Buying a computer - Is a Dell really that bad?

[Josh]

Hmm........must not be connected to the internet then.

Actually, it is - and doing just fine to boot

Sure, Windows is insecure; but like all things, a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

Unknown to most, but the weakest link in the PC-User-Internet chain is most often the user. If you're not running IE and visiting suspicious sites full of pop-ups and ads, you'll be fine.

Using secure software (FireFox), keeping your system patched and up to date, and only browsing trusted sites will keep Windows virus free. I've ran windows for 6+ years without ever running any anti-virus software,and not ONCE did I ever get a virus.

Smart computing habits > anti-virus software.

More often then not, the folks with virus-ridden PC's are the ones browsing shady sites via IE, and thinking "Ohhhh box George Bush to Win an Xbox! Sweet, I'll try it!...*click*" (You know which ad I'm talking about! lol)

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Well, in the end, I bought a 60Gb Fujitsu HD (5400rpm), nervously followed the instructions on http://www.pbfixit.com et voila! One smooth working ibook again.

So looks like I'm ditching the idea of a Dell! Thanks again for your advice!

Extremely glad to hear! Am always disappointed when people are making the switch to a PC from a Mac.

Glad your not one of those!

 

[bankshot]

Wuzz -- hat's off to you. I just got nauseated looking at all the steps to replace the hd on an iBook.

Ahh, it's no biggie. Looks daunting, but I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was when I replaced mine last year (took about an hour start to finish, being extra careful). It was so easy that I didn't hesitate to take it apart again when the display bezel cracked a few months ago. The LCD was still working, but the hinge wouldn't swing due to the crack in the bezel. So I ordered a used bezel from ebay, took apart the whole machine, took apart the display itself (pbfixit's guide does not go this far! ), transported all the display's guts to the new bezel, and put it back together. Piece of cake.

The most important thing you can do is print out all the hi-res pictures from pbfixit.com, lay them out on a big table, and place each screw where it goes on each picture. That way every screw is accounted for and will go back in the right place when you're done.

 

[macam]

Nope. It's really not that bad.

p.s. I have a floppy I'd like to mail you with an .EXE containing a fun little game.

OMG... You had me LMAO!
It's so funny... and yet, oh so true!

Please entertain us more!!!!!

 

[decksnap]

I know the issue is resolved, but I thought I'd comment anyway. It seems to me the way that Dell 'gets you' is by cheaping out on the things the average customer doesn't think to check on when buying. My mother bought a midrange Dell a while back- the specs sounded good- but over time a few things came to light that she had no clue about when buying- When we went to add RAM because her system was slow as molasses, we found out it was some obscure and outdated kind. When she went to plug in her new Shuffle, she realized zero of the eight USB ports were high-powered. I had to lug over my old G4 that was three years older than her new computer so she could charge her shuffle! It's the sneaky stuff...

 

[Wuzz]

Wuzz -- hat's off to you. I just got nauseated looking at all the steps to replace the hd on an iBook. Brain surgeons would have no problem, I'm sure.

Glad you upgraded the speed and storage on your now "new" iBook. How much did you pay for the Fujistu?

I bought it from http://www.misco.co.uk, total cost (GBP) was £70.49 inc VAT (£54.99 for the HD+ £5 P&P + VAT)

The only thing that really scared me was this bit:

http://www.pbfixit.com/Guide/50.12.7.html and
http://www.pbfixit.com/Guide/50.12.8.html

Trying to pry the lower case took serious effort (and worry incase I snapped it). I have a nice scratch down the side of it too as my spudger broke and I resorted to using a screwdriver (doh!)

<jam, twist, push> <slide> <scratch> oooooops!

However have just realised that I hadn't backed up all my medical notes as they were in my shared user folder rather than my home directory. Doh and Buggery doo dah Need to figure out a way to see if I can access the knackered HD and scavenge them off. Dang!

 

[plinden]

I know the OP has sorted this out already, but that hasn't stopped others posting.

In the past ten years I've owned two Dells and used two at work, and I never had a problem with any of them. However, the "newest" one is four years old (and still going strong, with no hardware issues at all - but XP SP2 was a pain to install on it), and it's my impression from what I've read online that the quality and service has definitely got worse since I bought my last one.

But that may be due to Dell selling a substantially larger number of PCs than they did four years ago so you see more complaints.

However, the issue I have with Dells and Windows now is, they are just so dull. Maybe it's just my geeky nature looking for something novel, but I'm just bored with them both. Saying that, I enjoy working on my Thinkpad more than on the Dell - it's a newer faster machine so perhaps it's that - but "Dull" just seems to be the perfect name for the Dells.

So I'm looking forward to when I can order my Mac.

 

[plinden]

I know the issue is resolved, but I thought I'd comment anyway. It seems to me the way that Dell 'gets you' is by cheaping out on the things the average customer doesn't think to check on when buying.

Or when you do add what you need, the price hike is enormous over the "sticker price" (still cheaper than an equivalent Mac, but actually not that much cheaper)

 

[wide]

no they are not really that bad. better than that mac mini you're thinking of buying. you might want to look into a rev. a imac G5 (17" 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHZ) though, it should be in your price range.

 

[840quadra]

When you clear away all the bias and zealotry...no, a Dell is really not that bad.

Josh hit that one right on the head!

I have a Dell D505 Laptop for work, It dual boots in both WinXP and Linux (Fedora Core). In Windows is is stable, has a few issues, but that comes with every computer. In Linux It is quite fast, and with E17 (Enlightenment Window manager) it is much like OS X in look, and is very stable for all applications running in Linux.

Because of this Dell running Linux, my fear of running OS X on X86 (which is coming soon) is quite low.

Do I like the Dell better? No, but it is a good machine, and gets the job done.

Typed this on an iBook sitting next to his Dell (for the record )

 

[MontyZ]

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