ChrisK

I bought a DELL about 8 months ago... Love it.. no issues with locking up. Have not had to call customer service(no problems with it) so I can't comment on that one. At work here we use compaq computers and are starting to use dell's. They buy computers by the hundreds at a time here, so that makes me feel better.

mlitefan

Troutly, it sounds like you were unfortunate enough to get one of two things. A CSR having a bad day or not trained sufficiently.

Either way, you had a very unpleasant experience no doubt.

All I ask you to do is realize that any time you deal with humans, there is that chance. This being said, it certainly doesn't represent what EVERYONE deals with.

For every negative experience, I can cite thousands of positives.

My suggestion would be ANYTIME you don't feel you are getting the support you need, ask for a supervisor and tell the supervisor what you are dealing with. The CSR you dealt with either needs to be fired or sent for more training. Unfortunately, it happens.

As for service, again, I point to the industry statistics that have placed Dell's tech support in the number one position now for several years running.

Call it the cream of the crap if you like (I do) as service is an area that will never be where I would like to see it...in any industry for that matter.

Yes, I work for Dell so I have a bit of insight to this issue. I am not on the consumer side and you couldn't PAY me enough to be. This is but one example why. There simply are too many things that can go wrong for my liking...

Ratchet

Puttin a PC together......just like a bunch of legos. It's just getting it running that takes a bit. Personally, I had my last one built about 3 years ago, and don't think it locked up more than 10 times (i'd have to say most of the fault was the I-net connection).

Try this:

1) Go to one of the sites that was recommended, such as Toms hardware (mentioned earlier), or sharkey's extreme - those guys are great at letting you know what works together & what doesn't. Get the specs on a good system that they've tested

2) Go to pricewatch.com - get the best prices on the components from here.

3) go to http://www.cbwstores.com/ - find a location by you, and have them price out the system......then tell them they need to come closer to the prices you get for the components.

For another $100-150 bucks you can get the system, & buy the 2 year service agreement.

I did this for my last one, and I'll do it again for my next one........and I'm not even a computer dude, just a gearhead who spent a little time reading !


Or check this site out.....I got a sales paper from them & they seem to have some pretty nice systems for under a grand !

http://www.microcenter.com/index.html

Sean

mlite...I had a feeling you worked for Dell, but saw no response from you regarding our experience with support or the sub-standard hardware used in their consumer line.

i'm not looking for a pissing match, just your comments on my findings...

BigDaddy96

I think many times that causes of lockups/crashes is related to the mix of software you have on the pc. You could be running a version of software that is not totally compatible with the O/S or even with the other software on your system.
If you can recreate the lockup by starting up program A, followed by starting program B, then it will be easier to diagnose and solve. Maybe deinstalling program A will keep program B from locking up, maybe there is a service pack that can be applied to program B to bring it up to date, etc.

Rob

HyperBaja

Go to a computer expo, my dad got a 1.8ghz P4, 80gig drive, flat screen monitor less than 2" thick, 512mb ram, everything matches, a killer sound system all for under 1k. you will need to buy software, Win98, and Win2k is still perfectly fine, you dont need XP. Plus 98 will be loads cheaper than XP Pro.
Trouty, i agree, every dell i have been on ever has always locked up way more than any other pc....even when mine had 128 viruses on it!!! (4mos of internet d/l everything with no antivirus software!)

cartman

WOW! thanks for all the responces however mixed. I'm shure that building a computer is the way to go as I have been Told before. I really don't have the time to sort through it all at this time as I have too much going.Thought I would just buy one ready to go and be done with it. I don't need much just internet,word,and some accounting thats it nothing fancy. my current set up would be fine if not for the locking up which is not related to any one program or command. With just the bare minimum installed on the computer and running still locks. I have given up on this one. My wife says I'm going to find it in the front yard some day soon. Just looking for relyability.

dstroyed

I agree with Gaspipe96.

We have 6 Dells in my office. All ran strong until we loaded xp pro networked with server 2000. We now have some glitchs and lock ups but nothing we can't deal with. If I were to do it again I would have stuck with windows 2000 all the way.

I have also noticed the machines with Winfax lock up more than others without. Just my .02

Tom

I know I'll get flamed and people will say I don't know what I am talking about, so here is why my advice counts.

Implemented $1,000,000 software on Windows and UNIX for fortune 500 companies worldwide. Taught programmers to end users for Tandem, HP, Compaq, Cisco, Nortel, Ford, Ericson, and over fifty other major companies. Write software on Windows and Mac. Have consulted mission critical internet companies who must have the most reliable crash free systems. Been on expert panels at trade shows and software conventions. Worked with some of the top security and anti virus programmers in the world.

All that experience has lead me to one important conclusion - if you don't want crashes ever again the only system good enough for mission critical is UNIX. Problem is most flavors are too hard to use or manage except one - Apple Macintosh. It is way easier than windows and way more powerful at the same time. It is the marriage of BSD UNIX with the Mac interface and you can forget about all the security and crashing problems as well as all the problems with getting it to work. Everyone I have gotten to switch can't believe that people still use that buggy insecure windows system, but didn't realize things don't have to be that way. I do not work for and never did work for Apple or anyone related to them.

http://www.apple.com/switch/

mcollinstn

I stopped building my own nine years ago.
I stopped buying offbrands or custom hotrods six years ago.
I stopped buying consumer-grade computers five years ago.

I've bought only Dells in the past five years.
I do buy Dimension series desktops, but spec them with lots of memory and fast drives and the video cards I want as opposed to integrated junk. I make sure the motherboard chipsets are fast and well-proven to be reliable.

I've stopped upgrading pieces in computers more than 2 years old - if something is wrong with them that will cost more than $50 or take more than an hour to fix, I replace it with a new Dell.

While I used to have endless problems with hotrods getting hot chips, burning out power supplies, and losing harddrives (all due to poor heat management) I have never replaced anything but a bad netcard in any of my Dells (and the oldest is a Pentium Pro 200MHz workstation that has been relegated to a noncritical application but still runs like a top). I am convinced that the Dell configurations I now purchase are sold in adequate quantities to debug them and have heat and component issues worked out long before they reach my hands (I am a believer in a second-tier performance level - not the latest and fastest, but a notch back while still possessing a current chipset).

I hate to hear of anybody's trouble with their stuff.

I only know that I have been extremely well-pleased with Dell after years of stocking the closets with spare power supplies, drives, netcards, vidcards, memory, drive controllers, processor fans, soundcards, you name it. Now I keep spares, but never have to use them.

I'm a Dell customer.
Could care less about their tech support.
The resources on the Internet allow me to troubleshoot any issue I run up against, and Dell has been quick to FedEx me a part to install myself the ONE time I needed them to.