We are a Dell shop here and while we do have issues sometimes with new PCs, overall they are pretty reliable. We stand at +600 Dell PCs and laptops and call Dell at least once a month. However most of these calls are for systems nearing the end of their support contracts (3 or 4 years old) and it is usually the HDD's that go. We are not a Dell certified shop, but we still do all of our own parts replacements. When we call in for replacements they show up the next business day and delivery is pre-paid. I have heard of way too many horror stories with other PCs vendors, especially when they won't send the parts to you and instead want the whole system sent back to them (*cough* Gateway *cough*). I have also noticed that getting updates (patches, BIOS updates, etc) from many vendors is a pain, the problem being either that they don't regularly post them or their support sites stink. Getting updates for Dell systems on the other hand is a breeze and they update systems for quite sometime (3+ years). We currently have 50-100 systems that are 6+ years old and still chug away with no problems. Considering many of these are in wards (comparable to kennels and/or barns) that's pretty impressive.
If people are interested in the all-in-one systems I would once again recommend Dell. Gateway did beat them to the punch by several years, but we never like the idea that the monitor is permanently attached to the PC. This becomes an issue for several reasons. First off if the monitor dies you have to send it back, so you are without a PC. Second, if the monitor dies and it's out of warranty your screwed, unless you hook up a second monitor (which would just look funny). Third, if the user decides they want a bigger screen or to have the monitor mounted on a swivel arm you are once again screwed. The Dell USFF (Ultra Small Form Factor) PCs on the other hand come completely separate from the monitor, but you can get special versions of their LCD's that allow you to mount the PC to the back of the monitor. This means you can have both the features of an all-in-one and the flexibility of a standard desktop system. Same for speakers, the LCD's don't come with them but you can buy a soundbar (really cheap at $9) that clips right onto the bottom of the monitor. Also the power for the speakers plugs into the monitor (don't need another outlet).
As for the original complaint about Dell not re-installing the software or retrieving data off the old drives, that's common practice among 99% of vendors. The systems come with install CDs for the OS and any software. Which is another benefit, no crappy restore CD(s)! I would rather setup my own systems anyway. As for the data, either it is inaccessible (you did say the HDD was bad) or you have to pay extra for data retrieval. We have a policy here that when a hard drive starts to go bad, we will try to get an image of it immediately.
Well that's my $.02
________________________________________________
Stephen Bogdanski Network Support, MSU-CVM
Michigan State University [log in to unmask]
A227 VetMed Center Phone: (517) 353-5551
East Lansing, MI 48824 Fax: (517) 432-2937
>>> Joseph Norton <[log in to unmask]> 07/27/05 10:18PM >>>
We switched from HP to Gateway Profile systems. Our first batch of Profiles
had many video issues, and Gateway sent a tech to replace the power board on
all of our PC's for free. 2 years later and 3 versions newer we are using
Profile 5.5's. Our first batch of 35? or so have had no problems. As a
side note. We like All-In-One integrated systems. The newest Profiles are
completely user repairable, except for the LCD. They made us a "special"
customer, gave us a "special" phone number for support, and it's all good.
They don't ask us our BIOS version when the hard drive is making a ding,
ding noise, and the person we call lives in the USA. We have 300 systems
now. I think we only had about 125 when they granted us "special" status.
The no separate monitor, all in one system is just a joy. The integrated
speakers are good. Our users love the extra desk space, and we love the
ease of transportation. We are still open to other options, but it will
need to be a nice integrated PC. A profile 5.5 looks like this:
http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/gateway-profile-55-021606.php - Joe
Loren LaLonde writes:
> If they are the Optiples GX270s, I'm not surprised that they would all go.
> Recently, I've run into a large batch of them that have all had their
> capacitors blow.
>
> Of the available desktops in the Cstore, I'd have to say the IBM machines
> would be my suggestion. Where I'm working now, we're a Dell reseller, and
> we don't push enough volume to make IBM happy, but the few IBM machines we
> have worked with have been nothing less that spectacular. Their support has
> also been quite good when we have needed it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of David McFarlane
> Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:17 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MSUNAG] Alternatives to Dell destops
>
> Five out of five recently purchased Dell Optiplexes came with defective
> hardware that had to be replaced under warranty. This is unacceptable. I
> can no longer recommend Dell desktop to my users for future purchases, until
> Dell gets it's quality control back in order. But I don't know what to
> recommend as an alternative. Any opinions?
>
> -- David McFarlane, Research Technology Specialist
> Dept. Psychology, Michigan State University
> [log in to unmask] www.msu.edu/~mcfarla9
> Voice: (517) 353-0799 Fax: (517) 353-1652
>
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