Comments on: Dude, you’re sentenced to eternal damnation with your Dell http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/ ignorable ad hoc digressions Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:52:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: liam http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-16021 liam Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:47:20 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-16021 Fuck dell Fuck dell

]]> By: Dean http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-16002 Dean Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:22:58 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-16002 I have not had to deal with a repair, tech support call, or any warranty issue in over a year. That can mean only one thing: I am not using a Dell. My MacBook Pro continues to be reliable, a pleasure to use, and a vast improvement over Dell and WIndows. I'll never go back to hell. I have not had to deal with a repair, tech support call, or any warranty issue in over a year. That can mean only one thing: I am not using a Dell.

My MacBook Pro continues to be reliable, a pleasure to use, and a vast improvement over Dell and WIndows. I’ll never go back to hell.

]]> By: justin kamerer http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-16001 justin kamerer Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:31:08 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-16001 haha. i think i stumbled onto this blog the *first* time my m170 fucked up. about every 5 weeks, the video card dies or moreso. i've had the lcd replaced 4 times, the video card, 4 times, video memory replaced, 2 motherboards and the memory replaced twice. waiting for a callback tomorrow from their 'escalation manager' after skipping over a tech and talking to their manager today. unfortunately, my business thrives on having a functional machine. haha. i think i stumbled onto this blog the *first* time my m170 fucked up. about every 5 weeks, the video card dies or moreso. i’ve had the lcd replaced 4 times, the video card, 4 times, video memory replaced, 2 motherboards and the memory replaced twice.

waiting for a callback tomorrow from their ‘escalation manager’ after skipping over a tech and talking to their manager today.

unfortunately, my business thrives on having a functional machine.

]]> By: Pete http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-15947 Pete Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:36:44 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-15947 Thanks for the quick reply Dean, the 7800 GTX left Miami airport at 12.45pm yesterday so I should get it mid week here in london UK. I bought this XPS from a customer for £150 ($300) the card cost more at $350 with shipping. Hoping to sell it for £550 ($1100) or I might keep it as my wife has gotten a little attched to it. I've already modded it with a new m1710 lid cover, looking for a new palmrest now. Thanks for the quick reply Dean, the 7800 GTX left Miami airport at 12.45pm yesterday so I should get it mid week here in london UK.

I bought this XPS from a customer for £150 ($300) the card cost more at $350 with shipping. Hoping to sell it for £550 ($1100) or I might keep it as my wife has gotten a little attched to it.

I’ve already modded it with a new m1710 lid cover, looking for a new palmrest now.

]]> By: Dean http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-15946 Dean Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:43:20 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-15946 Yup, you have a bad video board (actually bad memory). Same symptoms I had. Your motherboard is probably fine. Dell replaced my motherboard because they are completely clueless. There wasn't anything wrong with that. In the end, Dell finally just replaced the entire laptop. I now have a Precision M90 they sent me last July. It works OK and hasn't had any problems, but I don't use it that much either (at work for email, MS project, Office, etc). My primary computer now is a 17" MacBook Pro and a 23" Apple Cinema Display. You couldn't pay me to go back to Dell. The Mac is thinner, lighter, more powerful, and has an OS that doesn't annoy me constantly. Yup, you have a bad video board (actually bad memory). Same symptoms I had. Your motherboard is probably fine. Dell replaced my motherboard because they are completely clueless. There wasn’t anything wrong with that.

In the end, Dell finally just replaced the entire laptop. I now have a Precision M90 they sent me last July. It works OK and hasn’t had any problems, but I don’t use it that much either (at work for email, MS project, Office, etc). My primary computer now is a 17″ MacBook Pro and a 23″ Apple Cinema Display. You couldn’t pay me to go back to Dell. The Mac is thinner, lighter, more powerful, and has an OS that doesn’t annoy me constantly.

]]> By: Pete http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-15945 Pete Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:18:13 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-15945 I have a xps m170 here with the same problem. Corruption is like the matrix going vertically down the screen this happens even in the bios and during boot and blue screens if the nvidia driver is installed. It fails the dell diagnostic on video memory so i ordered a 7800 gtx on ebay a few days ago and still waiting for it to arrive. I'm not going to be to pleased if it turns out to be the motherboard. When You had your mobo replaced did the problem clear up and was you able to boot again? I have a xps m170 here with the same problem. Corruption is like the matrix going vertically down the screen this happens even in the bios and during boot and blue screens if the nvidia driver is installed.

It fails the dell diagnostic on video memory so i ordered a 7800 gtx on ebay a few days ago and still waiting for it to arrive.

I’m not going to be to pleased if it turns out to be the motherboard. When You had your mobo replaced did the problem clear up and was you able to boot again?

]]> By: Dean http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-11563 Dean Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:20:36 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-11563 The virus software problem is easily solved. Get AVG Free version. If the software that came with it was Norton, count your blessings that you couldn't activate it. The symptoms you describe sound like a bad video board. Run the Dell hardware diagnostic and see if the video memory test fails. That's a sure giveaway. I had the same thing. I could only boot into safe mode with a bad video board. You should have gotten the MBP. I did and have no regrets. My Dell story has a new chapter (positive for a change). I'm working on the story and will have a post soon (later today or tomorrow). The virus software problem is easily solved. Get AVG Free version. If the software that came with it was Norton, count your blessings that you couldn’t activate it.

The symptoms you describe sound like a bad video board. Run the Dell hardware diagnostic and see if the video memory test fails. That’s a sure giveaway. I had the same thing. I could only boot into safe mode with a bad video board.

You should have gotten the MBP. I did and have no regrets.

My Dell story has a new chapter (positive for a change). I’m working on the story and will have a post soon (later today or tomorrow).

]]> By: JT http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-11551 JT Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:56:21 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-11551 I'm having serious problems with my M170. So far: I could not activate my virus software, since the laptop is a refurb and the previous owner activated it. Therefore I paid for a $60 piece of software that is effectively dead worthless. I have had numerous issues with overheating and the video card and/or mobo are shot. I have visual artifacts all over the screen and I can't boot into either my linux or windows partition in anything but safe mode. Since it is just out of warranty (conveniently), I have to pay the $40 to have someone say, "yes it is broken" and then pay a tech to tell me what I already know, and then pay for a new mobo and/or video card. I was THIS CLOSE to buying a MacBook pro, but a friend talked me out of it. I am really regretting my decision. I’m having serious problems with my M170. So far:

I could not activate my virus software, since the laptop is a refurb and the previous owner activated it. Therefore I paid for a $60 piece of software that is effectively dead worthless.

I have had numerous issues with overheating and the video card and/or mobo are shot. I have visual artifacts all over the screen and I can’t boot into either my linux or windows partition in anything but safe mode. Since it is just out of warranty (conveniently), I have to pay the $40 to have someone say, “yes it is broken” and then pay a tech to tell me what I already know, and then pay for a new mobo and/or video card. I was THIS CLOSE to buying a MacBook pro, but a friend talked me out of it. I am really regretting my decision.

]]> By: Dean http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-4400 Dean Mon, 21 May 2007 13:23:24 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-4400 Dell ended up replacing: 1. video board (I actually talked them into upgrading it to a nVidia 7800 GTX) 2. video board fan 3. video board heatsink 4. motherboard 5. CPU 6. CPU fan 7. CPU heatsink I think that makes around 15 part replacements for this laptop in 15 months. Anyway, the damn thing is so unreliable I bought a <a href="http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/21/hi-im-a-mac-user-and-im-an-ex-pc-user/" rel="nofollow">MBP</a>. Dell ended up replacing:
1. video board (I actually talked them into upgrading it to a nVidia 7800 GTX)
2. video board fan
3. video board heatsink
4. motherboard
5. CPU
6. CPU fan
7. CPU heatsink
I think that makes around 15 part replacements for this laptop in 15 months. Anyway, the damn thing is so unreliable I bought a MBP.

]]> By: Tom Wheeler http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-4177 Tom Wheeler Sun, 13 May 2007 23:03:06 +0000 http://blahblahblah.info/2007/05/04/dude-youre-sentenced-to-eternal-damnation-with-your-dell/#comment-4177 I am perhaps a bit late to the party, but you might find solace in <a href="http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/dell/" rel="nofollow">Dell-related posts on The Consumerist</a> blog. I am perhaps a bit late to the party, but you might find solace in Dell-related posts on The Consumerist blog.

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