- Buying printer cables and usb cables for two to three bucks and then marking it up by a factor of six or seven times....paper reams cost them no more then a buck to make and yet they charge 6 to 7 bucks.

- Platting the tips of wires with Gold and telling people it improves performance! then charging $30 to $40 bucks for it (if your buying a tv or dvd player the ones in the box work just as good!). If putting gold on the ends improved things that much then it would be on every cable around the world, but ask yourself..."Have you ever seen a gold tipped phone line?" the answer is NOPE!

- Protection plans are considered pure profit by Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, etc.....as someone else said earlier the only thing to buy a protection plan for is a laptop! Also, remember if you buy a plan you must use it! I have only bought one protection plan, and it was because the guy was very good looking and I enjoyed having is full attention (yap dirty old man), but I went back a few days later and canceled it and got my money back once my dick went back down .

----

As to Dell, I have only one experience...

People rent storage sheds and my brother is one of those that goes around and buys out units that have not been paid for! In one unit he found a Dell computer that was two years old (would not let me keep it). He has a friend that knows computer but the unit was passworded and they could not get in. I hate his friend! So my brother came to me for help...I looked up the computer on the dell site and found it the unit still has a year left of warranty then requested a replacement set of CD's. They sent my back an email saying I was not the person who the unit is registered to, and asked me to look on the case for a certain number (this was this last Friday). I explained the situation to them and gave them the number, and they transferred the computer into my name. Today, I received the replacement CD's.

--

HP

Late last year my DVD burner crapped out, so for Xmass my best friend gave me a Fry's gift card with instructions to get a new DVD burner. For me the nearest Fry's is eight miles away, and I love going there just to look around and drool. I went the day after Xmass and found a HP DVD burner I liked for $10 more then the gift card and bought it. Took it home and hooked it up, and after trying to get it working for three days I called HP. They answered right away and sent me into an automated system..."please say the department you want" I HATE THOSE THINGS! Not hearing what I was looking for I asked for the operator and a few minutes later a actual person was speaking. She transferred me to the laptop division, and they answered right away, but we had a hard time understanding each others problems until they realized I was in the wrong department and transferred me. I was on the line for 50 min's after that when I finally hung up, and the next day the unit went back to Fry's. I picked up an LG burner brought it home and worked right away, and is now purring like a cat.

ok enough ramblings about how bad Best Buy is!

My last three desktops have been from Dell and have been fine: the newest is on my desk, the next on my landlord's and the oldest still working after 9 years is used by a friend. But perhaps because I'm professionally techie I've not had need to try their after-sales support.

My work supplied Dell laptop is now rather old, but fine.

My personal laptop is an HP. The reseller caused me endless grief not supplying what I wanted but of the machine I have no complaints.

My Netbook is a Samsung. I've had it just under 6 months and am absolutely delighted with it.

At work things tend to be cyclic. We select a manufacturer as our preferred supplier. Find out all the failings of their hardware and service. Move on to the next manufacturer. Repeat the process. After about 8 years we're back with the one we first thought of and have not really learned the pertinent lesson:

All hardware sucks. All software sucks

calmeilles (imported) wrote: Sun May 10, 2009 3:33 pm After about 8 years we're back with the one we first thought of and have not really learned the pertinent lesson:

All hardware sucks. All software sucks

Amen:)

Some hardware/software just sucks less. The only problem - it usually does not survive on the market...

padawna (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:35 pm But... this could have happened to ANY laptop, regardless if it was Dell, IBM, Sony, Toshiba, etc.

I had a contract job over in Qatar a few years back, and I had just purchased a Toshiba (Trashiba more like it). Within a couple of weeks the hard drive died. There were no Toshiba service centers in Doha so they wanted me to take it to any other brand name shop. There happened to be a Dell authorized center there and they set me straight. All they really did was verify it was the drive that had died, then they ordered the drive and under my option I elected to install it myself. Point is, Dell was very quick to help out, and from all the Dell manufactured pc's my dad has purchased, he highly recommends them. Some he has had no problems at all with, one of them Dell quickly sent out a hard drive replacement.

If you dont buy a service contract for a laptop, well, you are just asking for it. You generally dont need it for a desktop, but for a computer that is constantly getting moved around you really should get the extended service, theft/accidental damage.

Kristoff: In regards to not buying Chinese... come on, get real. Are there any consumer electronics made in the US now? 100%? No. Thats like saying all "American" made cars are totally American built. Its just a bunch of BS. My Tacoma is more American built then some of the Big 3 cars.

Some of the purchased I've made from Lenovo were shipped direct from China. They were delivered within 2 days, and the dvd burner I've had to replace was fairly easy to deal with.

The only problem I have with my Dell is that NO dial-up service will stay connected more than 2 minutes...Must be the Windows Vista. I have no problem with broadband though. It works great. By the way, my MAZDA PROTEGE was built AND assembled at the FORD assembly plant in JACKSONVILLE, FL. I guess that makes it American??

longstiffrod (imported) wrote: Tue May 19, 2009 4:10 pm By the way, my MAZDA PROTEGE was built AND assembled at the FORD assembly plant in JACKSONVILLE, FL. I guess that makes it American??

Well, until recently, Ford owned a major chucnk of Mazda. Who knew? I think they recent;y sold off a bunch of that holding.... But they're still Japanese Fords....