Desktops: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated?
Name Brands, Why?
by scarletcom - 10/14/05 12:58 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RNmae brands are no what they used to be. At one time the gaints such as Dell, Gateway,and HP were small hungry companies looking for their neiche in the market.As with any growing company quality and reliable products are important. The sad news is those once growing companies are now hungry gaints more interested in profits than production. So I weigh in on the side of a stick built system.Have your system built with quality componets that reflect your style and your needs.Dont let someone else tell you what you need, tell them what you want and then hold your ground.
what computers to buy
by rct - 10/14/05 1:13 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_Rwell the first 2 were Packard Bell's, I had no problems with them. Now I'm on my 2nd HP and never had not one problem,I still have both HP's the fisrt runs so good I don't have the heart to get rid of it,and it's an 850 ghz pent III, my new one it a 2.5 pnet 4 with a AGP card. I do Photosshop and movie editing, I install and un-install progams trying them out I have 119 programs on this machine. I have no intention to upgrade yet.But I would like a notebook which will be HP.
what computers to buy
by jwscogin - 10/15/05 6:46 PM In reply to: what computers to buy by rctIt is gonna be an HP or Compaq?
Justr a few quick comments
by Dutchmants - 10/14/05 1:28 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RFirst off at work I have to purchase from a select group of vendors and am not allowed to build my own systems from parts due to University/State restrictions. I will only comment on vendors that I have had close contact with over the past three years since going any further back than that may not reflect their current product or support levels.
Dell is my vendor of choice at work and we experience very few problems with them over the years dealing with servers, desktops, workstation destops, and a number of laptops. One of the things I like best about Dell is the level of online tech support available. You can take even the oldest of DELL systems plug in it's Service Tag number and even get it's original ship date and configuration. You can also download the latest drivers for even a very old system for any of the standard devices they ever offered as factory installed options for that system. They many times even offer drivers for OS versions that never even existed when they stopped production on a given system. The few times a year I experience a physical failure (mainly HD failures) and have to contact tech support (keep in mind Dell has a special EDU support team) I get a fast response and parts are on their way in no time. A service tech is also offered in most cases but unless I'm looking at a laptop I seldom take them up on the offer of a tech. I also do take the time to do most basic trouble shooting before I ever get on the phone in the first place. I've been doing computer setup and repair for over 20 years. As I say my contacts are rare perhaps 4-6 per year and we have about 80 DELL system in full time use including laptops that can take some heavy abuse out in the field.
Gateway limited experience but all negative. Poor quality, even worse support. But that is from a work sample of one system. I will say I do know of a software developer located in SD (Gateway's home state) who use to use only Gateway systems for his office and gave high recommendations for Gateway to all his clients who has stopped using Gateway systems about two years ago due to quality and support issues.
HP, I own a HP laptop and while it's an OK sytem I would never recommend HP to a business and they wouldn't be my first choice for an individual. My laptop uses an ATI graphics engine and the driver is not stable. ATI doesn't provide driver support for moble chipsets and says you have to get drivers from the system vendor. HP has yet to release a driver update in the almost two years I've owned this system. A new microsoft updates driver did come out about the same time as XP SP2 and that has seemed to be more stable. By the way I generally avoid Microsoft update site video drivers since more than once I have had the video drivers from them cause major issues and have been forced to boot into VGA mode and then roll back the drivers to the old version. Due to very poor driver support HP gets a low rating in my book. If your system isn't a current production model they tend to forget you exist. While I still give high marks to HP printers and they are my first choice in B&W laser printers as far as systems go they rank low in my book. The other thing I have noticed with HP systems is that if you look close at what you are getting they cut corners using older slower drives and ram to help keep system cost lower.
At home I build my own system if you feel safe doing so it's a great way to get what you want. You can purchase top of the line components where it matters for your personal use and cut corners save money in areas that don't matter. Again if you wnat to go this route I suggest you get on parts vendors web sites and see what kind of driver support they have for a componet hat is a few years old. Heck I have a few old low end systems used for testing varius configurations that have components close to ten years old that you can still get XP or server 2000/2003 drivers for.
my unbiased takes on Dell
by ackmondual - 10/14/05 1:52 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RAll brands mentioned will have their fair share of positive and negative reviews. IMO, Dell is worse off then they were years ago. They're still pretty good as they rank tops in profits. They're just not as good they were then. I used an old, hand-me-down Dell Dimension Pentium 133MHz model w/16MB RAM (forgot the model name) back in late '99, a new Dimension T550 (P3 550MHz, 128 RAM) from '00 to '04, and a Dimension 8300 (P4 3GHz, 512 RAM) from '04 to present, so I can unbaised-ly offer first hand obvservations from a home user perspective.
This was so several years ago... 70% to 85% of Dell's customers are business users. I'm not sure how happy corporate America is with Dell's Inspirons, Optiplex, and lower end Dimension systems, but overall, it appears good. There are more home users today than before. I'm guessing Dell may be worse then 5 to 7 years ago, but overall, they're PCs get the jobs done. There will definately be the fair share of complainers (some way off, others legit).
Dell's PCs are getting better and better in some ways, like batter cases for Dimensions, media card readers, better value, etc. but worse in others (not, these reasons show why Dell is worse than years ago, NOT why Dell is ''the worst'', b/c AFIAK, they aren't there) :
-proprietary parts. Mobo, PSU, and IIRC, even the case are made to go together, but not ATX standard form factors. If you want a new PSU or mobo, u either have to buy directly from Dell (there are 3rd party sellers that do offer fitting parts) or them in pairs for compatibility reasons.
-Dell now offers high end/gaming systems, but it's still cheaper to build your own high end system
-tech support is going down the crapper. It's not ''god awful'' but far cry from their peak during the late 90s, early 00s. I get agents who just provide answers read right off of Q&A manual without the impression that these guys really understand how to solve the problem.
every once in a while, yes, an indian accented person who i can't comprehend. One left a message on my machine which was worthless b/c i could understand NOTHING
-cheaper quality parts
-TS only covers hardware and some winXP. U have a problem with Office or a burner drive software, likely not to get help
-they don't provide manuals anymore, just on your PC. Not good when you get the blue scrn of death, and painful to print out all those pages.
-standard TS only 30 days now (upgrade to 1 yr for $22)
-Rumor is Dell is gonna do away with online coupons. If true, the sticker price for Dell PCs can be outrageously high.
IMO, Dell is nice if:
-u get it less than the sticker price
-avoid their CRT monitors (If you must buy a monitor from them, their Ultrasharp line of LCDs are quite good)
-can troubleshoot nearly all minor to moderate problems or don't mind researching online (how to install your own apps, findnig out how to restore USB2 speeds in when it only says USB1, how to get rid of spyware)
-only need to call TS for only serious problems
-don't get a lemon. So everything works fine after a year, and u can worry about the rest by upgrading
-Won't upgrade the mobo, PSU, and case. Comfy with dong minor upgrades yourself (add more RAM, upgrade DVD burner yourself, add hd, etc.)
Dell is not a good brand
by hatedell - 10/14/05 2:40 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RI purchased a dell Dimension 2350 2 years ago. I had the computer for 2 weeks and the power supply went out. I called Dell customer support (which by the way is located somewhere in another country). I was on hold for about 45 minutes and when I finally got somebody on the phone the person kept telling me to do some nonsense procedures. For example she would tell me to turn on the PC, check to see if there are any light turn on in the back. I informed the representative that I was a certify computer technician that all I needed was to have Dell send me a new power supply. I mean are these people even computer knowledgeable?? After 2 hour of being on the phone she tells me that there seems to be something wrong with my power supply. She told me that they were going to send a certify technician to replace all the components inside the case. After 3 weeks the tech showed up did his thing and left. 3 days after I had the same problem again. I called Dell again and I had to go through the same crap again. So after being on the phone for 2 hours I just told the representative to take their useless computer back and refund me my money. Instead I opted for another gateway (I already own 2). Last year I felt for Dell's commercials where they were offering the Dimension PC for under $500 dollars. To make things short I had the very same problems. And no it has nothing to do with my electrical outlets because this happen at my new house. So if you asked me, Dell is the worst PC there is out there. Now I stick with nothing but Gateway, great prices, and great AMERICAN customer support.
Pretty simple really
by BAMBAMRCK1 - 10/14/05 4:26 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RFirst think is first. None of these of the shelf computer brand's really make thier own stuff.All they do is asemble them together so if you go with HP, COMPAQ, DELL it makes no difference. However if you are a gamer or work in a field where you will be doing graphically intesive apps., then go with the highend stuff better yet put together yourself, otherwise any main brand will do. Just check the spec's.
Monarch Computers
by Baddad53 - 10/14/05 5:10 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RI have had three Dells but not anymore ...I wanted AMD not Intel (not available with Dell)...I wanted North American support not India...I wanted to be able to upgrade the unit in the future (you can't with Dell)...Monarch has great prices and good customer support too. I bought one for myself and one for my son...both with 3 year on-site warranty.the cost was about a hundred more each than building it myself plus the three year warranty cost. Check them out. I researched all the other on-line Computer vendors for months prior to picking Monarch.
Indian tech support
by manmen80 - 10/20/08 11:51 AM In reply to: Monarch Computers by Baddad53It's easy to say that you will BUY AMERICAN because you want North American support, but in todays economy I'd like to see how long that lasts. The ability to be able to afford all the modern gadgets and at such a cheap and affordable price should not be taken for granted. Instead consider yourself lucky and enjoy it while it lasts. People in 3rd world countries who build these systems, can't even afford these systems. I have seen people who call countries like India and cuss the techs on the phone. WE Americans have serious attitude problems, where-in we think that the whole world has to talk to us in our language. Unfortunately, we can't even understand the English that other people are talking to us (so what is the accent is not American, it is still English). Enjoy the progress, the money, the superpower status, the financial might.....but remember, everything that goes up also comes down....It's just the law of nature.
From my experience....Indian techs are extremely knowledgeable and helpful...except for the american communication barrier.
White Boxes by far.
by ucsdirect - 10/14/05 10:38 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RA "White Box" system (one built by your local independant computer store) is the most popular brand by far. White boxes outsell the top 3 tier-one manufacturers combined, and there is a reason. They are usually custom-built using individual components. If the system builder knows their business, they will have assembled a short list of high-quality, performance-matched components which in total will out-perform all but the fastest "Brand" systems. I have personally benchtested my systems against the top 5 systems as noted by Cnet and others, and they have beaten the performance of closely-matched configurations by an average of 17% and more. And SERVICE, SUPPORT, and WARRANTEE are big factors to consider. With all of the components used in a good system having individual warrantees of at least 3 years to lifetime, we have been able to offer MINIMUM warrantees of 3 years on our standard systems, and 5 years on our top of the line systems. So before limiting yourself to a "Branded" box, PLEASE consider your local system builder. They may have what you are looking for locally, and just maybe a better box than you would have gotten for your hard-earned dollar.
Screw Dell for ever existing
by Da Dog 4 2 - 10/14/05 10:56 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RIf you got about 6 grand, go for AlienWare. They have the best systems ever. But wait for Windows Vista to come out, after that, get Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. It has Media Center and Pocket PC pcs
if u got 6 grand
by ikjadoon - 10/15/05 11:44 AM In reply to: Screw Dell for ever existing by Da Dog 4 2OVERDRIVE.
(NT) Got an extra $75,000? Get yourself a luxury car :P
by ackmondual - 10/15/05 5:56 PM In reply to: Screw Dell for ever existing by Da Dog 4 2Dell is AOK!
by lakegaspaul - 10/15/05 6:45 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RI hate to see Dell get a bad rap. Over the past several years I have purchased and used 2 Dell laptops and 3 Dell PC's. Except for one small problem which was promptly fixed I have had no, count this, zero problems. Dell has the most extensive web site permitting one to customize their purchase, both software and hardware) more easily than any other site. I have more confidence in a Dell product than any other on the market, just don't buy bottom of the line with any brand.
What brand is BETTER? Good question!
by jwscogin - 10/15/05 7:47 PM In reply to: If not Dell, what brands are highly rated? by Steve_RI would have several questions for you to understand your knnowledge of computers prior to giving advice on what to buy and not just brand.
1) What is the primary use and/or purpse for purchasing a computer, followed by prioritizing the remaining uses of the computer?
2) Do you know any manufacturers names who produce cpus, motherboards, memory, hard drives, video cards, sound cards, and peripherals in general?
3) Do understand the lingo or terminalogy of computers when refering to such things as ATA, SATA, DIMM, AGP, ATX, MATX, etc., and what is their function or uses?
4) How much or little do you wish to spend on your purchase of a new computer.
Only after finding out that information would I be able to give you advice on what type of internal computer hardware (cpu, mobo, memory, etc.) you would need to purchase to fulfill your needs to meet the priorities placed earlier without disappointment in your computer purchase.
Almost all computer builders (Dell, Gway, HP, etc.) use the least or minimum hardware capability to reduce cost on the mid to low end priced computers and yet still meet customer satisfaction.
There are computer builders (Aleinware, Cyberpower, Overdrive, VooDoo, etc.) that build good high performance computers with GREAT results and will fit your needs from any level or purpose.
Do you what a KIA Rio, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ford Mustang, Corvette, or a Viper? What's your medicine?
Also, the operating system can make a difference on how well your computer performs. Windoze, Mac OS, and Linux. I know how many people fill about the latter and fill out of their environment when it comes to Linux. But, it works and its reliable when compared to Windows. You'll reboot your computer about ten to twelve times with windows before you'll need to with Linux. Some Linux distributions say that they are easy to use and easy to install, and we all know that's not true! However, with a small learning curve and still being able to run your favorite Windows based sofware, Xandros Desktop OS, Version 3, Business Edition offers all that and more. Easy to install and easy to use! I'm writing this reply using Xandros Open Circulation Edition (OCE), which is free, and all the internet providers/network support that says they don't support Linux. Well, Xandros is Linux, with a different personality and 99.9% of all viruses affect only Windoze computers. Xandros Linux (www.xandros.com)
I have an A+ and Net+ certifications and have been working on computers and networks for the last 10 years managing well over 100 computers, workstations, and servers at any one time. I have seen and bought all different brands of computers, workstations, and servers. I have built some of our most reliable computers and servers that are still running for over 8 years without any hardware failures (knock on wood).
Don't take someone's advice that has only purchased several computers in their life and had good luck with their picks and/or purchases. Ask someone who purchases computers alot and they will tell you overall which computers perform well and last longer between failures. FAILURES? All computers will have a failure eventually! Some sooner than others! Good Luck!
If yuo cna raed tihs, wyh do we sepnd so mcuh tmie tyrnig to ptu lteters in oerdr to be albe to udnresantd waht is bineg siad in ecah wrod?
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