Gahh Dell Sucks....

[Nobody356]

So me and my dad ordered my college computer from dell on about June 15th and we were suprised when they gave us a ship date of July 25th, we figured it would ship much sooner than that. But the Dell rep on the phone told us he had never seen one not ship before the ship date and that we should really expect to have the compuer shipped before then. Okay so we start the wait, and although I did want to get the computer early so I could use it for video editing as opposed to using my junky over 5 year old computer, it was mainly for when I go to school in the very beginning of september.

So what do you know, the 25th rolls around and they tell us that the ship date is being pushed back to the 1rst of August, which isnt too too long but its still a little annoying because I wanted to use the comp for my latest music vid but I went ahead and started it on this piece of junk. A few more days and they say we are going to recieve the computer on the 8th, then another couple days and it will ship on the 8th.

So this morning I wake up thinking that the comp will ship today and that hopefully I'll get it by Friday so I can edit my new short and music videos I'm starting to shoot soon BUTTT on my answering machine are 3 messages from Dell. Two automated messages and then finally an actual person, all saying pretty much the same thing. The order was delayed again and we'd have to call or it would be automatically canceled. This time the ship date is August 15th...! So I'm a little annoyed thinking about how it was supposed to ship today and I call my dad at his office to let him know. HE had already heard and had been on the phone with dell for over an hour already. So I gave him the number of the real person who called us because he wanted to give that a try and see if he could find anything out(he is also more intimidating/persuasive than I am). He never called me back so I figure we are just stuck with the 15th ship date but over an hour later he does call me back. He had been on the phone the whole time and they told him that one of the problems was that some of the things they sold us werent compatible so the computer couldnt be shipped. I guess the CD/DVD drives and bluetooth keyboard/mouse werent compatible with the system we were getting even though we bought it over the phone and they were given to us as options. So despite the mix up really being their fault the only way to fix it was to re submit the order. So they gave us a new ship date IN THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER !!!!!!!

Although the woman on the phone said she'd see what she could do to try and get it shipped before I go to school, I'll believe that when I see it.

It might sound stupid to most of you but I am pissed because going to school without a computer(the one i use now is the families) will really really suck! And I know I'm complaining when maybe I shouldnt but come on....Dell Sucks!

End of rant

[JY_Blue]

sorry for your troubles. easy solution. cancel the order and go with something else. if it is this bad trying to buy one of those machines, imagine how it will be if you have any type of problem that requires attention.

have a great time at college.

[FlintMI]

yah kill that order. goto NewEgg.com and buy all the pieces yourself. get a dualcore AMD or core duo Intel, 2GB ram, 19" flat panel, etc. all said and done about $800 bucks and every piece is upgradable.

here is my setup, runs Premiere Pro 2.0 and Photoshop CS2 like it owned it!

APEVIA (ASPIRE) ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817148027

AG Neovo CW-19 Black 19" 4ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824163130

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811119068

ASUS A8N-SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131524

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4200BVBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103547

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000KS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136014

CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWINX2048-3200 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145486

CHAINTECH SE6600G Geforce 6600GT 128MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814145098

[Mark Harris]

Yeah, that sucks. I've heard other people say similar things about Dell. But I've bought many, many computers from them and they've always come BEFORE the ship date and been no issue. Maybe because I'm a business customer I get better treatment? But I agree, I would've cancelled the order and moved on.

[J.R. Hudson]

Never ever ever had a problem with Dell.

(have ordered 5 computers from them in the last 6 years)

All of them have come before the stated ship date and as promised.

[Kirk Gillock]

Definitely cancel your order. Much like training a dog not to chew on your shoes, you need to slap Dell on the nose while they're doing something stupid or they'll never learn. Cancel your order now and let them know why. Seriously, that's the only way they'll learn.

I used to love Dell, but I've had nothing but bad experiences with them lately. And you and I aren't the only ones. Dell's gotten too big and now it's time for them to go down. Sell your stock now, if you own any.

So yea, don't buy that Dell computer. Theres other PCs that will do the same thing (look at FlintMI's post) . And you can find one today and be working on it by the weekend.

Good luck!

[Mark Harris]

Dell's gotten too big and now it's time for them to go down. Sell your stock now, if you own any.


Ha ha, this sounds like computer advice from Chuck Norris: "Dell's going DOWN!"

:)

[Kirk Gillock]

I'll see DELL in H.E. Double Hockey Sticks!!!!

http://x7e.xanga.com/47f836f0d1c4841306260/b14851868.jpg

[JY_Blue]

why does it take so long to ship anyway. aren't most companies able to turn these things around in 2-3 days anyway? is there still a huge price difference going with dell? regardless, even hearing that story makes me angry.

[Hairy Lime]

I bought my Macbook Pro at 6:30 on a Thursday evening. Picked it up with hardware and software installed at 11pm that night. And it only took that long, because I enjoyed a bottle of wine over dinner with an actress friend of mine.

[Jeremy Ordan]

I have not only never had any problems with Dell with shipping, but this is the first time I've ever heard of shipping problems like this.

I personally don't like Dell very much because they use proprietary stuff in their computers. I have a 4600 series, or 6400 series (can't remember), and on this computer I bought a firewire card for it and it wouldn't fit in the computer. I had to order one from Dell for the computer. CompUSA = $15 vs. Dell = $100. Now Dell is telling me they don't offer a dual video card solution for my model, so I'm pretty screwed.

The machine itself has been great though.

-Jeremy

[JY_Blue]

on to better subjects. where are you going to college and when does it start. also have you considered a laptop as it may be more usefull in college than being tied to a desk. i am a mac person, but do people know a ballpark figure for a decent pc laptop that can handle editing? is it high?

[Paul Coleman]

Yep, cancel that and tell them why. If you have the knowledge, do what FlintMI is suggesting. Or buy a Toshiba.:beer:

and:

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/General-Homebuilt-forum-55.html

[Nobody356]

First off, thanks for all the replies and support as well as the suggestions. I will certainly check around and see if I could get a comprable computer somewhere else but I don't know what I'll find. The one I ordered for Dell is very very nice, it just sucks that its not coming fast. Thankfully my dad is paying for the computer(he considers it a neccisary school supply) which is awesome but he has a big say on where we get it from and he thinks its worth the wait, but who knows if I find almost the same thing somewhere else I could maybe convince him.


on to better subjects. where are you going to college and when does it start. also have you considered a laptop as it may be more usefull in college than being tied to a desk. i am a mac person, but do people know a ballpark figure for a decent pc laptop that can handle editing? is it high?

I'm going to Emerson(which is in Boston) as a Film major. No need getting into the film school debate here. I know the arguments against it and honestly think it could be a waste of my time but in all truth college has never been a choice for me, I HAVE to go. Hopefully though I can have some fun and take advantage of whatever they do have to offer film wise, although career wise it might be smarter for me to just go to L.A. and work my ass off as a P.A. or something.

As for a laptop I honestly cant stand them. The portability is kind of cool although I would rarely use it and I just hate their design and much prefer the better speeds and memory of a desktop. Just a personal preference thing but I never even considered a laptop. And as for the MAC vs PC thing. I've used macs at school and when I interned at a News station, and really dont like them. I used FCP alot there but I still much prefer Vegas, just another personal preference thing I guess.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to take a look at some other comp options now

Chris

[JY_Blue]

Emerson has a strong program and a great network in Hollywood. I don't think anyone here would begrudge you for going to college and majoring in film. Hope you have fun. a may be a little biased (I am from Boston) but it is a great college town (if not a little cold).

my first piece of advice is don't go following everyone else's advice when you start college, find your own way (that is what it is about). having said that, my second piece of advice (take it for what it is worth) is that if your primary use for the computer is editing, then by all means, get a desktop. but my feeling is that there are a lot of uses for a laptop in a classroom environment these days. maybe some of your peers have an opinion or two on the subject.

[The Machinist]

Boston's a great town.

I lived there for 5 years and miss it dearly.

And Emerson does have a good program but don't be intimidated by some of the kids. Most of them talk a big game when it comes to filmmaking but only a select few actually deliver.

[J.R. Hudson]

I HAVE to go.

Really ?

[Brandon Rice]

why?

[Nobody356]

Why do I have to go to college?

Well I guess in all seriousness i don't HAVE to go. Hypothetically I could choose to not go. But in my family going to college is something that is EXPECTED of me and has been for a long time. I guess I should refrase: if I want to maintain relations with my parents and my family I HAVE to go to college, or if I ever want any sort of financial support from the family I can't not go. So yea If I wanted to go to LA and never talk to my family again I physically could but I don't honestly consider that an option. I love my family and they put a very high value on education, so even though I sort of disagree with them on this one I respect their wishes. At one point I suggested that I take a year off before going to school and go to LA and just try and get some jobs and make some contacts and they looked at me like I was a mentally unstable idiot and said "absolutely not."

So that in short is why I feel I HAVE to go to school, some people probably won't understand but truth is that thats the way it is for me. So I'm going to try and put my mixed feelings about film school aside and try to make the best of the 4 year vacation from real film work.

I'm already the "artistic embarassment son"


Chris

[The Machinist]

Yea I was that way too.

But trust me parents ALWAYS get over things. They love you too much not to.

And nothing is worse in life than regretting to do something you wanted to do because other people influenced you to go against your gut feeling.

However give Emerson a try. You might find you like the film school environment and hell maybe you'll learn a thing or two.

[Blaine]

There's nothing wrong going to college. You're young and have a lifetime ahead of you. You can still follow your passion, and you just might learn something that will help you along the way.

[ugafan]

I would have canceled the order. Delaying shipment to October and having to resubmit your order is a horrible solution. I ordered a pocket pc from them last year and it took several weeks to ship. Their customer service was unimpressive. Next time you should look into building your computer with parts from newegg. Their stuff always ships the next day and you'll receive it in the the mail by the end of the week.

[donkathon]

Build your own- it lets you choose. Ask around for the best parts, and customize. Just make sure it has good ventilation.

[wabbit]

One more voice to the choir; dump the Dell, dude. Dells were great in the mid 90's but have become blouted and overpriced. Upgrading is bitch and cost more then if you build your own. As stated before, it is really simple to put one together and the hardware and software is stable enough now that you really don't need tech support. If you ever do, there are a million online communities that can help you. They will probably be more helpful and quicker then Dell support anyways.

As for college, enjoy it. You will never have another opportunity like this again. You could probably start your career quicker if you did move straight to LA but what is the rush? Four years of college gives you time to really find your voice. It will also give you a base education for the future if you ever decide to switch or alter your career. Who knows what you will want to do 20 years from now (those 20 years go by quicker then you think and what you want from life changes in ways you can't predict).

Good luck

[Mino]

Building your own box can be a daunting task for those who aren't up to speed with the mechanics of computers. I agree with the sentiment having built all my own systems for years but I know people who, though really good with software and getting what they want from the machine, would be way to intimidated by all the parts and esoteric gibberish that are involved with computer building. I guess I just wanted to point out that for those whov'e done it, building your own machine is a good option but for others, it's kinda like buying a car. At the end of the day they just want to order from the dealer, have it ship on time and then be on their way. just my 2c

[Brandon Rice]

Building your own CPU without any knowledge or training is tough! I am blessed to have been taught by a guy who was Microsoft certified, etc. etc.

[wabbit]

Parts:

Case (with power supply built in to make it easier)
Motherboard
Case fans
CPU
CPU fan
Memory
Hard drive
Optical Drive
Video Card
Sound Card
Whatever extras you want (wireless networking card, etc)

1. Screw Motherboard down to case (make sure you are grounded during all hardware installation)
2. Put CPU into slot
3. (probably hardest step) attach CPU heatsink/fan
4. Insert memory into slot
5. Attach Hard Drive and Optical drive to case and plug into motherboard and powersupply
6. Attach as many case fans as are possible
7. Attach video and sound card (might need to have direct powersupply)
8. Plug power supply to Motherboard
9. Plug keyboard, mouse, speakers, and monitor into computer
10. Insert Windows XP disc, power up, and follow directions (oh yeah, plug into wall)

Most motherboards come with pretty good instructions on how to attach everything if it is not obvious. An once you have the motherboard picked out, it will tell you what CPU, Memory, etc is compatible with it.

One suggestion when loading XP is to partition your hard drive into at least 2 separate drives. One for your OS and one for everything else. 3 partitions=one for OS, one for programs, and one for data like your media files. The XP install will prompt you when you can partition.

It can be intimidating if you have never done it before but it really is less complicated then assembling IKEA furniture (and if you are going to college you are definately gonna have to learn how to do that :) ).

Cheers

[Mino]

Man, that's the shortest builing computers for dummies book I've ever read and it is pretty much that easy...Way easier than assembling an Ikea trash can. I have a friend however who called me the other day and offered me a case of beer if I would put his door knobs back on after he had painted his doors. But I think it's good to get headlong into building your own for savings and especially avoiding that Dell proprietary crap. My same doorknob friend had his car die last weekend so I went to help. "It's a dead battery" says I "Oh really, where would that be?" he replied.

[Wivellicious]

There are a lot of things easier than assembling an Ikea trash can.

Like neurosurgery, for example. Or flying a space shuttle.