SillyDog701

[DJGM]

NOTE:
This thread is split from a moderators-only discussion. The nature of Dell computers is suitable for general discussion.

And I have a strange feeling that a certain someone's gonna suggest you buy a Mac ... again!

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[Antony]

And I have a strange feeling that a certain someone's gonna suggest you buy a Mac ... again!

Apple Store
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I think I shall add Dell affiliation as well.

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[DJGM]

I think I shall add Dell affiliation as well.

NOOOOO !!!

Dell is the most evil computer manufacturer there is! And I'm saying that even though they've been
bundling Mozilla Firefox in the UK! But that doesn't make up for the fact that Dell is totally ignorant
towards PC build standards, by using proprietary (non-standard) PSU's and mainboards.

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[Mandrake]

So do HP, Gateway etc. Not that I'd ever buy a pre-built PC

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[DJGM]

Out of all the main PC makers, Dell is by far THE worst offender for using non-standard components.

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[Don_HH2K]

That reminds me of my grandparents' PC, with the motherboard mounted on the left panel of the case rather than the right. A bit surprising when you go to add a PCI modem. Consequently, you need to insert PCI cards upside-down due to the nonstandard orientation of the board.

Building a laptop might be a good idea, though. In two weeks, AMD is set to roll out the Turion 64 X2 dual-core line for notebooks. By then, I'll see how much a barebones S1-socket motherboard goes for, as well as an X2 ML-46.

Anyway, my vote is opposed to the addition of Dell ads.

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[Antony]

Exactly, what's wrong with Dell? I can't see anything wrong with using self-designed mainboard (as long as it complied to standards).

My PC laptop was a Dell laptop, and it served well for me.

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[DJGM]

It's not only the non-standard configuration of the mainboard that's the problem with Dell computers,
but also the PSU's and the way they're wired. Once a Dell PSU goes, just dare to replace it with a
standard, proper "off-the-shelf" PSU, and then count the seconds before the whole thing fries!

There was an article in a recent edition of MicroMart magazine about fixing a broken Dell computer.
The symptom ... "a stress crack in the motherboard around the ATX power connector, which had been
caused by this bizarre Dell designed hinged case." ... the total cost of fixing this came to UK£100.

A near total rebuild of the entire PC was needed! It was an almost entirely different PC by the end!

I'm sure the overall cost of that repair job, would've worked out considerably less, if Dell had done
the right thing, and not used any proprietary parts or configurations, for the sake of extra profits.

As Antony would say ... "It's unethical!"

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[DJGM]

Exactly, what's wrong with Dell? I can't see anything wrong with
using self-designed mainboard (as long as it complied to standards).

My PC laptop was a Dell laptop, and it served well for me.

Dell motherboards do NOT comply to PC build standards.

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[Antony]

PSU as in Power Supply Unit?

I can't see that's a big deal. The Power Supply Unit simply converts the power from Mains to the required voltage and current (in DC) and also in the correct frequency (in AC).

Most likely, the guy MicroMart magazine mentioned did not pick up a correct one that can provide the specified requirement.

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[DJGM]

Antony, you don't understand. Dell's desktop system power supply units are wired in such a way in that
when they fail, they CANNOT be replaced with a proper standard "off-the-shelf" power supply unit.

As for "the guy Micromart magazine mentioned" ... he's Mark Pickavance, one of their regular writers.

[...]

A paragraph removed by Antony, 30 Apr 2006

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[Andrew T.]

Exactly, what's wrong with Dell? I can't see anything wrong with
using self-designed mainboard (as long as it complied to standards).

You contradicted yourself right there.

My PC laptop was a Dell laptop, and it served well for me.

Laptop designs are proprietary either way!

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[DJGM]

Here's the shortened online version of the MicroMart article I mentioned earlier.

MicroMart - Repairing a Dell Computer.

After some hours of experimentation, I was able to lock it down to a stress crack in
the motherboard around the ATX power connector, which had been caused by this
bizarre Dell designed hinged case. Initially I had considered that it could be a PSU
problem, but that wouldn't have been an easy fix, because Dell in their infinite
profitability decided to use a non-standard positioning and space for the
supply, making it impossible to replace with an off the shelf PSU.

I'll see what I can do in posting a full copy of the article as soon as I can, possibly in PDF format.

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[Antony]

So, like HP, Dell does not like to let users to modify their PCs... but I still don't see anything wrong with Dell.

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[DJGM]

So, like HP, Dell does not like to let users to modify their PCs . . .

It's an unfair consumer lock in. When parts fail, as they eventually do, you can only get new parts direct from the
original manufacturers, rather than from a local independent computer repair shop, as most people prefer to do.
I should know, since my last job was in a computer repair shop, as one of the technicians. More often than
not, parts typically tend to fail after the warranty has expired, meaning you end up having to pay well
over the odds for more replacement proprietary parts to get your system fixed.

While PC's from the likes of Dell may be cheaper to buy in the short term, they always cost more than they need
to in the long term. Advice that I always give anyone looking to buy a new PC, is to go to an independent PC
specialist, that can build computers with fully standard, non-proprietary parts. That way, at least you'll get
standard components to replace original components that may fail during the lifespan of the computer.

. . . but I still don't see anything wrong with Dell.

You ought to try being a computer technician, and work on the bleedin' things for the poor saps that've bought
them! You'd soon change your tune about Dell systems, and realise what a complete nightmare they can be!

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