Review of Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop with Intel Core i7

Stay away from this Dell product. Don’t buy any Dell extended warranties - worst customer service experience I had in 30 years of computing!
 

Summary:

The hard drive on my five-month old Dell Inspiron 15 R laptop crashed. Dell returned it to me with the wrong operating system, corrupt drivers, and less than half the original applications - missing both Dell and Microsoft royalty software. Instead of Dell taking it back and fixing it on their time, since August 29^th, I spent almost a week’s worth of my time on the phone while Dell staff tried to reinstall and/or repair software and drivers.  Tragically, as of 10/29/12, I still do not have back ALL the functionality I paid for.

Detail:

I spent several months looking for the right hardware/software combination to meet my personal and home-business needs. In March 2012, Costco offered the perfect match in the Dell Inspiron 15R with Windows 7 Professional, Intel Core i7, and Microsoft Office 2010. Although it cost almost $1,000 USD, everything I needed was pre-installed.

The Inspiron 15R worked perfectly until mid-August when the hard drive began to fail. Although it was an inconvenience, I wasn’t worried because the laptop was well within both the Costco and Dell warranty periods. Little did I know then that my Dell Support nightmare was just beginning.

Hurdle 1. The “replacement” hard drive had the wrong operating system! After debating with Dell’s Tier 2 technical support for 20 minutes, I finally got to a supervisor. He strong-armed me into staying on the phone while he installed Windows 7 remotely and applied multi-dozens of related software updates. Three hours later, I went to bed leaving him to finish it up himself.

 Hurdle 2. Before leaving for work the next morning, I tried to create a system recovery CD only to find Dell DataSafe Local Backup was missing.  It only took Dell’s Tier 2 technical support 20 minutes to install this remotely.

 Hurdle 3. As soon as I got home, I booted up the laptop to find the flash screen still suspiciously looked like Home Office. Indeed, it was. Madder than a wet hen, I called Dell’s Tier 2 technical support for the third time. It was ugly. The first tech hung up on me. I hung up on the second tech. The third tech listened to me re-explain my dilemma and after another 15-minute debate, he finally put me through to a supervisor. Again I was strong-armed into staying on the phone for hours while this guy redid what the other guy supposedly did the night before.

Hurdle 4. With Windows 7 Professional finally installed, I tried to do my normal computing only to find the keyboard acted like it had epilepsy. The left lower corner was loose too. I knew it had to be the Dell Depot staff because it was fine before.  A fourth call to Dell’s Tier 2 technical support revealed the Touchpad driver was corrupt. But, of course, he couldn’t tighten the loose keyboard remotely so I had to act the Tim the Toolman Taylor.

Hurdle 5 and counting. As time passes, I keep finding the software that was not re-installed at Dell Depot. Each time I call, Dell Technical Support's solution is to wipe out everything I have on there and start over.  To date, Dell "wiped out" my computer four times. Two weeks ago another tech wanted to wipe it out a fifth time but I refused.  

I argued with them each time to take the whole laptop back and make it right on their time but they would not. Their staff time might be cheap, but mine is not. I keep asking for some compensation for weeks of lost productivity and time I could have spent building my business, but no. They refused.

 

Until this experience I was pro Dell. Now, I will run away from Dell products as fast as I can.

Trunk or Treat Event

Hi everyone,

If you are looking for a good way to celebrate Halloween without the hassle of prowling the neighborhoods, Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church is holding a Trunk or Treat event.

All are welcome.
610 South Frederick Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

See flyer below:

US Presidential Race - Remember the Alamo

I hate politics with a passion. Yet, there are times when one has to speak out. I look at candidates based on what they say and. more importantly, what they did. After all, any idiot can make a promise of what he might do in the future. And, as sung in the musical Annie, tomorrow is only a day away. But, what happens when tomorrow becomes today?

To answer Mr. Willard Mitt Romney’s attack ads: Yes, I am better off than I was four years ago.

I had a high-paying, satisfying career job - until President, George H. W. Bush, ran the economy into the ground. As someone who suffered without a job for over a year-and-a-half, I recall well that it took about six years for Bill Clinton to get the country back in working order.

Remember the Alamo: President Clinton left office with the economy in a huge surplus!

Then George W. Bush took office and created an even worst economic disaster than his father!

When Barack Obama won, I knew it would take longer than six years to fix the economy George HW tanked but I was glad to wait.

I have a job now but it is hardly the career of my dreams. It is unarguably clear that the Bush and Republican backed policies of the past 20 years, created these severe economic conditions we continue to suffer from. Their business and public policy decisions sent my job outside the US. The reason Obama couldn’t keep his promise of three-year turnaround is because the Republicans, individually and as corporate entities, created that big a mess!

If the Republicans are so great at taking care of the rest of us or giving to the poor, why do they still have all the big bucks while the rest of us are living paycheck to paycheck?

There is an attack on the middle class. How do I know? Because several of my friends are Republicans. They give some money to charity but they are on record as saying they do not want to share their wealth! Quite frankly, I don’t know any poor Republicans. While Republicans can be nice people, they have no clue what it’s really like to be poor or at a disadvantage. I was just listening to the song “What It's Like” by Everlast – the explicit version. Carefully check out the lyrics some time. But the refrain says it all, if Romney ever experienced poverty and lost hope “Then (he) really might know what it's like”! So, I ask Mr. Romney, is eating on a daily basis really your idea of “entitlement" for 47% of US Citizens?

Remember the Alamo: Don't put the group back in office who continue to create the mess we can't escape!

Regarding local issues:
No, Mr. O’Malley, a new Maryland casino isn’t going to give me back the job of my dreams. As we get closer to Vote day, the pro casino ads are finally detailing what they consider “great” jobs: waitressing and construction. Well, have you ever asked a construction worker what happens to him when “the” job is done? Yup, he goes on unemployment. And, I have arthritis in my hands and feet as well as a bad back so there is no way I can stand on my feet 8-12 hour shifts to carry food trays to hungry customers most likely grumpy as all get go because they lost money.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the wealthy stay wealthy by getting the rest of us penned up  with go-nowhere jobs, like casinos, and business policies that always give them the upper hand and tax breaks we won’t get. Keeping us poorly educated while their children go to prep and ivy-league schools is also a long-used tactic. But, that’s several paragraphs for another day.

 

How should you vote?

US President:

“For” the  DEMOCRATIC PARTY:

   Barack Obama, President

   Joe Biden, Vice President

“Against” Maryland Question 7:

    "the Additional Forms and Expansion of Commercial Gaming"

Maryland Question 7: Why I Vote "No" to More Casinos.

There have been 100s of ads and newspaper articles about Maryland's Question 7 to approve another casino. Every major area newspaper says adding another casino will be bad for Maryland.

The casinos are spending millions ($24M per one article) on ads that could better be used to feed the homeless, the hungry, and the unemployed.

The Maryland-casino supporters want you to think that casinos are great because "some" money "might" go to Maryland education. They want you to think these will be "good" jobs. They want you to think it's a "fight" between West Virginia and Maryland.

All these proposals are crap, plain and simple.

Even after 20 years living here, I still find it hard to believe folks just do NOT know right from wrong. Gambling was, isn't, and never will be a good thing. Gambling is not a form of entertainment. While there are a few people who play for fun, most gamblers have addictive-leaning personalities, if not an actual addiction.

At my nail salon a month ago, one manicurist mentioned her mom only plays cards for nickels and dimes. I asked her how much a day does her mom lose and the manicurist said $5. While that doesn't sound like a lot, $5 a day is $150 a month. When I pointed that out, everyone in the shop was shocked.

Let's talk about what kind of jobs casinos offer. These days, employers get away with too much just by shouting "jobs" in a way similar to shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater. Watch which jobs you run to. You may be heading into the flames, not away from them. Casino ads say the average salary is $55,000. If you have 2000 employees, the CEO can make hundreds of thousands of dollars while the rest of the casino workers make only $20,000. Did you read the fine print? It notes that this salary includes benefits (i.e., no moeny directly in your pocket) and tips! How much in tips do you get from losers/ Remember, casinos are a business and they can't stay in business if players win too much or too often.

It is also true that the casino doesn't have to hire Marylanders. (They will have to bring people in from other places to at least train the locals.)

We are finally getting details on these 12,000 jobs: hotel staff, restaurant employees, some accountants and engineers. Do you like cleaning toilets? How about busing tables? What about being a bouncer? That's what the bulk of the casino jobs are. I am not an accountant or engineer so those few positions won't work for my masters degree in research.

And, have you ever provided customer support? How well do you deal with people who are drunk, people who yell because they are losing, or people who lost all of their money and have no way to get home? What if somone asks you to help them cheat? This is what it's really like to work at a casino per friends of mine who lived outside Los Vegas for decades.

The goal to provide for education from something I consider immoral is like covering candy with yogurt - some of it is good for you but most of it isn't. Today's Washington Examiner has an article about how DC agencies fail to follow Watchdog’s advice. There is no guarantee that the money will be spent the way you intended. If you want money to go to a specific place, then send it there yourself.

And since when are we at "war" with West Virginia? Aren't casinos already catering to your dark side if they want to get you to engage in an imaginary fight?

How should you vote?

"Against the Additional Forms and Expansion of Commercial Gaming"

See more: http://washingtonexaminer.com/letters-to-the-editor-sept.-28-2012/article/2509233
See more: http://improvemaryland.blogspot.com/2012/09/why-ill-vote-no-for-maryland-question-7.html

 

Updated 10/07/2012