Jim Lawrence
accessd at shaw.ca
Tue Jun 5 10:20:13 CDT 2007
Hi Steve: If the friend had not carefully planned the whole install and based his knowledge on the equipment/software recommendations from the Dell Techs their part or lack of it would not so easily be faulted. The installation was based on instructions from Dell and an addition support contract was also purchased. There are not any Dell trained Techs who actually go on site; they just bring in hired-guns like myself. (Many years ago I (my own company) were the Dell distributor for our area. They switched to the direct-purchase model after we had established a solid government client base... and that is another story). < I don't mean to re-open any wounds, here, but this sounds like maybe the equipment being installed was not all purchased from Dell -or- the Dell on-site installation option wasn't purchased. Was Dell being balky and uncooperative because, perhaps, of "non-standard" equipment or do-it-yourself installation? I used to work for a Digital Equipment supplier/custom software house. The guys that ran it had had a very close relationship with DEC for a long time (the VP was given the contract to upgrade the PDP-8 operating system -- yes, this was some time ago; 1983-4 or so). They also had an excellent relationship with the DEC Field Service office people. So if they decided to install a new 10 MB 14" removable disk drive pack (big stuff at the time!) at a client site they could rely on getting good help from the Field Service office even though DEC itself wasn't doing the install. Things have changed since then. > I worked with a PDP 11-70, in 1980, using Intergraph software. The tech service was excellent in those days as the technicians were all fully trained. Tight competition and small margins have eliminated that era I am afraid. < Steve Erbach Neenah, WI > Jim