Sup,
A few weeks back I ordered a computer from dell online.
I got an estimated delivery date for the monday just gone, which was fine, and I appreciate that it could blow out a bit.
A few days before the delivery (last friday), I get a call confirming a date, which will now be the day after the estimated one (tuesday). That was all fine.
The next working day I receive another call, again to confirm my delivery, except now for the day after the previously confirmed date (meant to be today). Obviously they (dell/delivery company/i dont care who) don't keep very good records about this stuff.
I tell them that it is already confirmed for the day before the 'new' date, so they say ok that is fine, it will still be Tuesday.
Get a call back Monday afternoon, they can no longer deliver Tuesday, and now they don't know when they can do it. DOH!
Tuesday arvo comes around and I get a call saying Wednesday between 9 and 1pm it would be delivery.
Happy with that in the end.
So here I was foolishly waiting around at home. Nothing ever shows up. I call up the 'logistics' people to find out what happened. First person promises a call back, never hear from her. Call back an hour later, and I discover that the order is no longer coming today 
. But they can do tomorrow between 9 and 1.
**** me, not only have I sat on my arse all morning waiting, I will have to do the same tomorrow morning too.
What's even worse is that I will now be missing two good mornings of surfing.
And if I hadn't called up wondering why it wasn't here, I would have been waiting around all afternoon for perhaps a late delivery. They could at least have let me know it wasn't going to come today.
It's lucky I'm a uni student and not a full time worker, it would be even worse then.
So end of the story, I won't be buying from Dell again and if you value your time and don't wanna be screwed around, I would suggest not buying from them either.
Even if it isn't Dells fault directly, they chose who they ship with and deliver with, and the service the delivery company provides is obviously not up to scratch.
Rant over, off for a surf, bloody wind better not be in[}:)]
Dell & Acer. The two worst hardware manufacturers out.
Dell change products too regularly and don't support superseded products. Buy a new laptop today and then in 6 months when the new model comes out, parts for the one you bought dry up.
Acer have had a long history of very ordinary hardware. Would not touch them with a barge pole.
20 years in IT as a background
Typical sh!t from big companies that promise the world, knowing that 90% of Oz lives in big cities.
If you are in WA or the bush suddenly their guarantees evaporate.
I have the same with Telstra sending me a phone and they guarantee next day delivery even after I tell them it will take 5 days plus.
When messed around, I find it is always best to give the operator a few 'words of wisdom' to show them you are not impressed. Normally it will kick them into action if it even means trying that little bit harder to find out whats gone wrong. People just don't like confrontations. At the very least it lets you vent on the people and release some of that anger.
The desktop has lasted me 10years+ and still going strong while the laptop is taking it's fair share of a beating.
I've had a few Dells, no problems really. Also worked at two very large institutions that use Dell for all there computers, usual problems but no worse than anything else.
But I have heard some Dell horror stories from people 2
I ordered a Dell laptop in 2007. No problem with delivery, even turned up early. As for Dell being no good I can't fault it. My brother is in IT and it's what he recommended and also uses. You will always find some one who has a horror story and others who don't have a problem. It's all pot luck wherever you buy from.
Not an Acer fan, but use a Dell (precision) lappy for work, very happy with it, and an Asus for home - the Asus is over 5yo & still goes like a new one.
The DELL model is not broken but no longer a big enough point of difference to bother with.
Too many other operators capable of delivering good quality at good prices.
I like building my own did 4 last time - shipped bits from Vic / NSW / Qld / and USA took about 2 weeks. The upgrade path is easier to follow too.
I recall buying an HP/Compaq PC off Gray's auction site -lots of warranty restrictions(
) it had a strip of tape over the case to indicate if opened it even displayed writing when stretched - something like "Void" - It came with Vista - which guaranteed I would "Void" - I traded down(??) to XP!!
If U need a BOX pc try it - worth a few TV free nights.
Here is a toe warmer reference for the first timer...
www.techspot.com/guides/229-desktop-buying-guide/page4.html
Cheers
AP
Yep, BIG difference between ASUS & Acer. I too have been using ASUS for years and highly recommend them.
As for the gold alliance thingy, well, you get what you pay for. I'm sure the Acer sales guy looks after you well as you pay up front for support. As for the average consumer grade products and support,very ordinary/crap indeed.
RE: DELL, ACER, Toshiba etc. etc. being better than any other brand.
...Which parts in your PC do they make again? Which parts are unique to their brand?
OK, Toshiba make a few. I've had two Toshiba laptops and both have had their Toshiba hard drives fail. Also Dell make killer monitors, believe it or not. The best. Now I don't know where I'm going with this post. ...Buy a Mac. 
^^^ I think Asus make a lot of components for other brands (but might be wrong...which I'm sure to be told if I am).
Should have got a 'boat person' to deliver it.
They are arriving by the 100's of thousands every 5 minutes.. if you believe the media and pollies.
Stay away from Spacintosh. I now have to use these troublesome, prone to crashing, overrated, underperforming (for the $$) pieces of snob marketed sh!te.
Cracks me up just the lengths and how many times Spac owners make excuses for the many, many crashes and general Spac OS bollocks they have to contend with.
Don't even get me started on i-tunes the shiny white coated tyrant over your music collection. [}:)]
I worked for Dell '99-'03
They were good to me :)
Their Precision range used quality components and were assembled in Malaysia.
The other stuff was fully integrated crap that they didn't care if it broke cos they'd just swap the whole thing out for a new one.
I kept asking for a new Dell 30" monitor until I got one with 0 dead pixels... 3rd one lucky.
