What are your opinions of Dell notebooks?

I been working part time in computer service for 2 years now. Most notebook that come in are Dells, while Dell owns only 30% of Ukrainian laptop market. I have seen Dells that literally fall apart while under 3 years of usage. Most low to middle price boxes seem to be build from cheap plastic and 2nd grade parts.
Am I mistaken, is it a local phenomenon? What are your opinions of Dell notebooks?

 

I like Dell...I like my 1530 and my Mini 9, very much.

I only had trouble with my 1530 a few months after purchase. Called Dell, Technician sent = fixed..and moved forward.

My only comment about Dell, would be that they need to improve on their Customer Service skills for their employees. That, is where they seem to be lacking. And, they need to be more *communicative* with the general public on upcoming releases and such. That is one area..improved marketing, would be good. Saying something is going to be released, with no specs and such ~ leaves a wanting customer in the dark.

My next lappy will be another Dell. Unless...my path drives me in a different direction, as such!

Cin

 

dell laptops are ok, but not their customer service. Dell's way to practice their business is BAD and unreliable. If you want a reliable laptop and service, choose HP!

 

All opinions here, don't take offense if I don't like your computer:

I've been using Dell Latitudes and Latitude-based machines since 1999 and I have to say that the quality has improved significantly. The D600 may not have been a huge improvement over the C600, but the D620, D630 and E6400 represent dramatic leaps in quality. Overall I think the Latitude and Precision lines are very good.

I've never owned a Vostro, I don't really have anything for or against them.

The Inspiron line used to be built on the same chassis as the Latitude line and subsequently saw similar improvements in quality. When the Inspiron line divorced from the Latitude bases, the family ending with the E1405 turned out a bit shoddier, but Dell picked it back up with the 1420. I think the Inspirons of the 1420 family are solid machines, but I feel that the current crop is a step down.

The XPS line through the M1330 is solid as well.

I feel that the Studio line is a knee-jerk reaction to relatively large popularity the HP dv6000 and dv9000 series. A lot of people like their Studios, but I feel that it is a clunky, cheap machine. The new Studio XPS machines are again a step up, but being a combination of a cheap studio and a solid XPS, they are a step down from the M1330 family.

Overall, I would not recommend a current-gen Inspiron or Studio (except for the minis). Not enough information is out on the Studio XPS for me to say anything about them.

 

I have been working with Dell Notebooks for quite awhile and their business line seem to take a beating and keep on going.

I have a 6 year old Dell Latitude that has never given me a hardware problem or malfunction. The only reason why I upgraded to my 2 year old XPS M1710 was it couldn't play the current games at the time.

My XPS M1710 also has never had a hardware or software malfunction and is still going strong.

Dell's XPS gaming line has gotten way overpriced for the hardware that it contains and I never consider any of the other models so I can't comment on that.

It seems that Dell is slowly but surely pushing it's gaming focus over to AW so it's just going to let the M1730 die and fade away. So my pattern of buying from Dell looks like it will come to an end, with my next purchase. Unless they do something crazy insane and drop the price of the M1730 like crazy.

 

Should I tell you the good parts, or the bad parts? : )

On the contrary, I think that the people in customer service are great. I think the problem is that they aren't really allowed to be as accommodating as they can be. You definitely get the runaround on the phone, and the long waits. If employees were empowered to settle disputes without the aid of a manager, a lot more would get done quicker. A problem is a problem, and I would consider picking up the shipping charges provided I knew what was promised was going to happen, period. I also hate getting sent refurbished parts when I paid for a brand new PC (and I don't care if they are just as good or not). I think this is the result of Dell's business design. I think it is also a result of their desire to generate revenue by offering 1st class, 2nd class, and coach class warranties. If they want to deliver PCs just in time and online, they need to be set up to handle ANY sort of objection from the consumer whose expectations are not matched by the product. Now that Dells are sold in stores, it is even more important to differentiate themselves from the rest of the manufacturers - at least by offering a superior web service. Apple is probably a good model for customer service at the moment. So is LL Bean.

The products have been great, and while I do not love my computer totally, I consider it an overall excellent performer. Build quality is good, still creakless and solid feeling. My top worry is whether the GPU is going to cook itself and the motherboard after the warranty expires. If that happens, and I cannot get a fix (supposed Nvidia extended warranty) - this will be my last Dell.

Hit or miss? Not sure what to call it. Dell is not the only computer vendor that bothers me. Personally, I wish I could pick my own components and build one myself. Next time around, I will probably lean toward HP - I like their designs and the option to use AMD and Ati parts.

 

i own 4, and have owned several previously, both laptops and desktops. some problems but for the most part i am happy with the build quality. there customer service is awful, but if you are persistent and pleasantly pushy you will get what you want.
i will say the xps line has better build quality generally but that has changed a bit over the last few years. the more you spend the more sturdy they generally are but most use the same technology and products so the same problems exist in all computers. the higher performance you get, heat will be a problem... and so on

i have owned Sony, Toshiba and Compaq laptops, and i would buy from Sony and Toshiba again but never Compaq (junk) but for the price dell wins

 

I've owned quite a few over the past few years and they have been my favorite thus far. When they have fallen apart it was due to user error when I loaned them out.

 

of the 4 Core 2 Duo based laptops I have owned, my Dell XPS m1330 is the best laptop I have ever had (others were Lenovo, HP, & Dell 1525)

never had an issue

 

I can't compare...between my 1530 (first lappy from Dell), and my Mini 9 (first netbook from Dell). Both are working good! I just need to do some tweaking on my 1530, and I'm good to go with it.

I haven't ran into any troubles with my Mini 9....(yet)

I'm excited about my next purchase from Dell! Not so excited, if I run into any Customer Service hassles!


Cin

 

Ive had my vostro 1700 for over a year now and even after running 24/7/365 all while having the 8600mGT OC'd it runs great. No issues with my dell so far, but I have fixed several dells over my IT career.

 

Dell is still the best for me as far as customer service

 

And there driver downloads are better then all others.

 

I own Two Dell laptops and a Dell Desktop. Couldn't be happier with them. They have held up better than my Thinkpad did and Dell's site is much easier to use than the competitor's sites.

 

I absolutely love my Dell. I've made a lot of stupid purchases in life but my 1720 is probably the best $2K I've ever spent. I love my dell to death and I can't wait to get another one. I'm going to upgrade to the XPS machine for my next laptop. I also might get a mini for portable business purposes.

Overall I have no complaints except for their customer service. I had an issue with my vista disc and it was one month after my warranty was up. They basically said F-you or purchase another year of the warranty. I got through it but I was a little upset that they refused to help me at all because I didn't have a warranty. My issue wasn't with the computer so I feel I shouldn't have been penalized like that.

 

My family's first laptop was a dell inspiron ( dont remember the model) but it had a P4 processor, i think it had a geforce 5200... and 512 megabytes of RAM, and in its days how it ran!!! it was the fastest computer we had, it never gave any problems and was always running perfectly, unfortunately it was stolen, back then when i was little, now when i got the chance to get a notebook myself, i decided to go with dell, since i loved that old inspiron so much, so i started looking and i actually remember when the xps m1330 came to the dell website, i was all exited... but it was a year and a half after that when i bought my m1530, seeing as it was slim, lightweight, and overall a great performer.

i have to say this laptop easily throws off any of those fancy VAIOs you see on the sonystyle shelves, costing more than 4,000 quid... and any other manufacturer for that matter, no other can rival its design, its awsomeness. its slim, its beautiful, and its powerful, and ABOVE ALL! resistant to a lot of throw arrounds, and mistreats, witch to my horrible shame, i have proved myself!!! ( you can see my aluminum palmrest.... its not a pretty sight... gonna replace it someday i hope)

so overall im simply fascinated with this laptop, even if my GFX card was defective, it was a breeze to arrange a replacement, and a tech should be coming soon to do so.

i give dell and this laptop a 10/10 and would not hesitate to purchase another one

 

I'm on my second laptop, since my first one had a fried Nvidia chip, but Dell replaced it, albeit extremely slowly.

The 1420 is definitely a solidly built machine, but my second one is noticeably tighter in build quality than my first one.

However, my notebook still runs HOT, but for the price I bought it, it was unbeatable.

 

as of this moment i feel they're very far behind in almost every way. Their current notebook models all seem to be a generation behind in terms of internal components. They're beginning to make much cheaper looking and feeling laptops, and their pricing is out of the world for what they're offering....

Dell used to offer a nice laptop at a good value. Lately I find much better bang for my buck in terms of internal componets, aesthetic appeal, and overall value in other brands such as Asus and Gateway.

the prices they want for computers that don't even have dedicated graphics cards are unbelievable.. and the price they want for those that do are even worse!

Dell really needs to get its act together as it seems to me they're really depending completely on brand loyalty and recognition and in a PC market, that won't hold out forever.

 

It can be viewed as a bit of a hit and miss in my opinion..
For instance, my Inspiron 1720 is just over one year old now and has only ever had one problem (VGA not working properly), whilst my flatmates Studio 17" has a malfunctioning touch buttons (above keyboard), the infamous black screen of death requiring a format, and its only 4 months old!

 

I am satisfied with their customer service. Sometimes is a bit tedious, but that is due to some reps that lack experience or knowledge. They ship out replacement parts fast and their technicians are also able to service your computer on time.

What I have seen is that Dell is taking longer to release new (eg montevina, vid cards, etc) than before. I remember when they used to be the first. However, they are improving their build and designs.

 

Dell is great for me.

I've had a Inspiron E1505 for the past 3 years and it's been running great, except the battery needs to be replaced.

Then I bought a Inspiron 1525 3 weeks ago and that's been great as well. Overall, I like Dell notebooks and will continue purchasing them.

 

How does the Precision and Latitude lines compare to Thinkpads?

For e.g., M2400/M4400 and E6400/E6500 v.s. Thinkpad T-series and W-series?

I am comparing those (with Sony Z and a Clevo clone). I was wondering whether there are some significant differences between the 'business' notebooks to be aware of.

 

Irrespective of how perfect a laptop may seem, the ability to get it fixed when it breaks has got to be the deal clincher.

I can say nothing but great things about the support I have received for my XPS. My gfx card (7950gtx) died 3 months out of warranty.

I rang XPS support expecting an enormous bill to get it fixed. They transferred me through to the Warranty dept and they suggested I just renew my warranty for 12 months. At a quarter of the cost of a replacement card it was a total no brainer. What's more, a tech came to my work the very next day with the card that had been shipped overnight from overseas.

I'm currently eyeing an Asus W90, but I can't get past the fact if something goes wrong I'd have to send it away... could be weeks, could be months.

What price do you put on onsite next business day service!? Very impressed with the Dell people I've spoken with.

 

I have no experience with the Precision and latitude notebooks, but from what I have seen with the Thinkpads, the quality has gone down significantly in the past 2 years.

 

my sisters first laptop was the Dell Inspiron 5150. that thing is a piece of junk! hard drive failed twice already. it's power hungry, gets hot. might be due to the Pentium 4, but it's already known that the 5150 line has a host of design problems, thanks to Dell. it was overpriced too.

i'm planning on purchasing a Dell Studio once the new version comes out and i've read enough reviews on it. if it ain't good, i can't go wrong with a Lenovo Thinkpad.

 

My first Dell was a 5160 and it sucked too. The Dells I have owned since are so much better. The HD died and the mobo eventually failed.

 

The battery in my Vostro 1400 died just over a year with less than 3 hours usage in total.

 

I have a seven year old Dell 8000 Inspiron that creaks from day one, but it is used almost every day. I had to have the motherboard replaced as soon as I received it due to the battery not charging, but the only problem I had since was the hinge needed replacing two years ago. For preventive maintenance, I did disassemble it 3 years ago to replace the two fans even though they were still working, and I put Arctic Silver paste on the heatsink for the 700 MHZ PIII CPU. And I have swapped out the hard drive for a 5400RPM, but the original drive is in a hard drive caddy.

I have several Dell computers at my business that have been very dependable. I just ordered a new Dell D630N 10 minutes ago as we need to replace a 4 year old Panasonic CF-51 Toughbook that has a bad motherboard. No signs of being dropped. Dell computers are very plentiful so it is not hard to find used parts. Panasonics are very hard to find used parts for and if you can, they are very expensive.

I do prefer the Latitudes over the Inspirons after comparing the D series with our 6400 Inspiron with the white bumper. My salesman likes it with the ATI video. I wish Dell would offer the ATI video on the Latitude instead of the Nvidia junk. Maybe that is what the original poster is seeing, Dell computers with the faulty Nvidia chips being dumped over in Europe. Can't tell you much about the Vostro line. I thought very hard about the Vostro line this past week and did some homework. They are a cheap alternative that should work OK if it sits on a desk 95% of the time, but not for someone on the go. I personally love my D820 Latitude and mostly why I went for the D630, plus we need serial ports yet.

 

Thats just blatant generalisation.
Their M6400 offers the latest chipsets, quad core mobile CPUs, DDR3 ram, dual HDD, RGBLED displays etc.

I really like their business line.
As far as customer service, it depends on which dept you are interacting with. I have interacted with EPP dept on precision laptops, and the service has been stellar. No running around, no waits, no convincing the rep; just simple problem statement and service is there next day.

Starting from the Dx20 line, the latitudes and precisions have also focused on style, so now the laptops feel and look really good too.

Build quality wise, they are close (but not there yet) to becoming really awesome. Right now, most components are stellar, but there are some (eg keyboards that flex) which are not.