Dell Saying No To Custom Computers
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Over at dell they are shifting their focus from custom configured systems to stock systems with little if any choice in the configurations. Dell who had previously been noted for the flexibility they offered when ordering a new PC, is now changing its focus and is choosing a business model that mimics HP and others in the industry. The change can be best described as WYSIWYG. [What you see is what you get.]
Over at the Hosuton Chronicle they quoted Dell sources as saying:
Dell, the personal-computer maker that pioneered selling custom-made machines directly to clients, is moving away from its build-to-order model to reduce costs.
Dell is limiting the degree to which buyers can dictate specifications, while expanding its line of pre-packaged models, operations chief Mike Cannon said today. Dell will also outsource more PC manufacturing to partners, he said.
The company is working to revive earnings and win back customers after trailing Hewlett-Packard Co. in the PC market for six straight quarters. To fuel sales, Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell last year abandoned a strategy of only selling to customers directly and put the company’s computers in more than 10,000 retail outlets.
I think this is going to also help those of us who repair computers as well. In the past it was sometimes difficult, even using the service tag, to figure out the correct configuration on some Dell models that had been modified. I can also see the benefit to the Dell site when ordering a system. Currently there are to many choices IMHO.
What do you think? Will this help Dell or not?
Comments welcome.
Full details here.
[tags]dell, computers, standard, configuration, limited, company, retail, outlets, help, hinder, [/tags]
9 Comments
dabrace1984
April 3rd, 2008
at 10:20am
Ron,
I agree with you 100% with Dell service tags. When I go to Dell’s support website http://support.dell.com) and type in a Service Tag, the downloads that are available should be identical to the hardware and other components that originally came with my computer when it was ordered. But when you have to reinstall the wireless network drivers after reformatting, you have to figure out if the computer I originally purchased X years ago was actually Dell or Intel. That is ridiculous. Have you ever tried reading the original system configuration that can be viewed in the warranty section of the Dell Support? Equally as bad in my opinion because nothing makes sense to the Average Joe. I believe that Dell has the best customer support and the best overall computing experience for PC OEM, Apple has them beat in the overall department in my opinion but that is probably because I just forked over $2,300 for a new MacBook Pro at the beginning of March.
–Doug
Ron Schenone
April 3rd, 2008
at 12:22pm
Hi Doug,
All the best with the MacBook Pro.
Blahshead
April 3rd, 2008
at 2:34pm
Well, all I know is that I have a dell, I bought it a few years ago, I configured it the way it, and I like it just fine. I don’t think that dell should do this. There has to be at least ONE company that allows full customizability, and now that Dell doesn’t do that anymore, who will?
Computer Consultants Secrets Blog
April 3rd, 2008
at 6:02pm
While this move certainly seems like it would help computer repair businesses, it isn’t quite helping Dell users. I think that recently a lot of computer makers have decided that their partner programs and other services for solution providers, etc. needed a major overhaul. We’ve seen Microsoft and other major players try to make their partner programs friendlier towards the growing small business market, and I think Dell has been trying to follow suit (first by changing its business model, then by designing a very eagerly awaited partner program). However, I think if Dell focuses too much on ease for computer repair businesses and simplicity, it will lose some of its loyal customer who chose Dell initially because of its unique ability to design custom systems and excel at personal customer service. I think it will be interesting to see how Dell tweaks its model as it continues to develop.
BlackWolf
April 4th, 2008
at 2:03am
Personally, I prefer to order my systems with the exact configuration I want, not what some guy at the computer store (whether online or brick-and-mortar) thinks I would like. I want to be able to configure the computer with the processor, graphics, memory, networking, hard drive, and screen I want - especially in laptops. For Desktops, I just build from scratch anyway.
Dell switching to a WYSIWYG format for selling computers will NOT make me want to go back to them. I have switched brands several times over the past few decades, for a variety of reasons and currently, I won’t buy from Dell, HP, Gateway, Toshiba, Sony, or IBM. Not much left if you ask me.
Well, there’s ASUS, where you can order all the parts for a laptop and build it from the ground up. I guess I’ll have to start looking at that.
Just my two cents.
BlackWolf
Ron Schenone
April 4th, 2008
at 7:44am
Hi BlackWolf,
Thanks for the comments. I think Asus will be a good option.
Regards, Ron
Jmlieder
April 4th, 2008
at 8:00am
Here is another customer that won’t be too happy. I have ordered a number of Dells in the past for my offices because I could have some latitude in configuring what I wanted and not just buying what is easier for someone else. Lets see, are the computer repair shops the customers that pay Dell’s bills, or the customers that buy their systems? It’s like me settling for no options in the next car I want to buy so it’s easier for the mechanic to work on it. I don’t care. Maybe, if they make them generic enough that repair is a matter is replacing the same part in all systems, we won’t need repair tech’s, just order the part and plug it in.
Ron Schenone
April 4th, 2008
at 12:44pm
Hello Jmlieder,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. I can see a large number of folks who are not going to like this. Who knows. Dell still has the option to change their minds.
Regards, Ron
Delf
April 6th, 2008
at 5:23pm
Currently, Dell has too many options on how to configure a PC. I helped my brother configure a PC, and he was seriously confused between the different between 3 Gigs of a 667 MHZ memory, and 3 Gigs of 800 MHZ Memory. The Price difference between the two? About $15. Why offer slower memory speeds? Just offer the 800 MHZ memory, and make the buying experience for non-technical people easier. I’m in favor of them trimming down the options.