Re: Dell
I was an onsite tech for Dell (outsourced) up until a few months ago.
The horror stories are correct, at least in part. When things go wrong, they really go wrong. If you get foreign tech support be prepared for multiple holds, unnecessary diagnostics, miscommunication, and worse. I don't even want to get in to the amount of horror stories I've heard about Dell's "Indian tech support" from angry customers. Suffice it to say that almost every customer I visited had a negative experience with foreign phone support.
However, when things go right it can be a rather pleasurable experience. Assuming the customer's first contact with support goes well (i.e. doesn't piss them off), the problem is properly diagnosed, the part ships out and arrives on time, and the tech that receives the service call is able to schedule for NBD as the warranty "promises" (fine print states NBD service is based on the availability of technicians in your area, so not actually promised), it's doubtful one could have a better experience getting their PC repaired under warranty. Granted, that's a lot of things that need to go well...
Bottom line: if you buy a Dell do yourself a favor and buy an XPS or get the Gold support. If you do either of those things, you'll be speaking to someone in the U.S. more often than not, hold times are shorter, and the techs aren't reading from a script 99% of the time like their foreign counterparts. If you can't afford an XPS system or Gold support, be sure to file all support claims online. At least then you eliminate hold times and don't have to deal with thick accents.
Oh, and if you buy a laptop, get the accidental damage coverage. Chances are something's going to break on your laptop that wouldn't be covered by warranty otherwise. Either you'll spill a drink on it, rip the AC cord out and break the jack, drop it and break any number of components, or someone else will do it for you.
If I were going to buy a laptop, I don't think there's another company I'd buy one from, based on the standard NBD on-site warranty and available accidental damage coverage. Even though I've been a PC tech for many years and can fix any PC I come across, I would never buy a laptop without a decent warranty to back it up. Parts are just too expensive. Crack a screen or fry a motherboard and you may as well buy a new one.
