Dell 4600C - Great, except your DSL won't work
Written: Sep 17 '03
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Pros: Powerful and compact.
Cons: Expect serious problems if using with DSL.
The Bottom Line: This system is not good if you plan to use DSL. Get a PC with a good ethernet card (separate from the motherboard) otherwise you'll have a big problem.
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| yungin's Full Review: Dell Dimension 4600C (D46CRM) PC Desktop |
I have owned Gateway computers for the past several years and decided to go with Dell this time. I ordered the 4600C because it was compact but powerful. Included items: wireless keyboard and mouse, 80G hard drive, 17" flat panel monitor,CD-RW/DVD drive (free upgrade) and free shipping as a bonus. The set up was easy and everything worked immediately. The issues I experienced had to do with the internet connection.
I had been on line previously with no problems (Road Runner DSL) and suddenly upon start up I got a pop up message that said my system did not have an Ethernet card ("new PCI hardware detected"). Of course, this was not possible, since I had been connected to the internet for several days. When I called customer service (which transfers you to their division in INDIA so be prepared for that nightmare), the tech informed me that compact systems like the 4600C often combine the ethernet card and the motherboard which causes lots of problems. They sent me another tower 7 days later, which also worked for a few days and then had the same problem. After 2 hours with customer service, they thought there might be a problem with the Windows XP and asked me to reinstall it. A word to the wise - NEVER reinstall an operating system if you expect your system to work after that. And to top it all off, once the tech discovered that he didn't know how to fix the new problem he created, he hung up and left me sitting there with a non working system at 12 am!! When I finally got through to Dell India again an hour later, they offered to send me a new motherboard but that was it for me; I sent it all back and am now waiting for my refund. Who cares if everything else about the system is great if you can't get on the internet?
The bottom line: if you are connecting to the internet via DSL, make sure you don't get a 4600C. Go for the better ethernet card on a regular sized tower, make sure it's separate from the motherboard and don't let customer service EVER talk you into reinstalling Windows XP...EVER!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1364
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: Don''t Know
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
yungin
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 0 members
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