When my friend wanted help in choosing a new system for the new millenium (ok, we're a bit past that point now), I couldn't help but recommend a Dell computer. Based on my own experience and that of my brother, I have a lot of good things to say about Dell.

Dell offers a variety of models and configurations. So what were we looking for in a desktop? The desktop was going to be used for word processing, making presentations, and for databases and spreadsheets. My friend is not a hardcore gamer, but he did want a system that could handle the latest software to kill time with. What he really wanted the new system for was to handle a broadband connection. There was a budget, but it was quite liberal.

To me, the choice was simple...


The Dell Dimension 8200

The Dimension 8200 series is Dell's top of the line series. They come equipped with the latest Intel Pentium 4 processors and Rambus memory.

The Dimension 8200 is housed in a stylish, black and silver plastic case. The front has two 5.25" drive bays, one of which is occupied by the CD-RW drive (in matching black). Two 3.5" bays are located below it. The first has the standard 3.5" floppy disk drive; the second is reserved for other accessories such as a ZIP drive. Below that, the system has a flip cover that hides two front USB ports and a front headphone jack.

The 8200 also features two more USB ports in the back of the system. Ports for standard desktop components (i.e. keyboard, mouse, monitor) are color coded, making installation a breeze for even the most computer illiterate.

The chassis opens up quite easily. No tools are needed; by pressing a couple of buttons, the system opens up like a clamshell. The bad part is the open system takes up a lot of space, requiring almost triple the area to manipulate the 8200's hardware. Ultimately, the desktop was going to rest in a tight corner of my friend's apartment. While installing hardware was easy enough, getting into the system was a pain as I found myself frequently unplugging and plugging cables and accessories when inserting and troubleshooting new equipment.


Customizing your Dell

System configurations and prices can vary widely. When ordering online at www.Dell.com, you can easily pick and choose what options you want. Hardware conflicts are generally picked up at this stage as the site will prevent you from checking out with an inappropriate setup. It's all just a few mouseclicks away.

Dell offers a ton more options for creating your dream system. However, unless you really do not want to open up your computer or you don't have anybody you trust enough to fiddle with the internal components, you are better off buying and installing your own hardware. Dell offers quality hardware, but they do charge a pretty penny for them. You can change the 16x/10x/40x CD-RW for an 8x/4x/32x CD-RW/DVD combo drive for an extra $90. Upgrade to a 120 MB 7200 RPM hard drive for $280. Before you know it, you can almost double the paying price with all of these options. Better deals can be found elsewhere if you are willing to install the hardware yourself. For example, you can get better prices for memory at www.crucial.com, a division of Micron electronics - the supplier of Dell's memory.

Dell also offers peripherals such as printers and scanners. All of these are offered at MSRP. Then there is the extra shipping and handling as they are separate from the desktop system iteself. Finally, you have nothing to fall back on except the manufacturer's warranty if something goes wrong. Dell's warranty does not extend to anything not included in the original desktop box (except for the monitor). The graphics and sound cards, modems, ethernet cards, and disk drives are covered. The thrifty shopper can find better deals elsewhere.

Dell offers tons of promotions. They vary from specials such as a free Epson printer or Microtek scanner, a free Palm M105, double your RAM, or double your hard drive space. Extra specials such as instant rebates may be available if you order online. Deals typically last anywhere from 3-7 days. It is rare to not find a promotion running at www.Dell.com; you just have to be patient and find a deal to your liking.


Customer Service

With your Dell computer, a variety of service plans are available. The plans range in length from one to four years, with options for home and phone service (all costing extra of course). An option for Complete Care is also present. This means that Dell will replace any parts damaged "accidentally," whatever that means. Dell requires that they evaluate the parts in question before replacing them - makes this Complete Care offer look like a price gouging scheme than anything else.

Dell is well known for its outstanding customer service. Thankfully, we did not have to take advantage of it. My understanding is that Dell's phone support is difficult, getting a live human to respond being a great test of one's patience. E-mail queries are fairly promptly answered within 12-24 hours on weekdays (all bets are off on weekends). Dell offers a large database of drivers and troubleshooting FAQs on their web site, which usually handles most of the problems that one may come across.


What was ultimately purchased?

My friend decided to go for most of the standard options. The 8200 came equipped with an Intel Pentium 4 1.4 GHz processor with 128 MB PC800 RDRAM and a 40 GB hard drive. It came with a MS IntelliMouse and a Dell QuietKey keyboard - a no frills keyboard in matching black with the company logo emblazioned on it. The system also came with a 17 inch monitor that handled well enough.

The standard options also included a 64 MB NVidia GeForce 2 MX Graphics Card with TV-out. It is not the best graphics card out there, but it is servicable enough and can handle most graphicical and gaming needs. The SB Live! sound card also handles well, even though it is not the best available. Also in the system was a 16x/10x/40x CD-RW drive, a 56K Telephony modem, and a 10/100 PCI Fast Ethernet card.

Final cost? $1519.

Setting up the computer was a snap with the color coded cables. Installing some custom equipment such as DVD drive and SCSI cards was a snap once the space issues were resolved. Once up and running, the system handled well. The occasional glitch popped up here and there, but that is most likely due to Windows XP than anything else. Bugs seemed to be more prevalent once we got the system hooked up to the internet, but that is most likely due to the software moreso than the hardware.


Final Thoughts

The Dell Dimension 8200 is a great system. A wealth of customizing options is available right from the get-go. The base system is one that bests serves the nonspecialized user. Hardcore gamers, for example, are probably better served looking at more specialized systems such as those sold by Alienware. For the majority, the Dimension 8200 is an excellent buy!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1519
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-RW
Hard Drive (GB): 31-40