Version: 2008
  • On MovieTome: See the villain of IRON MAN 2!
advertisement
Click Here

1 of 179

Full user review

  • 8 out of 9 people found this review helpful

    4.0 stars

    "Great computer and value but you have to reinstall..."

    by cardfan1212 on March 11, 2005

    Pros: Value! Customer service and warranty

    Cons: System arrives with spyware, bloatware, you name it

    Summary: First of all, I'd like to comment on CNET's change in posting customer's opinions. It isn't better! I hate it. You have to click on each person now where before you could just scroll through. And they still don't screen out the stupid ones. A better approach might be to leave it the way it was but add the ability to post comments on customer's opinions.

    Onto the 8400, CNET really needs to update their review on it. But I bought this system and it was delivered 3 days later. Great? Well, no. The monitor and speakers have yet to arrive and I had to call Dell to find out about the monitor since their tracking system indicated it had been delivered with the system. That's kind of important to me since its their 24" LCD which costs more than the computer itself. But the customer service rep was on top of it.

    The person below me (csmac71) brings up some good points to remember. The system (hooked up to my old monitor right now) comes with so much spyware and bloatware that it should be a crime. C'mon Dell, let's make that an option. But just like a dell laptop purchased a month ago, the first thing you should do is stick the Windows CD in and reinstall after formating the harddrive. But like csmac71 learned, go to Dell's customer support website and download the drivers as the CD doesn't have them. As an alternative, you can copy C:/drivers to a cd but the ones on dell's site are more user friendly and current. (you should always make sure you have drivers before reinstalling)

    It would be easy to be mad and downgrade Dell because of this, but I have to keep in mind the value I got. The system is fast. The customer service rep was friendly and prompt in helping me. Finding another company that can do better (and provide upgrades like a 24" LCD) at this pricing would be a challenge.

    I fully recommend Dell. Just keep in mind it'll take a couple of hours of reinstalling after downloading the drivers. However, I'm sure most computers are like this these days..with stuff you don't want on it like AOL, earthlink, mcafee security, and the list goes on..
    Updated
    3ghz pentium iv, 1gb ram, 160gb harddrive, 128mb video ati x300 w/dvi, audigy 2 soundcard, 3 year extended warranty, 24" ultrasharp LCD monitor (amazing upgrade), klipsch 5.1 speakers

    Came to 1988.00 after tax. Take off the speakers and its around 1600-1700.

    Try the outrageous deals for small business or the epp program for students/teachers (they didn't even want proof that I was a teacher nor did they ask). EPP will get you an extra 12 percent off with 3 or 4 year extended warranty..
    Updated
    Especially if you want to view the highest resolution. Ebay the x300 for about 50 dollars and get a x800xl (or similar) for around 250 by shopping around.

    Otherwise, this system still rocks..

    Was this review helpful? YES | NO

    Reply to this review

Back to product review See all 179 reviews

Submit your review

1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit

Compare prices for

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available

advertisement

Compare this to: