Dell complaints

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:17 pm Post subject:

Note that the appliance industry--which a computer really is--has evolved a novel manner of dealing with replacement parts. Most of the original parts are all made by the same company, which also supplies all parts dealers equally. They still gouge, $30 for a lint filter or a knob. But you can go to ONE place for ALL parts, and most of them are just sitting there on the shelf waiting for you.

You still have to put a Maytag pump in a Maytag, it's the only thing that fits. They haven't quite reached the level of standardization where 'one pump fits all'. GM came close to that in the 70s, but it didn't even work for them. Different designs make different compromises, so one gizmo does NOT fit all.
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Commendatore · Hates with a Vengance Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 80

FallenAngel, you are wrong. End of story.

FallenAngel · Super Hater Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Posts: 1493

Commendatore · Hates with a Vengance Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 80

incident_man · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

Like it or not, proprietary parts are here to stay. Too many companies have realised that it is a rather novel way of increasing profit to offset the fact that they have to sell the original product at a lower price point than what they would rather. I think it stinks, but the only way we can do anything about it is to not buy the product in the first place.
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Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject:

What's all the gawdam fuss? You STILL can't put a Ford or Maytag waterpump in a Chevy or Whirlpool, and you never could.
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AngelusDaemonicus · Dances with Hate Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 111

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject:

Most assuredly. Ford, Chevy, Maytag, and Whirlpool don't stonewall warranty claims, just for starters.

But they don't have the "you can only reach us by phone or internet" model to hide behind, either.
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pointofview · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject:

you fellows may not be old enough to remember the Epson computer--back in the 1980's--which were xt's and 286's (and perhaps a few 386's). They were sold with proprietary DOS installed. And the consumer wasn't told this. I bought one of their xt's. The machine worked fine. But when I went to upgrade something, had a major problem.

I sold that machine to a friend (made full disclosure) and wrote Epson off henceforth. They stopped selling computers after 3 or 4 years, when the word went out. Similarly, The apple macintosh was a superior machine, but way too expensive in those days, and with proprietary aspects. Look what happened.

The only company that had proprietary parts during those years, that survived, was Compaq, and I avoided them like the plague for years. However, They sold a lot of machines to non-technical types, and I understand that their stuff was reliable, and the tech support was good.

Dell has nothing in these areas going for it. The share price has gone down, again, despite my noticing dell ads everywhere, and receiving god-knows-how-many pieces of junk mail. Once the word gets around, carpet-bombing us with ads and "offers" just isn't going to fool anyone.