Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!malgudi!caen!umich!vela!m.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!decwrl!uunet!pmafire!dave
From: dave@pmafire.inel.gov (Dave Remien)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: Buying UNIX for a clone
Summary: Dell distinguishes hardware versus software problems
Keywords: Dell, hardware, software, V.4
Message-ID: <1991Apr29.193616.3624@pmafire.inel.gov>
Date: 29 Apr 91 19:36:16 GMT
References: <1991Apr28.025344.27664@virtech.uucp> <1991Apr28.125712.1870@nstar.rn.com> <1991Apr28.235013.8239@virtech.uucp>
Distribution: wo
Organization: WINCO
Lines: 40

In article <1991Apr28.235013.8239@virtech.uucp> cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill) writes:

>Try calling them with a problem, even within the first 30 days.  Like
>AT&T, the first question will be "what is the serial number of the Dell 
>computer that is having the problem?"

I've simply told them that I'm running on hardware other than their own,
and Dell has responded quite well to most of the problems I've
encountered. if the issue finally comes down to a particular piece
of hardware (that they don't support), then they waffle, but that's 
understandable. 

I'm running a '486-25 OPTI chipset MB, 16MB RAM, Adaptec 1540 + Maxtor
8760S + Seagate 41200N + Archive SCSI, Dell GPX + VGA daughterboard, and
WD8013. My biggest headaches to date have been the power supply (the
motherboard I've got is pretty sensitive), the fact that Dell V.4 showed
up on 3.5" disks, and brain fade from too many versions of UNIX 8-).

I did talk to Dell before going with this configuration; they told me
pretty much what was and was not supported; that's why I'm running with
what I have.

>
>I'm not bashing Dell.  It sounds like a good product and the decision 
>to only support thier own hardware is a basic business decision. If I
>was in their shoes I would probably have made the same decision.

Wwweeellll, if you talk to them, they do support more than just their
stuff; you just have to find out what they do support. It's certainly a
smaller collection of hardware than say Interactive, but some of the
hardware aftermarket folks (Equinox for one) support Dell V.4 anyway.

The product itself is good to very good; much more complete and better
(more robust) than the early versions of other V386 UNIXen I've used
(Microport, Bell Tech, ESIX, Interactive, SCO....).  I expect it to
improve with age.

-- 
Dave Remien +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ WINCO Computer Engineering Group 
  dave@pmafire.inel.gov or rzd@inel.gov      "Dave Barry for President"