Cavalier Computers, the University-affiliated computer store, presumably likes customers. Tragically, only one model of laptop is offered for law students. To increase its customer base and to give unwitting law students entering the laptop market a choice, the store should offer other models.
Almost all University law students purchase a laptop upon enrolling. The school requires the diminutive computers so that students may type out their final exam answers. Most students use them to type their class notes.
Students entering law school make a choice. They must put forward around $2,000 of their own money or must convince a neighborly lending institution to do the same. As most folks enter the market with limited understanding of what constitutes a "good" computer, they might be inclined to look at the Law School's Web site.
To its credit, the Web site clearly states that the school "does not endorse one manufacturer's products over another." It does, however, contain one link to a computer dealer: Cavalier Computers.
That, on its own, is not that big of a deal. Cavalier Computers is, at least indirectly, affiliated with the University. The problem lies in what Cavalier Computers offers. The Law School site links to the "Law School Bundles" that "meet the Law School's computer specifications." That link gives a student three choices. All three choices are Dell laptops. Here lies the problem.
What follows is my personal experience with Dell. Having spoken with numerous other law students, I can confirm that these problems are not unique.
The problems with my Inspiron 5000 began with my monitor. It stopped functioning in October of my first year. After convincing a technical support worker that the computer was plugged into the wall and the darkness I was seeing did not suggest a larger retinal problem, Dell replaced the monitor. One year later, the monitor again stopped working. Again, it was replaced.
Two days prior to classes starting this year, the rest of the computer elected not to start. After two 45 minute conversations with technical support, they agreed to send me a new hard drive. Interestingly, they demanded that I return the hard drive that I was prepared to discard. Upon looking on the outside of the label of the hard drive they shipped me, I realized what was happening.
I had received a "refurbished" hard drive. That is, another individual, in a similarly desperate situation, had mailed back his or her defective hard drive. After laying hands on the thing, Dell either shipped that formerly fallen hardware to me or purchased a similarly-reconstructed hard drive from another manufacturer. Despite the reborn hard drive, my computer continued not to work. After talking with two other technical support agents, Dell agreed to ship me an entirely "new" computer. Given that my prior computer had the lifespan of a carnival goldfish, my expectations were quite low. The newer computer has failed to meet them.
The replacement -- an Inspiron 8000 -- appears to work. Unfortunately, there is a graphic problem that prevents the desktop from appearing on the screen. Important things, like the "start" menu, are off the screen entirely. After three more tech support conversations, Dell agreed that the video card -- the video card on my replacement computer -- must be defective. I have a new computer, but the problems are the same.
I am now in my fifth week at school. During this time, I have taken notes by hand, borrowed a laptop from a generous classmate, and contemplated how large a class action Marks and Harrison could put together. I have also wondered why I wasn't attracted to the talking cow instead of the Dell surfer spokesman.
Essentially, Dell has manufactured a subpar product. It has replaced its defective, subpar parts with refurbished, previously-defective, subpar parts. The Dell Service Contract states, quite clearly, that "Dell uses new and reconditioned parts made by various manufacturers in performing warranty repairs." I have never had a part shipped to me that was not reconditioned. As the video card on my replacement computer doesn't work, it appears that the replacements themselves do not necessarily work.
The tech support people have generally been polite and have tried very hard. Unfortunately, their approach is not to solve problems like providing an overall working computer. Their task is to fix each problem, one component at a time. This approach has flaws, as far as taking time away from the customers is concerned.
My woeful tale is a plea for the Law School and Cavalier Computers to list other manufacturers and other offers.
Of course, people have the freedom to make choices on their own. Presumably, law students have enough acumen to look at choices other than those offered at one store. Dell's laptops, however, are hideously inadequate to deserve exclusive billing from a University-affiliated store. Cavalier Computers would increase the possibility of having happy (and repeat) customers by offering some other brands.
(Seth Wood's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at swood@cavalierdaily.com.)
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