The Ignominious Fall of Dell

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Posted by timothy on Thursday July 1, 2010 @11:27AM from the at-least-they-now-use-standard-power-supplies dept.

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Bill Snyder discusses the ignominious decline of Dell, one akin to that of Computer Associates, leaving the company forever tainted by scandal and a 'shocking breach of faith with customers.' Dell's pioneering business model and supply chain helped make desktop computing ubiquitous, affordable, and secure. But years of awful quality control and customer service have finally caught up to the company in a very public way that will do irreparable damage to the company for years to come. 'What we've learned about Dell recently doesn't qualify as an understandable mistake. Only a rotten company sells defective computers and lies about it.'"

23 of 604 comments (clear)

cough by Vinegar+Joe · 2010-07-01 11:29 · Score: 5, Funny

"Only a rotten company sells defective computers and lies about it."
Maybe the users are holding them wrong?

--
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
1. Re:cough by Anonymous Coward · 2010-07-01 11:42 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Not funny. How dare you attack Apple? They are all that right and good in the world of computing, and if you can't be bothered to hold it properly, maybe you shouldn't buy a fucking phone. Ever thought of that?
  STEVE JOBS IS LORD
2. Re:cough by frosty_tsm · 2010-07-01 12:11 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Now you're assuming Apple cares about any product more than 2 years old. After all, they just cut support for first generation iPhones and iTouches, and those are just a hair over 2 years... I guess that's a better business model, though - planned obsolescence in 24 months.
  A hair over 2 years? The first iPhone model itself is 3 years old. Combine that with the expected life-span of a mobile phone to be 2 years (subsidized phone every 2 years), they aren't doing anything outside of the norm.
3. Re:cough by KarmaKhameleon · 2010-07-01 12:49 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "dude you're getting a dell"
  
  is that a threat?
4. Re:cough by Hognoxious · 2010-07-01 19:55 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  there is no such thing as an "iTouch"
  But there is such a thing as an "iDouche". You are one.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
5. Re:cough by theolein · 2010-07-01 22:52 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  OMG Apple fanboi fire brigade to the rescue!!!!! Thank God you got here in time before people could realise that Apple is just as prone to making shoddy products and lying about it as anyone else.
What Kind of Company Sells by SwashbucklingCowboy · 2010-07-01 11:33 · Score: 1, Funny

Defective phones and lies about it?
Re:Hyperbole much? by Anonymous Coward · 2010-07-01 11:39 · Score: 2, Funny

Apple?
Re:Did I miss the boat on this one? by oldhack · 2010-07-01 11:58 · Score: 5, Funny

That's despicable. Why would you RTFA?

--
Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
Re:Hyperbole much? by PopeRatzo · 2010-07-01 12:14 · Score: 5, Funny

I built a linux firewall out of a cardboard box, spare parts, and duct tape.

That's nothing. I built a nuclear reactor out of an old refrigerator, bits and pieces purchased at the local Home Depot and Radio Shack, and spare parts from a 1976 Toyota pickup.
It works fine, but I have a hell of a time getting fissile material. Those nice young Russian guys say they're going to deliver as soon as my check clears. I'm going to put the waste materials in my mother-in-law's basement, which should be safe, since there's a concrete foundation. I cleaned out a corner next to the washing machine and I plan to stack the cardboard boxes there for the next 50,000 years.

--
You are welcome on my lawn.
Wow, this damage-control strategy sounds familiar by Man+On+Pink+Corner · 2010-07-01 12:36 · Score: 3, Funny

According to the Times, when the University of Texas complained that its Dell PCs were failing, the company said the school's math department had pushed them too hard, making them solve difficult calculations

From: michael@dell.com
To: xxxx@utexas.edu
Re: Hardware failures running Matlab
You're exceeding the floating-point unit's recommended duty cycle. Turn it off for awhile.
Sent from my iPhone
Re:-shrug- by smash · 2010-07-01 12:38 · Score: 1, Funny

Apple :D

--
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
Wait, what? by fyngyrz · 2010-07-01 13:28 · Score: 4, Funny

Don't be a fucking moron and write shit that isn't true.

[looks at slashdot user ID] Yeah, you're new here.

--
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
1. Re:Wait, what? by mortonda · 2010-07-01 16:11 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  [looks at slashdot user ID] Yeah, you're new here.
  you all look the same to me...
2. Re:Wait, what? by L4t3r4lu5 · 2010-07-01 20:14 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  That'll be your eyesight going, grandpa.
  
  --
  Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
3. Re:Wait, what? by chrish · 2010-07-02 01:06 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Hush, noob.
  
  --
  - chrish
4. Re:Wait, what? by PCM2 · 2010-07-02 13:19 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  God dammit, everybody pipe down. I'm trying to take a nap.
  
  --
  Breakfast served all day!
What should be done by Anonymous Coward · 2010-07-01 14:02 · Score: 1, Funny

If I was the CEO of Dell I would sell it off and give the money back to the shareholders.
Sincerely
Steve Jobs
Re:Former Senior Support Analyst for Dell... by lawpoop · 2010-07-01 14:35 · Score: 4, Funny

I'm glad you're keeping alive the tradition of epic poetry :D

--
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
-- Pablo Picasso
Re:-shrug- still got a dell at work... by SmurfButcher+Bob · 2010-07-01 14:54 · Score: 2, Funny

> Now my mac book pro, 2 years old, the last generation before they got gay.
Uh... hate to break it to you, slick, but just like soccer... macs have always been gay.

--

help me i've cloned myself and can't remember which one I am
Re:-shrug- by jbwhite99 · 2010-07-01 15:04 · Score: 2, Funny

They did have World Class service. But it was 3rd World Class service. Sorry to insult those in the 3rd World.
Re:Even then you don't know by Anonymous Coward · 2010-07-01 15:51 · Score: 1, Funny

I can tell that you're lying because your post doesn't have an Indian accent!
Damn Yanks! by Dogtanian · 2010-07-02 06:35 · Score: 2, Funny

Tomato/tomahto.
Surely you mean Tomayto/tomato. :-P

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