Dell Computer Information
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About Dell Computers
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Dell Warranty
Buying a Computer
Dell Desktop Computer Reviews
Dell Laptop Computer Reviews
About Dell Computers
Dell Computers are one of the leading brands for laptops and desktop computers online. Dell offers a wide range of computer products, catering for all home, gaming and business needs.
Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell, the computer industry's longest-tenured chief executive officer, on a simple concept: that by selling computer systems directly to customers, Dell could best understand their needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs.
This direct business model eliminates retailers that add unnecessary time and cost, or can diminish Dell's understanding of customer expectations. The direct model allows the company to build every system to order and offer customers powerful, richly-configured computer systems at competitive prices.
Dell Computers also introduces the latest relevant technology much more quickly than companies with slow-moving, indirect distribution channels, turning over inventory every four days on average. The Dell Effect For more than 20 years, Dell has revolutionized the industry to make computing accessible to customers around the globe, including businesses, institutional organizations and individual consumers.
Because of Dell's direct model and the
industry's response to it—information technology is more powerful,
easier to use and more affordable, giving customers the opportunity to
take advantage of powerful new tools to improve their businesses and personal
lives with Dell computers. Nearly one out of every five standards-based
computer system sold in the world today is a Dell.
Some of the computer products and services that Dell offer are: Workstations Dell Precision desktop and mobile workstations are intended for professional users who demand exceptional performance to run sophisticated applications, such as three-dimensional computer-aided design, digital content creation, geographic information systems, computer animation, software development and financial analysis.
As an affiliate of Dell, we at computer-deals would like to bring you the best deals on computers and laptops in New Zealand. Please take time to have a look at Dell Latest Special Offers, Information and reviews:
Dell Delivery Options Computers
Dell offers a range of delivery options. These are Ground, Second day or next day.
Ground or "Economy" - Scheduled delivery of your order will be up to three to five (3-5) business days from the time it leaves the warehouse.
Second Day - Scheduled delivery of your order will be up to two (2) business days from the time the warehouse tenders the shipment to our transportation provider.
Next Day - Scheduled delivery of your order will be one (1) business day from the time our warehouse tenders the shipment to our transportation provider. + More Information
Dell Payment Methods
Dell has a variety of payment options to make it as
easy as possible for customers. Dell accepts American Express, Visa, MasterCard,
Discover, Prepaid Check and more. Dell offers a buy now and pay later
on selected items. You pay 10% deposit then pay nothing for 3 months through
Dell financial services. + More
Information
Dell Warranty
Dell offers a 90 day collect and return service. But at an extra cost you have the option to have 1-4 years on-site warranty service which includes online Multimedia training. Every Dell purchase comes backed by our 21-day Total Satisfaction policy. When you buy Dell, expert technical support is just a click or a call away - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - they are trained to help you resolve the majority of possible issues without having to ship your system or wait for an on site service technician.+ More Information
Dell Computers Reviews
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Dell Laptops Notebooks Reviews
Computer Deals brings you all the best deals from the web. We would like to provide you reviews of the products we advertise so that you the customer can decide what best suits your needs. Computer Deals recommends and these third-party reviewers:
The good: Newly redesigned Inspiron line
adds Centrino Duo CPUs and color choices; highly configurable with plenty
of networking options; discrete graphics option; excellent battery life.
The bad: Not as radically reengineered
as Dell's new XPS laptop; low starting price, but everything from the
Webcam to Bluetooth costs extra.
The bottom line: Dell's retooled Inspiron
line introduces the new 14-inch Inspiron 1420 laptop, which benefits from
an internal and external makeover. The wide-ranging configuration options
mean that virtually any mainstream user can find a system to fit their
budget.
With its latest Inspiron update, Dell adds
some major improvements, both inside and outside, to its workhorse line
of laptops. And in the case of the Inspiron 1420, Dell has introduced
a new screen size--a spacious yet portable 14-inch widescreen. The 1420's
baseline price is a reasonable $819 and offers a host of upgrade options--everything
from Blu-ray drives to Intel's latest Centrino Duo processors--that make
the Inspiron line one of the most flexible systems out there. Our review
unit packed in a discrete graphics chip, a Centrino Duo CPU, and mobile
broadband from Sprint, driving the price up to nearly $1,700. You can
configure a well-equipped system for much closer to the baseline price,
however, that would prove more than adequate for most mainstream users.
The Inspiron 1420 isn't nearly as attractive as Dell's other new laptop,
the higher-end XPS m1330, but it still improves on the last-generation
Inspiron's biggest flaw--its bulky, boxy chassis.
While Dell is offering similarly revamped
version of its 15- and 17-inch Inspiron laptops, the 14-inch 1420 model
is a new addition. We continue to see vendors--Lenovo with its ThinkPad
T61, Gateway with its E-265M, and Sony with its VGN-CR190--redefining
their mainstream laptops as 14 inches instead of 15 inches. We welcome
this trend; after working with 14-inch laptops for a time, we find that
they offer the optimal balance between portability and usability.
The new look for Inspiron is an evolution
rather than a revolution, offering softer, rounded edges and a thinner
lid while scrapping the two-tone, white-on-silver design that never looked
particularly inspiring. Instead, you get your choice of eight different
colors for the back of the lid. Our Ruby Red model, which looked an awful
lot like the Crimson Red on the 13-inch XPS m1330, had an appealing satin
finish that seemed to be virtually fingerprint-proof. If you fear colorful
laptops, black and white are also options for the lid.
The basic Dell laptop keyboard remains
unchanged and is comfy to type on, but we were pleased to see the old
Inspiron's excessively chunky mouse buttons reduced to a more manageable
size, along with small square media control buttons replacing the older
round ones, which were notoriously hard to hit. A 2.0-megapixel Webcam
sits above the screen, or you could forgo it and save $30. Like the XPS
m1330m, a small, credit-card-size remote control that pops into card slot
on the side.
The 14.1-inch widescreen LCD display offers
a 1,440x900 native resolution, which is a $50 upgrade Dell offers over
the standard 1,280x800 screen (standard on both 14- and 15-inch laptops).
For a screen this size, the difference is honestly negligible, but people
working with digital photos, for example, may want the slightly higher
resolution. Neither screen would be able to play back Blu-ray movies in
full 1080p resolution.
Our review unit was tricked out with every networking option
under the sun. While you can order the Inspiron 1420 with just a basic
802.11g Wi-Fi card, we had Draft N Wi-Fi , Bluetooth, and mobile broadband
from Sprint (AT&T and Verizon are also available). The EV-DO cards
are an extra $150, but all the major carriers offer some kind of rebate
with a service plan.
While older, non-Santa Rosa CPUs are also available, they
knock only $100 off the cheapest Centrino Duo option. We suggest choosing
one of the three Core 2 Duo 7000-series chips that feature Centrino Duo's
faster 800MHz frontside bus. Trading the integrated graphics up to an
Nvidia GeForce 8400 is likewise $100. Add in options such as Bluetooth
($20) and a second GB of RAM ($150), and the $819 starting price can easily
climb.
Our Inspiron 1420 featured a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300
CPU, and compared to other similarly configured systems, such as the Lenovo
ThinkPad T61 and the Gateway E-265M, the performance differences were
negligible, especially in CNET Labs' Photoshop CS2 and iTunes encoding
tests, where less than 20 seconds separated these three 14-inch laptops.
It's a point we harp on, but any current Centrino Duo laptop will be able
to easily handle the multiple simultaneous tasks (Web surfing, media playback,
document editing, and so forth) that average users engage in on a regular
basis, and the Dell Inspiron 1420 was no exception.
The only discrete graphics option available, the 128MB Nvidia
GeForce 8400, isn't going to turn this laptop into a gaming powerhouse,
but we got a very playable 29.8 frames per second in Quake 4 at 1,024x768,
even with high-end options such as antialiasing turned on.
The 1420 ran for three hours and 29 minutes on our DVD battery-drain
test, using the included nine-cell battery (a $50 upgrade), making it
the longest-lasting 14-inch laptop we've seen. A smaller six-cell battery
is also available if you absolutely hate batteries that stick out from
the back of the system. Our DVD battery-drain test is especially grueling,
so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.
Going for integrated graphics instead of the aforementioned GeForce 8400
will likely result in better battery life as well.
Dell includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor
warranty with the system. Upgrading to a three-year plan will cost an
extra $250, which includes on-site service. Support is accessible through
a 24-7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and driver downloads;
Dell also included 3GB of online backup space free for the first year.
Dell
Desktop Reviews
Dell's first desktops to carry the Inspiron name look
good, inside and out. With a huge range of available components and two
equally attractive cases, mainstream consumers ought to be able to find
a config that meets their budget, tastes, and computing needs. If you
require Bluetooth or Blu-ray, however, you'll have to put your purchase
plans on hold.
Dell has dropped its venerable Dimension desktop brand.
Now, both its mainstream consumer desktops and laptops will carry the
Inspiron name. Along with the name change, Dell's new Inspiron 530 and
530s PCs usher in Intel's latest G33 chipset (aka Bearlake), which features
a speedy 1,333MHz frontside bus. The other two models in the lineup, the
Inspiron 531 and 531s, feature AMD processors on Nvidia's MCP 61 chipset
The 530s and 531s units feature a slim chassis akin
to the Dimension C521's. Each of the four models boasts a wide array of
configuration options; prices start at a rock-bottom $349 and can quickly
top $1,500 when you start adding upgrades. For a complete details, read
our full review of the Dell Dimension 531, which won an Editors' Choice
The big range in price is due in large part to the wide
array of CPU options. The Intel-based models offer both low-end Celeron
and dual-core Core 2 Duo processors, while the AMD-based models offer
both low-end Sempron and dual-core Athlon 64 X2 processors. Memory ranges
from 512MB to 4GB. All four major flavors of Vista are offered as well;
no word on whether XP is an option for those less than enthralled with
Microsoft's latest OS effort.
Both the midtower and the slim chassis offer two hard
drive bays (which you can populate with two 500GB drives for a 1TB of
storage) and the option for a PCI Express graphics card (the half-height
variety for the 530s and 531s units). Also available in all models but
particularly useful in the slim models, which are likely candidates to
be shoehorned into home theater racks, is an optional 802.11b/g (but sadly,
not 802.11n) Wi-Fi card, which will save you from having to run an Ethernet
cable through your living room. Integrated Bluetooth is another living-room-friendly
technology, and Dell is bringing it to these Inspiron desktops shortly.
Likewise, Dell will add Blu-ray drives as on option soon.
Aesthetically, the new Inspiron line extends the silver-and-white
color scheme that you can find on late-model Dimensions. The last generation
of Dimensions were sleek-looking, but the area around the optical drives
was black, which was in stark contrast to the rest of the case. Now, the
Inspiron cases feature drive-bay covers, lending a more unified design
to the PCs.
The Inspiron line carries Dell's standard one-year parts-and-labor
warranty, but the company's DataSafe backup has moved online. Dell offers
you 3GB of online storage and won't charge you for the first year.
The good: Sleek new case design; overachieving
application performance; finally has a Wi-Fi adapter option; integrated
Bluetooth (shortly after launch); new, mostly useful support software.
The bad: Some higher-end configuration
options are limited to Dell's XPS line.
The bottom line: The last of the major
desktop vendors to update this year's desktops, Dell used that time to
good advantage. On some tests, the Inspiron 531 is even faster than systems
that cost $500 more. Keep your gaming and digital media ambitions modest,
and this PC should deliver nearly everything you'd want in a mainstream
system.
The Dell Inspiron 531 (along with a handful
of other new desktops) marks the introduction of a more streamlined Dell
product family. For both laptops and desktops, the Inspiron line will
represent its mainstream consumer PCs, with the XPS looping together the
high-end products. In other words, so long Dimension, hello Inspiron,
which makes a strong first impression with this new midtower system. Our
$979 Inspiron 531 config is as fast or faster than others in its class
and it also has a compelling set of features. Throw in its clean new looks,
and this suddenly becomes the mainstream desktop we'd recommend first.
Consider the Inspiron 531 the spiritual
successor to the Dimension E521. Both represent Dell's mainstream consumer
desktop offering, with configuration options that let you build a system
in a price range roughly between $350 and $1,500, not including peripherals
and optional software. The new Inspiron also continues the Dimension 531's
aesthetic update from the old Dimension 4000 series. While not quite as
clean-lined as an Apple product, Dell's new desktop design is attractive
enough so that you shouldn't feel embarrassed to keep it in public view.
Like the Dimension E521 we reviewed, our sample Inspiron
531 came with a 2.6GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ dual core processor. This
new model has 2GB of faster 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, though, as well as a more
recent 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8600GT 3D card. The hard drive actually got
a little smaller, down to roomy-enough 250GB from 320GB on the older Dell,
but then the price of this system is actually about $50 less than the
older system. We expect you'd be able to upgrade to a larger hard drive
for about that price, giving the Inspiron a stronger config on balance.
Compare the Inspiron 531 to PCs from other vendors, though,
and you'll find that this system stands out in both features and performance.
Two key updates bring the Inspiron 531 in line with and even beyond its
competition. Finally, Dell offers 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi via a PCI card. And
it won't be available until "shortly after launch," according
to Dell, but our review unit also came with Bluetooth functionality built
into the 13-in-1 media card reader. You can get Bluetooth in a few other
systems if you purchase an expensive Bluetooth-connected mouse-and-keyboard
set, but no other mainstream midtower PC that we're aware of has an option
for effectively integrated Bluetooth, as Dell has here.
We were also surprised by the Inspiron 531 on our performance
tests. Most of the systems we've seen in the $1,000 to $1,500 category
aim for speed on either basic applications or games. The Inspiron 531
is just as fast as it should be games-wise, giving you solid-enough Quake
4 performance as long as you keep the resolution reasonable. More exciting
are its Cinebench and iTunes scores, which tied or outperformed the pricier
Gateway DX430X. You can perform most any mainstream task with the Inspiron
531, and in some cases, much faster than we expected.
In addition to the speed and the various means of wireless
connectivity, Dell rounds this system out with the standard optical drive
combination of a DVD drive and a dual-layer DVD burner. We're a bit surprised
that Dell doesn't even offer a Blu-ray drive as an option with this PC,
but we suspect it's keeping that feature exclusive to the higher-end
From the outside you'll immediately notice
some abnormal design features. First, the mostly white case is starkly
different to the usual blacks and greys, or waxy blue seen in previous
Dell models. A large space, big enough to put your hand through, behind
the mid-section of the front panel exposes a 120mm fan, drawing air into
the case. A large lever in the top-rear releases the side panel revealing
a BTX motherboard and a complex display of shrouding, fans and cables.
Dell was among the first to adopt the BTX
(Balanced Technology eXtended) form factor and using it here gives this
unit several advantages. Taking into account the 13-in-1 media card reader,
the TV tuner and Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE), it's safe to assume
that Dell hopes that people will use this PC as a media centre among other
things. As a media centre, both power and silence are essential. Naturally,
power generates heat and heat means fans, which in turn means noise. The
BTX design places all the hottest components of the computer in the direct
path of a front-to-rear air flow. In the case of the 9200, a 120mm fan
draws air from the front of the case, which immediately passes over the
long fins of a large passive heatsink on the CPU. Before exiting the case
via a large vent at the rear, air also passes the system memory, chipset
and most importantly the graphics card, providing them with some extra
cooling as well.
Combine this quieter cooling system with
the powerful, low wattage Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz CPU and you can expect plenty
of power with minimal system noise. It's actually the small fan on the
graphics card that's the main source of noise in the 9200 when everything
is running at peak performance. The extra cooling from the BTX design
should help keep the fan rotation down to a minimum, but there's little
that can be done during a hefty session of gaming. If you're savvy when
it comes to hardware, you might want to consider changing this over to
a larger, quieter fan and heatsink combination -- there's plenty of space
to do so.
To see if this system, with its 1GB of
DDR2 667MHz RAM and Core 2 Duo CPU was up to the job, we put it through
WorldBench 5 (WB5) and a number of other tests. In WB5 it scored an impressive
123. This score seems close to normal based on our tests of similarly
built systems and will be more than sufficient for any application, including
Windows Vista. The 64-bit capabilities of the Core 2 Duo CPU will also
allow you to run the inevitable 64-bit applications that will emerge when
Vista is finally released.
The GeForce 7900GS is still considered
one of the top performing graphics cards on the market. We ran 3DMark
2006, in which it scored 4341 -- an expected result for the specifications
and plenty of power for almost all of the latest games. We also ran the
FEAR in-game benchmark, which averaged 55fps (frames per second) over
the demo sequence on maximum quality settings, a comfortable playable
rate.
Like the Dimension E521 we reviewed, our sample Inspiron
531 came with a 2.6GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ dual core processor. This
new model has 2GB of faster 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, though, as well as a more
recent 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8600GT 3D card. The hard drive actually got
a little smaller, down to roomy-enough 250GB from 320GB on the older Dell,
but then the price of this system is actually about $50 less than the
older system. We expect you'd be able to upgrade to a larger hard drive
for about that price, giving the Inspiron a stronger config on balance.
Leave no cable behind
To maintain an uninterrupted airflow, the Dell 9200 has
been meticulously wired to ensure that no cable gets in the way of the
main thoroughfare. This involves an ornate series of cable ties, brackets
and clips to run cables up against the edges of the case and hardware.
This can often make hardware changes difficult, but Dell's implementation
leaves the most commonly interchanged components fairly accessible --
though changing your power supply will involve some serious untangling.
A variety of quick-release features in the case make upgrades and maintenance
easy. A bracket holding all the PCI cards in place unclips and swings
open on a hinge, while a sliding release gives you instant access to all
forward removable drive bays by detaching part of the front panel
Storage space
Storage is one thing that this PC is lacking -- a serious
oversight for a system with media centre aspirations. The $2527 price
tag on our sample machine comes with only an 80GB (7200rpm) hard drive.
A 160GB hard drive is the minimum you can select using Dell's online shop,
though it may affect the final price. That said, you may wish to make
your initial purchase of a 9200 with a large hard drive, as this case
only comes with two 3.5in internal drive bays, leaving only one spot left
to add more storage on top of your standard drive. A maximum of one terabyte
(2x 500GB) is available through Dell. The drive bays face sideways, giving
you quick and easy access and are cooled by one small fan drawing air
from a grill in the front panel and blowing over the top of the drives.
Connect away
Following the grand-plan design of BTX style systems, the
Dimension 9200 provides no PS2 or serial ports, but instead supplies an
abundance of USB 2.0 connections, starting with six USB 2.0 ports at the
rear of the case. Take away two of these for the mouse and keyboard and
you still have four to play with. For quick connections, like USB keys
or MP3 players you can use one of two USB ports on the front panel. A
headphone jack and microphone port have also been placed on the front
panel for easy access. The motherboard uses integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
7.1 HD audio software, with the associated analog ports found at the rear
of the case. The Dell TV tuner has S-Video and composite ports available,
while the media card reader, located in the front panel of the case, supports
a wide range of memory cards including CF I&II/SD/mini-SD/MMC/RS-MMC/MS/MS-Pro/Duo/SM/xD/MicroDrive.
A Gigabit Ethernet adapter is available onboard and there's also a 56Kbps
modem installed.
Why buy a computer?
Think long and hard as to why you want to buy a computer. Do you want to buy a computer to get on the Internet or do you want to run a specific software application? Do you want to buy a computer just to play games? Then you might be better off buying a game console like a Sony PlayStation 2.
It makes a lot of difference for which purpose you buy a computer, as to what hardware configuration you should look for and the price you have to pay for it.
This document is intended to help you make those choices. Hopefully you will be more prepared when you think about buying a new computer and get the right configuration for your needs.
If you have children aged 5 and up, it is almost a must to have a personal computer in your house. But even if you don't, computers and the Internet already form a big part of today's life style, and you don't want to be left out.
Computer Hardware
This question will be answered in great detail. We will look at all parts of the computer and what to look for if you go for those bargains, which might not be bargains at all.
You also want to buy a computer that lasts. If you buy a computer that is already outdated, you might run the risk that you are not able to run the latest software on it.
A computer is as fast as it slowest components. This means that you can have a fast computer, but if a component like a hard disk slows down the computer, you might have just wasted lots of money on a high speed CPU that will never be fully utilized. That's why this document also talks about some technical specifications that might be important when selecting the right machine for you.
Additional computer features
We will also talk about additional hardware, like printers, scanners, digital cameras, modems and networks.
The right additions might get you more use out of your computer for only a little bit of extra money.
Computer Software
We will also take some time to look at some software features and what's best to buy when you are just starting out.
Where to put the computer
The best spot to install your computer is the living room or family room. This way, if you have children, you can all share the computer.
It's important to chose a location that in not too humid, not in direct sunlight, away from heat vents, and away from electrical appliances that could cause interference.
Problems and Support
The time that you would probably find that there was anything wrong with a computer from a hardware point of view is in the first month that you operate your computer.
If your machine is running okay for a couple of months, it will probably be okay forever (figuratively speaking). You can buy a computer from a company like Dell, or Gateway and get technical support with it.
I have only had good experience with Gateway's technical support service as long as you keep buying everything from them (both hardware and software). As soon as you buy something through another source, they will not support it and tell you to contact that manufacturer.
The same is true with other computer manufacturers, they will not support other companies' products
Source: InfoHQ.com
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