Consumers, get your wallets out, because two of your favorite, monolithic companies are about to join forces in a bank-account-decimating move the likes of which you've never known.
Dell, your good PC-making buddies, are planning to launch sales nationwide at
Best Buy stores over the next few weeks, beginning with the new
XPS One, the
XPS 1330 laptop, and the Inspiron
1521, amongst others. A handful of other products will be available at the outset, and we can only assume that those numbers will increase as time goes on. A major success for corporate capitalism, and a tempting introduction to a new line of credit for buyers. Spend carefully!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
shanoboy @ Dec 6th 2007 1:27PM
Is there any specific reason why Dell has suddenly decided to go all brick or mortar on us? I wonder if the average prices of their machines are going to be going up to reflect the cut the stores get?
Tommy @ Dec 6th 2007 1:32PM
I wouldn't say Dell is making any changes to their current business model. They're just missing out on the premade PC sales. HP, Emachines, and even Apples are being sold at places like Bestbuy. They're just jumping into an already crowded market place to make sure they're reaching all segments of the markets. I'd bet the premade units for sale at Best Buy would cost more than ordering the same configuration online, but they'll probably counter that by having exclusive Best Buy Only models.
Dave @ Dec 6th 2007 1:40PM
Actually most stores do not make much money on computers themselves. So I doubt there will be much of a price difference. For computers, stores make much more money on services and warranties (not the case for other products, TV's have a high markup).
So this will really just give another outlet for Dell fans to buy their computers, without having to wait for shipping, and without customization.
Ty @ Dec 6th 2007 2:31PM
Apple computers are sold at Best Buy. Dell is a competitor of Apple. I'm surprised they are just doing this now.
Sam @ Dec 7th 2007 6:37PM
the retail models aren't cheaper than the made to order models at all! Retailers get significant discounts for ordering 100,000 or more units all at once... think before you open your mouth.. or just don't open your mouth
NHAnimator @ Dec 6th 2007 1:29PM
Well this is about as polarizing a marriage as you'll ever see.
Shadyman @ Dec 6th 2007 3:12PM
What's the divorce rate for marriages like this?
zargon @ Dec 6th 2007 1:53PM
The last company I worked at used Dell exclusively. We had a 33% failure rate on brand new in the box desktop and laptops. It was pretty bad and considering they usually order about 100 desktop and 25 laptops every other month or so, a pretty unacceptable rate.
Granted this was about 2 years ago, but I doubt all too much has changed. People have been saying it for a long time and I actually liked Dell, but until we discovered the 33% failure rate fact, I don't know if I will be buying one for a while.
I would like to say that they are one of the easier laptops to open up and work on. Which is nice, considering I just opened up my personal Toshiba at home and found it to be a utter nightmare, but it can't be much worse than the 100 or so screws it requires to get open a Gateway.
My next laptop is most likely going to be a Lenovo. We have them here at work and they have kept true to the IBM tradition of rock solid laptops.
rzlmlchm009 @ Dec 6th 2007 4:53PM
I can say that Michael Dell stepping back in recently has already made a difference to the company's perspective. That is a major change from 2 years ago.
john @ Dec 6th 2007 1:54PM
How will Dell be able to stand out against all the other generic-looking PCs that Best Buy sell?
john @ Dec 6th 2007 1:58PM
Also, agree with zargon. The failure rate was over 33% at my last company. They switched to ThinkPads and had almost no failures. My current company uses Dells exclusively and I've gone through too many to count (or should have to go through) in 3 short years. They're cheap and poorly made piles of plastic. The only good thing that has come out of using a Dell is that now I'm really good about backing up my data.
Anthony @ Dec 6th 2007 2:29PM
I must be really lucky. I've had 4 Dells in the last 6 years. None ever had any issues except a laptop from 2001 finally had the monitor connection fail 5 years into daily use causing the screen to fuzz & roll. Otherwise- perfect.
I've also never had a package or letter go missing.
Oh, & I had a Jetta that never broke down- talk about an exception to the rule. Maybe I'm the product version of that guy in Invincible.
zargon @ Dec 6th 2007 2:34PM
@Anthony
Maybe you should start a business where you technologically bless electronics for people...
NHAnimator @ Dec 6th 2007 3:24PM
Well, Saint Anthony IS the Patron Saint of Lost Things. That at least explains not losing any packages or letters.
Scott @ Dec 6th 2007 5:10PM
Anthony, comparing yourself (and individual) versus entire businesses using Dell computers is hardly comparable. You go through 4 Dells in 6 years where a business might go through 4 Dells a day.
Here's my anecdotal evidence: I've had problems with my Dell GX620 at work AND my Dimension desktop at home.
Bombaclaat @ Dec 6th 2007 2:00PM
more over hyped, over price computers, comming soon.
Bombaclaat @ Dec 6th 2007 2:01PM
oops...mm...I type too fast. lol.
Joe @ Dec 6th 2007 2:01PM
They should open a Dell store within the Magnolia store within a Best Buy. Throw in a Starbucks, with a mini-costco in it, within the Dell store, and finish off with a bank within the mini-Costco where you can sign up for more credit cards to max out.
Go shop here and you are in consumer heaven!!
rzlmlchm009 @ Dec 6th 2007 4:54PM
Whoa! Slow down, you made my brain hurt! ;)
rokorre @ Dec 6th 2007 11:46PM
you know some best buys actually do have banks in them
DocZ @ Dec 6th 2007 2:06PM
Will they honor short-lived online price mistakes, inadvertent
overlapping coupons or limited quantity high value clearance items?
Preferably, all three together. No? Then I guess I’ll
stick to the online version. ;-)
tau zero @ Dec 6th 2007 2:07PM
call me a sheep, but as an industrial designer, i really like the way some of the dell's are designed.
Speddy @ Dec 6th 2007 2:07PM
Will they squeeze out Apple floor space for profit?
Leiterfluid @ Dec 6th 2007 2:08PM
This should probably say "Dell is coming BACK to Besy Buy."
Few people may remember this, but when I worked for "the Beast" in 1994, Dell computers were part of the staple products offered, in addition to Packard Bell (the popular, cheap brand) Acer (the scrappy underdog), Compaq (for serious business users only), IBM (an also-ran), and Apple (obligatory).
Dells were often considered premiere systems at that time. I remember when they pulled OUT of brick and mortar stores.
And I walked to school in 10 feet of snow, uphill, both ways.
StrangeBum @ Dec 6th 2007 2:39PM
I remember those days. Back before Compaq became a low end model and Packard-Bell was everywhere! And poor, poor Acer has never gotten the credit that they are due. It's a rather rare sight to see Acers selling at the BestBuy I used to work at, no matter how much I pushed them people seemed to prefer...'ooohh, Sony Vaio, must be good'
singingigo @ Dec 6th 2007 2:11PM
Yeah, so we are still using 7 year old Dells...let's see: 35 workstations, 1 server...total problems:
1.DVD drive failed.
But then, we don't buy $499 specials...
Perley @ Dec 6th 2007 2:30PM
Confirms my observations the last few times I've been to Best Buy. They seem to go out of their way to find the worse technology companies to sell.
rzlmlchm009 @ Dec 6th 2007 5:05PM
You must not like most major brands then.
StrangeBum @ Dec 6th 2007 2:36PM
Does this mean I will be able to pick up some Linux loaded pc's at BestBuy now instead of having to worry about getting a bloated Vista laden machine. I just bought a new HP laptop and enjoy Vista to a degree, but I'm looking for something much more simple for everyday tasks; email, internet, writing etc.
Also, do not want a Mac, never been my style.
zargon @ Dec 6th 2007 2:48PM
The new Asus EEE's seem to be the hot thing that would probably fit that bill... if you can stand a 7" screen.
StrangeBum @ Dec 6th 2007 3:49PM
Yeah, I had considered one. And still might consider one, but that is a pretty small screen considering I could probably pick up a Dell with at least a 14" screen and an 80gb HDD for about the same price.
zargon @ Dec 6th 2007 5:13PM
Yeah, they defiantly need to come down in price.
I am waiting for the 2G, that is rumored to be $200. It may make be pull the trigger. Maybe for my wife, who only uses our laptop for Myspace, Facebook, email and games. Plus she has to sit around for a while after she is done working waiting for me to finish, would be a nice small thing to pop in her purse.
bob e @ Dec 6th 2007 2:47PM
It is a good thing they are bring their hot looking product (Dell One, M1330) and not the tired old boxes we are used to. They should do quite well in this market I think! If I could actually touch and see th Dell One I'd be MUCH more likely to buy one.
Jason @ Dec 6th 2007 3:16PM
I think Tommy hit the nail on the head. Our last two desktops were Dells, we got a Dell laptop for my mother-in-law and my sister, but when it came time for us to get a new desktop and laptop this time, we went with HP. The convenience of being able to walk into Circuit City and walk out with two systems (with comparable specs and pricing to what I could order online from Dell) simply won out.
finnith @ Dec 6th 2007 10:23PM
Have you had any problems with the HP? My friend's Pavilion Media Laptop broke after a month.
Jason @ Dec 7th 2007 9:59AM
None so far, but we've only had the systems about 7 weeks now. My only complaint so far about the laptop is that the touch pad is centered to the laptop itself, not where your hands sit on the keyboard, so my right palm is constantly touching the edge of the touch pad and moving the cursor or scrolling the screen.
MB_User @ Dec 6th 2007 6:07PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Michael Dell's book didn't he say that one of the lessons they learned early on was to not sell at the big retail stores? I think I remember reading that...
macdoc @ Dec 6th 2007 6:13PM
A Fire Sale, before Dell goes out of business.
Michael Dell should just shut down the company and give the stock holders their money back!!
Mike @ Dec 6th 2007 7:59PM
Once Dell announced it would be selling in brick-and-mortar stores, it was only a matter of time.
Galley @ Dec 6th 2007 8:40PM
Why is everyone dissing Dell? My Dell Pentium 4-powered work PC only takes 10 seconds to open a 5-page Word document!
Brian @ Dec 6th 2007 9:13PM
This is only good news if I can still get the EPP discount through my college. If I have to pay full price, without being able to customize the laptop, they can forget it.