<p>Well, some computers (we had this problem with emachines) have a bunch of unnecessary programs, and often the programs cause pop-ups. The computer guy told my dad that the reason the programs (such as special search engines, etc) are in the computer is basically because the advertising place or whatever pays to have them put in computers.</p>
<p>I'm not a computer expert though... That was just our experience with emachines... And for some reason my dad must think dells have that prob, too.</p>
<p>Almost all computer companies install their own sofware on the computers they sell. Dell doesn't install third party software (save for anti-virus and firewall, etc.) to my knowledge. My mom just bought a dell desktop and it only came with some extra dell programs like a dell media player and such. All you have to do is delete them as soon as you get the computer. I agree, its a bunch of crap, but you aren't going to be able to avoid it - there is no "special building" that does not involve adding this software. Just delete everything you don't want when you get it. And get ad-aware to remove spyware. Some companies are really bad with the excess software (HP and Compaq come to mind)</p>
<p>Or just don't get a dell. You get what you pay for as people say. You get a cheap computer dont expect it to last very long. Dells seem to have a lot of problems with broken hardware (i.e.: mobo's, hd's, screen hinges). Get a good solid laptop like a Toshiba or IBM you won't be sorry. Both are great, and last very long and both can be found with prices very close to that of dell. But the big thing with everybody now is dell, so do as you please, just don't be upset when it keeps breaking.</p>
<p>I've been looking at the different options for laptops, and Dell has been my top choice so far. bigndude (or anyone else): Do you have any statistics to show that Dell makes inferior computers? I've always heard they have a good reputation for quality.</p>
<p>The main reason I've liked Dell so far is the flexibility they offer in customizing your computer. Beyond that, the prices I've seen have been more than a little bit lower than IBM or some other companies. The notebook I customized (but haven't bought) on Dell's website cost under $1400, while it seems that a comparable IBM would be nearly $2000. (I can't even get what I want from IBM)</p>
<p>So is it really that terrible to get a Dell?</p>
<h1>1 reason..support. If anything goes wrong, even after the warranty has expired, they still try to help. I have owned 3 Dells and I have been EXTREMELY happy.</h1>
<p>Although I prefer Macs. ;)</p>
<p>Dell offers some top rated machines that are highly configurable at a great price. And they always have some sort of promotion going on. Be sure to get EDU pricing.</p>
<p>Anyone know if you can get an educational discount if you're going to a college that isn't affiliated with the computer company? I'm going to a small school.</p>
<p>I'm interested to see how the IBM/Lenova systems are perceived after the changeover. Will support suffer when IBM is simply a customer service provider?</p>
<p>fut, yes. You can, however, upgrade most or all of the systems to 512 MB or more, though. The price with upgrades is what has been steering me away from IBM.</p>
<p>Never buy an upgrade direct from the company, they overcharge like crazy. This is how Dell and IBM and all big companies make money. You can get laptop RAM cheap from internet places. From Dell you pay double or triple. Your best bet is to get something with the proper processor, battery life, and hard drive, and then you can upgrade the RAM from less then 100 bux.</p>
<p>Both are great, and last very long and both can be found with prices very close to that of dell.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but thats just not true - I'm not as familiar with Toshiba, but IBM has a reputation for very expensive laptops. Now, they also have a reputation for very well-made and durable laptops so, as was mentioned before, you get what you pay for. But with IBM, what you pay will definitely be higher than a comparable system elsewhere.</p>
<p>I agree, however, that you should upgrade RAM yourself, since it's a lot cheaper. Its really not difficult either - I've done it at least several dozen times by now.</p>
<p>HP has two of the best laptops in two distinct categories:
Budget (zd1000)
High End Multimedia (zd7000&8000)
I honestly have no clue what the zd1000 performs like, but my zd7000 is amazing. Nice screen, fast, and plays Half Life 2 rather well :)</p>
<p>WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GET A WINDOWS COMPUTER!!!
Microsoft is a piece of garbage, absolutely replace the current OS, with
Unix/Linux based software, they're free and are more efficient than windows,
If you get Windows, your security is at stake...</p>
<p>oh please, mexican_dude, spare me the drama. Windows is not crap. It is a very stable and secure OS. My computer runs 24/7, and I only reboot once every month or so (sometimes less often), and its always because of an errant program or something similar.</p>