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Mele20Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
kudos:4 | reply to drew
Re: One of largest UK MS retailers sued by Microsoft said by drew:All that being said, the fact that it's as hard as it is to re-install Windows on a Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo, whatever brand PC is ridiculous.
But it is ONLY consumers and small business users that are getting screwed by Dell and other OEMs. Dell told me last August that if I bought an Optiplex, Precision, or Latitude that, of course, the Windows reinstallation disk would ship with the computer. But if I wanted a Vostro (the line aimed at small business users), Inspiron, XPS, etc aimed at consumers, well, gee, why would I ever want the disk? Consumers and small business users (I was talking to a salesman for the small business division) don't need a reinstallation disk as most would have no idea how to use it so why should we supply it? Alienware (aimed at consumers) is an exception because those buyers are gamers/power users who would not buy from us if we didn't supply the reinstallation disk, he told me.
I told him that I had been prepared to buy a new Dell that day, but if I could not get a reinstallation disk for either a high end Vostro or an XPS that I would continue to use my aging Dell XPS and look elsewhere. He said "good luck with that" and commented I wasn't going to find an OEM that would provide a reinstallation disk free, or for a fee, to consumers/small business users. I did not speak to the XPS support department though and I am hoping that a reinstallation disk could at least be obtained for a fee for the XPS and that although the XPS line is sold through Dell's Small Business division it is not what that division focuses on and, thus, maybe the two salesmen were not well informed in regards to it.
Almost six months later, I am still using my soon to be 7 year old XPS 600 machine. I'm hoping the two Dell salesmen that I spoke with, on different occasions, were misinformed or that Dell will come to its senses before I have to buy a new computer. But I have observed over this past six months more and more comments like those in this thread from buyers of new computers so it appears the situation is getting worse instead of improving.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson | |
 therube
join:2004-11-11
Randallstown, MD | quote:
Dell ... reinstallation disk
AFAIK still valid, Order Backup Disks from Dell - for Free?.
HP & others would charge for the disks. | |
 nwrickertsand groperPremium,MVM
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL
kudos:7
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| That seems to have a 2007 date.
The Dell that I bought in 2007 had reinstall disks available. The Dell that I bought in 2010 didn't.
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AT&T Uverse; Zyxel NBG334W router (behind the 2wire gateway); openSuSE 12.1; firefox 9.0 | |
Mele20Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
kudos:4 | reply to therube
That was in 2007. Of course, you could get reinstallation disks from Dell back then. If you ordered a higher end system (such as the XPS line) you would get up to TEN DISKS INCLUDED WITH THE COMPUTER and one of them was a reinstallation disk. Or, if you bought a lower end computer, you could order reinstallation, and all other disks, for free/small fee later. By 2009, Dell was charging for all disks that did not come included with the computer. That seemed fair to me as the higher end computers, bought either from Home or Small Business Divisions, still had the disks included with the computer. By 2010 this changed some time that year for the most popular computers purchased in those two divisions.
I spoke on more than one occasion last year to Dell SALES PEOPLE in the Small Business division. Sales people like to complete a sale so they get their commission. Thus, I am positive that if there was a way for them to make me happy (so they could complete the sale) by including a reinstallation disk with the computer or giving me exact instructions on how to order one from Dell they would have supplied the disk somehow.
Sadly, BOTH salespersons told me that there is NO WAY, at least when ordering from Small Business division, to get a reinstallation disk unless you buy a Precision, Optiplex or Latitude. They said Dell decided to do what all other OEMs were doing and had been doing for years in regards to recovery partitions and allowing the customer to make a recovery disk.
Both tried to sell me a Precision. They said the Vostro (even the higher end Vostro) they could not supply me with a reinstallation disk. They also could not supply one for the XPS but did tell me to call XPS SUPPORT NOT SALES to ask directly if XPS could supply me with one. They said that Small Business sells some XPS but that is mainly a Home division product so they were not absolutely positive about reinstallation disks and the XPS line. I was disgusted by the whole thing because they were both right, to my surprise, that the high end Vostro is a pretty good machine with EXCELLENT extended hardware support for a reasonable fee. At their urging, I configured one and I think I would like a higher end one BUT I want a reinstallation disk which they said there is no way to get with Vostros. So, I was disgusted, decided to buy a nice TV, instead of a new computer, so I never called XPS support to ask them if I could get one if I buy an XPS.
Because it is in sales people's best interest, when on commission, to make the customer happy, I believe that you cannot get reinstallation disks for most consumer/small business Dell computers now. I was puzzled as to why they couldn't just grab one from the stack they have for corporate buyers and send me one to make me happy and complete the sale. After reading this thread, I think I understand why.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson | |
therube
join:2004-11-11
Randallstown, MD | quote:
That seems to have a 2007 date.
And so it does.
quote:
That was in 2007.
So?
Does not make it any less valid today.
quote:
Dell Customers can now request a set of backup discs containing the factory-installed operating system as well as the device drivers and utilities specific to your system.
Requests are limited to one (1) set of backup discs per system purchased.
The backup discs requested must match the operating system that was factory installed on the original order.
Please note that Dell will provide you the most up to date Resource disc available. This disc contains the latest drivers and diagnostic tools currently being shipped on new systems. Due to the frequent updates, this Resource disc may not have all the drivers needed for your specific system, especially if it is over one (1) year old.
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Mele20Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
kudos:4 | said by therube: quote:
That seems to have a 2007 date.
And so it does. quote:
That was in 2007.
So? Does not make it any less valid today. quote:
Dell Customers can now request a set of backup discs containing the factory-installed operating system as well as the device drivers and utilities specific to your system.
Requests are limited to one (1) set of backup discs per system purchased.
The backup discs requested must match the operating system that was factory installed on the original order.
Please note that Dell will provide you the most up to date Resource disc available. This disc contains the latest drivers and diagnostic tools currently being shipped on new systems. Due to the frequent updates, this Resource disc may not have all the drivers needed for your specific system, especially if it is over one (1) year old.
It's official now. Dell no longer supplies OS disk except for Precisions, Optiplexes, and Latitudes. It's right on the configuration page now on Dell Small Business. Small Business config pages have been revised (Fx doesn't like the new pages nor does SM and I do have the latest SM). Dell Home config pages are still the old ones (Fx likes them) but they also will be revised soon and will reflect that the computer does NOT come with an OS disk but that you can burn a RESTORE TO FACTORY DEFAULT DISK one OR YOU CAN ORDER FOR A FEE A RESTORE DISK which is not a reinstallation disk. (Dell has also royally screwed up the XPS line to force customers to Alienware). (At least Small Business is offering excellent extended hardware warranty with North American support).
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson | | |
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