Everything Dell WON'T tell you about the Dimension 4600C
Written: Apr 14 '04 (Updated Apr 14 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Quality of Tech Support: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Appearance, value, reliability of performance
Cons: Card slots, PCMIA options, CD-ROM quality
The Bottom Line: It a winner on both performance and value (but there a few things you should know).
|
|
|
| stlmom's Full Review: Dell Dimension 4600C (D46CRS) PC Desktop |
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Our fairly tech savvy household acquired this computer in early March of 2004. While we did encounter a few surprises (see below), we're completely satisfied with the product performance as well as the value. Overall, I would definitely recommend the Dell Dimension 4600C to a beginning user or as a recreational/ personal computer for an advanced user.
PRODUCT SPECS
This hot new package from Dell is essentially a sleeker, smaller desktop with a flat panel monitor, keyboard and mouse. Our particular package includes an Intel Pentium 4 processor at 2.8GHz, dual in-line memory module at 256MB (an upgrade), 120Gigs of hard drive space (also an upgrade), a modem, and a 24X CD-ROM drive. All this runs on a Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition platform. As mentioned, it came with a keyboard and mouse as well as a 17" Dell flat panel display. The flat panel is fantastic- attractive, easy on the eyes, no problems at all to date.
The tower, itself, is a real selling point. It's approximately 12" x 12" x 3" and sits nicely on a desk. Dell calls the color of the casing "MIDNIGHT GRAY," which is one shade off of black and resonably attracive in your standard office setting. The box is actually mounted on two silver pedestals which may allow for improved air circulation around the box. (Notably, the fan is quiet enough so that it's not a noisy machine.) The front of the tower features a silver plastic cover on a hinge that hides the CD-Rom drive and a couple of USB ports.
PURCHASING EXPERIENCE
We bought our on-line, of course. We used the Dell website (www.dell.com) to make our purchase and the interface proved to be fairly user-friendly. It allowed for easy addition of a few upgrades, though they really do try to see you on all sorts of options and extended warrantees. We happened to catch a free shipping promotion, so we didn't pay for shipping costs. That option guaranteed shippin in something like 10 business days but the computer actually arrived much sooner than that, within maybe 3 business days. Overall, we were very happy with the purchasing experience as well as the shipping and delivery method.
THE SKINNY: WHAT DELL WON'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE DIMENSION 4600C PACKAGES
* There is one slot for an IRQ card but it has to be a compact design. So when we wanted to make our desktop wireless we had to buy a low-profile wireless card drom D-Link. In addition, this installation will require you to remove your modem card.
* The CD drive is more of a laptop quality drive. It's definitely a little more flimsy than the kind of drive you'd expect in a desktop.
* There is an option to put in a PCMIA slot in the front, beside the CD-ROM drive. This is probably a good option considering there is only one card slot in the back for an IRQ. If you get the optional PCMIA card, note that the slot is beind the hinged plastic cover. This means that a card that protrudes will result in the cover being ajar.
* There are 6 USB ports, which is great. Four are in the back and two are in the front. For better or for worse, the two in the front are hidden behind a swinging door that conceals the CD-ROM drive. This may be more attractive but if you intend to have something permanently inserted into the front USB port, the door will be permanently ajar.
* The standard offerings for the 4600C don't come with speakers. Not a big deal, but factor that into your price if you want them and you don't have any around your house. There is a port for headphones behind the front plastic door. But again, be prepared to leave the cover open if headphones will be plugged in all the time.
VALUE NOTES
*We scored our package on a promotion for $999 (+ a bit extra for some memory and hard drive upgrades) with a 17" flat panel. Hold out for a good deal or a rebate. The deals are out there if you're not in a hurry.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 999
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: 501-600
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
stlmom
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Location: St. Louis, MO
Reviews written: 89
Trusted by: 34 members
About Me:
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King, Jr.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.