Dell XPS M1310 - is this model really this unreliable?

Hi. Although I bought the XPS new over 2 years ago, it has given me nothing but trouble. First, within 10 months, the LCD illumination failed, rendering it useless. Next the Philips DVD/CD Writer it came with went from being unreliable to not working at all. Now it refuses to power up. The Dell boffin's prognosis was that the motherboard was faulty, so a Dell tech. duly arrived to fit a replacement - only to discover the part he was supplied with was also faulty! So I am currently awaiting a return visit...

Also, I was peeved to discover that Dell does not cover the rubber feet falling out, under warranty - the XPS has spent 90% of its time sitting on the same spot, so imo, the "wear-and-tear" argument is unjustiable, afterall it is just laying there! A point the Dell Rep. conceded, but they are still not covered...

But for going with gut-instinct after the LCD failed, and extending the warranty, this "high-end" Dell offering would now be of little use other than a poorly designed doorstop - probably how it will eventually end up if history is anything to go by.

A few choice adjectives spring to mind regarding Dell, but "reliable" isn't one of them...

 

I got my M1330 two months ago, and it is my fourth or fifth Dell laptop (Started with C600 in the year 2000) and so far (knock on wood) I never had any problem with any one of them. So far I love my m1330 but that does not mean it will never have problems but I will give it the benefit of the doubt.

 

Hi. Well, it's good to know that there are at least some satisified customers!

The Dell tech. duly arrived with the replacement main board, fitted it and it's up-and-running again.

However, all is not well - the DVD/CD Writer was also changed (or so I was told!) and out of 4 DVD's I have only managed to write one successfully, the latest failing to write at even x2! btw the DVD's are rated at x16 max, and my desktop has absolutely no problem writing them successfully every time. In desperation, I have just tried something other than Nero, with the same results.

Looks like I'll have to continue transferring stuff via the network cable to the desktop for burning - either that or get the Dell guy out here again to witness this circus firsthand!

These Philips SDVD8820 drives are an absolute joke...

 

Just a quick follow-up on the Philips SDVD8820 drive - well, having installed a completely different OS (Ubuntu 8.10) on the XPS M1210, and invested a serious amount of time burning high-quality, 4-speed, DVD_RW disks, I am now firmly of the opinion that either the Philips SDVD8820 series of drives are crap, or the faulty unit was never replaced by the Dell tech. as was stated! FWIW, burning the disks always completes normally, but only about 1/10 of the disks will successfully Verify, irrespective of the burn speed selected - and of those that verify successfully, immediately re-burning the same information to the same disk will invarably result in failure! Whereas, transferring the self-same disk to one of my desktops, (one of which has another Philips drive) has always resulted in a successful burn/verify cycle...

As a side-note, I'd advise anyone who finds themselves in the unenviable situation of having to call out a Dell tech. to effect a repair, to carefully inspect the computer casing for tech-inflicted, cosmetic damage before signing off on anything before the tech. leaves - about 1 month after the first (of 3!) visit when the LCD was replaced, I noticed a piece from the corner of the lid missing, but presumed I had somehow damaged it. However, after this series of repairs where the motherboard was replaced I found (after the tech. had left!) more cosmetic damage had been caused, this time to the main casing, where a small splinter of casing is missing from both halves of the casing, so definitely re-assembly damage!!!

Try convincing Dell of that over the phone after-the-fact though...