Today Dell announced it would eschew its direct sales only approach and sell machines through Wal-mart. I was immediately reminded of this dreadful viral ad the company tried to get passed around back in October. The worst thing ever.
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Christ, is NOTHING sacred. This sucks.
Never drop acid and watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail if you work in Dell’s PR Department.
J/P=?
Wow, now another option at Walmart to go along with those $498 ‘Everex’ notebooks… I wonder if Dell will offer any options for custom-configuring a machine and having it delivered to Wallyworld fort pickup (or shipped direct to customer)?
#3 I doubt it very much. Custimization is not what Wal-Mart is about. Those that need customization will go directly to Dell.
I think it is a good idea for both WM and Dell.
#4 – If you need customization, you build. Dell, HP/Compaq, Gateway, etc… do not customize either.
Offering a bigger hard drive or more ram or adding Office is not customizing. Choosing your motherboard, case, hard drive, RAM, opticals, etc., based on brand and features is customization.
Dell is selling where Dell deserves to sell. I’m happy to see it happen to Dell (and rest assured, sucking it up and selling through Wal-Mart is aptly described as “happening to” Dell) but it does continue to push this perception that quality PCs are cheap commodity items. They are not. Cheap PCs are commodity items, but not quality PCs.
Can you get one without windoze?
Samsclub has been marketing Dell’s for a while through their website, and with select products in stores. The one time I priced one at Sams, it was cheaper to order directly from Dell.
When this moves raises the bottom line of Dell by 1% will Dell claim success in his second tour of duty as CEO and find (another) successor?
Dell is planning on offering Ubuntu on its retail machines as an option in the near future, are they not? Might turn out to be an unexpected boon for the linux/open source community if you can go to Wal-Mart and get a Ubuntu box…of course, Lindows didn’t do all that well a few years ago….
As much as I’m indifferent to Dell, here’s hoping it does increase visibility for the Linux community.
#8 – Dude… You are totally destroying the threads today…
And this is a rare non-sarcastic moment for me…
5. Your point is valid, but for the business world, home built computers are not an option. You have to have ready access to parts, drivers, and tech support (not phone support but online documentation). I get gamers machines in my shop often, and no matter what you say for every garage technician who knows what he’s doing, there are 50 “gurus” out there who dont have a fucking clue. You sell parts, we sell systems, software, networking, training and support. In large numbers. Your model does not work for business.
What are you guys going to do when WalMart becomes the number one seller of LInux computers?
#11 – You are right… and my model isn’t for everyone. When my father calls to ask for computer advice, I don’t advocate building a PC from scratch. My only point is that what the pre-fab box makers offer is not customization.
But since you mention business, why is it that the Dells in the typical office building are solid and reliable and the typical Dell in the average split level suburban ranch is a festering pile of crap? The PC industry shot itself in the foot years ago when they decided to gut the beast and strip away all the margin.
Now everyone from Dell to Best Buy are competing on price with almost no profit. So now customers think a computer costs $400… and if you need an email box with a browser and MS Word, maybe it does.
You run a shop. I did too until last year when Fry’s finally nailed my coffin shut. You couldn’t buy a better PC than what I could sell you… But you could buy a cheaper one. I honestly hope you are faring better in whatever market you are in. My market just wasn’t there for quality PCs.
13. True Dell had different pacakages, business and home. The home computers on the low end…..definitely crap. The business end, solid machines, very low failure rate, good performers. Decent servers. What happened is a price war nad Dell had to compete so they built some low end shit and traded on their name. In the long run it hurt them. We dont sell Dell here, I did in the islands, thousands of them at a decent profit and few problems. Here its IBM, Thinkpads, HP-Compaq Business machines, and Macs, but zero computers on the cheap…..the people that come to us want a person to confront when things go bad and are willing to pay a premium for that. But they are thinning out. Everybody thinks they have a “cousin” who can help them out when they get into trouble, for free. It usually comes back to me. 5 years to early retirement, and none too soon. I really like what I do, but crap is crap and I am sad.
Ooooo, AAaaahahhhhh….
Yep it sucks,
LIKE a vacumme…
Iv looked at machines that:
HD, was to small even to INSTALL windows.
Cables with 1 connector on the IDE channel.
Ram limitations… could put a 1 gig chip in it even if you had one.
1 Ram slot.
Small case, NO room, No extra locations for another Extra HD.
What is it about a CHEAP system with a 40 gig drive…?? and it costs $50 to get a bigger one..
Background CRAP…
[double post – ed.]
Birds of a feather F together. Who’s surprised.
Computer shopping criteria:
1.) Fast
2.) Reliable
3.) Cheap
Pick two, you never will find all three in one box.
18…
you forgot 1…
STANDARDS…
To many of these corps WONT make a board that you can FIX, or use REGULAR patches/updates/drivers for.
audio is 1/2 easy…
But, VIDEO…HP.copaq, Keeps useing intel video, which is ALOT of crap with a 16/64 Meg SHARED video… AND NOT a PCI-E/X card slot to upgrage it…
BACk to the BASICS, let me CHOOSE my cards and audio video and ONBOARD controllers…
RAISE your hands IF you have delt with a VIA chipset,,,,,,
PS, Make a STANDARD….
ERASE ALL computer related copyrights for the LAST 30-40-50 years….
AND watch the RUn begin….
FORGET DUAL and QUAD, and look at OCTAL and HEXTUPAL…processors…
LOOK at ONBOARD SMART cards that take away from CPU tasking.
Look at AUDIO video SYNC, so a 1.7 MGZ machine dont LAG.
Hey ECA, I bought a computer with a Via for the main CPU.
Dell earned its original reputation by selling computers mail order, and customers were happy with the purchase. Mail order requires a great deal of trust of the vendor, and Dell was trustworthy at first. Great success story.
More recently, quality deteriated. Dead on arrival computers. Terrible after market service from India. Chaotic order system.
No point in buying Dell mail order, if Dell is an unreliable vendor with poor service.
This is where we are today.
With Walmart at least, you can return merchandise within 90 days, just walk in and return it. If its dead on arrival, just return it, no hassels, no shipping back, etc.
Given Dell’s current sad reputation for reliability and poor customer service, Walmart sales is a second chance to save Dell. Its sad, but marketing through Walmart is now a step up for Dell.
Given all the other highly competitive brands out there right now, at Walmart and other retailers, via the internet, etc., Walmart is Dell’s 2nd chance to survive, but its success and survival is uncertain.
“Dell Hell comes to Wal-Mart!!!”.
Dell is now feeding on America’s Dumb and Poor!!!
21,
Have you needed to reload windows yet??
I suggest you get the Motherboard Drivers, and keep them handy.
Windows Sometimes Dont like Via, and wont install the mobo drivers.
Hey, I got my Dell E520 two months ago and love it. No problems.
Great machine.
Would DELL and/or Wal-Mart allow C.A.T. Systems, Inc. to setup In-Store Service Center?, who should we talk to?