Feb 14, 2007 03:39 pm Hey Tad, you don't have any XP software that you could install? I'm taking a bit of a guess here but it probably just comes preloaded with Vista. You could always wipe it out and put whatever you like on it.
Dangit, Dell!
Posted on Feb 14, 2007 03:25 pm
Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member Since: Mar 14, 2003
So I've received the go-ahead from my better half to purchase a new computer. Woohoo! The moment every techie dreams of!
I started scoping out Dell's website because I'm tired of building my own systems and I'm ready to buy a bundled system this time. there's only 1 problem: Dell now exclusively offers Windows Vista on their machines. My Delta 44 has no available drivers for Windows Vista.
Booooo! (I'm booing at both companies...Dell for jumping the gun on switching over to Vista, and MAudio for dragging their feet for supporting Vista)
Personally, I don't care anything about having Vista installed on a home computer. I hate being out on that limb while the rest of the industry catches up and gradually introduces compatibility fixes and patches. Who in their right mind wants to own an operating system in that state? And why would I want to live without my recording card indefinitely?
I guess I'm going to start scoping out TigerDirect, NewEgg and other tech sites to see what it'd cost to just build a system myself.
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Feb 14, 2007 03:39 pm Hey Tad, you don't have any XP software that you could install? I'm taking a bit of a guess here but it probably just comes preloaded with Vista. You could always wipe it out and put whatever you like on it.
Feb 14, 2007 04:03 pm Well, I've already expended the max # of installs of my current edition of WinXP Home. I've already had to call MS twice to ask permission to load it during a particularly troublesome hardware failure. I'm not so sure that I could convince them to allow me to reinstall it to another system.
Feb 14, 2007 04:37 pm depending on what type of system you wanted to build (higher end or whatever) you still may end up being cheaper than dell by building your own system and buying another copy of xp home. Have you tried other retailers (best buy, circuit city, etc)?
I just bought/built a computer for my roommate, granted, it's very high end, for $2200, and dell was going to charge him $3000 for a slightly less powerful model (only a geforce 7900 instead of 8800 graphics).
A side note... you can get a HECK of a computer for $2200 if you build your own (insanely fast, insane graphics, high resolution 20.1" lcd)...
Feb 14, 2007 06:10 pm The thing is, I can get plenty of machine for me for right at $1000 from Dell. That's a pretty tough price to beat with a roll-your-own system when you factor in software and OS. That's why I was leaning towards Dell in the first place, because I can get a good system for that price.
I'll check out other retailers and see what I can come up with, thanks for the suggestion.
Feb 14, 2007 11:22 pm yeah, my mother got one from best buy a month ago or so for $549 + 129 for a 3 year warranty. Pentium D, 1 gig ram, 250gb hard drive, pretty tough to beat the sub-$1000 deals.
Feb 14, 2007 11:27 pm It's time for a new laptop for me, but browsing on dell's site the smallest inspiron they have now is 14.5" (I think, it was 14.something) and I really, really, REALLY love the size of my current 12.1". I am SO bummed.
Feb 15, 2007 12:01 pm When you call Microsoft if you tell them you had to reformat they don't ask you any questions.
Theres your social engineering tip for the day, not going to recommend anything to you to do :P
Feb 15, 2007 12:44 pm lol, I have a 17" widescreen i drag around with me... it's huge. but I can't complain... it fits my body size. I'd look funny with a 12" laptop on my back.
and i didn't realize microsoft had a limit on the number of installs you can do with a cd key. Anybody know the limit?
Feb 15, 2007 12:58 pm Just a suggestion... Check out Dell's outlet. I have three Dells here and they were all from the outlet. The selection is usually very good and I feel I saved big bucks too. The oldest is four years old and aside from the occasional power outage, they are never turned off. Never had a problem with any of them. Plus you can probably get XP on them.
Feb 15, 2007 01:02 pm Cool thanks for the suggestion Stevo.
I had to consult MS after my 3rd install of XP home. I dunno if that limit changes from OS to OS but I got 3 freebies, and I had to call in and ask permission for anything beyond that.
Feb 16, 2007 03:27 pm Another thing you must be aware of with dell is sales and discounts. I got my current PC at 39% off by just waiting for the right time.
So I got a $4000 rig (no monitors or speakers even) for ~$2400. That was with 10K Raptor drive, Audigy 2 ZS, Dual TV Card, 2x7800GTX's, 160GB backup drive, 650W power supply, every bell/whistle and a 3 year at home warranty etc. etc.
Anyway, point is I never could have built the same PC for $2400 (I priced it out). Shoot, at the time 7800GTX cards were $550 each and raptor drives are not cheap.
Another thing to think about is this. Never upgrade certain items through dell. Dell has decent prices on some things and gouge you on others. Leave RAM and Vid cards at basic then purchase an upgrade later. You will save tons doing this and can probably even sell the replaced vid card.
There are also some very crafty people out there who really take advantage of coupons, figure out great deals and then post them at places like techbargains and dealcatcher. For example...
www.dealcatcher.com/dell-home-coupons
So.. with all the sales that are constantly going on you'd be crazy to pay full price for a dell.
Feb 16, 2007 03:56 pm D00d Captain! That's awesome, you may have just saved me a bundle of money. 25% off of systems $999 and up. I just priced one out that qualifies for the coupon. Hell, I may just upgrade to the Core 2 Duo 2.86 Mhz instead of the default 1.86 Mhz Core 2.
Thanks!
Feb 16, 2007 04:17 pm Glad I could help man!!
Another thing..
They hit you pretty hard on processors too (not as bad as ram though). You may look at getting the low end and purchasing an upgrade from a cheaper site. ZipZoomFly has free 2day shipping on most small items. There prices aren't the cheapest but the free shipping usually evens it out.
Dell support is pretty good too. A good warranty is nothing to scoff at, and while purchasing seperate parts offers some protection, having a Dell warranty is most definitely simpler.
Feb 19, 2007 12:13 pm Well I pulled the trigger yesterday and bought a Dell.
With the coupon, I got a $1500 machine for about $1100, big savings to me.
I went ahead and upgraded processor, ram, video, and monitor thru dell, although I agree that I could've saved money doing it other ways. But I don't care, it'll all come at the same time, and I can just plug and play when it arrives instead of spending a month gathering replacement parts and installing them.
So I ended up with my first AMD machine...I've been a whole-hearted Intel guy thus far.
Specs that I'm particularly excited about include:
- AMD dual-core 5600+ (2.86 GHz x 2)
- 2 GB DDR RAM
- GeForce 7300LE video card
- 21" widescreen display
This puppy will SMOKE every computer I've ever owned COMBINED! :D
Feb 19, 2007 05:23 pm Indeed, the 25% off helps actually as it applies to upgrades as well. This does bring the price closer to the "manual upgrade" and keeps things simple.
And my goodness... I'm really liking the specs you went with :) *drool* Please let us know what you think when you get the studio running through it. I'm guessing the "Tad" will be grinning from ear to ear :) Those are great specs at $1100!!
Also, I've been back n forth AMD/Intel forever. AMD used to smoke at gaming while intel had the little better numbner crunching engine. Then X2 came along and took that crown. Now we have Conroe and X2 which are ridiculously close in performance/price and a wonderfull price war that benefits the consumer!!
Apr 11, 2007 10:55 pm All the Pundits say, Give it about a year or two for all the Vista drivers to come out, and then another two or three years for all the patches, fixes, updates, and other K-rap, and by that time, we'll be looking at Windows Vista II.
(Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!)
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