Who actually makes Dell laptops?

Is it Quanta? Or Compal? Or some other company I've never heard of?

 

It's branded Dell. Close enough.

 

lol, I think they manufacture most parts yes.

they got big by using a different way of assembling the parts.

you should google the founder of Dell, the man is a Bill Gates kinda player.

very interesting lifestory

 

The manufacturer for Dell parts is everybody. They get parts from Quanta, LG, Foxconn, Intel, etc... and they assemble it all.

 

Michael Dell.

 

Yeah, he mines all the ore, with his bare hands!

 

For their laptops, if you are referring to their original design manufacturers, then you're right. As of late it has been Compal and Quanta. They've also used Mitac in the past but Mitac's been sinking for past several years.


I'd have to do some heavy digging, but I forgot which one(either Compal or Quanta), I want to say it was Compal made their last generation latitude D series.

As of now, I believe they do actually make their own latitude chassis's, in-house plants: Poland(formally Ireland), Malaysia(?). What others have posted is of course right too, but it applies to components of course.

 

Mostly quanta

the M17x is a flextronics

 

depends on the model and contracts always change. A few years ago, some models were based on Samsung notebooks. As of 2009, Compal is still being used for the manufacturing of HP and Dell notebooks among others.

 

me!!!!!!!!

 

Dell has become a Middle Man now just like

HP
Acer
Gateway ( Acer and Gateway and Emachines all the same company now )

 

Dell has never manufactured their own computers.

 

Way back in the day they did, or at least the plastic casing/frames for their computers and even their earliest laptops. Read Michael Dell's book, "Direct From Dell".

As many have implied, Dell contracts their laptops for the most part, they basically go up to the manufacturer's and tell them the specs they want, and the general design/look they want. Then contracter(compal, or quanta) will make it for them.

This is what Apple does as well, they don't make anything in house, at all. Foxconn makes most of their stuff, including the ipod.

 

Wistron and Compal Electronics are the two major partners of Dell, accounting for over 80% of Dell's total outsourcing in the second quarter of 2009.

Compal alone handled around 50% of Dell's notebook orders in the first quarter of 2009

Source:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090814PD215.html
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090722PD217.html

Specific examples:
The Adamo is manufactured by Quanta
Dell's Latitude D600-series was first made by Quanta, but the follow-up revision models were produced by Compal.
Inspiron 1150 series were made by Compal.
Two of the upcoming 2010 consumer notebooks (most like likely Inspirons) will be made by Winstron

 

That's not true, Dell is one of the first to custom build mail order for college kids back in the Day.

On another note, some one show me another brand of computer that looks exactly like a Dell? I do not think this really matters since they are designed as Dell computers not someone else. The shoe companies in Canada and England and USA do not make their high expensive shoes in those countries but they are designed and sold as their brand..... Its design and function that makes the company.

HP and Compaq share looks and features in some models as now Acer and Emacines and Gateway do as well, Looking for a computer this year for my Son's girlfriend (Low budget, very low) I came across more then a few models that shared features and even cases.

 

Yes, there are computers that not only look like, they are the same as Dell. I used to own a Euronote 740 (assembled by the Swedish company DGC based on a barebone from Compal named N30W). That model is exactly the same as the Dell Inspiron 5000. You can find information here Dell Inspiron 5000/5000e (Compal N30 series) Unofficial FAQ At the end of the webpage, there is a link to manufacturers who sells it as rebranded laptops (or actually sold). The fact that my computer was identical to a Dell laptop made it much easier to find a cheap replacement battery!

 

Yep back in the day, there were quite a few Dell laptops that were simple rebadges of ODM designs, with only slight tweaks to things like the lid.

Now and for a while now, Dell designs the machines chassis in house, but contracts out assembly, thus say a Inspiron 15r doesn't look like Pavillion, etc...

One relatively recent exception was the Dell Latitude X1. Like a poster above mentioned, it was actually a heavily rebranded Samsung. In fact, the reason why Samsung entered the US computer market so late (like a year or two ago) was because their non compete with Dell expired.

 

Yes Samsung used to make some of the Dell models. LG had a non compete agreement with IBM/Lenova.

 

Who cares? They are junk...

 

Michael Dell builds them by hand in his college dorm...

Now they are manufactured by magic!