Paul
Anaheim,#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, September 21, 2004
Kate, I'm starting to see something here. My computer came out in '99. It cost $3500 new. Back then, they were made well. Today, the new Dells sell for $1000. Obviously, something has to change. It looks like the quality has went way down. That's a shame. Nobody wants to spend even $1,000 for one problem after another. Two suggestions. One, Sony Viao's are top dollar. Maybe Sony still makes a better product. And, two, consider a used computer. Mine works great. I paid $200 for it. The older laptops worked great right until they hit the dumpster. I guess, like many things, the price goes down, right along with the quality. Lucky to get a year out of something before it goes bad. Kate, unfortunately, this is getting to be everything and everywhere. If not Dell, then who can provide a trouble-free unit? One other thing, I always check consumer reports magazine to see how products hold up. They test things like this and report on how well they are made. Good luck, Kate!
Kate
Albuquerque,#3Consumer Comment
Mon, September 20, 2004
Yes, I agree, something is wrong. I have asked myself the same questions you've asked: is it me or them? I can only say that it's not me. First, I use my computer everyday, but since I don't work, I'm not on it very much. Second, I barely move it, so it doesn't get banged around, or stepped on, or dropped. Dry environment, not in the sun, no spills or other abuse. In other words, I'm not hard on it. So I can't explain it, except that Dell admitted last time that they were installing defective motherboards. Then when the tech came to replace it, he replaced it with another defective board. Now whose fault is that?
Kate
Albuquerque,#4Consumer Comment
Mon, September 20, 2004
Yes, I agree, something is wrong. I have asked myself the same questions you've asked: is it me or them? I can only say that it's not me. First, I use my computer everyday, but since I don't work, I'm not on it very much. Second, I barely move it, so it doesn't get banged around, or stepped on, or dropped. Dry environment, not in the sun, no spills or other abuse. In other words, I'm not hard on it. So I can't explain it, except that Dell admitted last time that they were installing defective motherboards. Then when the tech came to replace it, he replaced it with another defective board. Now whose fault is that?
Kate
Albuquerque,#5Consumer Comment
Mon, September 20, 2004
Yes, I agree, something is wrong. I have asked myself the same questions you've asked: is it me or them? I can only say that it's not me. First, I use my computer everyday, but since I don't work, I'm not on it very much. Second, I barely move it, so it doesn't get banged around, or stepped on, or dropped. Dry environment, not in the sun, no spills or other abuse. In other words, I'm not hard on it. So I can't explain it, except that Dell admitted last time that they were installing defective motherboards. Then when the tech came to replace it, he replaced it with another defective board. Now whose fault is that?
Kate
Albuquerque,#6Consumer Comment
Mon, September 20, 2004
Yes, I agree, something is wrong. I have asked myself the same questions you've asked: is it me or them? I can only say that it's not me. First, I use my computer everyday, but since I don't work, I'm not on it very much. Second, I barely move it, so it doesn't get banged around, or stepped on, or dropped. Dry environment, not in the sun, no spills or other abuse. In other words, I'm not hard on it. So I can't explain it, except that Dell admitted last time that they were installing defective motherboards. Then when the tech came to replace it, he replaced it with another defective board. Now whose fault is that?
Paul
Anaheim,#7Consumer Suggestion
Mon, September 20, 2004
Kate, something doesn't make sense here. First, Dell doesn't make most of the hardware that goes into their computers. The hard drive, for example, is typically made by an asian manufacturer. Most of the computer manufacturers use these same drives. And, quality is improving. The drives are getting smaller as well as more efficient. All Dell does it build a case to hold all the parts they buy. That's how they make a computer. So, why are all these parts failing for you? Check this out. I bought a dell. Used. It probably had thousands of hours of use before I got it. Then, I went on to use it everyday for thousands more hours. The wire in the screen hinge finally broke from being open and closed thousands of different times. By that time, I had gotten so much use out of it that I sold it for parts, and bought another computer. The computer I have now is a toshiba. Used. I have hundreds of hours on it. Works fine. Never a problem. This is the typical experience. I'm wondering if maybe you do something to cause the failures. Are you storing the computer in a bad environment? Damp? Cold? Vibration? Is your computer being banged around? Something is wrong here. These units typically last for years for most users. I don't understand why you are having all these problems. Even my power cord is the original unit that came with my computer, probably 5 years ago. I suggest you examine what is causing these problems for you. Is it really the computers fault, or is it being subjected to something that is causing it to fail? I'm sorry to hear that you are having these problems. I guarantee you that laptops typically work well for many, many years for the typical consumer. In fact, the computers usually keep working long after they have become opsolete. They get sold again and again, until finally nobody wants them because they are too slow. Then, they get thrown out. I've found old computers in the trash. The crazy part is that you can pick it out of the trash and plug it in. It will start and run just fine. The reason that it was in the trash is because it has a 486 chip. At most, it's only worth $40. But, it still works fine.