Submitted by The story was first reported by The New York Times, which stated that Dell employees were aware that the approximately 11.8 million affected computers might break or cause fires, but were instructed to downplay the problems when talking to customers.
If Dell can’t be trusted, where’s a good place to buy a pre-built machine? Not everybody is mechanically inclined enough or wants to screw with building their own, even some of us who are computer-literate …
This was long time ago (10 years is long time in computer history), and Dell is more trustable now (except for the nVidia chips issue which happened a few years ago).
But if you’re not sure, you can still buy the machine with the longest warranty, with quick replacement options. I believe it costs ~$300 for 5 years of service.
Not even close to 10 years…maybe 5. Even still, Dell’s Optiplex models have been plagued with problems, and not just the capacitor problems with the GX270/GX280 models. Hard drive problems due to overheating (culprit was poor case design) with their GX520/620 and 745/755 models as well as problems I’ve experienced with Vostro 200 models. We’ve gone through systems at my work locations quicker than a baby goes through diapers (yeah, a bit extreme, but you get the idea). And let’s not forget the dreaded Inspiron E-series of laptops. My wife has the E1705 and a coworker had the E1501, both of which were riddled with problems from the factory. My wife’s laptop is literally falling apart and she only uses it at home.
At least for me, it’s going to take a LONG time before I can trust Dell computers with my money.
Edited 2010-07-05 22:50 UTC
Why not roll your own?
It is not hard…. You simply need to head to an online PC store, buy a case/CPU/MoBo/GPU/PSU/RAM/HDD/Optical drive, and voila!
When the parts arrive, putting it together is so easy that a monkey could do it.
If it is difficulty in selection of parts which work together, basically all one needs do is select the correct MoBo socket for their CPU, and get a PSU with enough wattage for their GPU…. Not exactly hard, I would argue it is easier than trawling through the convoluted websites of Dell et all.
Getting all the right parts together isn’t hard, but if you put me and a monkey side-by-side and told us both to build a PC, the monkey would probably have better luck than me
When I attempt to use a screwdriver, I more often than not end up breaking things.
Some people just weren’t born to interface with tools, and I happen to be one of those people. Sad as it sounds, that’s just the way it is. I usually just end up buying a new Dell. I’ve never had a problem with any of them, but after this little fiasco, I just might have to look elsewhere. Assuming there are any decent alternatives? When I buy a new PC, I tend to lean towards the high-end (not for gaming though) and end up keeping for at least 5 years, so no cheap $300 desktops for me.
Barebones machine. Integrated Audio/Video/LAN make things a piece of cake these days.
Then the only thing you gotta do is install CPU/RAM/HD.
Only the HD should require a screwdriver, unless the case has a screw or two to remove
The most likely thing you’ll screw up is the CPU/Heatsink – the thermal pads on the bottom of the heatsinks have a tendency to stick where you don’t want them :/
That’s why thermal paste is better than those annoying pads. Put it on the top of the processor (a small amount of course) then put the heat sync on and press down. Easy, and no sticking or pealing pads accidentally.
Last time I needed to replace the CPU fan, I had to get help because I couldn’t get the f**king screws in. And then there’s the power supply, and getting all of those little plugs in the mobo. Did I also mention I’m half-blind too?
How about Asus? I’ve always had good luck with them, though I’ve used their laptops and not their desktops. I haven’t bought a pre-built desktop in years, though I do use Asus motherboards in the desktops I build. There’s Alienware as well, though you could probably buy a Mac or two for what they charge. HP makes some good higher end desktops as well (just stay far away from their low end machines).
Anyone thats not a major box builder. If linux is your OS of choice there are a few shops that specialize in that specifically so all the hardware just works like:
http://zareason.com/
http://www.system76.com/
There are also a few that while they won’t check it for you that all the hardware is linux compatible they will build you very high quality custom systems with any exotic performance or aesthetic parts you like:
http://www.avadirect.com/
http://www.pugetsystems.com/
http://www.powernotebooks.com/
http://www.xoticpc.com/
All of these shops are rated pretty well on the store ranking sites.
Avoid the big names if at all possible, they skimp everywhere they can to make a penny today that costs them a dollar later to repair.
Thanks for these links… much appreciated
The article says this was an issue for one big customer of Dell in 2003-5. That was back in Pentium 4 days.
My brother recently had his non-Dell laptop circa 2007 overheat quite badly (VERY hot!), and it apparently killed the screen. My own laptop (similar parts, esp. cpu, but different vendor) almost died too from the same problem. He eventually bought a new Dell laptop, and it easily runs twice as cool (newer cpu and smaller die size or whatever). Of course, he also got the extended warranty.
It seems even in this multi-core age, computers can still overheat and are badly ventilated. Also, I guess I don’t have to tell any of you guys how annoying buggy ACPI is. It almost makes me want a fanless cpu, but I don’t know if a consumer can even (reasonably) buy one. (AMD Geode??)