dell computers

[Jilly]

Hey there,

was wondering if some of you technology gurus could give me some insight on Dell computers. We are purchasing three new computers for the church offices to be networked together and as far as I know Dell seems to cater to small business more and seem to have the best computer for the money. Has anyone experienced something different?

Thanks for your help!

Jill

[irishjayhawk]

Hey there,

was wondering if some of you technology gurus could give me some insight on Dell computers. We are purchasing three new computers for the church offices to be networked together and as far as I know Dell seems to cater to small business more and seem to have the best computer for the money. Has anyone experienced something different?

Thanks for your help!

Jill

I had a Dell Inspirion 6000 for school which worked fine for a while. Of course, after experiencing other computers, I would stay away from Dell. But that's my feeling.

(I'm a Mac guy now)

[Jilly]

For some reason, we are all scared of Macs.

[kaplin42]

I work for a private school. Every year we do large dell orders.

For instance, this year we will be ordering 150 Dell Tablets, 200 Dell Laptops, and about 250 Dell desktops (quite literally just finished speccing out the desktops).

We go Dell for a few reasons.

1.) The machines aren't fantastic, but they aren's as bad as everyone says.

2.) The customability is excellent. You can get the hardware you want/need in most of the machines

3.) Customer service and tech support are top notch. Next Day Onsite repair is never a bad thing.

4.) Price is right.

All in all, you can really go wrong with dell for work machines. Simple, reliable, and the tech support is there if something does happen.

I would recomend them very much.

[kaplin42]

For some reason, we are all scared of Macs.

if you're running a mixed (windows/mac) enviroment, there is good reason for it.

Mac is not the most easily networked machines, especially if you have windows servers.

[irishjayhawk]

For some reason, we are all scared of Macs.

Shouldn't be. More user friendly than Windows and more robust. Especially with VISTA.

And that's another thing to consider. Vista absolutely blows. There's been too many companies upgrading and then having to downgrade. It's a pretty bad scenario.

Having said that, I don't know what kind of setup you are wanting or what the machines will be doing.

[kaplin42]

Shouldn't be. More user friendly than Windows and more robust. Especially with VISTA.

And that's another thing to consider. Vista absolutely blows. There's been too many companies upgrading and then having to downgrade. It's a pretty bad scenario.

Having said that, I don't know what kind of setup you are wanting or what the machines will be doing.

Irish,

We have been cool in the past, so I'm not really trying to be mean or rude, but you're talking out your ass right now, and have not one clue about what you are saying.

[Fish]

if you're running a mixed (windows/mac) enviroment, there is good reason for it.

Mac is not the most easily networked machines, especially if you have windows servers.

Come on now. That's not true at all. And the way jilly described it, it sounds like these 3 machines will be stand alones. Most churches don't have need servers. Which would make it much easier to network them together than Windows boxes would be. Even if they did use a server, it's just as easy to connect a Mac to it as it would be a PC.

Macs will be slightly more expensive though.... but don't fear the Mac. In a small environment like this, they will be much easier to use and network together. They're much more suited for folks who aren't as computer suave as well. Virus/spyware risk is much much less too. And if you happen to have users with special needs(visual/hearing disabilities), Macs are the best available option.

Let me know if you'd like additional Mac info....

[kaplin42]

Come on now. That's not true at all. And the way jilly described it, it sounds like these 3 machines will be stand alones. Most churches don't have need servers. Which would make it much easier to network them together than Windows boxes would be. Even if they did use a server, it's just as easy to connect a Mac to it as it would be a PC.

Macs will be slightly more expensive though.... but don't fear the Mac. In a small environment like this, they will be much easier to use and network together. They're much more suited for folks who aren't as computer suave as well. Virus/spyware risk is much much less too. And if you happen to have users with special needs(visual/hearing disabilities), Macs are the best available option.

Let me know if you'd like additional Mac info....

I was referring to an AD enviroment with the macs, in which case its entirely true. If its just the 3 machines, in a workgroup enviroment, then yeah, there is no differance really between mac and PC. I doubt mac networking is easier then PC, its not like either would be hard.

As far as user accessibility, Vista is wonderful with it, again, I don't know that mac is any better. Vista makes it incredibly easy to resize the font, or any other number of items that can help a "special needs" user.

Virus and spyware issue, yeah, you probably wont have as much to worry about on a mac. Which, don't take to mean that Macs have stronger security, it just means that no one designs viruses for macs or for safari due to market share.

[QuikSsurfer]

Let me know if you'd like additional Mac info....

Do you have an intel Mac with XP loaded?
I have a general question for ya, if you do.

[Valiant]

For some reason, we are all scared of Macs.

Its not that anyone is scared of Macs..

It is:

A: They are outrageously expensive for what you get..

B: The majority of software makers do not make software for them, or you have to get a third party/MS app to run it..

C: They are not as upgradeable as PC's..

--------------

One reason why I believe you will never see Macs as mainstream is because the company and their fanboys do not want it.. Cost will have to go down on the machines and the company will lose profit per unit.. Also if Macs were mainstream hackers would go after them with viruses and worms and totally kill the image of Mac.. Also owning a Mac would not be trendy for the gay coffee shop crowd if everyone else owned one..

[kaplin42]

Its not that anyone is scared of Macs..

It is:

A: They are outrageously expensive for what you get..

B: The majority of software makers do not make software for them, or you have to get a third party/MS app to run it..

C: They are not as upgradeable as PC's..

--------------

One reason why I believe you will never see Macs as mainstream is because the company and their fanboys do not want it.. Cost will have to go down on the machines and the company will lose profit per unit.. Also if Macs were mainstream hackers would go after them with viruses and worms and totally kill the image of Mac.. Also owning a Mac would not be trendy for the gay coffee shop crowd if everyone else owned one..

There could be tons more added, but this is not a mac vs PC thread. I know I instigated it, but Jilly just wanted to know about dells. So I will leave it at that.

[Fish]

I was referring to an AD enviroment with the macs, in which case its entirely true. If its just the 3 machines, in a workgroup enviroment, then yeah, there is no differance really between mac and PC. I doubt mac networking is easier then PC, its not like either would be hard.

As far as user accessibility, Vista is wonderful with it, again, I don't know that mac is any better. Vista makes it incredibly easy to resize the font, or any other number of items that can help a "special needs" user.

Virus and spyware issue, yeah, you probably wont have as much to worry about on a mac. Which, don't take to mean that Macs have stronger security, it just means that no one designs viruses for macs or for safari due to market share.

Why would a church use an AD server? And besides, I manage several hundred Macs that authenticate solely to AD, and I can tell you that it's not difficult to implement.

And if you take 3 out of the box Vista machines, and I have 3 out of the box OS X machines, I assure you that networking the Macs will be easier.

And yes, Vista does well with user accessibility. Don't take this as a bashing of Windows or Vista. I use both, and I like both. But OS X will still be hands down better for special needs situations. The built in options it has for this type of thing rival some of the better 3rd party software you'd buy for PCs.

I'm not saying that Mac would be better for jilly's situation. I just wanted to give her another option. Depending on what they're wanting to do with the machines, 3 Dell boxes might be much better for her situation. I just wanted to give her that info so she didn't have a fear of Mac without justification. I hate to see people afraid of some form of technology simply because they don't know any better.

[Fish]

Its not that anyone is scared of Macs..

It is:

A: They are outrageously expensive for what you get..

B: The majority of software makers do not make software for them, or you have to get a third party/MS app to run it..

C: They are not as upgradeable as PC's..

--------------

One reason why I believe you will never see Macs as mainstream is because the company and their fanboys do not want it.. Cost will have to go down on the machines and the company will lose profit per unit.. Also if Macs were mainstream hackers would go after them with viruses and worms and totally kill the image of Mac.. Also owning a Mac would not be trendy for the gay coffee shop crowd if everyone else owned one..

Thanks for contributing the generic rehashed stereotypical misinformation on Macs. It is incorrect, but this isn't the place for the debate.

[kaplin42]

Why would a church use an AD server? And besides, I manage several hundred Macs that authenticate solely to AD, and I can tell you that it's not difficult to implement.

And if you take 3 out of the box Vista machines, and I have 3 out of the box OS X machines, I assure you that networking the Macs will be easier.

And yes, Vista does well with user accessibility. Don't take this as a bashing of Windows or Vista. I use both, and I like both. But OS X will still be hands down better for special needs situations. The built in options it has for this type of thing rival some of the better 3rd party software you'd buy for PCs.

I'm not saying that Mac would be better for jilly's situation. I just wanted to give her another option. Depending on what they're wanting to do with the machines, 3 Dell boxes might be much better for her situation. I just wanted to give her that info so she didn't have a fear of Mac without justification. I hate to see people afraid of some form of technology simply because they don't know any better.


I don't agree with everything you said, but the over all point I will agree with. If its a small enviroment, you could do just as well going mac as you could PC.

I am curious to know why you think out of the box, connecting 3 macs is far easier then 3 vista machines though. And this is genuine curiousity.

[Fish]

I don't agree with everything you said, but the over all point I will agree with. If its a small enviroment, you could do just as well going mac as you could PC.

I am curious to know why you think out of the box, connecting 3 macs is far easier then 3 vista machines though. And this is genuine curiousity.

By simply turning the machines on for the first time, doing the first user setup, getting to the background and loading Finder, I can see other machines on my subnet. And each user has a shared folder and a dropbox folder created when their account is created. By simply turning it on the first time and setting up my account, I can send and share files with the machine that was just set up beside me. In OS X, I can share any folder/printer/internet connection/bluetooth device/etc on my Mac with any user on the network(and this includes other AD users that only use Windows). A screen sharing request can be done simply by navigating to Finder and right-clicking the computer and requesting it. It has the ability to share over FTP, Samba, or AFP. It has a VCN client built-in.

And of course, you can adjust the level of sharing however you'd like.

[kaplin42]

By simply turning the machines on for the first time, doing the first user setup, getting to the background and loading Finder, I can see other machines on my subnet. And each user has a shared folder and a dropbox folder created when their account is created. By simply turning it on the first time and setting up my account, I can send and share files with the machine that was just set up beside me. In OS X, I can share any folder/printer/internet connection/bluetooth device/etc on my Mac with any user on the network(and this includes other AD users that only use Windows). A screen sharing request can be done simply by navigating to Finder and right-clicking the computer and requesting it. It has the ability to share over FTP, Samba, or AFP. It has a VCN client built-in.

And of course, you can adjust the level of sharing however you'd like.


So it does everything that windows does. Gotcha.

I hate to say it man, but that sounds pretty much exactly like what happens if you run an out of the box vista machine. Down to the shared folders and everything.

I know this to be true, because in trying to do some testing I have installed vista a few times on a few differant machines recently.

[Valiant]

Thanks for contributing the generic rehashed stereotypical misinformation on Macs. It is incorrect, but this isn't the place for the debate.

Yet every time somebody tries to debunk it they fail or try and skew facts just to their favor..

[irishjayhawk]

Irish,

We have been cool in the past, so I'm not really trying to be mean or rude, but you're talking out your ass right now, and have not one clue about what you are saying.

To each their own. :D

I can attest that I find them much more robust and easier to use. I can attest that my family, once I converted them, found it easier to use and slightly more robust.

I didn't say it was flawless or that Windows wasn't better at some things.

[Valiant]

To each their own. :D

I can attest that I find them much more robust and easier to use. I can attest that my family, once I converted them, found it easier to use and slightly more robust.

I didn't say it was flawless or that Windows wasn't better at some things.

I like the word Robust..

['Hamas' Jenkins]

I've never really understood the Mac fanboi-ism. They are just a less successful version of M$, and yet their supporters treat them like they are some kind of valiant and admirable company.

It's hard to make an honest argument about the superiority of Macs given that 95% of the guts are identical to PCs. You basically pay a 20-30% premium for the operating system, when you could go out drop 130 bucks and have a dual boot Hackintosh/XP system.

[Mr. Laz]

back on topic .......

Dells a solid place to buy a computer and they also have a small business section that you can sometimes get bargains in.

i would suggest watching the market and picking your time to buy.

you can save your church a thousand bucks on 3 computers by just waiting until they go on sale.

[Fish]

So it does everything that windows does. Gotcha.

I hate to say it man, but that sounds pretty much exactly like what happens if you run an out of the box vista machine. Down to the shared folders and everything.

I know this to be true, because in trying to do some testing I have installed vista a few times on a few differant machines recently.

I've done both many times. The Mac is easier. I'm sorry but it's the truth.

Shared computers: In Leopard, any computer that has been set to be shared on your network shows up on the left side of every Finder window. Click on it, and you can access whatever folders have been shared on those machines. Depending on the remote computer's security settings, you may first have to enter a user name and password. It's the simplest method I've ever seen for accessing other computers on a network. And it works with Windows PCs as well as Macs. When I first turned on the Leopard laptop in my office, it immediately found a shared folder on my colleague's old Dell running Windows XP. She hadn't even remembered sharing the folder, which contained files from 2003.
You can copy or move files to and from these shared computers, or view their contents with Cover Flow and Quick Look, or open them in programs on your own computer.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119326655774870521-_1guKieddydNBOHhvRYV4F1ZCe4_20081024.html

[Cntrygal]

I'm not a techy guru... but I have a dell pc and dell laptop (bought in '03), and like both. I haven't had any real problems, but when something did get messed up - their customer service was great. (When I was in the ROK, they even talked my mom thru getting rid of a virus)

[jjchieffan]

I think Dell makes a pretty decent machine for the money, and certainly have great customer support. The drawback is fixing them down the line. They are VERY proprietary. I worked part time in a computer store last year and saw several dells come in for repair. Unfortunately for the customers, it was cheaper to replace than repair them. I saw motherboards that were totally backwards, or had offset portions of the board, or one that had a 24 pin and a 20 pin power supply, making it impossible to use anything but Dell manufactured components to make the repair. And, just like when fixing a car, the manufacturer part always costs a shitload more than an aftermarket part. For my personal use, I will always go with a custom built machine. I can build it exactly the way I want it, and when I need to upgrade or repair it, it will be cheaper and easier. But, my computer knowledge negates the need for the support that Dell offers. You have to decide what is most important to you. I hope my insight has helped.

[Jilly]

I truly appreciate all the input. I think we were looking at dell because it does seem to be the best value for what we need. Just three computer networked together, shared docs, printing, etc. But really we don't do a lot of downloading. I'd say the main computer carries the most load with all the membership data, etc.

We just have to hurry now though because the wicked storms last night zapped the main computer and now we have to pay to get all the info recovered. sorta sucks.

Anyhow, thanks to all of you for your help!

['Hamas' Jenkins]

I think Dell makes a pretty decent machine for the money, and certainly have great customer support. The drawback is fixing them down the line. They are VERY proprietary. I worked part time in a computer store last year and saw several dells come in for repair. Unfortunately for the customers, it was cheaper to replace than repair them. I saw motherboards that were totally backwards, or had offset portions of the board, or one that had a 24 pin and a 20 pin power supply, making it impossible to use anything but Dell manufactured components to make the repair. And, just like when fixing a car, the manufacturer part always costs a shitload more than an aftermarket part. For my personal use, I will always go with a custom built machine. I can build it exactly the way I want it, and when I need to upgrade or repair it, it will be cheaper and easier. But, my computer knowledge negates the need for the support that Dell offers. You have to decide what is most important to you. I hope my insight has helped.

Dells went full ATX about four years ago. This is not an issue.

[Mr. Laz]

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