# HP vs Dell



## trezmac

I recently have been searching for a budget notebook pc. I started by going to gateway, dell and some other places. I decided on the dell inspiron 1100. I was all set on ordering it and was hype about getting it until i found a HP Pavilion ze4610us for $750 after mail in rebate. I think I got a good deal. It has a 1.87gHZ athlon, 64MB Radeon Mobility card, 256 RAM, a DVD/CD-RW drive, and 15 inch screen. Dell would have givin me a pc with the same specs (except I wouldn't be able to play games and Dell has a smaller screen) for $836.00. I think I got a better deal on a better system. What do ya'll think about my new computer. Be honest please!!


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## Rick G

I would prefer HP over Dell just because I have no love lost on Dell products.  The only thing is to check cpu's on both.  You say you have an AMD cpu 1.8ghz or do you mean an AMD 1800, big difference.


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## ian

> The only thing is to check cpu's on both. You say you have an AMD cpu 1.8ghz or do you mean an AMD 1800, big difference.


what is the difference?


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## Rick G

ALL AMD processors have a designation like 1800, 2500 etc.
None of them run at the designation speed but always lower than designation. Note that I am using the word designation not rating or speed! This has always confused people as they think the designation means the speed of the processor. Think of it this way, a camero is called a Z28 bit has a 350 engine, it's just a designation or name. Look et the AMD site or places like Toms Hardware for real time speed.
You don't get something for nuthin so compare all specs and decide then.


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## zkiller

the designation, as you call it, is actually the speed of a (for instance) intel processor that the AMD processor is comparable to. AMD processors achive higher benchmark results at lower speeds. a AMD Athlon XP 2000+ will put down simular numbers as a 2.0 Ghz intel processor. does that make sense to everyone?


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## Rick G

Thanks for adding that Z, I forgot to mention that little tidbit.


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## zkiller

hey, as an avid AMD fan i figured it was valuable information for the world to know!


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## trezmac

The processor is the 2500.


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## Rick G

Keep in mind that 2500 is a sub $100 processor. Not going to get much speed for that price.  But all depends on what you want it to do. Definatly not for gaming.


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## zkiller

trezmac said:
			
		

> The processor is the 2500.


a 2500 what?


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## Aleksey

Dell are only good computers if you wants something equivalent to P2, because at their advertising price they sell stuff that can't really do too good. For example, they give 128 MB shared RAM - not very good. Shouldyou try to do any modification - just to raise it to 256, the price jumps to twice as much. 

 HP on the other hand are very consistent. This summer I got a HP Notebook with 512 RAM 2.66 P4, 60GB HDD, and a 64MB vcard, for $1700. When I tried getting something similar on dell it ended up being over $2100. 
 I know many people hate HP's and Compaq's, but I think all they need is just a little customization, and they'll work fine, particularly Compaq's. They work best with AMD's 1800+ and 512RAM at least.


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## zkiller

i disagree on what you say about dell. dell is a company where you get what you pay for, literally!

HP makes descent notebooks and the desktops are "ok" for a first tier company. however, in my honest opinion they aren't of very high quality (the desktops, that is). 

compaq lukily was aquired (or did they merge) by HP and since has raised the bar to where HP stands. older compaq desktops were horrible and nearly impossible to work on. i haven't actually had the chance to a compaq notebook, so i really can't comment on that part of there product line.


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## Rick G

Hey you forgot that wonderfull Dell support that comes straight from India


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## zkiller

Rick G said:
			
		

> Hey you forgot that wonderfull Dell support that comes straight from India


so? india has some of the most highly qualified IT professionals in the world!  seriously...


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## Lord Kalthorn

Lol!   Yeah - India is pretty well off for Computer specialists.

I'd have to go for Dell - HP make nice Printers and Ok Scanners; but they should have stopped there!


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## Willson13

*Bottom Line*

Okay, I want a bottom line opinion on this. Which computer company would you suggest buying from? HP, Dell, Gateway, Mac?


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## cptnwinky

An XP2500 will work great for gaming. The only problem you might run into is games that require the extra instructions written into Pentium 3/4's.


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## vladimirbot

neither. toshiba, fujitsu and sony r the best!


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## littlenicky

...its an athalon 2500+ im guessing


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## littlenicky

i say dell and hp suck... get some machine made a by a selling company ... ure local computer stores sometimes have good prices


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## Fure6

I would pick Dell any day out of HP. HP doesn't have any dependebilty over dell at all. Dell has sweet customer support also.


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## zkiller

vladimirbot said:
			
		

> neither. toshiba, fujitsu and sony r the best!


toshiba: from what i have read and seen, they have a good quality, but can't keep up performance wise with systems of other manufacturers with equal specs.

fujitsu: my first and last experience with them is a HDD that died fairly quickly. 

sony: loaded with features witch the average user will never need. does alright performance wise, but nowhere near the fastes. their laptops have a history of breaking. personally, i like the funky little sony laptops and desktops, however they are highly overpriced and overrated. you can get better systems for less money that will do the same thing or better.

honestly, if you really want a "great" system, you either will end up paying a good bit of money on a system from alienware, or another one of the untouchables, or you just have to build your own. 

also, a general rull of thumb is not to buy from first tier company such as HP, Compaq, Micron and IBM. don't misunderstand me. IBM makes some really nice stuff, but i would never buy from them. reason, same thing as i said about sony.

someone mentioned gateway earlier in this thread. basically, their systems are kind of like a mail order HP system in my honest opinion. all of their systems i have seen and used, i have not been very impressed with. for the average internet user they would be fine though.

alright... that's all from me for now...


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## Watzzupp

dont u dare get a dell they are the sh*t*st pieces of cr*p i ve evr bought.

i got a dell dimension 4500 and its a 2.00ghz-they underclocked the processor and they lock the bios so u cant do anything 2 make it go faster.
so if u want 2 waste ure money , fine go ahead and buy it


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## Praetor

> and its a 2.00ghz-they underclocked the processor


What did they tell you it was?


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## Timbo

I personally think that Agearnotebooks.com is best.. they have the BEST customer service EVER..


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## 4W4K3

seriously....get an emachines laptop. http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachines_M6811
not too pricey and you get alot of performance with that machine. i think that one of the better deals right now.


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## Praetor

> they have the BEST customer service EVER..


Perhaps but when i buy an OEM system i try to avoid customer service


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## Timbo




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## Praetor

1. Dont need customer service (if i need customer service, odds are the thing is so messed up its better of replacing it)... that's just me tho

2. Good products sell themselves based on their own merit. (i.e., if a product's main feature is tech support .... that's suspicious enough for me) 

3. I'm rambling on. Ignore me.


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## Timbo

Product was good aswell. I was just saying that their customer service really sticks out. They call you and when it is being shipped etc.. and like my credit card billing address is different then my home address they called billing address, then called home make sure it wasn't fraud.. etc..


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## Praetor

> Product was good aswell. I was just saying that their customer service really sticks out.


LOL ok... i just had the impression that the product's main sellling point was the customer service


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## Timbo

Ah yeah.. Kinda like how Kia * i think * advertises that they have the best warranty, and thats about it... I always laugh when I see those commercials..


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## RewtKidd

well personally i like dell over hp but i wouldn't buy a factory made pos... usually you end up better off reading a little and putting your own box together.


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## Praetor

> ALL AMD processors have a designation like 1800, 2500 etc.


Not "ALL" AMD processors  Just the AthlonXPs (and beyond)



> well personally I like dell over hp but I wouldn't buy a factory made pos... usually you end up better off reading a little and putting your own box together.


Yes but its not so feasible for mobiles yet (unfortunately)


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## Fure6

I'm having troubles with one of my friends HP computers actually. he wants me to fix it, but i need to take out the hard drive (long story) but i can't access the screws on the other side of the hard drive!! so i'm working on it right now and i can't get it. maybe i'll have to drill a hole.


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## zkiller

Praetor said:
			
		

> Not "ALL" AMD processors  Just the AthlonXPs (and beyond)


actually, AMD rated their K6 processors the same way. don't really remember how the ones before the K6 series were rated though. however, i do recall that cyrix did the same thing way back in the day.


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## SFR

Rick G said:
			
		

> Hey you forgot that wonderfull Dell support that comes straight from India


 

I have been buying dell computers for more than a few years.

I have bought 2 myself and my father is currently on his third.





I have needed technical support more than once on hardware and software issues(most recently I was having a problem with my media center)



I spent about 55 minutes the first time and an Indian lady was unable to help me. I was given the number of a media center technician from (I think) Australia and he was able to wrap up the issue within 45 minutes.



Lets be honest, in todays world, one and a half hours is NOT a long time for customer service.

I have nothing bad to say about Dell. You get a reliable machine with customers service - while you might not like the accent of the voice on the other end, the customer service - is still every good.





An acquaintance of mine who (way past his warranty) upgraded the bios on his notebook and fried the damn thing.



He sent the notebook in on a Thursday, they got the notebook on Friday, fixed it, and he got it back on Monday FREE of charge. (He might have had to pay shipping on the way to HP)





I personally have no qualms about either company. I love HP's servers and laser jets and Dell's workstations..

...yeah so I guess I just wasted my time with this post...



... hmmm I guess I should just press the Submit Reply button.


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## 4W4K3

5 mins. of customer support is too long in my opinion. i hate talking on the phone, especially to people i can't understand or who always leave me hanging while they go ask somone else for the answer. online forums are MUCH more helpful for me, or jsut searching Google or some other search engine. If my mom has a problem with her compaq, i am her customer support (along with forums and google).


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## SFR

well that is how I ended up finding out about this forum originally...



but there are times when technical support is a must (I.E. I had a problem with a motherboard a few years back and it was still under warranty and I needed to get it replaced.... while Praetor is amazing.... Praetor cant send me a new MOBO.)  I spent about an hour on the phone and everything was taken care of.


I guess the problem is.. our generation has no PATIENCE.


I am a poker player and there is what we call the THREE P's  Power, position and PATIENCE.  In my opinion the way to get what you want out of a situation usually revolves around PATIENCE.  Acting too quickly etc...


With a little patience I am usually able to solve almost any problem I face.


With reguard to customer service... a little patience never hurt.... hopefully all of us will live 80+ years...  Out of over 42 million minutes ... is 60 really that important?  ... ... ... ....


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## 4W4K3

I do all RMA/Returns/Refunds online or in person (depending on where i bought it from) The phone never works for me. If the place i am considering purchasing from has no website, and is too far away for me to drive i do not buy from them (a store without a website is usually trash unless it is local anyways) Lots of small computer shops have no websites, but again they are usuaally local.

Patience isn't my problem, it's the fact that when i hang up the phone i am usually back where i started. Half the time they tell me that what "i" did to the hardware has voided the warranty (dropping my heatsink on mobo and wanting RMA) and they say they cant help. so i ended up fixing the mobo myself, and it works now.

Not all customer service is bad (OCZ has helped me 2X now, very fast, and very nice...but online). But i have had bad experience with DELL (Dell Axim X5 too over 3 months to get to my house after purchase), and over the phone they told me there was nothing they could do to speed up deliveries. I never bought a DELL product after that...ended up selling Axim to my mom for $300 so i could get a guitar lmao.


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## Praetor

> actually, AMD rated their K6 processors the same way. don't really remember how the ones before the K6 series were rated though. however, I do recall that cyrix did the same thing way back in the day


What i meant was that the PR and the Clock Speed were on par with each other. It was only until the AthlonXP line that AMD introduced this "+" notation (a bad choice because it presents the company mindset as "trying to equivicate themselves with Intel"). Consider the "Athlon K75 750" for instance, with a model number of 750 and a clock speed of 750MHz, everybody was happy. It was only until the AthlonXP 1500+ (which ran at 1.33GHz) that the confusion began



> I guess the problem is.. our generation has no PATIENCE
> I am a poker player and there is what we call the THREE P's Power, position and PATIENCE. In my opinion the way to get what you want out of a situation usually revolves around PATIENCE. Acting too quickly etc...


Yes but one could just as easily interpret the "lack of patience" as a manifestation of stupidity. Take for instance schooling ... what's with the use of calculators? Hell at a university level (Calc3) we dont even use calculators (arent allowed to but really you dont need them) .. this dependence on machines because peeps brains dont work fast enough manifests to "impatience" ... just a thought 



> With a little patience I am usually able to solve almost any problem I face.


Heehee yep. But again, (oh god today must be philisophy day), the ability to make "best decisions hastily" (or "under duress") can be taken to be a good thing


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## robina_80

all im going to say is DELL there so reliable saying that so are hps but dells are soooo nice take the XPS systems there really fast i mean really fast and there so nice to look at plus there really cheap


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## zkiller

actually, many of the older k6 processors did have the + notation if i remember right. but then again, i guess it really doesn't matter in this day and age. lol


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## SFR

robina_80 said:
			
		

> all im going to say is DELL there so reliable saying that so are hps but dells are soooo nice take the XPS systems there really fast i mean really fast and there so nice to look at plus there really cheap


 
Okay.. they do look nice..


but really cheap?  I know EVERYONE is MADE of money...

but after customizing it a little, it came out to $3,253 (US currency)... that doesnt seem "really cheap" to me.


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## zkiller

SFR said:
			
		

> Okay.. they do look nice..
> 
> 
> but really cheap?  I know EVERYONE is MADE of money...
> 
> but after customizing it a little, it came out to $3,253 (US currency)... that doesnt seem "really cheap" to me.


lol... i can build something better or equivalent for less than half the cost and it can look anyway you please!   

i don't want to put either one of these companies down, but they aren't all they are made out to be.


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## SFR

zkiller said:
			
		

> lol... i can build something better or equivalent for less than half the cost and it can look anyway you please!





			
				zkiller said:
			
		

> i don't want to put either one of these companies down, but they aren't all they are made out to be.








very true. The problem is many people do not have the time, skills or resources to build, troubleshoot and maintain a custom built machine. Technical service for computers is an entire industry all on its own... that is why companies like DELL and HP are thriving.



I have added a few parts to each of my computers.. but by and large I have no desire (time= money and all my time is spent making money) at this point to build a custom computer. At some point I will, but not now.



And for many other people the extra cost of a Dell or HP outweighs the potential complications you face with building a custom computer.





I agree a Dell and HP costs more but.. convenience costs extra.. and many people are willing to pay for it.


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## zkiller

it may seem like a convenience at the time, but the time you spend on the phone with tech support, could have been better spend building a proper system which wouldn't need tech support in most case, and if it did, each part come with a guarantee and in most cases a 1-800 number to the manufacturers support or customer service hotline.


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## SFR

I would agree.



I recently was asked by my boss to recommend a DELL or HP to her.  (for under $800)  There is no way I am going to build her a computer and risk being called up at all hours of the night with problems.  I found a Dell for $945 and she will be mighty happy with that machine.





I still have some bug in my brain that equates custom computers with REAL gamers and REAL audio/video NERDS.



I dont see ANY reason for an everyday home user to spend a lot of money on a computer.



Most people surf the net a little... watch a DVD or two.. play a few games and would never notice an increase in CPU speed.. or a little bit better video or sound card.. and on the sound thing: I will take my harman/kardon dvd player and receiver and my Infinity Primus speakers over ANY soundcard and computer speaker set.



Okay, to sum up my ranting and rambling:



Custom PC = computer user who will actually utilize and maximize the hardware put into the computer



DELL OR HP = everyday user who does not have the time or experience to be tinkering around with the innards of a computer.


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## zkiller

of course, a good home theater system is always much better than watching a movie on your pc. well, maybe not better, but in most cases better sounding and more comfortable. however, back when i got my first dvd-rom, i did not own a dvd player. so i got a mpeg decoder card and hooked that up to my tv and then hooked up my sound card to both my pc 2.1 speakers and my home stereo (i would just turn off which ever one i did not need at the time). this was a very nice setup for its time as well. but as of right now, the only problem with a dvd player is that it does not play many of the formats many of my movies are in. so, i watch a good amount of movies on my computer.


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## SFR

zkiller said:
			
		

> of course, a good home theater system is always much better than watching a movie on your pc. well, maybe not better, but in most cases better sounding and more comfortable. however, back when i got my first dvd-rom, i did not own a dvd player. so i got a mpeg decoder card and hooked that up to my tv and then hooked up my sound card to both my pc 2.1 speakers and my home stereo (i would just turn off which ever one i did not need at the time). this was a very nice setup for its time as well. but as of right now, the only problem with a dvd player is that it does not play many of the formats many of my movies are in. so, i watch a good amount of movies on my computer.


...thats why I spent $39 extra and bought XP MCE 2005 with my new comp... so far I have zero complaints.


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## zkiller

SFR said:
			
		

> ...thats why I spent $39 extra and bought XP MCE 2005 with my new comp... so far I have zero complaints.


huh? you lost me there...


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## SFR

zkiller said:
			
		

> huh? you lost me there...


 
my bad



I have the new Microsoft XP Media Center Edition 2005 OS..



I am not one to boast about a Microsoft Product but..


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/experiencemore/default.mspx


I like it!


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## zkiller

i guess you could say i built my own media center. i can play pretty much any format of audio and video in both winamp and media player, including real media files and quiktime.


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## ZER0X

Well to me i'd get a Compaq because they have been around for ages, nothings gone Extremely wrong with the one I've got, u just have to look after it and it will last and run like a charm  Compaq is part of HP

I've never had a Dell so I can't compare the two, but if I would to buy one it'd be HP


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## SFR

yeah I have two HP Compaq dc5000 MT and three Dell's.


All of them get the job done.. in their own unique way... (lol yes, I did refer to each computer as if it were a human.)


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## zkiller

compaq has gotten much better since they merged with hp. the quality of older model compaq's was quite horrible. personally, i have never and probably will never purchase a computer from a 1st tier company, but in a coporate enviernment, that might be another story.


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## zkiller

SFR said:
			
		

> yeah I have two HP Compaq dc5000 MT and three Dell's.
> 
> 
> All of them get the job done.. in their own unique way... (lol yes, I did refer to each computer as if it were a human.)


i just noticed the quote in the very bottum of your sig, that's great!!!  i'll have to remember that.


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## SFR

OFF TOPIC sorry:





I dont want to offend anyone but heres another funny one:

Don't explain computers to laymen.  Simpler to explain sex to a virgin.  ~Robert A. Heinlein


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## zkiller

lol.... you're just full of great quotes, aren't you?


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## Bobo

zkiller said:
			
		

> compaq has gotten much better since they merged with hp. the quality of older model compaq's was quite horrible. personally, i have never and probably will never purchase a computer from a 1st tier company, but in a coporate enviernment, that might be another story.



AMEN!!!

Get a HP/Compaq, dell doesnt offer AMD procs


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## pang15itlog

To tell you the truth I hate all laptops right now, I feel like there is not one good company that you will be happy with. With HP and Dell I have friends in college with these and they have problems with them both. Customer support for both are not that fun either. But i think dell is the best of the 2.


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## Drenlin

Those top 3 also tend to provide faster systems for the price than either HP or Dell.


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## PohTayToez

Six year old thread...


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