Dell does not include OS on DVD with purchase

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Is it only me?

I just had an online chat with Dell. I was asked by a friend to help with a purchase of a laptop. And I haven’t purchased a laptop in about two years. Anyway, I chatted with Dell because as I was ordering I noticed that Dell says you don’t get a recovery DVD or even the OS on DVD with initial purchase. See pic below. So I chatted with Dell because surely I must be reading their message wrong. I mean who buys a PC without the OS on DVD?

Here’s the chat log:
Time Details
11/11/2010 05:20:34PM Session Started with Agent (***)
11/11/2010 05:20:40PM Agent (Dell Agent): “HI”
11/11/2010 05:20:43PM Brian: “Hello”
11/11/2010 05:20:46PM Brian: “Hi”
11/11/2010 05:20:49PM Agent (Dell Agent): “Welcome to Dell US Chat! My name is sujitha and I will be your Dell.com Sales Chat Expert. I can be reached at s***@dell.com or via phone at 1-****-BUY-DELL ext. ***25. How can I help you today?”
11/11/2010 05:20:59PM Brian: “Question about the OS when buying a laptop for home use.”
11/11/2010 05:21:04PM Brian: “It says “Operating systems DO NOT include a recovery disk, Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Outlook. Please see Office Software section to select these productivity options.””
11/11/2010 05:21:23PM Brian: “Do I get a DVD with a license for Windows or no?”
11/11/2010 05:22:01PM Agent (Dell Agent): “may i know which system are you looking for ?”
11/11/2010 05:22:15PM Brian: “Dell Inspiron ****”
11/11/2010 05:22:36PM Agent (Dell Agent): “Well this system do not come with the recovery disks.”
11/11/2010 05:22:59PM Brian: “Well, do they come with the OS on DVD?”
11/11/2010 05:23:04PM Brian: “or CDs?”
11/11/2010 05:23:14PM Brian: “What if I want to wipe the drive and install Fresh?”
11/11/2010 05:23:34PM Agent (Dell Agent): “No,You will need to order them once you get the system.”
11/11/2010 05:23:44PM Agent (Dell Agent): “By calling the technical team.”
11/11/2010 05:24:11PM Brian: “How much?”
11/11/2010 05:24:41PM Agent (Dell Agent): “It will be free of cost if you order for the 1st time.”
11/11/2010 05:25:01PM Brian: “exactly, what do youmean by that, “No,You will need to order them once you get the system.” What am I ordering? An OEM of Windows?”
11/11/2010 05:25:37PM Agent (Dell Agent): “You will need to call the technical team if you want the disks for the OS.”
11/11/2010 05:25:46PM Brian: “Crazy Thanks”
11/11/2010 05:25:51PM Session Ended

[note: Dell Agents name is removed. So is Agent’s email and phone extension]

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Forgive me if I mention something you already have…just read the headline and first paragraph.

These days its very common not to get anything with the PC, but there is a recovery partition, often the ability to make a set of recovery/restore DVDs, and with Windows 7, the ability to image the system and stick that away for a rainy day.

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but there is a recovery partition, often the ability to make a set of recovery/restore DVDs, and with Windows 7, the ability to image the system and stick that away for a rainy day.

At least they include that ability.

Personally, I think it’s a sad state of affairs when Microsoft Windows PC makers don’t include the OS on removable media. It hurts the U.S. consumer. But, obviously they don’t care. Which, in my humble opinion, is indicative of the greed that is granted to Corporations by the Government. Or, maybe I’m wrong?

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It’s becoming more and more common. Folks should make note of this and attempt to order the install disk at time of purchase, even if it means talking to a rep.
I don’t know why many companies do this, maybe it’s an attempt to shave a few bucks with volume licences. To me, it amounts to a dumbed down PC.
Personally, I want the guenuine MS operating system disk, not an OEM disk or hidden partition.

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I have purchased 3 Dell laptops. Two of them are Inspirons, one is a Studio. The first Inspiron had a utility to burn a one time copy of the installation CD. That is a Dell customized (with all the drivers, but no Dell utilites), Syspreped Windows XP OS. The second laptop came with nothing. 3 years after the purchase I decided to upgrade the HD and wanted the original set of disks. I was willing to pay for them. I called Dell tech support and explained what I was doing. The tech said, oh, so you can’t boot your laptop up? Thinking that he was reading a script, I explained again what I was doing. He repeated what he said the first time, but he added that he’ll do anything to help me, so he’d send out the set of CDs right away. He said I should call again if the CDs didn’t help, but he was going to close the case. I got the CD kit and everything I needed was there. No charge, although there was an “invoice” attached to my Dell account for just over $50. It showed as paid. What the tech did was offer to send the CDs for free under the guise that I actually had a problem he was trying to help solve.

My Studio 1555 (purchased in Jan of 2010) came with a full set of CDs. A Windows 7 Home Premium x64 DVD, a driver disk, a utility disk, and a CD with manuals in .pdf format. All in a nice cardboard “booklet”. Must be the “bonus” I get for spending a little extra on a higher model. So as your agent said, “Well this system do not come with the recovery disks.”. What he/she was referring to was the higher level systems do come with the disks, the lower ones (Inspiron) do not. The techs seem to “get it”, in that they know this whole thing frustrates customers. So he/she gave you an out to make sure you do get the disks that you are looking for.

I have to say, I don’t like it either, but Dell is one of the few that actually do make disks available for the asking. I agree that its greed. What’s it cost at the very least to include a copy of the image on the PC so that you can burn your own copy. Better yet, for the $.75 it costs them, just include the disks in the first place.

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Its not so much greed (though in the long run it is profitability) as it is fear or suspicion that everyone’s a pirate, or at least think along the lowest common denominator lines of pirating software, so Microsoft wants customized discs available or to be made available that will only be pertinent to the system they ship with…and not work genericly with any other.

I don’t agree with the policy either but Microsoft can make something of a case when you see how cheaply they have to sell thier product in some Asian countries…to try and compete with the pirated versions!

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Its not so much greed (though in the long run it is profitability)

Byron,

You hit the nail on the head. Dell is a company operating in a Capitalist system. You make money or your go out of business. The computer business has become a commodity business, e.g. the consumer will buy the one with the most for the least. They have to keep their costs down because the consumer demands a low price. I remember 10 years back when the saying was the computer you want always costs $3K. Now that’s usually less than $1K not too shabby. This model is the same in the Airline business that’s why it’s no fun to fly any more. It’s all about giving you a low price to get you hooked then pay for the extras to get what you want. Ditto for the Auto industry, ever try to buy a car for the price advertised on TV on in the Paper…good luck! The old adage still applies “You get what you PAY for!”

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Brian,

Slight off the rant topic (I also can’t believe a simple very low cost DVD is not included, most only include a recovery partition which consumes valuable HD space) create your own recovery disks. Simply create an Image, and then create new up to date images as you change the configuration or layout, or add apps, etc. An image can be used to restore your OS to the exact copy of where it was when you decided to restore in about 15 minutes or so. What could be more timely or exacting. You will find various discussions about imaging in the Security and Backups forum.

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I would make an image but I’d rather a clean image. Without all the junk that Corporations include for the home user market.

But, maybe the default OS that boots is clean? Probably not. And who knows what settings they mucked with when creating the image for the laptop. What about the recovery partition? Is it clean and not full of junk? Well, maybe it is? But, Dell doesn’t know. And anyway, why would I want 40GB of my new disk full of a recovery partition because Dell is too cheap to be what I consider fair? Maybe I’ll run out of disk space and buy a new 40GB expansion drive made by Seagate sold by Dell?

But, like Dell said, they will mail out a copy of the OS on DVD if I ask for it. Great, I’ll order my $489 laptop and then when it comes I’ll call them and let them know it was “told” to me in a pre-sales call that I’ll get the OS on DVD mailed to me for free. That should only take me about sixty minutes of telephone time and two weeks for the mail.

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You’ll find this on more than just dells, due to the big manufacturers installing a pre-built, pre-activated copy of Windows, using a volume license key that is locked to the Bios of the model of computer, and imaging it, in the same way as you might use Norton Ghost etc since as it is cheaper and easier for the builder… A disk of the OS is just another extra – that key on the side of the computer is not even the key your OS is using when you get it…

As said though, this image often includes a recovery partition that enables you to restore your OS by manually recopying files – similar to reinstalling the disk, or sometimes one that prompts you to burn a cd of it. Unfortunately, in the event of a disk failure, it causes certain problems…

Unfortunately, underneath all the T&C’s and EULA’s, there is always clauses that they don’t need to provide you a full retail copy of Windows with your new system, which is why it doesn’t cost an extra £200…

Just be glad it’s not an Acer: Acer recovery disk That’s right – £15 for a pre-burnt disk… delivery price not included. and no you don’t get one with the computer.

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