A first from Dell: giving customers a choice of Windows operating systems

[Julian]

Julian

This is the business range that one rarely sees on the shelves of consumer
stores, and they are supplied 'box' only.. HP are as aware as most that
business is always slower to take up new technology than the guy on the
street who is looking more for bragging rights than a stable and well
understood OS that has to support mission critical work.. I daresay that a
look at Dells business range would reveal the same pattern..

Yes, for all but the smallest companies upgrading operating systems is akin
to driving ocean going supertankers You can't just stop or do a U turn,
it takes planning.

 

[ray]

"We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP
option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings,' Dell said
on its Ideas in Action page. Users get to vote on various
suggestions, and the notion of bringing back XP got 10,000
'points,' making it among the most popular requests but
well below top picks such as adding Linux or OpenOffice.org
to its PCs," Fried reports."

Figures - "well below" the top picks, so that comes out number one.

 

[Plato]

Today in a newspaper advertisement for Dell computers directed at business
customers, the ad gave customers a choice of Windows Vista or Windows XP for
each computer being offered. I've never seen anything like this before. In
the past, once a new version of Windows had come out, Dell sold all its new
computers with the new version.

What this seems to indicate is that Dell is aware of the problems with Vista
and the unhappiness many users have expressed about it, so they want to
attract more customers by giving them the option of buying XP.

Incorrect. All it means is Dell is offering a choice of OS's.

 

[Plato]

What about the "fact" that HP is out selling Dell - and HP is offering only
Vista?

I've never bought PCs in a retaill outlet, but always look at them. I
was in an "office supply" store the other day and they had E-Machines,
HPs, but no Dells.

 

[Julian]

I've never bought PCs in a retaill outlet, but always look at them. I
was in an "office supply" store the other day and they had E-Machines,
HPs, but no Dells.

Until very recently Dell computers were never available through retail
outlets
and even now only through a very limited number...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/29/AR2006052900823.html

 

[Nina DiBoy]

Uuhhh...that news is so old as to be ancient.
Frank

Were you just born yesterday?

--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html

Most recent idiotic quote added to KICK (Klassic Idiotic Caption Kooks):
"hahaha...oh, I do detect a hint of jealousy or what! Where Darrell
actually helps people all you do is beg for attention. Shame on you! Go
get professional psychological clinical help with your obvious problems
and stop your bandwidth sucking bullshit postings in this ng. (rip,
snort, belch, burp, chuckle)"

"Good poets borrow; great poets steal."
- T. S. Eliot

 

[Nina DiBoy]

Maybe you could buy Lottey tickets and then when you win, you will wind up
on an Island drinking Margaretas (spelling) and enjoying young women. Then
when someone comes up and asks about Vista, you will say "What's Vista?"

My, that was a quick walk!



--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html

Most recent idiotic quote added to KICK (Klassic Idiotic Caption Kooks):
"hahaha...oh, I do detect a hint of jealousy or what! Where Darrell
actually helps people all you do is beg for attention. Shame on you! Go
get professional psychological clinical help with your obvious problems
and stop your bandwidth sucking bullshit postings in this ng. (rip,
snort, belch, burp, chuckle)"

"Good poets borrow; great poets steal."
- T. S. Eliot

 

[xfile]

To certain degree, it is correct if you are a long time customer and
observer of Dell and I am both.

By doing so, it adds extra workload to the configuration and assembly, and
you think Dell will do that for no reasons?

 

[Dave]

They offer XP because customers are asking for XP still and they can sell
more computers.

This is not a reflection on Vista as there are legitimate reasons to still
run XP rather than Vista.

Then again, why would you buy from Dell unless a large corporate purchasing
department that has volume discounts and assigned service as Dell is getting
too expensive especially on anything that is not the base PC or laptop and
they are the king of adding crapware to the machine.

- Dave

To certain degree, it is correct if you are a long time customer and
observer of Dell and I am both.

By doing so, it adds extra workload to the configuration and assembly, and
you think Dell will do that for no reasons?

 

[xfile]

They offer XP because customers are asking for XP still and they can sell

more computers.

Yes, because of customers (like myself) ask for it and for what reasons?
And do you really think that Dell won't do their homework except just
following customers' demands? And why is that not the case for earlier
versions (both Windows and Office).

Then again, why would you buy from Dell unless a large corporate
purchasing department that has volume discounts and assigned service as
Dell is getting too expensive especially on anything that is not the base
PC or laptop and they are the king of adding crapware to the machine.

No comment, except this is not an "impulsive" decision such as rushing into
the nearest Best Buy for a copy of new Vista.

For the crapware, it is a common thing, especially for the new Vista
systems. How to deal with it (not just for Dell), refer to this update from
WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/page/8_0004.html?guid={B002D5A0-E52A-4A4B-8F72-C8E78A720CEF}

Hope you can read it since some articles are restricted to subscribers.

They offer XP because customers are asking for XP still and they can sell
more computers.

This is not a reflection on Vista as there are legitimate reasons to still
run XP rather than Vista.

Then again, why would you buy from Dell unless a large corporate
purchasing department that has volume discounts and assigned service as
Dell is getting too expensive especially on anything that is not the base
PC or laptop and they are the king of adding crapware to the machine.

- Dave

 

[Julian]

They offer XP because customers are asking for XP still and they can sell
more computers.

This is not a reflection on Vista as there are legitimate reasons to still
run XP rather than Vista.

Then again, why would you buy from Dell unless a large corporate
purchasing department that has volume discounts and assigned service as
Dell is getting too expensive especially on anything that is not the base
PC or laptop and they are the king of adding crapware to the machine.

In my experience with big companies whoever supplies the hardware,
Dell, HP or others, does not supply the OS and certainly no crapware.
We used to just get clean machines and crap them up ourselves
and the licenses were with MS directly.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I recall Dell offering a choice of Windows XP or Windows 2000 for a long
time, until relatively recently, in fact. For the same reason, any vendor
that wants to seriously cater to the business market needs to continue
offering XP for a long time to come. Probably until it reaches "end of
support".

 

[Larry]

Gary, you may well be correct.

I'm only reporting on the ad I saw, and on my memory (which may well be
mistaken), that since Windows 98 came out I had never seen any Dell
advertisement, either for business or personal (and I receive all their
brochures) offering both the new OS and the former OS for the same machines.

Larry

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Never seen an advertisement, I can accept that. But if you actually go into
the process of ordering, OS options are usually offered as an "option". Not
sure that's true for low end "consumer" models, but I seldom if ever buy
them. Usually buying something a bit higher-end when purchasing from Dell.

If they're making a big deal about it in advertising, I can understand that,
too. I'm certainly not in the market for any Vista machines yet. Need a
*lot* more time to work the bugs out and get broad compatibility, never mind
user acceptance.

 

[Guest]

You're right. I was looking at the home user Pavilion series.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!



To Richard Urban: Thank you for admitting that you gave someone incorrect information concerning available operating systems on HP computers. It takes a man to admit it and you have my respect for doing so. You are a breath of fresh air in the otherwise combative and self-promoting listings I have seen in these forums. I have come to the conclusion that many people posting advice and answers in these forums don't have a clue about what they are saying. These people are easy to spot. In fact, they do more harm than good. I take the advice of only a few forum posters. You are one of them I pay attention to. I trust your judgement. Sometimes you may be incorrect but what is more important is the fact that you are willing to surrender your free time to help those of us in need. I appreciate your efforts and the efforts of others who are qualified to give such advice and I sincerely thank you. I don't need any smart-ass postings from some of you other forum users concerning my

respect for Richard Urban. I am not on my knees before him and I don't worship him. However, give credit where credit is due.

 

[Justin]

What about the "fact" that HP is out selling Dell - and HP is offering
only Vista?

Well, wait a minute. Qualify these sales. Business or Home? I would
believe that HP (compaq) sells more business machines, meaning servers,
meaning Windows Server (neither XP or Vista) but I doubt HP sells more
consumer machines.

Dell is just losing it and they are grabbing at a life ring.

Much agreed.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

One word: Compaq.

Compaq started out as one of the best builders of PCs, when there were
still concerns about "IBM compatibility". Thier high-water mark was
when they scooped IBM to be the first to release a 386-based PC, which
is all the more impressive when you recall that it was the 386 that
laid the foundation for all of today's PC OSs.

That the Compaq name was dropped after the merger with HP, says much
about how that great legacy was squandered, and in the usual "bait and
switch" way; come for the reputation, get served the most ruthlessly
cut-price junk it is possible to make.

Compaq were the kings of brand lock-in, much as Sony are today. Over
the years, I've had Compaqs from various generations to be fixed, and
there's always been some complication or sob-story...
- RAM soldered into the motherboard
- "special" RAM
- "special" slim-line 3.5" laptop HDs, well into age of 2.5" std
- the puniest PSUs possible
- the smallest, most restrictive cases possible
- no ROM-based CMOS setup; need "special" HD partition
- typical large-OEM "no standard Windows disk" scams
- oddball mounting and construction screws
- even "special" diskette and CD drives in desktop systems

How much of this has permeated formally-"HP" PCs, I wonder?

--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

Tech Support: The guys who follow the
'Parade of New Products' with a shovel.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

I've heard that Macro$haft is offering something called XP-starter
edition in India or China for like $3. Yes, three dollars. But it's
heavily handicapped, and it's not selling well:

Five countries to get cheap Windows XP
Published: August 10, 2004, 8:00 PM PDT
http://www.slashgear.com/customers-to-dell-we-want-xp-194856.php

I've seen one here, and it has this bug:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914906

Note the rather unapolagetic nature of that article, and the drastic
colateral damage involved in fixing this:

<editpaste>

1. Start the computer in Safe Mode.
2. Back up the data on the computer.
3. Reinstall Windows XP Starter Edition by using the recovery
CD that is provided by the OEM.
4. Apply the hotfix.
5. Restart the computer.

</editpaste>

Note (3) doesn't explicitly tell you that the "OEM recovery CD" will
wipe all content off the HD; you have to smell that. Oh, and the XP
Starter PC I have here, crashes the same way at step (1).

So... I don't think there's reason to feel envious ;-)

--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

Error Messages Are Your Friends

 

[Bill in Co.]

One word: Compaq.

Compaq started out as one of the best builders of PCs, when there were
still concerns about "IBM compatibility". Thier high-water mark was
when they scooped IBM to be the first to release a 386-based PC, which
is all the more impressive when you recall that it was the 386 that
laid the foundation for all of today's PC OSs.

I remember those days, too. They were a fair bit pricier than the other
clones out there, but were "as close as you could get" to the real thing,
at least as I recall.

That the Compaq name was dropped after the merger with HP, says much
about how that great legacy was squandered, and in the usual "bait and
switch" way; come for the reputation, get served the most ruthlessly
cut-price junk it is possible to make.

I didn't even realize this had happened. :-(
It's really too bad. Well, it's not the first time. Look at what
happened to Norton.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Compaq were the kings of brand lock-in, much as Sony are today.

Umm... Apple is the king of brand lock-in. Always has been.