Dell is on my **** list for two reasons.

First (and if they fixed this, good for them, but it's a matter of principle), I read an account of a person who bought a brand-new Notebook from them. When they first turned it on, in order to us it, they had to agree to a license agreement. That's all well and good, but the license agreement was in a sealed package which came with the computer.....which you couldn't break the seal on unless you agreed to the licensing agreement. Apparently it was also available on their website, but if you don't have a computer, well you're out of luck--they refused to read it over the phone.

http://www.cypherpunks.ca/dell.html

Second, Dell's customer support has been instructed to not assist in the removal of spyware and adware installed on computers if they get complaints about popups and the sort. This includes cases such as "Well, our official policy is to not remove those sorts of things, but I would..." Breaching of this policy could end up with that person being fired. Ergo, since this policy was instated, I don't trust Dell to not attach those sorts of tracking tools to important system files, or if they don't know, to do so in the immediate future.

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/12/03/0257238&mode=thread&tid=126&tid=172&tid=187&tid=98&tid=99


Build your own or go elsewhere. But DON'T go with Dell.


This was either the start of something bad or the end of something stupid.

This message was edited by §ol at 4/10/2004 6:28:11 PM.