I wanted to give my father a PC for Christmas, and so bought him a Dell.

That was about two months ago. And still, even as I write this... I am not even close to getting them to send someone over to help set the thing up.

If I wanted to play with parts, I would have paid MUCH less and built/installed a PC for him. This was supposed to be a hands off operation. Money in exchange for equipment, service and support.

Just so you know, my father is over 80 and this is his first computer. He calls and tells me the boxes are there and the people he calls on the numbers in on the papers are less than helpful and keep wanting strange codes he does not understand. This is not quite the service I wanted to buy him or get involved in.

Does anyone know the most efficient method to navigate DELL? I'd like to get an email from him before spring.

Try this link. and then click create account on the left hand side. (You'll need the Service Tag (aka Serial Number) to sign up. There are also links to Phone Numbers and to email addys..

I've always had great experiences with Dell. Unless you can build your own, I think it would be hard to do better than to purchase a Dell.

I am typing this on my new dell laptop.......LOVE IT and it was not pricey either...

Jeff

I think what might be wrong is the genral consensus that computers are easy and meant for everyone.

I really don't think this is the case, you cannot just jump into a computer without some understanding about it.

You can't get through a book without learning how to read, just as you can't use a computer without learning how to use one.

Sorry if I am coming off jaded, I really wish good luck to you and your grandfather getting the computer up and running. It is just that I really don't agree with the kind of people that buy a computer and have no idea how it works or the desire to learn go around complaining about computers and saying how they are suppose to be easy.



What part is he having trouble with? It should come pre-installed with an operating system, and other than that you just have to plug in the power, keyboard, mouse, speakers, moniter and it should start right up.

There should be color-coded instructions and cables for him to follow.

I have heard of similar experiences over here in NZ. As long as people don't have any problems, then they are fine, but the support when things do go wrong (as they will with computers!) has not been brilliant.

I hope they get it sorted out soon for you JonTown.

On a lighter note, I just fixed a computer for the grandparents of a friend of mine, and they are 93 and 91! They have a digital camera, a scanner, they surf the net...
I think its an incredible thing to grasp at their age!

I thought that when I helped my wife's grandmother whos' in her eighties. But thinking about it, can you imagine the changes they've faced in their lifetime? From the invention of cars to the introduction of television. Mains powered radios, vacuum cleaners, irons and fridges, rocket power, space exploration, we've come along way in their time. We're now so advanced we can watch a man sitting in a box for six weeks.

We have two Dell computers - an old Windows 98 'Optiplex' model I believe it's called which I use for maintaining our website. We also have this latest state of the art model which operates Windows XP. The latter has had continual problems with graphics cards. Other than this no complaints, however, a British TV Consumer Programme has criticised Dell rather severely over the past couple of weeks for service and support.

It's today, and about eight hours of phone time later, and still no install for my father. What a way to get a first computer. He says the boxes are sitting there taking up space in the living room. Which for a small NYC apartment is not a good thing. More news as it happens.