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Dell XPS 'Gaming' PC Review
cojsl writes "[H]ard|OCP has an entertaining review of a Dell XPS 400 'Gaming PC'." From the article: "If the Dimension XPS400 is any indication, Dell considers computer gamers a joke. Harsh, yes. But we think it's accurate. The system itself is a decent gaming platform and the hardware was well built. It was put together decently with parts that can pull the weight required to play today's graphically intensive games. But we couldn't even install one of the most popular games on the market, Sims 2, and trying to play other popular games would lock up the system and gaming sessions, when they would run, would get interrupted. The pre-installed programs that Dell chose to include on its computer were almost certainly the cause of all these problems, and unloading these programs from the boot-up routine fixed the problems."
Although I agree with your post, it should be noted that Dell still provides OEM Windows XP install discs with their Small Business lines of machines (Latitudes, Optiplexes, Precisions). I'm not sure about consumer models bought from the Small Business section, but I know for sure on the lines mentioned above. These CD's are free of charge (or rather you don't pay less by asking them not send them), and they only include Windows (none of the preinstalled junk) -- I've used them myself. Also, up until this past summer, the consumer lines in the Home section were offered with OEM Windows install CD's as well. Unfortunately around June, Dell switched to restore partitions.
Sadly, PS/2 was yet another victim of USB, which doesn't care what you plug into it, the electrical slut.
Step 1) Make your backup installation CD
Step 2) Format your hard drive and install from scratch
The backup CD, at least for me, is a full XP Pro installation CD without all the bundled software that comes on the pre-installed hard drive or the system recovery CD.
And by the way, if you email support, they will send you an XP disc and a drivers disc (for your model) in the mail for free. It took about 3 days.
Personally, I just wiped out the hard drive and installed Suse 10.
The Dell software doesnt necessarily have to actually be taking up a noticeable amount of CPU time to screw things up - it could be intercepting system calls or something - a server here was having major problems until someone tried uninstalling the Dell OpenManagement stuff on it, and since then it's been running a lot better (not perfect, but definitely better.. heh)
which is totally what she said
As a Dell onsite tech, I can tell you the very reason that they stopped sending out the Windows and Drivers Cd's. MOST OF THE IDIOTS LOST THEM. You don't know how many times I've replaced hard drives to find that the customer didn't have the cd's, but KNOWS that they received them. Dell got tired of sending out multiple copies to customers who just don't know how to keep track of their own software. You can receive a copy from tech support if ask. Also, drives that they replace do not ship with the restore partition and thus are sent with the cd's if the customer doesn't have them.
Dell sells both business and consumer models. In the desktop line the Optiplexes are the business versions and Dimensions are the consumer. They share almost all the internal parts but have different skins.
The big difference is in the software. The consumer versions come preloaded with a bunch of crappy demos and spyware-lite. The business versions have no extra pre-loaded software--just what is ordered. In addition, the business versions usually come with Gold service--a 800 number answered in the US by an English-speaking rep. Typically, the calls are answered in less than 5 minutes.
If you're looking at Dells, check out the small business store for the bloat-ware free versions.
Typically, the business versions are $50 to $100 more (depending on the system) than the consumer.
Desktop
Dimension=consumer
Optiplex=business
Lapto
Inspiron=consumer
Latitude
I also think the review was a bit harsh. They already didn't like Dell for the lack of complete choice in parts and the "big evil brand". They started out by complaining about paying taxes...if they buy their systems from any vendor in Texas they should be paying taxes...hardly Dell's fault.