I have been installing Mozilla's Thunderbird and Firefox, LibreOffice, and GNUcash on friends' systems - eliminating the need for Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office, and Quicken.
ONE friend eagerly asked me to convert his two systems to Ubuntu Linux - and he's overjoyed.
It gave NEW LIFE to his older Dell box and he loves it on his new HP PC as well (he asked me to help him with the purchase and we found HP offered better deals than Dell).
He no longer boots EITHER machine into Windows.
Another friend is evaluating free software. I expect to install Ubuntu 12.04 on HER machine alongside Windows until she becomes comfortable using the new platform.
Dell was O.K. for servers ... tho I found IBM support much FASTER than Dell's.
Dell tech support (U.S.) always seemed to have to REPEAT too much information (why ask for the service tag TWICE, for example?) and apparently had to do FAR too much keying when you had them online.
IBM also informed you WHICH center you were connected to.
"You can not get American support on a home or home office pc. It is only offered on the business machines."
BUT, Dell HAS told me I can ORDER from any segment I WISH to order from - so I ordered my home machine FROM the Small Business link (which is why I have the Optiplex box).
So, you CAN get American support, only as sb points out, not by ordering a home machine.
I STILL have NO problem with paying more to get better tech support.
IF we wanted GOOD U.S. made products, we'd have to pay a premium - BUT that premium means U.S. JOBS, so I have NO problem with that.
The ONE thing I think IdeaStorm accomplished IS the extra-cost U.S. support WHICH WE ASKED FOR!
That is the ONE outstanding accomplishment here.
Did we not ALL know from the start that with the tiny margins, Dell was under pressure from its competitors and HAD to go with overseas call centers???
I'm STILL not happy with multinationals or with "corporate America" ... when it comes to ideals, they need to recognize what IS important and that doesn't include environmentalism!!
No Extra Software Option
Fri Feb 03 22:23:43 GMT 2012 - Feb 3, 2012
Posted By: phubert
ONE friend eagerly asked me to convert his two systems to Ubuntu Linux - and he's overjoyed.
It gave NEW LIFE to his older Dell box and he loves it on his new HP PC as well (he asked me to help him with the purchase and we found HP offered better deals than Dell).
He no longer boots EITHER machine into Windows.
Another friend is evaluating free software. I expect to install Ubuntu 12.04 on HER machine alongside Windows until she becomes comfortable using the new platform.
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Thu Nov 18 08:29:16 GMT 2010 - Nov 18, 2010
Posted By: phubert
Dell tech support (U.S.) always seemed to have to REPEAT too much information (why ask for the service tag TWICE, for example?) and apparently had to do FAR too much keying when you had them online.
IBM also informed you WHICH center you were connected to.
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Sat Nov 13 06:40:03 GMT 2010 - Nov 13, 2010
Posted By: phubert
So the ONLY reason we're here is that we like each other's company?
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Fri Nov 12 19:02:05 GMT 2010 - Nov 12, 2010
Posted By: phubert
ARE congratulations in order?
If so, great! You deserve it!
Take care!
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Thu Nov 11 17:33:51 GMT 2010 - Nov 11, 2010
Posted By: phubert
"You can not get American support on a home or home office pc. It is only offered on the business machines."
BUT, Dell HAS told me I can ORDER from any segment I WISH to order from - so I ordered my home machine FROM the Small Business link (which is why I have the Optiplex box).
So, you CAN get American support, only as sb points out, not by ordering a home machine.
Now THAT IS a REAL problem!!
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Wed Nov 10 23:50:39 GMT 2010 - Nov 10, 2010
Posted By: phubert
And THAT, sugarbear, is why I'm more likely to go with HP for my next system!
I suppose the desktop is no longer interesting to Dell.
No OS Preloaded
Wed Nov 10 23:39:24 GMT 2010 - Nov 10, 2010
Posted By: phubert
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Mon Nov 08 01:57:41 GMT 2010 - Nov 8, 2010
Posted By: phubert
Seems to me the site is only PRETENDING to remain alive.
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Wed Nov 03 03:58:54 GMT 2010 - Nov 3, 2010
Posted By: phubert
IF we wanted GOOD U.S. made products, we'd have to pay a premium - BUT that premium means U.S. JOBS, so I have NO problem with that.
The ONE thing I think IdeaStorm accomplished IS the extra-cost U.S. support WHICH WE ASKED FOR!
That is the ONE outstanding accomplishment here.
Did we not ALL know from the start that with the tiny margins, Dell was under pressure from its competitors and HAD to go with overseas call centers???
I'm STILL not happy with multinationals or with "corporate America" ... when it comes to ideals, they need to recognize what IS important and that doesn't include environmentalism!!
IdeaStorm would be more active, and more productive, if Dell itself participated more
Wed Oct 20 23:41:30 GMT 2010 - Oct 20, 2010
Posted By: phubert