Conference 7.286::digital

Not to mention that we have several working agreements with Dell.
I don't know the details but they track calls through our CHAMPS
system at CXO3. I guess that means we're partners of some sort.
liesl

    Hey take it easy .0!  Dell is a significant customer.  We are
    in bed with them sharing service repair and logistics.  Maybe 
    said VP is from that part of the organisation.  In which case,
    he has just endorsed his own organisation!
    
    /Chris.

    Speaking of which, I would have to say that our PC org is at least as
    half as good as Dell, if not better.  In terms of portables, both have
    had problems, especially Dell.  We weren't manufacturing our own, but I
    thought that was supposed to happen fairly soon.
    
    ..Larry

    Until recently, Dell's laptops were made by AST, the same as ours.
    
    				Steve

I'm not sure I correctly understand what .0 is getting at, but if
the "issue" is that a DEC VP bought a computer from another
computer company, I agree that DEC should make a great effort
to find out who this VP is and why he did it.  Then we should
make sure he would never want to do it again.

We would, of course, make sure he'd never want to do it again
by improving our quality, price/performance, service, and
general satisfaction level, so as to beat the competition.

dave (owner of a non-DEC computer)

    Lets go over the base note again.....
    
    Digital offers a line of notebook computers today. They are not made by
    DELL. Why would we want give good press to another company in the
    notebook PC arena? If we cultivate the perception that we (Digital)
    don't buy for ourselves the computers we sell, then we should stop
    offering laptops alltogether.
    
    I'm not saying that DELL/AST does not produce good products.
    
    I'm saying if you want to work for DELL marketing Mr VP., then quit
    Digital and go to work for them.
    
    -Bruce-

If the point is that a digit or a VP is disloyal by buying somebody else's
PC, or by giving kudos in public to a company that's doing something right,
then that is the birth of a "Digitally Correct" philosophy that says that
the way you fix the problem is to talk about it correctly rather than doing
something real.

I bought a DEC Rainbow in 1983 under the EPP.  After getting DEC's feedback,
over the years as to whether that was a wise or stupid move, I would NEVER
criticize a DEC employee, even a VP, for choosing another brand.  You takes
your chances no matter what.

As for acknowledging another company's  strengths, we need MORE, not less,
of that, as long as it's accurate.  I'm encouraged that such a person
*might* be trying to implement good solutions here.

Or maybe you'd rather follow some leadership whose slogan is:  "Don't
worry, be happy, it's morning in Digital!"

Regards,
   Dave

re: .6
>dave (owner of a non-DEC computer)

    Ok, so Dave, even if you're not a VP:

        1) Which non-DEC computer did you buy?
        2) At the time you bought it, why didn't you buy DEC?
        3) If you were in the market for a similar computer today,
	   what would you buy (and why)?

We are improving.  After surveying the market, I placed an order for
a Digital Celebris system, and I would not have done that strictly out
of company loyalty (especially since the company does not reciprocate.)

					Steve

Dave the non-VP here...

I bought a Dell XPS P90 in June.  I wanted a 90MHz Pentium 
system to run Windows.

At the time, DEC was just coming out with the DECpc XL590.
The XL590 seems like a good product; I have an XL560 in my
office which I've looked inside, and it is apparently well-made.
Better made than my Dell, at least mechanically speaking.

The reason I didn't buy from DEC included these:

1.  High price, even with EPP discount.   Some of the elevated
    price could be accounted for by DEC using SCSI disks and 
    a PCI SCSI controller.  I think SCSI is "better" than
    IDE, but I didn't really see the benefit for my intended
    use.

    I think the price difference between Dell and DEC was 
    about $1000 after discount - for a machine costing $3500.
    I wasn't looking for rock-bottom pricing, but I wanted
    to feel I was getting a reasonable deal.

    Also, I got back nearly $400 from Dell because the price
    went down after I bought it.  DEC doesn't say anything 
    about price guarantees in its catalogue.

2.  Inflexible/outmoded configuration.   I was ordering after
    64-bit graphics cards had started to become the high-end 
    norm.  DEC at that time still offered the Viper and 
    touted it as being the "fastest".  The Viper was an
    impressive performer once, but no longer.

    Also, it was an absolute requirement that I be able to 
    upgrade to at least 3MB of VRAM (1024 x 768 x 24).

    I even considered buying an XL590 with the cheapest video
    card DEC sold, throwing that out, and buying (e.g.) a 
    Matrox elsewhere.  I really *did* try to find a way
    that I could be happy buying DEC.

3.  Service - I'd heard bad stories about the three-year DEC
    warranty not applying to EPP purchases, or that it'd
    be return-to-DEC service.  Dell offered one year on-site
    as standard, with extensions available (I took an extra
    two years for $200).

If I were buying today, I'd reconsider what DEC is offering -- I
haven't bothered to look at the current specs in any detail, but
I know that the XL590 configuration has been updated (e.g., the
#9 GXE64 Pro is now available as a graphics option).  I'd also
consider Dell again, and Micron.  I've heard people say that
the Micron system is very good; it looked good when I was
shopping, but I'd heard Micron had a high DOA rate which scared
me off.

     

Digital does offer 30-day price protection, and the three-year warranty does
now apply to EPP purchases (though it is return-to-service-center only).

					Steve

    
    It is my understanding that in the UK HP staff get a 65% discount on
    equipment bought for personnal use. It sure bets the 25% and having to
    get a sign-off from European overlords that we have to go through.
    
    
    
    Ian (no smiley on this one today)

Steve,

I once returned-to-service-center to have a power supply changed from
European to US (wasn't switchable). I bought this one on a EPP.

I got it back (actually a replacement) TWO YEARS LATER!

    What's my VP doing?  Getting a raise????