Dude I got a Dell!

Finally there was consensus in my house to get a new PC when they had to call me too many times to fix the other one and worse.... they couldn't get me. So began the search for a new computer.

I started with the latest issue of Computer Shopper to ensure that I was on the up and up in the world of puters since its been a while since I stopped torturing myself with details of what I didn't have. As I read memories came rushing back. I was captivated..... but I had to focus because I had major exams looming.

I configured a few and looked at prices and showed my brother the specs. He looked at me in only the way brothers can and said "Get the right one!" So now I have carte blanche rights. Excellent!! I decide to keep it below $1500USD, but fancy enough to make me say 'wow' and of course leave room for expansion. Alienware was out of my league right off the bat, but it was fun configuring on their site. Distracted I configured a $25,000USD dual processor Mac G5. I looked at the Hurricane systems out here. Although nice they just didn't move me. I configured a lovely Gateway and the price was nice till I read the small print.... So it doesn't come with monitor..... "Uh huh.....Ok.... what's up...... shut-up!" That turned out to be the trend. So I went to Dell.

I configured everything I could and then reconfigured and then reconfigured. A week later the Dimension 9150 was being offered with P4 Dual core...... It's not AMD Fx but I'm with it. I configured and ... you get the pic. I finally settled on a simple system since this was not to be the dream machine but a replacement for the household machine. I could have built a better system piece by piece but I really didn't have the time.

So now I have configured and settled on my system and now I need to order. They want credit card payments... I have no credit card! I ask around to see if anyone is willing since I have the cash up front and G was willing. Brilliant!!! She called me I gave her the specs. She ordered. Her bank denies the transaction despite the fact that she asked them if she could exceed her limit (they said yes). So Dell suspends my order. I give her the money, she lodges it and we are good to go. But a spanish guy (Dell Latin America) calls and gives his name (a chinese name), but it is different from the rep they told me was dealing with my system. I have to verify this cause he wants the credit card info over the phone. Well..... that's not gonna happen, it ain't even mine!

I call them to verify who he is and apparently he is legit. But it is now the weekend and I have missed the boat. Monday I call and they give me his extension. He calls me before I get the chance. I give him the info over the phone despite my mis-givings. When I check on-line later my system is being built. Seems all is well. Later checks revealed that Americans prefer to give their info over the phone rather than on-line hence why he was so insistent.

Thanks Giving rolled around and threw off the shipping date by 4 days. The shipping itinerary says it got to Jamaica Dec 4th. Yet they called me the Friday afternoon (9th) to tell me that they just received it and I have to pay wharfage of $2600JD, plus bring copy of JDL signed by JP. I did that within the hour and went home happy that I'd receive my machine by Monday. Instead it was moved to Tuesday. On-line all the dates changed suddenly and it hadn't arrived till Friday morning (5 days later). This meant that they were still within their shipping time to deliver it late. BASTARDS!!!

One drama Tuesday. I have clinics and rounds all day, but I can slip out for an hour. I called to verify the time it would be delivered. They said noon. They then called me at 11am to say that they were at my door. So I got home at 12 and driver was gone. He was to return at 1:30pm. I had clinics. K decided to stay there to collect it. At 2pm he was not there and she had to leave. My brother showed up and it was delivered 2:45pm. I haven't even completed the customer satisfaction survey the way me vex.

So both machines set up side by side. I'm convinced that I am crazy, but that's life. I had accidentally bought a switch instead of a router and so I had to take it back and have it exchanged. They didn't mind. I realised why when I reached home. I got a refurbished router. Again such is life.

But now my network won't work. It is so-so net! The two XP machines see each other but not the W2K. It don't even faaawt pon dem neither. Stress!!! I can't configure the router on the machine set up for the DSL. I can configure it on the machines not setup for the DSL. I configure anyway and ...... nothing, zip nada.... NADA III even!

J2 says it may be their older antenae don't work with some wireless routers. They willing to change the antena and we try again because they see me on the newtork but just don't see any data transfer. I had wanted all to be working before this post, but once again, such is life.


Old machine (2001)

AMD 900Mhz (over-clockable to 1.2Ghz, although never done)
396MB DIMM @ 133MHZ
FSB 133MHZ
2 X 20GB 5400 Harddrives (western digital and maxtor)
Labtec keyboard (keys don't register all the strokes)
17" V7 Flat Panel
Win2K latest updates
64MB GeForce2 MX videocard
52x32x52 LG CDRW
52x Lite-On CD-R
Sound Blaster sound card
Altec lansing 4.1 speakers
Genius optical mouse
2 USB ports on back
56K modem and NIC
Scanner (dead)
HP DJ 840C (newer one died)
Ezonics web cam
Linksys 10/100 Etherfast 5 port hub
Pure software obtained over the years


Dell (Dimension 9150)

Pentium D 820 w/ Dual Core Tech 2.8Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB
Win XP Home (they wouldn't give me 2000)
512M DDR2 SDRAM 533Mhz (missed the double your memory deal)
320GB RAID 0 (2 x 160GB SATA HDDs)
19" flat panel (free upgrade from 17")
256MB PCI Express x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X600
16x DVD-ROM and 16x DVD-RW
Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy Advanced (against my better judgement)
Dell 2.0 speakers (free with it, who cares)
56K PCI modem
10/100 NIC integrated
Dell 13 in 1 media card reader
7 USB slots (then mouse and keyboard tek weh 2)
D-Link 802.11g/2.4GHz wireless Router
APC 750Mva UPS


The plan is to switch speakers, migrate settings and documents, move the other one upstairs, clean its house, drop in wireless receiver. I'll let you know how I fare. Next stop a Gateway laptop for $89,000JD with some nice specs, and an LCD projector.