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Originally Posted by aram535
Well I think I qualify as a computer tech (20+ years of working in computers) and I can tell you that you're 100% wrong. They all suck in one way or another. Looking at a specific model and how it was setup is one thing but to chuck an entire company down is completely an arrogant point of view.
ALL computer companies have problems, they have bad models, they have bad installs, and yes sometimes there are even lemons. You can not and should not judge them in one paint stroke. Look at the specs you want, get a decent deal (don't go for the bottom of the barrel), stay away from the cutting edge of technology and you'll be fine 95% of the time. The other 5% there isn't anything you can do about, you have 30 days to return it, don't chuck anything out, don't rip anything and remember on how to put it back.
As far as "old" vs "new" dell. Again it's very short sighted, they all (computer companies) have moved their level 1 support off-shore. Nothing you can do about it. If you do have a problem, try to work with the level 1s, BE NICE! If you don't get anywhere after an hour or so, than ask to be escalated, NICELY. Most of the time with these companies they get a bonus on their customer satisfaction, you get further and faster if you work with them instead of yelling and screaming.
If you're not getting anywhere, call customer service which is usually not outsourced and ask to return the unit as it is defective. They will usually put you in touch with their inhouse level 3 people, so they'll either fix it or replace it for you.
Oh! Do stay away from Best Buy and Sears and such places. All they do is make support/exchanges harder. You also usually end up with 3rd generation equipment that was left over from a previous build.
I hope that helps.
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Hit the proverbial nail, yes both HP and Dell suck! lol That's why they offer expensive warranty!
We use the Gold Service, which is BS btw, basically it is still the same Dell service with two exceptions 1. It is only offered to High Tier or business clients and the only advantage is that you are guaranteed to speak to a North American representative-US or Canada, otherwise, you get the same service as the standard Dell warranty.
We use Dell workstations and Lenovo Laptops at work, So I don't know too much about HP warranty, but I have worked on Compaq/HP machines and yes, they are both pretty crappy. The problem with these "box builders" is that they build mass produced machines for the price point. They will usually get the cheapest parts available to keep prices down, you will never hear of an Asus or Tyan or even Shuttle mobo on these computers since those motherboards are expensive.
Hence Dell's GX-2x0 series got plague with those cheap bulging capacitors a couple of years back. If you want a good box builder, you will have to pay a premium for it. Falcon Northwest and Alienware are two of the best out there. Falcon has been around since the 80's and for many years their PC's have stood as the top benchmark for testing. So if you can not build your own, which takes a lot of homework-I got so used to working in IT, I'm a bit rusty and will always have to visit the boards (Anantech, Tom's Hardware, etc.) to do some researching each time my PC is up for an upgrade. Too many things to keep up with and things change so quickly, to a point where years of experience without continued education is almost worthless in this aspect. I mean my years of building PC's gives me the background to know what to look for, but that's about all I can rely on.
Case and point, there was a time where it was prudent to keep the PC plugged in while working on the computer to prevent static discharge, this was on the A+ test I took many years ago. More recently, because there is active power to the motherboard and the power supply still supplies some power to the PC even if the PC is off (look at that green LED on the mobo), it is now recommended you unplug the PC from the wall so insure you are not zapping the computer.