We're not sure who or what is putting these
XPS M1330 laptops together for
Dell, but not only are they having a horrible time of it even getting the laptops out the door, but this particular man's shipment was just a little lacking in the quality department when it arrived two weeks
ahead of the estimated ship date. The $2k+ laptop looked fine at first glance, but when Pradeep popped it open and hit the power button, it immediately booted to a blank, white, flickering screen. After 10 minutes, nothing had changed, no Dell logo, Vista boot screen or anything -- not only had Dell forgotten an OS, they didn't even manage to squeeze in a system BIOS before they shipped this one. That wasn't all that Dell screwed up on this M1330, the power button is defective, the Microsoft seal underneath the machine is partially ripped and burned, there's a problem with a grill cover protruding, and the WiFi radio switch is so loose it almost falls off when pushed back and forth. Sure, this is just one guy's experience with one M1330, and his mom got a similar computer -- after a much longer shipment wait -- that worked just fine, but we're still thinking Dell might try and shore up quality control just a little bit before somebody manages to get something shoddier than this out the door. Dell's giving Pradeep a new laptop, labeled "priority" in the build queue, and offered him a $50 gift certificate for his trouble.
Update: After spotting this article, Dell contacted us for help getting a hold of Pradeep, and is currently helping expedite his new system. Pradeep did say his replacement was already "priority" before this article went up, but we're sure the PR people are going to speed things up considerably for him. Of course, this is just one person's experience, and we hope Dell will show the same courtesy to everyone involved in the M1330 fiasco -- or better yet, start shipping these things intact and on time!
Update 2: Dell hit us up, apparently after doing some diags on Pradeep's machine, they claim to have discovered that while the M1330 in question did have Windows installed on its drive, just so happens that whomever assembled the system didn't connect the LCD's LVDS to the motherboard. Not that that's much better or anything. Anyway, it seems like all's well that ends well for Pradeep, but we aren't sure we can say the same for the rest of Dell's M1330 customers.
posted Aug 23rd 2007 1:52PM
So? It's Dell, what did you expect?
i expect that it would have crappy battery life and that the mouse button would wear out after 11 months, just like mine.
Like I've been saying for years, DELL = GARBAGE.
DELL is not worth the box it ships in.
Isn' it a bit stupid to show his product key number in the photo?! OK maybe it was for a defunct OS but still... it could be abused.
Leave it to Engadget (whose editors probably haven't touched an "M$" OS since 1995) to not know that basically all Vista/Microsoft product key stickers are routinely scratched through to see the security strips inside. I can show you about 30 that I have that all come with that, they do it to combat piracy.
There's nothing with the one pictured. A little bowed, perhaps, but seriously, stop splitting hairs with this sensationalist nonsense.
I love how one XPS M1330 merits an article, but the countless MBPs with bloating, bulging batteries or loose aluminum seams at the edges never get any attention. http://www.appledefects.com/
Wow Engadget--your bias is past the point of being pathetic now. What ever happened to you guys? You now pander to the totally uninformed and inexperienced; you're either a bunch of sellouts or truly hiring random people off the street. Perhaps this is why g^izmondo is gaining on you and for the first time achieved higher page hits (although briefly, but still unprecedented) twice in the last month.
Ya used to be so cool.
Adios
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=www.engadget.com&site1=gizmodo.com%2F&site2=&site3=&site4=&x=59&y=11&h=300&w=610&h=400&w=700&z=3&range=6m&size=Medium&y=r&z=3&url=www.engadget.com
http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/30/bloated-17-inch-macbook-pro-battery-part-4/
Shutup Nerdtalker. You lose.
Tbh I think Gizmodo sucks. They split the site between countries (Britain and America which is STUPID as it's just about the same content on both), the US site design is awful and you miss half of the posts due to the fact that some of them are only two lines tall and surrounded by adverts.
Engadget rules; simple, nice design and good content.
Tell that idiot I said "thanks" for posting a Vista Ultimate key, I can use one.
it cant be a good idea to post a pic of the guys vista CD key ...
I've seen 2 Quanta made HP laptops with the same hole in the COA sticker.
Let's time ourselves how fast that CD Key gets posted on the internet in other websites........
(Already saved the image... XD)
It's an OEM key which will only work if you have a special certificate pre-installed in Windows, and this works in conjunction with a signature in the BIOS. NO you can't use this on just any copy of Vista Ultimate you dolts.
Andrei... I have a feeling someone will figure out how to use that. That certainly wasn't the case with XP either.
your right it wont activate over the net, but you can call MS and they will activate OEM keys for non OEM hardware
Sounds like a Lemon to me.
Do Lemon Laws cover Personal Computers?
It's a lemon but at the same time it isn't. I've been reading around at various big notebook forums and quality problems with the m1330 are quite widespread even though the design flaws are minor.
That is quite sad because it is a very attractive and desirable laptop.
there's nothing wrong with the microsoft seal... it's supposed to look like that
Uhu. Same with the twelve copies of Vista Ultimate I bought for my business, they all have the same rip and burn. It's meant to be there peeps.
That's a shame, because the M1330's design had so much potential. It was a contender for my next laptop purchase (along with a macbook, thinkpad x), but given the latest financial news about dell, and the woes of quality with this thing, I think I'll be giving my money to someone else.
What has "financial news" at Dell got to do with making a laptop purchase?
Because one unit had defects? WTF?!
Yes, I actually do consider what kind of company I'm buying from when i make a purchase.
When Dell was caught falsifying sales numbers for the last three years, not only does it look like it could be the beginning of the end for Dell, which wouldn't be
I own two dells. A Dimension E510, which I got refurbished for a great price, and an aging Inspiron 8600.
I used to have confidence in dell based on my good experiences with them, but not any more.
Does that mean I have more confidence in Lenovo or Apple? No, maybe just more respect. I can respect Apple's design ideology, and their overall philosophy. And, being that I work at a school stocked with over 90% Apples, I've seen their quality. Lenovo I can respect for what they did buying out IBM's laptop division, which they were making anyway. I mean, everything's made in China anyway, but at least this company has a reason to take pride in their product. And I was really impressed by the solidity and features of the Thinkpad X and T that I was able to demo at a store.
Which brings me to the real reason I would go with Lenovo, or Apple, or even Sony above Dell nowadays.
At the very least, you can go to a store and actually buy the computer. And you can take it right back without waiting if you get a lemon like this, instead of having to send it back to never-never land and wait 3 weeks.
So from a consumer's point of view, there are a lot of games in town looking a lot more attractive than Dell right now, from my perspective.
Just $50 off? Sheesh.. for such trouble like that I'd have expected a little more...
Yeah, they should give him all the upgrades on that computer, if he hadn't already selected them.
Considering that the OS was never installed/activated, somebody just got a free CD key.
Just a note: The windows sticker always looks like that to verify its authenticity.
The tear in the COA is sometimes done intentionally by the OEM to expose the holographic strips inside, I've seen tons like that on many computers, it's to show the Certificate of Authenticity is truly authentic.
Hey, this Dell looks nice but,
maybe it's time to get A Mac?
Thanks for the key btw :) I'll use it when I need it..
...Because apple computers never ship with defects...
So, why exactly would you need a vista CD key if you're so happy with OS X? Hopefully by the time I save up enough pennies to buy an m1330 Dell will have solved their delay problems and ship laptops that actually work.
Funny, when my wife got an iPod that came out of the box completely bricked, all my Machead friends excoriated me for implying it was anything but an isolated incident, that is unavoidable for any company no matter how high their quality controls are. Yet when Dell ships a bricked unit, it is a clear sign of how everybody should buy an Apple product instead, because Apple has such impeccable quality control.
+1 on the Vista COA lable hole. Microsoft designs that label with a hole to prevent people from removing the labels and transferring to another system. Probably spent $1million bucks and a room full of lawyers to design a tamper-proof piece of paper :-)
lol anyone tried using that key to see if it works?
even if the key does work, vista never will....
Will you stop it already with the key. Dell keys work only on an OEM version of Vista which can rarely be installed on anything else other than a DELL system.
Uh... Go to newegg.com and type OEM Windows. SURPRISE!
pwned
Look up at Andrei Vassiliev post. He's explaining it nicely.
Not true. I am using my OEM copy of Vista Ultimate that came with my Dell on my iMac as we speak, down to the Dell logo in the Welcome Center. I'm running XP on the Dell now, but it is perfectly feasible to install it on a non-dell.
Made in China. Enough said.
Actually, surprisingly enough, it was Made in Malaysia - at least that's what the box said. And, just to ask, is getting a free ticket to Vista REALLY that exciting? I mean let's be honest - having the penthouse suite in hell may be nice, but you're still in hell.
You know what they said, for some people its better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven.
Hello, that Vista tag is JUST FINE. They all ship like that. Every new machine our school has received for the past 2 years (400+) has had a tag similar. Machines 4 years old have small wears on them stock, its to show of the security bands.
Jimbo
Just out of curiosity, how can you tell if the power button is defective, if there is no BIOS? On modern PCs, the power button is controlled through the BIOS, so without one, I wouldn't expect the power button to be able to do much of anything.
They cut out my explanation, but basically the power button was recessed too far into the machine. Thus, instead of being able to simply push the button and have it “pop” back up in response, you had to jam your finger into the hole and push hard for the machine to turn on. There was no physical/tactile feedback. This is NOT how our other properly built/functioning m1330 power button behaves.
I have just bought a dell laptop with the same quality issues. It's been a month and Dell has yet to resolve my problems. I keep sending it back for a repairs and I end up with more problems. I even got my laptop back with hair and garbage falling out of the expansion slots. then somebody actually cleaned the screen with a cleaner that ruined the screen. It's insane! All in all whoever is putting these things together and repairing them is doing a terrible job. I would avoid Dell until they fix these issues.
LMAO, shipping without BIOS? What happened to hand-built Dells that we've come to expect? And burned Microsoft stickers? ROFL!
@waiownsyou
That last part of the statement just proves how stupid you really are.
I use Dell servers and I think Dell is the best at large corporations. Yeah they will have some shotty stuff come out from time to time but hey, as long as they take care of the customer and fix their mistakes, then they will keep at least me as a customer.
Dell has some outstanding customer support. Any problems that 'I' have had with my two dell laptops, I've got a replacement for hardware in a couple of days, and a replacement of CDs or Cables the next day.
They try incredibly hard to keep their customers happy. This is just a crappy situation.
Every Dell my company buys has a hole like that on the sticker. I questioned it once, but then noticed it was the same on every new machine we got.
@waiownsyou I'm also haveing the same problems and I don't think these are just isolated instances. Dell has got a serious problem with who's putting these things together. And their repair hub is no better. I will only be satisfied once my problem is fixed. 1month and counting.
Man's XPS M1330 arrives sans OS, quality.....
Engadget staff "burned" by new MS Security sticker!
I see Engadget post all the time without really understanding things, but I guess it's hard to know about everything. There is probably nothing wrong with this laptop except the bios and os. Which is bad, but to mention the Vista sticker, they all look like that! How could the poster not know this. I doubt the power button is defective at all if it had a bios installed.
How COULD Engadget staff know anything about any Windows machine? Half of them are too busy writing on their pretty little Macs, and the other half are busy blowing Steve Jobs.
JC's comment having the 'highest ranked' status can't be good for company morale. lol.
Dude...you got a Dell...
Better than a Mac.
/They see me trollin' they hatin
Well, hehe, I was a frontline dell technician for about 6 months, and I can tell you all that they do this crap a LOT. Also, there are issues with returns to the depot for repairs. mostly, "Techs" would not even open the covers on the portables, but occasionaly would send it back in WORSE condition. I think Dell needs a major overhaul
physically, there's nothing terribly wrong w/ this laptop. there are minor problems w/ fit and finish, but that's about it. it will look much worse after a few months of use.
This is the best titled entry I've seen on Engadget for a long time
Makes you wonder what computers Dell should be running through the saw.
'nuff said
It's good his laptop didn't come with vista...it sucks anyways!
Why is everyone obsessing over the stupid CD Key being posted? It isn't like you really need one anyway there are dozens of cracks out for any version of Windows Vista, most of them even let you do the windows updates without any problem. Heck a buddy of mine has a DVD that he downloaded with every version of Vista on it with the fully working crack. I'm not interested in it since I really don't want Vista right now, that and I'm not into the whole piracy thing.
I just ordered two DELL Precision 390 PCs with Windows XP Pro and upon boot-up discovered they had installed XP Home Edition. We have the CDs for Windows XP pro so will try to upgrade to that, but it hasn't impressed me.
I call bullshit on this article. Not that I don't believe the system was damaged or in bad condition. I call bullshit in that:
1. As stated above, it's normal for the Certificate of Authenticity to have the middle scraped. I'm not sure of the point of it, but all modern MS stickers I see are like this now.
2. How do you know the HD ships sans OS if the bios was not working? It's likely the OS was fine, but wouldn't boot if the bios was malfunctioning.
I second John's comment... could just be a loose connector.
HA! "ripped Microsoft Seal", what a n00b :D
hahaa.... gotta go dell now eh?
So much excitement over the sticker , I thought there were boobs on it ...
The reason the the edge looks rough around the power button is beacuse he has not removed the protective layer.
But thanks engadget - hopefuly a few people will cancel their orders and I can get mine.
I got a brand-new HP dv9428 nr from best buy that had almost exactly the same problems (except the no OS thing). I had a bulge on the top speaker grille and it looked like someone at the factory tried hitting it with there fist to get it down.... yeah, i got a different one after that.
The M$ sticker was burnt too.. not just scratched off, but it looked like someone held a lighter to it.
Do these things all get assembled in the same place? My feelings were hurt when i got my new laptop damaged...... I got the Best Buy geeks to come through though and do an exchange for me. i think there is a few disgruntled assembler-bots or mexicans or whatever they use that are sick of not being able to afford their own computers having to build them all day or something.
I know the retail companies do not sell refurbished equipment, but i'm sure that HP salvages parts just like any of us do who build our own rigs.
If you want to buy a troubled laptop with a horrible track record, buy a MacBook.
I'll never buy a Dell again. This is just typical of the experience I've had with Dell. Mine was ordered 7/15. They've changed the shipping date about four times, after customer service promised me that the computer would be shipping within 1,2 and 4 days of my telephone call. Each time, it was a different excuse (white, new display, processor and DVD drive). To top it all off, they still haven't been able to change the shipping address to the correct one. The computer is supposed to ship to California (my daughter's at school), but they continue to list New Jersey (home) as the shipping address. They tell me they can't change it because it's in process.
Recently, they began advising me of the delays, and requesting my permission for each additional delay (two this week alone!). I really wanted to cancel, but my daughter has rented a laptop for now, and really wants the system. I don't want to start over with another Dell. I've tried to talk her into a Sony, but she wants the white??!!
Anyway, this is my last Dell. While the customer service people have tried, they've been totally ineffective. Every promise they have made so far has been broken. I went to corporate, who really blew me off and didn't care at all. I guess what's one customer???
Take my advice, look at a Sony or Mac