Dell, Inc.

Dell, Inc. {{nasdaq|DELL}}, a company based in Round Rock, Texas, manufactures and markets computer-hardware (mostly Intel/Microsoft Windows-based workstations and portables). The marketplace perhaps associates Dell Computer most with the personal computers it designs, manufactures and sells for home and office use, but Dell also operates in the enterprise computing market with servers, data storage devices, network switches and computer cluster lines. Personal digital assistants (PDAs), software and peripherals (including printers) round out Dell's product offerings.

Criticism

Dell Inc. has sometimes received criticism for the large amount of software included on its systems: some users regard a great deal of it as spyware. Some customers accuse the company of making computers with cheap and unreliable parts.

Related Topics:
Software - Spyware

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Consumer groups have also criticized Dell Inc. for treating consumers unfairly. For example, they have accused its customer service of helping businesses faster than individual customers. Customer service critics target Dell Inc.'s outsourcing practices, specifically involving India, claiming they contribute to communication problems between the company and its customers. Dell Inc. has also had numerous criticisms from the Internet community for not offering AMD-based systems, having faulty hardware (most common complaints relate to hard-drive failures, with repeated occurrences even after sending the computer/hard drive in for repair), failing to facilitate upgrading hardware (almost all non-Dell-certified/branded hardware), and the generic monopoly complaints from the Internet/Build Your Own communities. Dell also uses proprietary parts, resulting in certain components like the power-supply and motherboard not fitting or not working at all, and sometimes frying the system if users install different, non-proprietary parts. Dell quality can also suffer due to those (sometimes inferior) parts, as well as due to assembly-line deficiencies. Workers have less than 5 seconds generally to insert a PCI card in its slot, and to screw it in.

Related Topics:
Consumer group - Customer service - Business - Outsourcing - India - Internet - AMD - Hard-drive - Computer - Monopoly - Build Your Own - Proprietary - Motherboard - Quality - Assembly-line - PCI

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In 2005, two class-action lawsuits accused Dell of marketing with bait-and-switch tactics and of conspiring with its financial unit to offer zero percent financing, only to revoke the offer after the return period had expired.

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