OT - Dell can kiss my hairy northern nards, Huh? Options

[soloracer]

I went to a family gathering in Montana for a relative of mine who is being shipped to serve in Iraq for two years. He mentioned that they had internet access over there via a wireless network and that he was thinking of getting a laptop. I thought it would be nice for the family to all chip in and buy him one. We could load it with pictures and our e-mail addresses and give it to him before he ships out.

So I called Dell and went through the ordering process. Right at the end I told them that it was going to someone who was being shipped to Iraq for two years. Their response? They cancelled the order!!! They told me that they can't sell to anyone who is taking it to Iraq because Iraq is on a banned list and that if the computer got in the wrong hands they could be held liable. I explained that it was going to a man who was in the military and they basically said that they could care less. WTF?? What do service men use over there for internet access? Two cans and a ball of string?

[skline]

I do computer network support for some large companies and have for the past 9 years. Most of them are Dell houses only and I have not had very many problems with their servers and workstations. The laptops get an abuse unlike the workstations as they are moved around a lot and many people dont take care of them like they should. I like the computers from Dell, I use precision workstations here at home and I have Poweredge servers also here at home and never have any problems with them. But I wont buy any more if they continue to outsource everything to India. They used to be all out of Austin Texas, now they only do management there and everything else is outsourced. That is not the way to run a business. I predict that they will fail if they continue. There is a lot of bad press about the whole thing. There was even talk that they were going to move it all back here to regain what they had if possible. But that didnt happen yet, instead they made them all take english lessons and change their names to something American. Funny though, last time I talked to someone in support for Dell, his name was Jeff and he had a very strong indian accent. I got pissed and told him to let me talk to his supervisor, his name was Andy and he sounded just like Jeff. I finally said screw it and figured it out myself. Time for the nasty letter to Michael Dell.