Ordering Dell Online

I never bought anything online and was wondering if someone could walk me through buying a dell 9400 online from dell.ca? im from canada and will be paying by visa. Do i have to make an account? and when i configure the 9400, how long will it take to build and ship? and will dell call me to confirm my order? or is it done by e-mail? will dell call me at anytime? like if theres a delay? or problem? thanks for any help you can give.

 

Buying a laptop online from dell is very user friendly. You just need to go to dell's website, and configure your laptop to what you want. Once you have it configure, on the 3rd page, you'll add it to the cart. It will then show you your cart, so you can verify that the correct system has been added. If everything is set to your liking, then click on "Checkout". It will then ask you for your name, email, etc. This will create your account. From there it will ask you for shipment/billing information as well as credit card information.

That's the basic process. Normally it takes anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks to build, depending on if you have any parts on back order. Mostly everything is done by email. Generally you will get an email if there is a delay for some reason like if credit card information is invalid, etc. After you order your system, you can always check the status by logging into your dell account or calling dell directly. If you log in to your account, you can see what stage your laptop is at by clicking on the order number link in your account.

I suggest to check on your status every couple of day to make sure that nothing is wrong. It should move thru the first few stages very quickly.

SG

 

thanks you very much, that information is very helpful, i placed my order now. Will they ever call me? if they do i want to be sure that im home to answer it.

 

Most likely they will not call you. If you see any delays in your order call them and see what the hold-up is, they will usually upgrade your shipping for free. Good choice, enjoy your 9400!

 

Like USAF said, i highly doubt they will ever call you. That's why I suggest to always check your account online or call them because if something happens like if your credit card doesn't go thru, your order will just sit there. After 3 days (i believe), they'll cancel your order.

 

thanks both of you for your help, it was very informative. I never owned a laptop before, only 3 desktops. I can't wait for it to come. I want to see if i can upgrade the video card. Is it easy to upgrade like a desktop?

 

There's no real verdict yet as to if you can upgrade the video card in the 9400 without voiding your dell warranty. You should head over to the huge Inspiron 9400 thread under notebook reviews (the biggest active thread now I believe).

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=36118&page=49

You won't miss your desktop that's for sure...

 

thanks for the link, its very informative. I'm sure i won't miss my desktop, i mean it has a geforce 5600xt....

 

The upgrade is possible depending on two things. You can't upgrade if you have an integrated card. The second thing is you can only upgrade to the specific cards offered for your system. Reason is because you have to have BIOS support from dell for the card to work.

I'm assuming that right now you are getting the 7800 go. If dell should offer a better card for the 9400, then you should be able to upgrade to it without voiding your warranty. Your new card won't be covered under warranty, but the rest of the laptop will.

 

oh ok, yup im getting a go 7800, i never owned a video card thatt costs above $150 and want to see how a higher end card peforms

 

Good choice...you will get very happy on how it performs. That is why I love my 6800Go.

 

thanks, i was having 2nd thoughts about the video card since it costs quite a bit. btw, will it be easy to change the processor or RAM should the need arise?

 

Processor is going to be a little harder. RAM is just a cover underneath the laptop...so it is 2 screws and just put in the new RAM.

 

I as seriously looking at a 9300 but will go for 9400. Has anyone tried www.compudirect.com ? The options are slightly different to Dell online - any thoughts on how they're able to do it etc?