On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 17:03:14 -0000, Tx2
wrote:

snip

Sourcing and installing still apply with the Dell (let alone how long
you take checking and double checking the specs before you hit "BUY")

Of course, you haven't factored in the time you'd spend on the phone to
Dell trying to convince them an engineer is needed when it goes wrong,
with them arguing the toss, etc etc etc.

Of course it depends too on the service level you have purchased and
the system. i.e. I would tend to go for Dell and the like for servers
where you can just phone up and say "I want an engineer over here in 4
hrs", swap the unit out if necessary and install a system backup
rather than spending a day with the server down.

For a small business where the IT person is the secretary who knows
how to swap tapes over and thats about it, this sort of service level
is a reasonable compromise over having a company on retainer for call
out support.

As you say though getting an engineer out can sometimes be
problematic. I've been finding their call center problematic at times.
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