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#1
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Interesting Memo
An interesting memo went out to Dell employees this last week that says
future Inspiron and Dimension systems that ship with CDRW or DVD+-RW drives in them will no longer include ANY media of any kind. When you first start the system you will be given an option to burn an image to CD or DVD for re-install. If you call Dell Support within the 21-day satisfaction period you can ask to have media discs shipped to you. After that they can only ship media under extreme circumstances. In fact, I was told, it would be easier for a tech to ship you a new hard drive with a PC-Restore image on it so that you can make your own discs again than it would be to ship you the media. Dell is moving towards a "Zero Media Policy" and "rumour" is that all software will be sold as downloadable with a $10 to $20 fee if you want the software shipped on media. It's gonna get interesting. |
#2
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when I ordered my M60 Feb 2004 I paid for the media to be supplied so it's
not a new move........... "Brad Licatesi" wrote in message .net... An interesting memo went out to Dell employees this last week that says future Inspiron and Dimension systems that ship with CDRW or DVD+-RW drives in them will no longer include ANY media of any kind. When you first start the system you will be given an option to burn an image to CD or DVD for re-install. If you call Dell Support within the 21-day satisfaction period you can ask to have media discs shipped to you. After that they can only ship media under extreme circumstances. In fact, I was told, it would be easier for a tech to ship you a new hard drive with a PC-Restore image on it so that you can make your own discs again than it would be to ship you the media. Dell is moving towards a "Zero Media Policy" and "rumour" is that all software will be sold as downloadable with a $10 to $20 fee if you want the software shipped on media. It's gonna get interesting. |
#3
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"Brad Licatesi" wrote in message .net... snip Had a Sony Vaio P4 desktop recently where I had to contact Sony and purchase restore DVD's and have them overnighted. Discs were about $20. Shipping was another $20 via DHL. Sign of the times.... Stew |
#4
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This policy is being driven as much by Microsoft as by the PC vendors.
Microsoft doesn't like the idea of having OS install CDs with unused product keys out in the field. Of course, shipping restore discs does solve the reinstall problem easily for many users - no fiddling with drivers, updates, etc. - but it also makes it harder to do a custom install of Windows. Brad Licatesi wrote: An interesting memo went out to Dell employees this last week that says future Inspiron and Dimension systems that ship with CDRW or DVD+-RW drives in them will no longer include ANY media of any kind. When you first start the system you will be given an option to burn an image to CD or DVD for re-install. If you call Dell Support within the 21-day satisfaction period you can ask to have media discs shipped to you. After that they can only ship media under extreme circumstances. In fact, I was told, it would be easier for a tech to ship you a new hard drive with a PC-Restore image on it so that you can make your own discs again than it would be to ship you the media. Dell is moving towards a "Zero Media Policy" and "rumour" is that all software will be sold as downloadable with a $10 to $20 fee if you want the software shipped on media. It's gonna get interesting. |
#5
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I don't see this as a big problem, as long as it helps keep the price of the
system down. With blank CD's costing pennies a peice, it is a negligible cost to the buyer to burn the copies themselves. I think that when the customer gets the system and FIRST turns it on, it should give them the option to burn backup copies then, or place a shortcut on the desktop. "Brad Licatesi" wrote in message .net... An interesting memo went out to Dell employees this last week that says future Inspiron and Dimension systems that ship with CDRW or DVD+-RW drives in them will no longer include ANY media of any kind. When you first start the system you will be given an option to burn an image to CD or DVD for re-install. If you call Dell Support within the 21-day satisfaction period you can ask to have media discs shipped to you. After that they can only ship media under extreme circumstances. In fact, I was told, it would be easier for a tech to ship you a new hard drive with a PC-Restore image on it so that you can make your own discs again than it would be to ship you the media. Dell is moving towards a "Zero Media Policy" and "rumour" is that all software will be sold as downloadable with a $10 to $20 fee if you want the software shipped on media. It's gonna get interesting. |
#6
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In article , ejn63
@netscape.net says... This policy is being driven as much by Microsoft as by the PC vendors. Microsoft doesn't like the idea of having OS install CDs with unused product keys out in the field. Of course, shipping restore discs does solve the reinstall problem easily for many users - no fiddling with drivers, updates, etc. - but it also makes it harder to do a custom install of Windows. Makes it difficult to recover your files too. Had a situation where my MBR got corrupted when the computer shut down in the middle of saving a file. Repair install didn't work. FIXBOOT and FIXMBR didn't work. I knew, however, that I could re-install Windows in a different folder and get access to my files to back them up and then do a re-format re- install. If all you have are "restore" disks, recovering your data isn't gonna be easy. |
#7
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#8
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Ben Myers wrote:
It depends very much on the content and organization of the restore CDs. Typically, Dell ships a normal Windows XP install CD labelled as system restore. This is good news and bad news. The good news is that it is a standard CD. The bad news is, like all standard Windows XP CDs, not all the drivers are there for the computer being restored. So one also needs the Dell resource CD to reinstall the necessary drivers, and reboot, and reboot, and reboot. Then there's the time-consuming task of getting the computer up to speed with the myriad of critical fixes and security patches, and reboot and reboot and reboot. With the product key affixed somewhat permanently to a computer chassis (ever try to remove one?), the Microsoft policy is more damned foolishness and paranoia, as Bill playes with his riches in the basement of his mansion like Scrooge McDuck... Ben Myers LOL, Ben, I have frequently pictured Gates swimming in his swimming pool of $$$$$! Do you suspect guys wearing masks & prison garb are constantly trying to break into his house? |
#9
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" Ben Myers wrote: With the product key affixed somewhat permanently to a computer chassis (ever try to remove one?), the Microsoft policy is more damned foolishness and paranoia, as Bill playes with his riches in the basement of his mansion like Scrooge McDuck... Ben Myers Actually they are qyuite easy to remove if you know how, we have to do it all the time when we replace base plastics on laptops so to tamper with the microsoft "Tamper Proof" product key sticker use a scalpel available from any craft shop |
#10
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Ben Myers wrote:
Yes, there are probably 100 million people in this country in prison garb and wearing black masks, all wanting to loot Bill G. So Microsoft's PR (or is it propaganda?) department would have you believe... Ben Myers LOL - for sure, plus the billions across the planet. Took me a minute to remember - the crooks after McDuck were the Beagle Boys, weren't they? |
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