Blaise (imported) wrote: Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:52 am Is computer technology really this bad>

It depends...

I worked as a system administrator in the university...

During the time I worked there many machines passed thru my hands (at least a hundred).

Main observation was that - in case of a noname machine - you better stay away from some manufacturers of parts (who would call a good power supply "sparkman"?).

Other observation was that there was always some percent of bad machines.

One batch of machines we had to reassemble from scratch...

The other batch had problem with blown capacitors (and it was three classes, about 40 machines), all were already not on warranty. We repaired the whole lot ourself... But this machines worked like a charm after that.

Third thing I learned was that electronics is a science about bad contacts. Some machines were repaired by just disassembling and reassembling.

I think that main problem is not with technology, but with manufacturers, who push it too far, ignoring reliability.

I agree fhunter.It is a lot about loose connections and what goes in the computer. Most of the computers use the same parts anyway. I tend to buy just a basic machine and later just add more memory or drives.

What I like about my last Gateway,it has plenty of empty bays and a good double core AMD(I could have a quadro for few bucks more,but it's reliability ratings sucked) 500 Gb hardrive,3g of memory and all of that for 400 bucks.

It was a close out model,but 5 times more powerfull then my old 02 Compaq.

So far I love it,even with the Vista Premium.

I will add another optic drive later on and that's about it.

I don't know what's up with Dell of late. Their previous lines were rock-solid.

I have a used Optiplex GX 280 3.2 at home that runs XP flawlessly.(And I don't care what system you have, Vista WILL suck.) We also run them at work for the same reason. The Latitude 6x0 and 8x0 laptops may have been on the heavy side but they have proven themselves to be indestructible.

I don't know enough about what is required by gamers, but I also use my GX 280 as my TV using ATI digital tuner card through my Dell 1907 FP LCD monitor. At 3.2 Gigs, and 4 Gig RAM, it meets all of my needs quite well. I use 4 Gig RAM so that can turn paging off.

Their line of monitors FP and WFP LCD remains great, but I suspect that they are actually manufactured by another company to Dell's specifications but the current deskside systems and laptops seems to be built to less rugged designs.

Both the Latitude 6x0 & 8x0, and Optiplex GX 2x0 designs, that date from about three years ago, seem to beat about any current mid-range system presently in production, AND they cost $250 to $400 on eBay.

One of the best parts of the older Optiplex GX 2x0 series is the clamshell case design (the gray plastic shell) is that it opens to 90 degrees and uses a rail system for all of the drives, the rail can be pre-installed on the drive, and dropped in to the system, rather that trying to mount the drive directly into the chassis. Extra rail were even provided in the case for expansion. All the cables are well located within the chassis.

I don't know much about the earlier Optiplex GX's, but the 280 has 1 PCI Ex16, 1 PCI x1, 3 PCI, 2 SATA, 4 x 1 Gig RAM slots, and video board power connector.

For a portable, rather than a true "laptop" the Latitude is an extremely solid design, and is suitable for when you need single system, either for home and office use, or travel use. Just don't expect to really use them comfortably in your lap for other than for very short periods. It heats up quickly if the fan on the bottom is blocked.

The slide-in drives for the Latitude 6x0 & 8x0 are pretty easy to find eBay. The batteries (lithium-ion) may be hard to locate, but I believe 3rd party vendors my make them. And I have come across 3-year-old unused Dell original batteries that work as well as any battery still new-in-the-box.

I've given up buying new systems off-the-shelf systems, and buy used systems off of eBay, I just can't afford the price of a brand new system and end up being a guinea pig. The other issue I have with all new systems is that come with Vista (still really pre-bata) whereas the older Dells come pre-loaded with Dell's OEM version of XP (which by now, has finally become rock-solid).

Anyway, this is just my take on the Dell systems for what it's worth.

-YC

Thanks, that is helpful. I wish that I knew how to repair the Dell I own, but I don' know.

fhunter wrote: Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:46 pm It depends...

I worked as a system administrator in the university...

During the time I worked there many machines passed thru my hands (at least a hundred).

Main observation was that - in case of a noname machine - you better stay away from some manufacturers of parts (who would call a good power supply "sparkman"?).

Other observation was that there was always some percent of bad machines.

One batch of machines we had to reassemble from scratch...

The other batch had problem with blown capacitors (and it was three classes, about 40 machines), all were already not on warranty. We repaired the whole lot ourself... But this machines worked like a charm after that.

Third thing I learned was that electronics is a science about bad contacts. Some machines were repaired by just disassembling and reassembling.

I think that main problem is not with technology, but with manufacturers, who push it too far, ignoring reliability.

Thanks, I think that my machine might work if I can repair the cooling for the power supply. I appreciate your post.