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46 out of 78 people found this review helpful
1.0 stars
"Biggest waste of money and time you can buy."
Pros: Did not catch on fire. Duel core proc. Intel pro/wireless. Screen is amazing.
Cons: Lots of software bugs due to harddrive cloning. Motherboard was bad right out of box.
Summary: Dell claims to have award wining tech support, I have yet to see it. You have to pay for tech support if its a software issue even if its due to there poor harddrive cloning if you dont buy the better warrenty. It had 2 seperate lock up issues right out of the box. I purchased larger 60 gig hard drive only to have dell use up almost 5 gigs for system diagnostics and system restore, thats what cds are for. Microphone/line it did not work at all, dell claimed it needed a new mother board. I didnt pay almost $3000 for a refurfished computer. TV Tuner did not work for capturing video. It had popping noise when I connected my external harddrive. And that was all in the first 5 days of ownership. Oh yeah and the dvd drive vibrated so bad I had to stick a business card in the end of the drive to keep it from vibrating. I ultimatly returned it to dell for a full refund. They did offer me $250 back if I kept it and worked with tech support, I said no way. I will never buy anything from dell again.
- 19 replies to this review
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Considering the 14z just came out a few months ago, that means that this review was probably for the studio 14, which dell stopped producing awhile ago.
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...and still this computer won't boot up, they won't send a technician to look at it, and in the meantime, I'm spending all my free time on the phone with Tech Support. Each time, they have me run time-consuming Diagnostics and the problems still exist...
I'll never buy a Dell again.
(Incidentally, I just read that Canada has a class-action lawsuit on Inspiron models for "negligent" design. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/01/12/dell-suit.html) -
I just had brought this notebook on the 28 of november and In the second day the network was not working and I call dell they had me on the phone for an hour to download a driver after that I had check the mic and that did not work so I call them again they could not fix it and they was to call me back on it which they did'nt
then I went to watch a movie and that was not working either so I call them again and told them I did not want to hear It I return the notebook and I won't be buying nothing from them again. I was surpise to see someone had post on this same notebook. can't wait till I show everyone that I was not the only one with these problems from this notebook. -
What would you recommend after this experience with Dell? my son already had a prejudice against Dell (not knowing the reason) he just feels that are inadequate computers but I don't know what to buy for him for a lighter weight laptop for him in school (he needs to use educational software on it) and he like to game. I looked in the Toshiba and heard bad reviews from the CNET community on them. the one we considered was the A105-S4344 had 2GB 200GBHDD and 15.4" Screen. Please let me know your choice.
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Now, personally, I have had my gateway desktop for a solid 5 or 6 years, only having to reformat once because of a virus, and it runs great. But I've used dell for work and school, and I've never had a problem.
Tech support can be useless at times- I've never had any tech support (comcast, verizon, dell, palm) give me any useful information, but that's because by the time I'm forced to call tech support, it's a big problem. I can usually fix most things.
But generally for the run-of-the-mill problem, tech support should be able to help, it's the hot-headed people that only yell when there's a problem that cause more problems, and I've certainly witnessed that.
I believe this outlier rant is simply the result of a person who knows nothing about computers, and has no patience at all.
BTW- get the extended warranty, because things happen, and sometimes you just can't help it -
Out of the box DVD drive won't even open, tried using paperclip to open but to no avail. This is simply poor QA. Luckily this isn't my personal laptop. It's company issued. But it still caused me valuable time to go through the process of having it replaced via our logistics dept.
I've owned 3 DELL desktops since the 90's. I liked those desktops, haven't had issues with those old workhorses. But lately, I noticed the DELL products have had too much quality issues. I used to work for a Fortune 100 company that had issues with hard drives from its DELL servers. I thought that was just an anomaly. Now I work for a company whose servers are from DELL and HP/COMPAQ. Based on my seven years experience from both companies, DELL's hardrives always seem to go bad before HP's. It seems like the quality of their products keep degrading every year.
I am not biased towards DELL because I own some of its stock. Therefore, I really hope DELL gets their act together. -
I have had 3 toshiba & 2 Compac LEMON LAPTOPS! To qualify as a LEMON, per the warranty offered by Best Buy back in 03 when I purchased both a Toshiba and a Compac at the same time. I bought warranties on them both, THANK GOODNESS!!!
You have to have them worked on thru the service dept- which means sent to the factory repair departments of the respective companies, Toshiba and Compac 3 times initially, by the 2nd Lemon, they changed the requirements to 4 times going thru repair and coming back fixed. I had the first Toshiba about 8 mos, before it had been thru svc 3x and they immediatly replaced it with a new laptop of equivalent value from the store shelf on the 4th visit to service. The Compac was so badly DEAD that it was called a Lemon on it's 1st time into service and was replaced with a new system of equal value to the initial price I paid for it.
My 2nd Toshiba lasted about 15 mos, had 3 trips to service and was replaced with a new laptop. The 2nd Compac lasted about 2 1/2 years& had it's screen replaced-free before having it's 3rd trip to service and developing it's 4 problem that Lemoned it out. That 2nd Compac I chose to have replaced with an HP which has been going strong now for about 2 years now.
Finally my 3rd laptop had it's 4th trip into service, this took 16 weeks and during this time, my warranty, originally purchased on the 1st Toshiba expired. I was told NONE of the over 8 different problems that the Laptop was having were occuring when service looked at it! I went nuts on those "GEEKS". I refused to pickup my laptop from the store and demanded that they return it to the service factory! I had also been told after the PREVIOUS repair that this laptop was a Lemon and when it came in with ANYTHING ELSE wrong, it was to be lemoned and replaced by the company. This was documented in the computer repair history file!! The Geek's could not return it to service until it had a NEW problem that service had not already looked at or the problems-8 of them, that I said it was doing could be recreated at the store! I had told them I spend ALOT of time on my computer every day and that it SQUEELED horribly when it got warmed up. I asked if the technician at service even left it on over 5 minutes after turning it on and not hearing it squeel. Mind you this was the biggest problem, aside from getting SERIOUSLY HOT, CD NOT burning, sound problems, error message that always came up on computer that NOBODY could identify as why or what it was trying to alert me to. The Geek's had NO idea as to what was going on. I proceeded to tell the manager that if he would turn my computer ON and LEAVE it on as if someone was working on it for a while, then it would do what it was doing to me on a constant day to day basis. I was extremely lucky that he listened to me!! He said he would put a program into it that made it "work" for as long as you told it to. He called me the next day and said they all jumped out of thier skin when this computer started SQUEELING at about the 5th hour of "working". So, it immediately went back to service and was thus finally deemed a lemon qualifed computer and another 5 weeks of waiting for the factory to get "the word" to the store so I could go pick up my new laptop. The store then decided it was going to take me to the cleaners offering me a replacement value laptop of 700.00! I had paid over 1800.00 for this laptop and having been replaced 2x knew the rules of my warranty were to be replaced at original purchase value and as close to the system options as I originally purchased, which being 3+ years later, some options were already obsolete. The store manager, who I demanded get into the picture proceeded to tell me they had just upgraded their warranty program and they had to go by that warranty to replace my laptop and since I did not buy the "GOLD" plan warranty, I could only get the lowest laptop they offered as replacement to come as close to what I originally bought!
I again went bezerk, having documentation of all my history with thier computers, store, lemons, replacements, time I was without a computer etc etc...
I ended up becoming very ugly right in middle of the computer department in front of the GEEK counter! IT WAS BAD. To make a VERY long story short, I left the store with a new computer, 1400.00+ value HP special edition. I was given a 180.00 gift card at checkout when the customer service ladies-who work with the money, not the computer dept. looked up my original ticket on my computer's history vs. the one I was being replaced with, because I had less value-dollar wise, like I tried to tell the store manager and he would not listen to me until I threatened lawsuits etc etc.. I was taking a loss in MONEY, so they gave me a gift card worth the difference in what the new computer's value was! I asked the staff why the store manager could not grasp this concept that obviously I was correct about my warranty and details etc. They had no idea of course, but thank goodness I did not end up getting raked over the coals AND loosing money.
I have since purchased a DELL with full "bumper to bumper" warranty. within 3 days, on Christmas EVE, the new Dell DIED!! I called on xmas-eve and customer svc was there, shipped out a NEW hard drive and since the local (Alaska) tech was on vacation, when the hard drive arrived via Fed Ex, Dell, flew a tech up here from OREGON to install the hard drive, one day after it arrived here. 2 days after Christmas my Dell laptop was fixed and running like a champ.
I have since had my powercord break at it's shock rings. I went online and "talked" to a service tech "live" and they shipped a new one out via Fedex and I had it 2 days later. Never had to speak to a sole, only type talk to the tech!
Needless to go on any further, I can say I have been thru the mill with bad laptops. They just have problems. It is not the company's problem. If they offered to fix your computer, they are complying with the warranty. You did not get a written promise that NOTHING would ever-even from the first 5 days, go wrong with the laptop. You bought a warranty saying they would fix certain things if they are covered under what you paid for. You did not want a fix, so they gave you a full refund. Sounds like you got super customer service and over and above the extent of your warranty which usually does not refund purchase price if you are not happy, they usually FIX or if your system CAN'T be fixed, after numerous trips to repair-it will be lemoned and THEN you get a new computer, not a refund. Count yourself lucky you were doing business with a good company who cares about their customers and gave you your money back. -
I had a similar problem with Tech Support, plus even worse with customer service. The finance dept. also sucks when I had a problem to be credited with an overcharge, it took 3 months and several phone calls. I am still waiting for someone to contact me to replace the LCD screen (2 months). I have bought a few DELL computers over the years, never ever again.
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I've purchased a desktop and 2 laptops from Dell in the past 5 years. Bought the 4 year complete care package for the laptop. My daughter's quit working 21 days before the warranty ran out. Dell replaced it with a new top of the line XPS. My son dropped his after a year and a half. Dell replaced the LCD, keyboard, optical drive and hard drive. Two weeks later motherboard acted up. Got a brand new XPS 5 days later. Wouldn't buy anything else but Dell.
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Sometimes things in life go peachy. Sometimes it seems like nothing goes well.
But, you got your money back??? GREAT
They offered you $250 to hang in there? What's the gripe?
You wouldn't believe my HP experience. I only wish they we so generous. It was a few years back, they advertiaed and even had the XP logo on the box and manual and cd. BUT THEIR DRIVERS WEREN'T EVEN XP COMPATABLE! Their excuse was that it was manufactured BEFORE XP was released and had the drivers MS released at that time "do you actually expect us to open the box and exchange the cd's with the updated drivers?"
OK, don't hang up yet . . . I bought the 3 year warranty. When I needed it THEY HAD NO RECORD OF IT. I FAX'D MY PAPERWORK, ALL WITHOUT GETTING ANY SUPPORT SINCE i WOULD NOT GIVE MY CC# TO THEM. AFTER A WEEK I CALLED THE DIRECT# OF THE SUPERVISOR TO SEE THEIR PROGRESS AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CLOSED DOWN THE UNIT THAT MADE THE SALE AND ALL RECORDS HAS BEEN ABANDONED.
THEY GRACIOUSLY GAVE ME FREE SUPPORT FOR THAT ISSUE ONLY AND THE LAST YEAR OF MY 3 YEAR WARRANTY PURCHASE WENT UP IN SMOKE.
Now that's the kind of treatment that deserved the bashing you gave Dell ! -
I've used Dell products for over 5 years now. When you are making an investment like a laptop, you should go with the additional warranty. You are investing so much money, it is risky not to get the complete care warranty from Dell. I just bought a 50 inch plasma from Pioneer and I paid $ 500 bucks extra for the best warranty. I did not even think twice about it. A laptop is a similar investment as far as money goes.
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In the last five years I have purchased well over 1,000 Dell PCs and laptops at work and several for myself. I currently have an Inspiron 9400 (through Small Business Division) that is identical to the E1705, a 9300 and a C840. I have not had a problem with any of the PCs, laptops or with Dell's tech support.
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This review is not exactly representative or fair of the Dell Inspiron e1705 which is a beautiful machine. Mine works flawlessly.
I feel that this review is more about rating Dell customer support rather than the actual equipement. -
I am sorry to hear of your problems with Dell Service and Support, I have owned a number of Dell products and not being nerdy enough to always find answers for problems have used Dell Support often and have always been happy with their help.
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Dull and obvious attempt at a hatchet job; probably the garden variety screamer with tech support. Lack of ability to troubleshoot simple configuration issues and lack of ability to spell.
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There is one thing, and one thing only, that made me a loyal Dell customer for 15 years. They offer affordable quality equipment, stand behind their product and have well spoken, intelligent people ready to help you through any difficulties.
I have noticed over the past few years that they have been methodically compromising this committment to service and putting an added fee if you want to get good service past the initial set up.
If I spend 3 grand I expect the manufacturer to stand next to me on any problem, and for 2 or 3 years. That's the Dell I learned to trust since the very early 90's, and dozens of computer purchases. If their new model is to follow their competitors model of "sell 'em and leave 'em" - I can only immagine that their generous sized nich market will evaporate just like it did for all the other "has-beens".
Between home and office I will be replacing 5 PC systems when the new Vista Professional comes out. I can tell you that I will no longer just call Dell with my order if I think they are cooling off on offering great performing, competitively priced equipment and are not willing to stand behind their product 3 years without added fee's. -
everybody knows that there is no such thing as a free lunch, hence no such thing as free tech support. however, your computer was probably one in a hundred thousand that had a problem with the motherboard. I've had mine for about a month, and there is nothing wrong with it.
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I've had mine for 3 weeks now. Not a single issue. I removed the 5 Gig partition. The 60 GB HD is the second from the bottom. You can also get an 80 GB or a 100 GB HD. My E1750 blew the doors off of the 3DMark06 over my desktop. It's VERY silent with only two fans. For it's girth it's actually very light. I got the true-color upgrade and it's magnificient. I don't dount that some people get a bum computer sometimes. The law of averages says it's going to happen.
I love it though. -
DId u notice that u have to get a warrenty that comes with the computer and they will only charge u if u canceled the warrenty in order to save money. (the worrenty was included in the device price)
