If it's not referenced....
Whilst the overwhelming opinion here is seems to be "read the spec", I have two issues with this.
1. The reviewer pointed out that the spec list made no mention of firewire in the original spec, this coming a month later.
2. The reviewers visual impairment.
Referencing point 1. If the spec makes no mention of the mobo's northbridge chip would it be reasonable to assume that there wouldn't be one? I don't think so. Sometimes it's perfectly reasonable to assume that equipment comes specced to a standard. DV cameras almost all have firewire, not USB 2, therefore I don'tt hink it's unreasonable to assume that a high end "entertainment PC" will come fitted with such ports. Firewire is pretty much industry standard and I don't think it's down to the user to check the small print. If the spec doesn't say two button mouse, what do we get? That's right, we assume!
Regarding point two - There seems to be something of a useability problem on the website configurator. Surely it's not beyond the ken of the website guys to summarise the PC you get with a "check carefully before buying" warning? People with poor eyesight regularly get a raw deal in this regard, and are expected to suck it up like the rest of us. It's not difficult and it might just help those amongst us who assume that certain things in a PC will be standard fit.
The point regarding Linux has more to do, I think with commentary on Dell's hardware strategy. If Linux won't run, that might be linux's problem, but is it really so difficult to spec a high end PC with parts that will actually leave the platform open to OS's other than MS boatware? Surely the whole point behind the PC was the modularity, and configuarability. If you can't configure a PC with a different, compatible OS then you'd be as well buying an utterly closed system! It's a nonsense.
I'm also going to take a volt face and say I thought the article was well written. It was subjective certainly...but then it wasn't a review of the PC! It was a review of the customer experience. That has to be subjective. Yes, the buzzer being broken isn't Dells fault - but the miscommunication of delivery dates most certainly was. The difficult contacting the courier certainly was.
Ultimately, people are buying Macs because they are sick and tired of the hell that buying a PC is becoming. Will this hardware work with that OS? The sticker says yes, the computer says no. Bill Gates has destroyed the concept of the PC. He's turned it into expensive throwaway garbage, and in the process made companies like Dell utterly unresponsive to customer requirements. When you buy a Dell do you get the best hardware? No, do you get the fastest PC? No, what you get is what Bill Gates says you will have.
Wake up guys. The PC is dead.
I enjoy Thomas C Greene's articles, and hope there are many more! Regardless of whether they are written on PC or Mac!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
