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Dell Rant

I have not been a fan of Dell as of late and here is why. I have access to a Dell printer(Dell 944 All-in-One printer/scanner/copier) that came in for cheap bundled with a Dell laptop. The printer is basically made by Lexmark, but sold though Dell with minor modifications and a Dell label. This presents two problems:

As a Linux user, I like printers for which Linux drivers exist, either through Dell or another party. The irritating thing about these Dell printers is that Dell only provides Windows drivers while Lexmark, the proxy maker of the printer, usually provides at least Windows and Mac drivers and often tries to provide kits for the development of Linux drivers. If one wanted to look for a Lexmark analog of a Dell printers, it is virtually impossible to do because that information does not seem to be readily available.


Another way Dell makes it difficult for all non-Dell users and products is in the cartridge business. The ink cartridge can only bought from Dell and no other vendor, which makes it impossible to shop around. This is Dell's way of cornering both the printer and ink cartridge business to itself, which, while perfectly legal, makes things very inconvenient for users like myself.


All in all, I am quite disappointed in Dell and will probably boycott [the purchase of] their products whenever possible.
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Comments

BT08 said…
I still despise Dell, but my affection for HP has also hit a new low because of the terrible design of the power jack of many Compaq and HP notebooks (including mine) and HP's negligence. That problem and its cheapest solution are chronicled in another post: http://btemelso.blogspot.com/2008/02/solving-power-jack-problem-with-certain.html
February 6, 2008 at 4:27 PM
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