Why I don't want to buy a Dell computer

[Onlooker]

http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations/Michael_Dell.php

But, Dell does have some of the best prices, especially for fairly high-end computers. Any suggestions what brand to buy?

[MedleyMisty]

1. I love both my Gateways

[rpannier]

23. I like Gateways

I buy my laptops from Gateway every two-to-three years (While I'm in the states)

I buy my PC's overseas...Easier to get them upgraded.

[sellitman]

2. Apple of course...

The plus is Al Gore is on the board of Directors!

I switched a few months ago and I will never go back to a pc.

[Nomad559]

11. What's so great about Apple?

They outsource all the hardware they sell to China.

iPod maker admits breaking Chinese labor laws; says Apple approved sweatshop labor
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32644

"Apple Computer is getting into a deep PR mess over the antics of one of its its Chinese partners," Nick Farrell reports for The Inquirer.

"After denying that it was running a sweatshop that would be familiar to Charles Dickens, Apple's Ipod manufacturer, Foxconn has finally admitted that it broken Chinese labour laws," Farrell reports.


And why does Al Gore give Apple a free pass on the environment?

e-Waste Apple Campaign
http://www.texasenvironment.org/ewaste_apple.cfm

70+ groups urge Gore to make Apple green
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/03/23/groups.seek.green.apple/

[AlCzervik]

43. the same Foxconn that makes parts for every other PC company?

a company that has 5% market share, why don't you spend the same time on other companies, why is it always apple?

[Nomad559]

48. It's NOT always Apple

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=943286

:eyes:

[AlCzervik]

50. and Hp and numerous other companies.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=12836

[Selatius]

3. HP has better customer service than Dell anyway.

[rsmith6621]

4. I Simply Dont Want to Talk to.....

....A guy name William in Bangalore.....I wont fly UAL or DAL because the bulk of their res work is done in India and the Philippines.

[MadHound]

5. I would suggest a Mac

Contrary to popular rumors, you can get virtually all of the major programs in Mac form. If not, well, Macs run Windows also. And while you pay a bit more up front for your computer, in the long run it is cheaper, if you figure in the lost time from crashes, freezes and viri that Windows machines suffer from. And even the front in price is coming down on certain models, check out the Mac Minis. In addition, your Mac will last longer than a PC. For example, I picked up the first of the Power Mac series, a 6100, in 1993. It is a solid machine, one that still runs, and I still use, fourteen years later. It became unwieldy on the 'Net however around 2003, so that's when I picked up a new machine. So ten years of using it as my main machine. Meanwhile, my buddies with PCs went through at least one, if not two computers during that period of time. In the long run, they paid more for their computing capability. And this is standard, Macs last and last well.

[Onlooker]

10. It's not an option

I probably have well over $1000 in software that's for the PC.

[MadHound]

12. Like I said earlier, dual core Macs run both Mac OS and Windows

Thus your software wouldn't be obsolete nor useless.

When I went from my Power Mac to my Emac, I had about as much money invested in OS 9 softwar as you do in Windows software. With the dual OS on my Emac, I could run both OS software groups. Now Apple has carried the premise one step further, and you can run both PC and Mac software on the same machine. Rather innovative, don't you think?

Oh, Steve Jobs and Apple do donate to liberal causes and candidates.

I've worked on both Windows machines(Dells among others) and Macs, and frankly, give me a Mac any day. No viruses, no spyware or malware, easy, intuitive to use, no crashes, no downtime. Easy, elegant computing at its finest:shrug:

[alfredo]

13. With Boot camp or Parallels you can run your Windows software.

You will just have to install Windows.


Boot Camp is free. Parallels costs less than $100.

[Tesha]

19. Nowadays, you may find it's easy to make it run on a Mac! (NT)

[democrat2thecore]

24. I switched to Mac and run ALL my Windows software!

I have dual partitions and use Bootcamp (free from Apple). I have OS X (Tiger) on one and Windows XP on the other. It asks when I boot which operating system I want to boot to. XP runs flawlessly. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am with my switching to Mac. By the way, I find myself booting to Windows less and less. Though, there are some applications that I haven't found a comparable Mac application for, but I have Windows right there when I need to run them. I will NEVER go back!

[sellitman]

37. I was going to partition my hard drive but...

I got so comfortable with OSX that I decided to keep it pure and virus free by not installing Windows. Any Mac that has Windows installed is then open to all Windows viruses. That wasn't cool for my new iMac.

[napi21]

6. I just had to buy a new computer (lightening!), and I had several

friends tell me Dell makes a great product. I instantly told them NO, because I heard, way too many times, their customer service was the worst in the world!

I'm not bad, but I'm sure no whiz either, and I have contacted the mfg. CS on several occasions. I had an HP before, and Have nothing but praise for their CS. The one great thing they have is online chat in their CS area. I have had to contact other companies for CS and even if the person on the other end of the phone knew exactly what they were talking about, I CAN'T STAND constantly having to say "Please repeat that", I'm sorry, I didn't understand you", etc. With the on line chat, they can read what I've typed and I can read their answer.

YES, I bought another HP!

[Igel]

14. We have two Dells.

One's going on 4 years old, the other's 3 years old. The one that's 4 in October replaced an older Dell.

But I have absolutely no idea what their customer service is like. I've never needed to call them.

[China_cat]

7. Dell is dumb

A year or 2 ago, Dell was offering unions great deals on their computers. At the same time that they announced that they were cutting 3000 jobs here at home and sending them to India.

[karlrschneider]

8. I'd never buy a "brand name" machine. They have so many quirks and proprietary

crap on them it's ridiculous. (Talking PC here, I know absolutely nothing about Macs.) I'm not an expert but I've worked on & fixed many hundreds of computers and I'll take a homebrew/generic one over any of the HP/Compaq/Dell/Gateway/bla bla "brands" any day of the week and twice on Thursday.
;-)

JMO

[BlooInBloo]

9. They now offer the option of crapware-free.

[Solon]

16. That only applies to software, not hardware...

The hardware on Dells SUCK, I've told my Dell horror stories enough already.

[karlrschneider]

20. Ah, well I didn't know that. I more or less 'retired' from fixing computers

about a year ago. Thanks for the info.

[Seedersandleechers]

15. I bought a dell about 15 months ago

It is a piece of CRAP....Currently I'm using my new macbook and I love OS Tiger...User friendly,,,

[Prophet 451]

17. Build your own!

It's usually cheaper, you get exactly the machine you want and everything's modular now so it's a piece of piss to do.

I've had dozens of PCs over the years. Only one of them was brand-name (Mesh Computers if there's anyone from the UK here), that was a gift and I had no end of problems with it which climaxed with it having to be collect-and-returned three times before they realised that the problem really was the duff RAM I'd diagnosed in the first place.

Really, build your own. It's incredibly simple to do these days and usually far cheaper.

[rpannier]

25. It's probably cheaper

To go to a computer show and have them build you one there (If you don't feel comfortable building them yourself)

I have a friend in Indiana who does that.
For half the price of a name brand some guy builds it right there for him with all the 'stuff' he wants and nothing he doesn't.

The other plus is, if anything goes wrong he calls the guy on the phone or runs by his shop and gets it fixed in a few hours...not days or weeks.

[Prophet 451]

26. Yeah, that works too n/t

[DKRC]

18. Mac

Never own anything else.

Phone survey I answered last week asked about my computer without asking for brand, but after learning that I'm using the same computer I bought 8 years ago and don't plan to buy a new one for 2-3 years the woman conducting the survey said, "Well, I know what your computer is!"



:D

[liberalEd]

21. visioncomputers.com

Honestly I don't know how their prices compare. I have two computers from them I'm happy with. Back when I listened to Air America on the radio (with ads) as opposed to podcasts, I heard them advertise there. It stuck with me and when I needed computers I went to them.

They have US-based support, not outsourced to the the land of far, far away.

[rpannier]

22. Dell's computers are garbage

And he's a republikkan shill.

[billbuckhead]

27. The goal of Windows is to sell more software vs Mac's goal is user experience

With a Mac, most people don't have to buy much more software or fight to remove software that comes with the computer. The software that comes with with a Mac is quite useful and just works because that's the goal. Instead of making you buy new software or even new hardware more often like the Windows platform is quite adept at. Arguing about which Windows machine to buy is like arguing about which General Motors car to buy while Macs are kind of like a Honda, you pay a little more on the front side but get it back quickly in a variety of ways.

[gravity]

29. Ummm...

:rofl:

Sorry to bust your bubble, but Apple's goal is to make money too. The "user experience" Apple offers is just a way for them to promote their hardware business, which isn't cheap BTW.

If Apple was so concerned about my user experience, Steve Jobs would let me use his OS for a PC, but instead I have to pay for more hardware.

I'm not saying that Microsoft is any better, but Apple has it's share of greed too.

[IChing]

30. $473,500- to republican candidates- yeah buy a Dell and support republicans

Thanks to Federal Election Commission regulations, we know who gives what to whom. Dell Computer Corporation and Dell's Chief Executive Officer, Michael Dell, are among the nation's largest contributors to everything we despise.

So every dollar we spend on a Dell computer – or anything else they sell – supports the agenda of George W. Bush and everything he, Karl Rove and Tom DeLay hold dear.


http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2005/07/case-for-boycotting-republican-funding.html

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. I Say Buy A Dell. They're Good Computers, Good Components And Good Price.

And remember, the price you pay is far more going to pay the salaries and benefits of many like minded Democrats then it is being deposited in republican campaigns. If you have a hang up on it that you can't overcome, oh well. But if isn't too big of a stumbling block for ya, I'd absolutely recommend a Dell. They're definitely great machines for the money.

[BlackVelvet04]

34. I've had 3 Dell's and I liked them.....

I didn't have any problems except problems I caused and then I got help from the techs.

[IChing]

42. Yeah support the republican party........

good for you and OMC.

[BlackVelvet04]

52. Oh, give it a rest.........

I don't spend hours investigating every company I do business with. I don't know what company made my new couch or where it was made either. Not everything is political to those who aren't obsessed.

[alarimer]

31. I want to buy a laptop WITHOUT VISTA

It seems like the only place I can get them is Dell. So anybody know my options (Apple is not an option now- I might wait until it is though).

[democrat2thecore]

32. One other place

Velocity Micro.....you can get them direct or Best Buy now sells them. Circuit City will soon. You can select XP Professional as an option.
http://www.velocitymicro.com/

[alarimer]

35. Their laptops are too expensive

The cheapest looked to be about $1000. I could buy a Vista Machine and a copy of XP for that.

[Initech]

39. Go here:

http://www.tigerdirect.com

They have some good laptops with XP that are fairly inexpensive.

[kineneb]

40. check out off lease models

You can get really great deals on slightly older models that are coming off lease from large companies. I recently purchased a gently-used IBM ThinkPad T30 for right around $400. (P4-2.2GHz, 512MB RAM, 40GB harddrive, cdrw/dvd) You can find them with XP loaded, or with no OS.

I'm a Linux user, so this was ideal for me. It replaced the TP 600e (P2-366MHz) that I was using.

[orleans]

33. just don't buy dell. n/t

[Fearless]

36. Meh

Computers are built to be worthless in 3-5 years either by burning out or by becoming technologically useless. It's a service industry, we're serving them.

[orleans]

41. and dell was the company bush did his plug for

something to the effect of when you turn on your dell computer

bush gets lots of money from dell. remember buyblue.org?

[Initech]

38. I love my home-built PC, it's fantastic.

I spent about $1500 and got a PC that's better than what I could have bought from Dell, and that would have cost $4200. :wow:

[Occulus]

44. Don't buy one.

BUILD one.

Try www.pricewatch.com . I have found some truly unbelieveable prices for PC parts on that site.

Really, building a computer is like a big, expensive Lego set for adults. Plus, you have the satisfaction of getting exactly the machine you want, and you aren't paying for extra software and features you might not ever use.

I have purchased exactly one computer "off the shelf" in my life. It was back when the Pentium IIs were just over the horizon, but I needed a PC right then, so I got a Pentium Pro 180MHz.

It was a Packard Bell. It was the absolute worst PC experience I've ever had, and was what made me decide to build them from then on. I hated that PC so much I decided to use it to learn how NOT to build my PCs, while at the same time ripping it apart (even the motherboard and power supply, which was a first for me at the time) and learning everything I could about its parts.

I've been at it ever since. Every eighteen months or so, I either upgrade a conponent or take my tax return and buy myself a whole new PC. That's my being-nice-to-myself moment, since I know I'll be using it each and every day. It really is a hobby, because I do a lot of things many people never bother to attempt with their shelf models: since my hard drive comes blank, for example, I need an operating system to use. I usually install Window$ and a flavor of linux on the same partition (or different physical drives when I have access to them). If you don't play games or do a lot of multimedia work, linux might be a viable option; try Ubuntu first.

Seriously, build your own PCs. You'll be a lot happier with what you have in the end.

[frogcycle]

45. dell is the absolute worst company I have ever had business contact with

the parallels between their management and the bush administration are astonishing

[last_texas_dem]

46. I wouldn't recommend Dell

just based on my experience with them. I've had a Dell laptop for the last couple years, and have had problems with it from the beginning. Besides problems with it running slow due to all the extra junk it comes with, I've had external problems like keys coming off of the keyboard- and this was right after I bought it. I've had negative experiences with customer service, too: waiting for hours to get through, and no responses to voicemails and e-mails I've left with the technicians. Maybe I just got a lemon, but the experience I've had with mine has made me decide to avoid Dells in the future.

[The Straight Story]

47. Here is my solution for you :)

Buy a dell, take the money you saved and donate it to a Dem candidate.

If we all did things like this, we could easily outweigh their contributions.

Or spend the extra money and buy Alienware....

[cynatnite]

49. I like HP...

I had a Dell once. Never again. It was like having an emachine. ICK

[Recursion]

51. Find your local computer chop-shop

It's probably in a lonely corner of a strip mall.

Buy a very, very good white-box system for about $200

Lather, rinse, repeat