What the hell, Mr. Dell?

[Buzz]

Dell has been swell...

well, for some stuff anyway.

Any ideas on their product line once they go private?
Specifically, with their monitors?
I truly appreciate Dell's Ultrasharp linage of monitors, and their windoze boxes and laptops have served their purpose for many a client over the years. But it's really their LCD monitors that have delivered some decent bang for the buck.

With all the Linux/Micro$oft hoopla of late, I'm hoping that it won't have an adverse effect on their monitors. I'm a die hard matte screen monitor guy, and since Apple shut matte down, Dell's been the top choice. Rumors, facts, innuendo, or other stories du jour appreciated, so a decision can be made whether or not to buy a lifetime stockpile of Ultrasharps. Thanks to any and all in the know.

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[hal]

Dell has been moving into business services for a LONG time. Setting up servers and servicing them. Don't be surprised if they spin off their personal computer biz to someone else.

Ultrasharps aren't what they use to be. They now have bad, good and great Ultrasharps. The great ones are in the Apple price range.

[onthedownlow]

I am bound by an NDA for any specifics (I do not work for Dell), but the Dell you know for monitors and such will be around - don't worry there.

There may be some things to try and shake-up the industry a little (and see what sticks), but the UltraSharp and Professional line of monitors are in good hands. Everybody wants to get into more services (profit margins very high once you get going), but Dell knows where it (will always) makes much of its money, too.

[mrlynn]

We had a whole office full of used Dell Optiplexes and Precisions (all P3s), and I must say that they proved very reliable, though they weren't asked to do any heavy lifting, either. Of course they were prone to the usual Windows XP viruses, etc., and were increasingly slow, but almost never died. I'm still using one.

I just bought a low-end Dell server (T110 II) to run a virtual version of our clinical records software (EMR) from our previous practice. This will enable me to retire the aging server and HD array. So I'm doing my best to keep Dell going.

/Mr Lynn

[M A V I C]

hal wrote: Ultrasharps aren't what they use to be. They now have bad, good and great Ultrasharps. The great ones are in the Apple price range.

Yep. I've got a 2405 and a 2408 at home. I looked into them for my new job but a 27" went for more than the 30" ones were going for a few years ago. The 27" was only $100 less than Apple's. I kind of wanted it because it has a better stand and isn't full glare, but that $100 difference was largely negated by the fact a MBP doesn't have a DVI port anymore.

[Buzz]

M A V I C wrote:
[quote=hal]Ultrasharps aren't what they use to be. They now have bad, good and great Ultrasharps. The great ones are in the Apple price range.

Yep. I've got a 2405 and a 2408 at home. I looked into them for my new job but a 27" went for more than the 30" ones were going for a few years ago. The 27" was only $100 less than Apple's. I kind of wanted it because it has a better stand and isn't full glare, but that $100 difference was largely negated by the fact a MBP doesn't have a DVI port anymore.
The high end non-glare Ultrasharps have a plethora of ports, the MBP's TB/mDP w/ a mDP to DP cable works fine, as will a mDP to DVI cable or adapter depending on desired resolutions, plus, those ports let you easily connect multiple computers to the monitor at the same time. Cost-wise, you simply have weigh the features you want/need vs. Apple's and others' offerings. Port-wise, TB pass through is Dell's only shortfall, but TB hub devices are starting to trickle to market, and it's been quite awhile since the MBP had a full size DVI port. I'll take the newer MBP's oomph over the old MBP's full size DVI port any day (though I would rather have the old school MBP's keyboard, but that's a different issue). All-in-all, the high end non-glare Ultrasharps have a lot to offer, and I'd hate to see that option disappear.

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