Dell --> Fuck You very Much

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

Process: tweaking our standards to be properly Vista-Ready, should we ever decide to allow it to be common here.

Item: Dell D820 laptop

Issue: 512mg video card ordered, bios reporting 256

Dell's Answer: The total of local and shared* system memory used by this graphics card is up to 512MB. Local on-board memory is 256MB.

Even worse? Apparently the "256mb" video card only has 64 and gets the other 192 from system memory.

I'm suspecting their latest marketing guy came from the used car or 'dented' virginity market....

Comments

[phrogg.livejournal.com]

We run Dells almost exclusively, and i've never had their graphics cards live up to the advertised specs (for our business machines, anyway). They really dig their shared memory.

[jecook]

Niiiiiiice.

And here I thought I was going to spec one out for inclusion to Desktop V3.

[orangecone.livejournal.com]

They've been doing this for quite some time. I find this tactic (and IIRC, they're not the only company who does this) quite misleading and refuse to purchase those machines.

From Dell's Site

[brownizs.livejournal.com]

The total of local and shared system memory used by this graphics card is up to 256MB. Local on-board memory is 64MB on Latitude D620 systems and 128MB on Latitude D820 systems. On the D620 up to192 MB of system memory may be allocated to support graphics. On the D820 up to 128 MB of systems memory may be allocated to support graphics. The amount of system memory allocated is dependent on system memory size and other factors.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_d820?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~section=specs#tn3

Looks like Dell has themselves covered on this one.

Re: From Dell's Site

[brownizs.livejournal.com]

Also, you can go up to 4gb of memory, so I do not see any problems with going that route, due to 512mb is limiting Vista when you do upgrade, plus the machine will give you headaches at that fact. Go for at least 2GB min. on the RAM, and up the hard drive to the largest out there, due to Vista on a Pretty clean install takes up to 7.5GB of drive space.

Maximum Memory: 4096MB
USB Support: 2.x Compliant
Standard Memory: 512MB removable
Slots: 2 (2 banks of 1)
http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Latitude+D820

Re: From Dell's Site

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

These are the people that will not spend a (very few) dollars to add a DVD burner to the standard config. Of course, the standard laptop (which is lower end than the D820 in question) will not do Aero at all, so...

Of course, there's still the point that they advertise a 512 video card option then give you a 256 card. Not Cool.

Re: From Dell's Site

[brownizs.livejournal.com]

I know, but they covered themselves with Truth in Advertising, by using a Disclaimer to explain that you are not actually getting a 512mb, which means that most consumers will not expect that.

With most laptops, you tend to get shared video with the RAM anyways, makes it cheaper to produce, and keeps the heat & battery use down to a min.

Re: From Dell's Site

[jon787.livejournal.com]

Which is fine as long as you don't want a desktop replacement.

Whats the deal with putting air intake/outflow on the bottom of the laptops anyway?

Re: From Dell's Site

[brownizs.livejournal.com]

I do not know, due to mine has the exhaust on the side (Compaq), but the intake is on the bottom. I am figure the concept is that it will create a vacum when it sits lower on the desk, and allow for more volume to be pulled through.