Dude, you're getting a DELL! - Page 2

STEED · 06-25-06, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEED

I only use it for the old DOS games like SH1

.

Load SHIII on it...then run....fast....

LOL

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

06-25-06, 05:03 PM

Let's face it...the best PC's are the ones you build yourself. And it's surprisingly easy...most things are universal. So I would suggest to everyone not to bow to these crappy PC companys, instead buy a book on how to build one...and have fun! Because at the end of the day, you'll be amazed how easy and fun it is. Almost like sex.

STEED · 06-25-06, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurushio

Almost like sex.

I need a very strong drink.

06-25-06, 05:13 PM

I said almost.

STEED · 06-25-06, 05:14 PM

tycho102 · 06-25-06, 06:54 PM

I've had a Dell desktop and a laptop. The laptop's internal battery charger died within about a year. The only good thing I have to say about that laptop is that it didn't absolutely have to have a battery in it to run; I used it as a fixed desktop for awhile. It started overheating at about the 18 month point, which was fixed by setting it on a aluminium pizza-pan. Even cracked the think open and put some Arctic Silver 5 on the CPU heatsink, but it would still overheat. I probably could have made a projector out of the LCD display, but I just wasn't motivated enough to put that much effort into it.

The desktop did ok for several years, but I can put together a comparable system for half the price. This was also back in the day when Dell didn't ship restore disks, and the drivers had to be made from floppies and the original hard drive OEM install. It took me weeks to get them to ship a restore disk on a really cheap CD-R. Plus, the power supply and floppy drive were proprietary. How the *hell* you make a proprietary floppy drive, I dunno, but I kept trying it on other systems and it would never work properly. Ended up just chucking it and buying a new drive, which worked flawlessly.

Plus, you know. None of mine have ever exploded on me.:rotfl:

Syxx_Killer · 06-25-06, 08:12 PM

Can't say I have ever seen an exploding laptop. Good thing it wasn't on anyone's lap!

Iku-turso · 06-26-06, 01:17 AM

Shockwave flash object...... enabled

nikimcbee · 06-26-06, 01:22 AM

I knew the intel chips ran hot, but this is crazy. The new intel processor "the chernobyl

. Hopefully AMD will not top this one.

tycho102 · 06-26-06, 11:20 AM

Realistically speaking, this was probably the LiON battery.

Almost no one uses polymer LiON's, so this was the usual electrolytic battery. They've got a circuit in them (which amounts to little more than a couple of diodes to prevent back-current and an AVR) to stop the battery from "flip flopping".

Rechargable batteries can invert a cell if you run them down too low. Nickel cadmium, metal hydrides, and even lead acid batteries can do this. When they do it, you start liberating hydrogen gas while it charges.

Dell uses the absolute minimum quality parts for their machines, and rely on testing to sort out the bad parts. Taiwan -- notoriously, I might add -- stopped nearly every form of QA known in electrical engineering, several years ago. Manufacturers decided to let OEM's quality-assure their own products, instead of the plant. Failure rates in memory alone jumped above 10% (from something like 3%).

So, just like army weapons are made by the lowest bidder, so too is Dell's batteries and charging circuits.

This is why you never run a LiON battery down to shutoff. The circuits (inside the battery itself, as well as the device) are usually set to shut-off at 3.3v, well above the "critical" 1.7v. But my first guess would be the battery was used heavily and run down to under 3% on a consistent basis. That's just asking for a smack upside the head. Even cell-phone batteries will do this same feat.

It's still funny to see the guy in the foreground trying to shutdown his laptop before getting away from the fire.

06-26-06, 12:34 PM

I've always run down my cell-phone batteries...it says you should in the manuals of all the phones I've had. It actually says you can damage the batteries if you recharge your phone while only half-way run down. Are you now saying I could blow my balls off with my phone which I sometimes keep in my trouser pocket?

kiwi_2005 · 06-26-06, 02:51 PM

Seems like some modder went to far this time when they changed the explosions for SH3:rotfl:

SUBMAN1 · 06-26-06, 03:58 PM

I gave up on Dell at work and refuse to buy them anymore. The Dell rep has hounded me forever now but I gave them 3 chances and 3 times they failed. I won't get into the details but the bottom line is that Dell is all about price and after sales support is.., a.., what support?

Anyone want a remote controlled car? I have a remote control on my desk right now, and if I want the car that it controls, I have to meet with my Dell rep. Nice. These guys will try anything to get at me now. I kind of want the car, but I don't care to talk to these guys anymore so I guess I am throwing this remote control out.

-S

Wim Libaers · 06-30-06, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurushio

I've always run down my cell-phone batteries...it says you should in the manuals of all the phones I've had. It actually says you can damage the batteries if you recharge your phone while only half-way run down. Are you now saying I could blow my balls off with my phone which I sometimes keep in my trouser pocket?

Depends on the type of battery. Some are best discharged nearly completely, others work fine with partial charges. Blowing you balls off is unlikely, unless the pockets in your trousers are in unusual positions. You'll probably just lose a piece of your leg.

Bill Nichols · 07-01-06, 08:16 AM

I have a Dell laptop (XPS) and it has never exploded

Here's the full article: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32550

and a followup: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32723

06-25-06, 05:14 PM	#20
STEED Lucky Jack Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Down Town UK Posts: 27,695 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 48	__________________ Dr Who rest in peace 1963-2017. To borrow Davros saying...I NAME YOU CHIBNALL THE DESTROYER OF DR WHO YOU KILLED IT!

06-25-06, 06:54 PM	#21
tycho102 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,100 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I've had a Dell desktop and a laptop. The laptop's internal battery charger died within about a year. The only good thing I have to say about that laptop is that it didn't absolutely have to have a battery in it to run; I used it as a fixed desktop for awhile. It started overheating at about the 18 month point, which was fixed by setting it on a aluminium pizza-pan. Even cracked the think open and put some Arctic Silver 5 on the CPU heatsink, but it would still overheat. I probably could have made a projector out of the LCD display, but I just wasn't motivated enough to put that much effort into it. The desktop did ok for several years, but I can put together a comparable system for half the price. This was also back in the day when Dell didn't ship restore disks, and the drivers had to be made from floppies and the original hard drive OEM install. It took me weeks to get them to ship a restore disk on a really cheap CD-R. Plus, the power supply and floppy drive were proprietary. How the hell you make a proprietary floppy drive, I dunno, but I kept trying it on other systems and it would never work properly. Ended up just chucking it and buying a new drive, which worked flawlessly. Plus, you know. None of mine have ever exploded on me.:rotfl: __________________ My little Silent Hunter 4 repository Last edited by tycho102; 06-25-06 at 06:57 PM.

06-26-06, 01:17 AM	#23
Iku-turso Sailor man Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 43 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Shockwave flash object...... enabled __________________ Finnish Navy in WW2

06-26-06, 01:22 AM	#24
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I knew the intel chips ran hot, but this is crazy. The new intel processor "the chernobyl . Hopefully AMD will not top this one. __________________

06-26-06, 11:20 AM	#25
tycho102 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,100 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Realistically speaking, this was probably the LiON battery. Almost no one uses polymer LiON's, so this was the usual electrolytic battery. They've got a circuit in them (which amounts to little more than a couple of diodes to prevent back-current and an AVR) to stop the battery from "flip flopping". Rechargable batteries can invert a cell if you run them down too low. Nickel cadmium, metal hydrides, and even lead acid batteries can do this. When they do it, you start liberating hydrogen gas while it charges. Dell uses the absolute minimum quality parts for their machines, and rely on testing to sort out the bad parts. Taiwan -- notoriously, I might add -- stopped nearly every form of QA known in electrical engineering, several years ago. Manufacturers decided to let OEM's quality-assure their own products, instead of the plant. Failure rates in memory alone jumped above 10% (from something like 3%). So, just like army weapons are made by the lowest bidder, so too is Dell's batteries and charging circuits. This is why you never run a LiON battery down to shutoff. The circuits (inside the battery itself, as well as the device) are usually set to shut-off at 3.3v, well above the "critical" 1.7v. But my first guess would be the battery was used heavily and run down to under 3% on a consistent basis. That's just asking for a smack upside the head. Even cell-phone batteries will do this same feat. It's still funny to see the guy in the foreground trying to shutdown his laptop before getting away from the fire. __________________ My little Silent Hunter 4 repository

06-25-06, 05:03 PM	#17
Kurushio Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Let's face it...the best PC's are the ones you build yourself. And it's surprisingly easy...most things are universal. So I would suggest to everyone not to bow to these crappy PC companys, instead buy a book on how to build one...and have fun! Because at the end of the day, you'll be amazed how easy and fun it is. Almost like sex.

06-25-06, 05:13 PM	#19
Kurushio Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	I said almost.

06-25-06, 08:12 PM	#22
Syxx_Killer Admiral Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 2,387 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Can't say I have ever seen an exploding laptop. Good thing it wasn't on anyone's lap!

06-26-06, 12:34 PM	#26
Kurushio Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	I've always run down my cell-phone batteries...it says you should in the manuals of all the phones I've had. It actually says you can damage the batteries if you recharge your phone while only half-way run down. Are you now saying I could blow my balls off with my phone which I sometimes keep in my trouser pocket?

06-26-06, 02:51 PM	#27
kiwi_2005 Eternal Patrol Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aeoteroa Posts: 7,382 Downloads: 223 Uploads: 1	Seems like some modder went to far this time when they changed the explosions for SH3:rotfl: __________________ RIP kiwi_2005 Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

06-26-06, 03:58 PM	#28
SUBMAN1 Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 11,866 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I gave up on Dell at work and refuse to buy them anymore. The Dell rep has hounded me forever now but I gave them 3 chances and 3 times they failed. I won't get into the details but the bottom line is that Dell is all about price and after sales support is.., a.., what support? Anyone want a remote controlled car? I have a remote control on my desk right now, and if I want the car that it controls, I have to meet with my Dell rep. Nice. These guys will try anything to get at me now. I kind of want the car, but I don't care to talk to these guys anymore so I guess I am throwing this remote control out. -S __________________

07-01-06, 08:16 AM	#30
Bill Nichols Master of Defense Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,502 Downloads: 125 Uploads: 0	I have a Dell laptop (XPS) and it has never exploded Here's the full article: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32550 and a followup: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32723 __________________ My Dangerous Waters website: Last edited by Bill Nichols; 07-01-06 at 08:22 AM.