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omg I'm actually considering a DELL!!!
- Thread starter g0gie
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The D610 is a solid machine. it even has bluetooth as an option. if you want one, don't listen to all of these guys.
I have a company-issued Dell X200. Even though it is a decent notebook for works, if I am going to spend my money, I won't go for Dell. The aestheics and appearance of Dell computers are not to up to Apple, Sony, and Fujitsu standards.
It is a very shallow way to evaluate the PC but most people make a decision by looking at things during the initial 15 or 30 seconds (in my case, I put emphasis on both appearance and specs). The plastic look (Dell computers especially screams "PLASTIC" and "BLAND.") really cheapens the look of the notebook computer.
Notebook computers are used very close to the actual users (keyboard and screen are connected) and the look of the machine will make you aware constantly how ugly or good-lookng your machines are.
It is a very shallow way to evaluate the PC but most people make a decision by looking at things during the initial 15 or 30 seconds (in my case, I put emphasis on both appearance and specs). The plastic look (Dell computers especially screams "PLASTIC" and "BLAND.") really cheapens the look of the notebook computer.
Notebook computers are used very close to the actual users (keyboard and screen are connected) and the look of the machine will make you aware constantly how ugly or good-lookng your machines are.
I say go ahead and get the Dell.
It'll be great for his image.
You know, conformist, company man, goes with the flow,
never causes a stir, takes order well, nothing original or innovative,
inside the box, no muss, no fuss just an average worker bee.
It'll be great for his image.
You know, conformist, company man, goes with the flow,
never causes a stir, takes order well, nothing original or innovative,
inside the box, no muss, no fuss just an average worker bee.
I've just changed jobs and had to hand in my Thinkpad. My new employer has given me a Dell D810. It has similar specs to the D610 but is about 2lbs heavier.
Man, after only a week using the Dell, I miss my Thinkpad. The Dell is 15.4" widescreen, compared to 14" 4x3 ratio on the Thinkpad, is twice as thick and seems to weigh twice as much. Not to mention it's plastic. Also, it's too big for my favourite laptop backpack.
I also haven't been able to get it to work with my wireless network at home after a week trying - "zero config" my ass - even though the Thinkpad connected first time. It may have a 2.26 GHz P-M vs 1.6 GHz P-M, 2 GB RAM vs 1.5 GB RAM, 80 GB HD vs 60 GB HD, 15.4" widescreen vs 14" standard, but if I were paying for a Windows PC myself I would get a Thinkpad any day.
At least, if you get it, put Linux on it.
Man, after only a week using the Dell, I miss my Thinkpad. The Dell is 15.4" widescreen, compared to 14" 4x3 ratio on the Thinkpad, is twice as thick and seems to weigh twice as much. Not to mention it's plastic. Also, it's too big for my favourite laptop backpack.
I also haven't been able to get it to work with my wireless network at home after a week trying - "zero config" my ass - even though the Thinkpad connected first time. It may have a 2.26 GHz P-M vs 1.6 GHz P-M, 2 GB RAM vs 1.5 GB RAM, 80 GB HD vs 60 GB HD, 15.4" widescreen vs 14" standard, but if I were paying for a Windows PC myself I would get a Thinkpad any day.
At least, if you get it, put Linux on it.
FF_productions said:
A little bit of a dramatization
There aren't that many things to do to keep XP running fine:
1) Make sure to run windows update and get the latest fixes from MS.
2) Use Firefox for browsing, not IE.
3) Use thunderbird for mail, instead of Outlook
4) Make sure you are using a router / firewall instead of simply connecting your computer straight to your cable/dsl modem.
Occasionally, if you want, run ad-aware and spybot, defrag etc. (minimized by using firefox)
The funny thing is that all of these steps have counterparts for a mac.
1) Download security updates from apple
2) use firefox, or safari, not ie
3) some people use mail, some use thunderbird
4) you should use a router/firewall whether you have a mac or pc
You don't have to run adaware/sypbot for mac, but I do read a lot of threads about "repairing permissions" etc. So there is maintenance to perform with a mac.
Now, saying all that, I've recently switched and am not looking back. So get whatever makes sense financially and does what you need.
FF_productions said:
What a load of crap. I've been a PC user for years, and don't have nearly the problems you are talking about. The only people that have these types of problems are ones that simply click "Accept" on every pop-up, and have no general idea of what they are doing. Personally, I rarely, if ever get spyware. I maybe run Ad-Aware/Spybot/etc once every couple of months, and even then only find maybe a couple of pieces of spyware, usually harmless. First off, I've never had to defrag my PC once, or had to get hardcore with "all that optimization crap."
The bottom line is PC's, especially Dell notebooks (compared to Powerbooks) are a much better value for performance. If you want your machine to "look pretty," that's one thing, but you guys really can't offer up that for the price Powerbooks are better. I have had numerous PC's, and multiple laptops; trust me, I love my Powerbook. But with the documented problems with the current line, in addition to the price/performance difference between them and the new Dells, I think you'd be crazy not to pay less than 50% of the price for a new Powerbook on a Dell for a better machine, that is, until the new MacTel powerbooks come out. He's talking about buying a laptop RIGHT NOW, and given the current situation, I think it's a no-brainer.
What do we care? Buy a Dell. Save the Powerbooks for those of us who appreciate them. You're not going to change my mind - I owned two dells and now have a Powerbook and would never go back. And I'm not going to bother changing your mind. You'll probably change your own mind after dealing with a Dell for a while. Or you'll decide its good enough for you, and that's fine too.
Plinden - I had the same experience, old client used Thinkpads and new client used Dells. No comparison. My personal feeling is that if someone puts a dell on your desk or in your notebook bag, its a signal that they don't really care about your work environment. Let's see, I'm helping you manage a multi-million dollar IT project, and you give me the absolute cheapest computer you can buy. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Just call the Dell support line and when you hear, "Hello, I'm from Bombay, no Mr. Simpson you may not take items from the KwiK E Mart for free, excuse me sir while I put you on hold"...45 minutes later someone else may answer but you dare not hang up and dial back because then there will be another 3 hour wait. Customer service is just awful. And Apu in one of my favorite Simpson characters; I just don't like it when he moonlights for Dell.
Truly, awful customer service which has made grown men weep. And let's not forget that lovely blue screen of death.
But, hey, go ahead, buy a Dell, it's a free country.
Truly, awful customer service which has made grown men weep. And let's not forget that lovely blue screen of death.
But, hey, go ahead, buy a Dell, it's a free country.
You're right, it's usually only the people who don't know when to say "NO" that will get into trouble with viruses and spyware. This principle can be applied to other areas of life, can't it?Veritas&Equitas said:
As for maintenance, I've found that my iBook requires more maintenance than my PC did. I've had to reboot my laptop twice today because of malfunctions (colour calibration not working, and DVD drive not responding), and have had to repair permissions on my hard drive three or four times in the last few weeks. I still love it though haha. But it does kinda destroy those arguments that I started to believe before I bought a Mac about 'low maintenance', etc.
PCMacUser said:You're right, it's usually only the people who don't know when to say "NO" that will get into trouble with viruses and spyware. This principle can be applied to other areas of life, can't it?
As for maintenance, I've found that my iBook requires more maintenance than my PC did. I've had to reboot my laptop twice today because of malfunctions (colour calibration not working, and DVD drive not responding), and have had to repair permissions on my hard drive three or four times in the last few weeks. I still love it though haha. But it does kinda destroy those arguments that I started to believe before I bought a Mac about 'low maintenance', etc.
I've just broken through 24 days of uptime on my iBook, it feels just as fast as when I last rebooted it. Can't believe how stable these things are, everytime I go back to my parents' house my father is downloading virus updates, MS updates, spyware/adware updates, he has to restart about a million times to get them all to apply. He has to use Windows cause his remote software for work is Windows-only (yes yes Virtual PC etc, for $500 it's not an option) but I'm always amazed at what he has to put up with. Reminds me of my days on my college network, every week we'd be booted off until we could download the new definitions and get rid of whatever worm was doing the rounds that week.
Veritas&Equitas said:
Yeah, unless you are going to frequent warez and pr0n sites, you will be ok. I have two Windows computers at home and I've never had a problem with viruses or spyware. I do a scan maybe every few months as well, so it's not like I'm staying up all night maintaining them.
Here's the deal, yeah, a Dell laptop isn't going to be as pretty as what Apple can offer. But as a desktop technician working for a corporation that has hundreds of Dell laptops and work stations, they aren't as horrible as people make them seem. Sure you are going to come across a lemon or a bad experience, but it's no reason to dismiss them entirely. I can't say I've had a bad experience with their tech support because at work we have the upgraded platinum service, which I hear is better than the standard service.
The Dell 700m is a good laptop that has received many good reviews. It's extremely portable and you can probably get a good deal on it now with the discounts Dell is offering.
Dell 700m
emmawu said:Just call the Dell support line and when you hear, "Hello, I'm from Bombay, no Mr. Simpson you may not take items from the KwiK E Mart for free, excuse me sir while I put you on hold"...45 minutes later someone else may answer but you dare not hang up and dial back because then there will be another 3 hour wait. Customer service is just awful. And Apu in one of my favorite Simpson characters; I just don't like it when he moonlights for Dell.
Truly, awful customer service which has made grown men weep. And let's not forget that lovely blue screen of death.
But, hey, go ahead, buy a Dell, it's a free country.
Contrary if there is anything to be said about Dell it is there GOOD customer support, have you actually done as you just described?
The reality is they will probably get a box sent down asap and have your machine looked at.
Contrast this with my experience contacting Apple where I spent 30 minutes trying to get an indian to escalade my call, but having to jump through all his hoops (System preferences... Color Calibration... MY SCREEN HAS ****ING LINES DAMNED IT), then speaking to a specialist who says something along the lines of ("I have the same identical laptop as you right now, truly beautiful display... very bright and clear.. I work with it the whole day and don't notice anything", and when I finally got him to notice the lines "Well it is due to the matrix on the LCD panel, if you try it on another LCD you will notice the same thing... it is perfectly fine.... within specifications").. who then transferred me to "Customer relations" (aka Steve RDF acolytes) who keep going "The screen is fine.. it is perfectly ok".. who finally transferred me back to the webstore "Sorry, Apple's policy on returns is we do not accept returns on opened items that are not defective".
Oh for ****'s sake.. if you call that good service I will be very keen to see what bad service is. It is the same shitte service except they polished it, except you can't polish a turd.
Oh, and I should add that the Dell probably is half the price of the Apple.. low involvement purchase! I wouldn't mind getting lines on the Dell you know, definitely not on the Apple!
Trouble with fanboys comparing Apple with Dell is this, due to the ridiculous pricing on the Apple (you even have to shell out $56 to CALL Apple's helpdesk before they even listen to you after 90 days) and Steve's money grab, if you have specific needs that can be met by the Dell, go for it.
Btw, I never see Windows BSOD.
first let me point out that the person who started this thread has never come back, and second, his signature says that he has a Powerbook HD... so why does he need our help?
JasonElise1983 said:
Funny thing is people who usually post with titles such as "OMFGHGFSDJDF I'm Getting a Dell" already know the difference between getting an Apple as opposed to Dell. No convincing is needed. If you've been around here long enough the general rule is buy whatever the heck you need and keep the boards clean.
I'd consider a Dell in the future, but probably scrub the hard drive and install Linux. When you can get a Dell laptop for very little cash, it's worth taking the risk, even if it does develop problems and they refuse to look at it because you tampered with the hard drive and software. To be fair though, if it's a software problem, it's easily rectified, if it's hard drive related, chances are they wouldn't be able to tell what you had on there anyway.
JasonElise1983 said:
He has a Powerbook and is unhappy with it, if you read some of his other posts on different threads he has had hardware issues with it.
The Latitude D610 is a very solid computer (we use them at work and I may be getting one from them soon). I have a Latitude D400 something with me right now that is a good performing computer but it runs windows so I almost never use it. I understand your frustration with the powerbook 15" as they pretty much suck right now with the screen issue. If you are going to go PC and don't want to shell out for a Thinkpad (best PC notebook in my opinion) then get the Latitude. Just make sure you are ok with the upkeep required by windows and how fast windows slows down after being used for awhile. If I was going to use a windows computer it would be either a Thinkpad or a Latitude. You won't be disappointed by the build quality of the computer at all but you may be disappointed with the OS. Best of luck on whatever you decide.
Dell..... Don't do it, you'll be wasting your money, Dell laptops are trash.
About 12 months ago a set up a portable lab of 20 Dell Inspiron 8600s in a small primary because that's what the school wanted, all jokes a they are complete garbage a present for Ocar the Grouch if you will. With in the first 2 months 18 had to be sent back to Dell for problems ranging from replacing the HDD, the DVD-ROM, to replacing the mainboard, so no minor problems. Plus Dell's customer support is crappy, it cost the school thousands to repair the laptops because Dell's stupid cheap cover nothing warranty covered nothing at all, their attitude from a call center somewhere in India was 'well you bought them it's now your problem not ours'.
I know some people would be saying that it probably the kids be rough with computers, if that was the case the previous Apple iBook lab would have had the same causualties but the school never had any major hardware failures with the Apples, they were replacing them because they were old.
I don't know if the Dell's were all damaged in transit or it was just a really crappy batch of Inspirons but from this experience and their warranty conditions I would never use Dell ever again.
About 12 months ago a set up a portable lab of 20 Dell Inspiron 8600s in a small primary because that's what the school wanted, all jokes a they are complete garbage a present for Ocar the Grouch if you will. With in the first 2 months 18 had to be sent back to Dell for problems ranging from replacing the HDD, the DVD-ROM, to replacing the mainboard, so no minor problems. Plus Dell's customer support is crappy, it cost the school thousands to repair the laptops because Dell's stupid cheap cover nothing warranty covered nothing at all, their attitude from a call center somewhere in India was 'well you bought them it's now your problem not ours'.
I know some people would be saying that it probably the kids be rough with computers, if that was the case the previous Apple iBook lab would have had the same causualties but the school never had any major hardware failures with the Apples, they were replacing them because they were old.
I don't know if the Dell's were all damaged in transit or it was just a really crappy batch of Inspirons but from this experience and their warranty conditions I would never use Dell ever again.
ezekielrage_99 said:
Yes, Dell's bare bones support is crap. But most (I guess yours didn't) corporations or schools usually get the platinum level support. I at first was not informed that we had that so I had to deal with the Indian call centers and it was a nightmare. I finally got fed up and found out about our platinum support helpline. In the U.S. that means the call center is usually located in the States (in my case it's Round Rock, Texas.) I have had nothing but great experiences with this level of support. If I make a call in the morning they usually send out a tech by that same afternoon. If I make the call in the afternoon the tech will be there by the next morning. If it's something simple like a hard drive replacement I will get it shipped to me the next day.
manzanaloca said:
True about the platinum support but in Australia Dell has 'shifted' all of there buy/sell/help thing to India and the computers are built in S/E Asian, so there isn't really any great support to talk about. When Gateway computers was operating in Australia they did a similiar thing as well which utterly ruined Gateway, they seemed to have the attitude you buy now it your problem. That's probably why people stop buying I.T. equipment from certain companies, no decent aftersales support.
To Apple's credit I have never bought a product from them where all I wanted to do was throw it out of the window (still not too sure about the new PB though). The only major problem I have had with an Apple product was with my G2 iPod, the hard wired remote stopped working after a month, no problems there they replaced with a new one, no fuss, as they should.
I would get something with an AMD...and Dell service has not impressed me lately. It's the same as Gateway's except they'll answer the phone sometimes.