Are you upset with Dell? - Page 3

GazzaK · 08-19-03, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by happycheesecake
Hey Gazza

You being from Essex and all that - your new Mini wouldn't be coloured white by any chance?!

No, My new MINI is Indy Blue

thynk · 08-21-03, 03:33 AM

Upset doesn't even come close to how I feel right now.

I just open the most recient order from dell, with another 4 Axim PDAs. These were ordered over 2 months ago from Dell. We now have a total of 28 Dell Axims I support, write in house applications, etc. (8 of these qualify for the free upgrade). These NEW Axims came with PPC2002, not WM2003. I explained our situation to Dell, requesting an upgrade CD so I could ensure that the software I write is compatable with the new software as soon as I found out that upgrade had an effect on networking (all of these PPCs have 802.11b cards). I was told that I was on the list for the PPCs that fell under the free upgrade, and yet - there is no order in effect, no url, NOTHING.

I'm really, really, really tired of using the works "Dell", "order" and "problem" in conversations with my boss who wants to move to a different brand - requested battery life info on the Ipaq today, we'll see how HP treats us. I can honestly say that Dell is the only company I've ordered from that has treated us this way. Every other vender we have bends over backwards to work with us, returns phone calls, etc. I can't mention the name of the company I work for, but we're one of the top 3 EMS providers in the world.

As far as the 95% solution goes, 95% working is 95% working - now it's obious Dell didn't do the testing required for this. Most of the software I write has a deadline so close (we need this application to track throughput with graphs and live data by tommorow because we already promised the customer that we can track that sort of thing. Thanks, oh, and by the way - the data collection isn't done by your department, and the department who does it can't know that your sneaking the data out of their web reports because it will hurt their feelings) that there is no beta test cycle, but you had better believe that my department is avaible 24 hours a day if there is a problem with something we've released.

AAARRRGG - thanks for letting me vent. If anyone has a link to where i can find the A03 to A04 upgrade, fantastic - pls let me know.

08-21-03, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by thynk
AAARRRGG - thanks for letting me vent. If anyone has a link to where i can find the A03 to A04 upgrade, fantastic - pls let me know.

I have an idea where you can find it... Clicky

JeffLewis · 08-21-03, 05:57 AM

Jerry, I'm a programmer analyst with 30 years experience ranging from consulting to retail product development.

I'm sorry, but I think you're basically blaming the victim here. You're also putting words in their mouths. Almost no one here has said that they don't want to pay for the upgrade. Quite the contrary, most of us are complaining because we WANT to pay for the upgrade but can't get it, especially the ones in Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the Asian/Pacific region who have been told that they won't get the update even when (and if) it comes out simply because Dell has arbitrarily (and puzzlingly) decided there's not enough demand for it.

The problem is that Dell's competition already has this product out. This isn't like Dell is making the Axim from scratch, inventing the device and the OS on their own. The Axim is based on PPC reference designs and the OS is provided by Microsoft. All Dell had to do is get the parts in the right places and write some drivers - exactly the same thing that any other PPC company had to do... only they got it right and Dell apparently didn't. Dell isn't some small company with a few people available to work on a problem; Dell is one of the largest computer companies in the world.

You're also missing a point: we didn't tell Dell to release the upgrade on the day WM2003 was released... that was *Dell's* choice. Other companies held off a few weeks. By announcing it, Dell established a level of expectation which they couldn't live up to.

Which leads us to the real problem - I think the thing that is starting to wear us all down, isn't that the update isn't available - it's that Dell simply is not giving us any information on what's happening. We're two months late on the release, yet it seems to be shipping in Europe and no one is saying anything and the guys at Dell seem completely clueless about what's happening.

They managed to get a link about the Blaster worm on their website within a week, but doing something as simple as posting a link explaining what's happening and when a likely delivery date for this product seems outside their ability. That's shaking our confidence daily.

Dell is also shipping Axims with WM2003, so they feel confidant enough about it to ship - and since we're talking basically about a ROM image swap, unless Dell has made a major change to the Axim, the same image should work in all existing Axims. As far as I know, the only difference is the switch from a PXA250 to a PXA255 processor and since WM2003 is optimised for PXA250s, that shouldn't make a difference. The fact that some brave souls have managed to hack the WM2003 update into older Axims confirms this. The problems seem related to the installer, not the actual image.

If it's a production problem, the solution is fairly easy: sell the software electronically. It's done all the time for products far, far more expensive than this upgrade. If it's a software problem, let us know and keep us informed - we'll accept that (although there's that nagging problem of units shipping with WM2003 and the upgrade being sold in Europe).

To me, when you put all the pieces together, the only thing that makes sense is that Microsoft is having problems delivering authentication stickers or serial numbers for Outlook 2003. So, let me buy the upgrade electronically and send the CDs when they become available.

The reason *I'm* anxious for WM2003 is simple: I need WMP9 support and I'm developing WM2003 software. There is no other way to get it other than through the upgrade.

As a consumer and a developer, I've always found it surreal when a consumer tries to rationalise for a company that's done something wrong. As an ex-Apple Mac user - I saw this attitude all the time and it's the reason I dropped out of that community (and interestingly, they too try to argue the Porsche/Neon rationalisation and it's as questionable there as it is here - the main difference is margin, not quality of parts - and please, do NOT start on relative R&D spending - Dell and Apple spend roughly the same amount in R&D each year - you can check that in their SEC filings).

As consumers, our obligation is to protect our interests. It's *our* money that we're giving to Dell - we're doing them the favour, not the other way around. We could have purchased anyone else's products, but we did Dell the favour of choosing theirs.

In a freemarket system, it does no one good when the consumers coddle the producers. Consumer demand is what drives innovation and creativity. Or at least, it should. What I've seen is a slow steady reconditioning of the consumer to be as willing and cooperative a participant as possible.

That's not healthy for the economy or for the consumer.

(Steps down off soapbox...)

Sorry, that's been building up for a while now.

humba · 08-21-03, 06:33 AM

@JeffLewis:
I was in the same situation as you (programmer needing the upgrade), fortunately I got it a few weeks back, and I couldn't agree more with what you said. Companies are supposed to serve and look out for their customer's best interest. If they don't do that, customers will eventually turn their back and that's the way the free market is supposed to work. I was pushing towards getting Axims at work, and the upgrade fiasco was certainly one reason we ended up getting Ipaqs in the end.

08-21-03, 07:06 AM

And if Dell had orginally stated October 1 that would have been fine. What I object to is:

1. Order placed on June 26
2. Delivery scheduled for July 25
3. Delivery delayed until August 22
3. Delivery delayed until October 1, news delivered by e-mail which stated order would be canceled unless I responded within 2 days. What if I had'nt checked my e-mail ????
4. Today checked order status page at Dell. Delivery date changed to August 27, not October 1, Which one is correct ???? A whole lot of confusion at Dell

NooNoo · 08-21-03, 07:49 AM

I am having no end of problems sync'ing (Active Sync 3.7) my Axim with my Latitude D600 via USB, whilst the Laptop is docked in a D port. No problems undocked, but docked it only senses my Axim, if I re-boot and re-insert the USB cable.

I talked with Dell and laptop guys were saying that I need to talk to the PDA guys and vis versa. After some discussions and trying different USB ports and Battery partially discharged. I was sent a new D port (the other one was 1 week old), but I still get the same problem.

So I thought I would e-mail them on their technical e-mail address and on their web site you have to choose the type of equipment the problem relates. So from the pull down list, I chose PDA. Anyway the reply I had back told me. I quote

'Thank you for contacting Dell E-support.

I would like to inform that we do not support PDAs. I request
you to kindly contact out voice support through the following
number.................'

Well marvellous! I suppose I will have to try again. Personally I think that the problem is related to the USB Hub in the D-Port.

Anybody else experience the same problems? One thing I need to try is a separate powered USB hub.

:rolling: :rolling:

NDC · 08-21-03, 08:05 AM

I got my Axim X5 400Mhz in April so I missed out on the free upgrade CD to PPC2003, so I'm a little miffed about that. Now I have found out that not only can I not get a free upgrade, I can't get the upgrade at all because Dell have no current plans to Release it to the Australian and Asian markets. Assuming that I can get a copy sent to me from England will it work with my device?.

One good thing is that my device I have found has at least got a PXA255 cpu in it.

humba · 08-21-03, 04:42 PM

NDC: the upgrade is not bound to countries.. everybody gets the exact same CD (of course assuming we're talking about an English OS release.. German or French ROMs are another story but even there, assuming that the installer doesn't balk, you should be able to upgrade.. the ROM is for the exact same hardware after all).

08-21-03, 04:45 PM

There is no reason to worry. They will get it out someday. I have no idea why its taking so long, but Dell should be out explaining themselves to us loyal users... I'd hate to think everyone would use this Avatar to feel better....

NDC · 08-22-03, 01:15 AM

Hi,

That's what I thought, just checking before taking the plung and try and get a copy shipped here from the uk.

chuckpo · 08-22-03, 09:36 AM

I am a happy owner of a 400MHZ Axim with PPC2002 operating system. That is what I bought and it works great. The Axim is my constant companion.

Having said that I want Dell to know that if my industry (printing) were to deliver a 95% OK printing job it would be rejected and we would be forced to reprint it at OUR EXPENSE.

Just because they are selling computer hardware and software I don't think they have any SPECIAL rights to deliver a defective product. THE VERY LEAST THEY COULD DO IS TO HONESTLY INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION!

If the answer is we don't know but the moment we do we will explain, would be acceptable but NOT SILENCE.

I will keep my Axim til it does not meet my needs but Dell has proven that loyalty to them is not warranted. I know how it would feel if I owned a NEW Axim that was defective and I would send mine back if I were you.

chuck

Slinger · 08-23-03, 08:39 AM

I ordered a Axim Advanced whilst I was on holiday in Spain on July 3rd. It arrived July 10th, but when checking the order status it always said something along the lines of "in the manufacturing process". I never even got a confirmation email to confirm my order.

Anyway, my Axim is one of the faulty A04 versions and its terrible. I cant even get Microsoft Reader to work whatsoever !
I have tried the patch numerous times, doesnt work for me.
I have also emailed Dell Support 5 TIMES about a hole which has appeared in the rubber covering the reset button (not caused by any heavy handedness on my part !). I have only ever had a reply from Dell asking to confirm my Service Tag number. Each time I have given them the correct number but they always say they cant find any trace of that number on their system, except for the last time I mailed it to them.
This was my last communication with Dell on the 31st JULY !!!!, Ive had diddly-squat from them since.

Now not only am I extremely unhappy that I have paid £270 for a faulty PDA, I am also completely unhappy and angered by their total lack of customer support !
I am now 13 days outside of my 30 day "return policy" window (if it ever did apply to us people in the UK ?).

I will NEVER buy anything from Dell again after this experience of them (my first and last). In my 20 years of computing I have never known of such a totally inept company as Dell !

IF ANY representitive from Dell happens to read this I would appreciate some form of communication from your company regarding this matter. If I dont, I WILL be seeking compensation through the UK Legal system. You can stick your 30 day return policy where the sun dont shine as far as I am concerned. I have been sold faulty goods and as such, in the UK, I am covered under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Service Act 1982. I have shown a great deal of patience over this matter but now I have had enough.

I await a reply !

Service Tag Number - C5Q7H21
Email address - slinger247@hotmail.com