I would Like to pose a question! 1341

First, there is a difference between one who is an IT manager (with a business school background) and one who knows by also knowing how the internal systems and the internal parts work. Dell makes damn good computers. They make more expensive versions using industry standard parts. They also make computer as cheap as possible using same parts customized for smaller size and less expensive construction.

A business school graduate would never learn same. But then many IT directors have little underlying grasp of technology. They read too many executive summarized.

Second, most technical support (domestic and foreign) I have called are about technically same. However, because Dell has technical support web sites that provide useful information, I have rarely needed Dell tech support. Furthermore, that support was fact right on every time. Of course I deal with people who speak all forms of English. Once had to translate Texas English into New York english so that some Japanese could understand. And yet that that inability to understand other Englishes throughout the world is really what many complain about when they don't like the customer service. They never learned how to talk to someone using Philippines, Indian, or Nigerian english. The technical support was accurate and technically competent.

Third, reasons why a unique computer cannot be upgraded: it was never intended to be upgraded because it was designed to be sold to someone with a 'cost control' mentality.

Fourth, Dell is suffering from a problem seen in most computers of the part four years. A number of inferior parts were dumped into a tight market and are now failing. Dell has been taking the right response. They have sacrificed profits to replace, for example, so many motherboards that have the defective capacitors - a story that every technically informed person knows well.

Fifth, a benchmark for a responsible computer manufacturer. Manufacturer provides comprehensive diagnostics, for free, both on a web site and with the computer. Too many 'technically naive' don't even run nor do they know of these diagnostics. Somehow they know X manufacturer is inferior to Y - just know without facts - and yet don't even know how to run nor know where to find an essential tool for computer maintenance - comprehensive hardware diagnostics. Just another example of 'user error'.

Joel