I'll start by echoing all of the other comments about speed. Goodness, I've other things to do than wait for the page to change from one screen to the next.
Secondly, the amount of mis-information presented is often ridiculous. For example, suppose I want to purchase a 1U Intel server. Dell's server configuration is a real strong point, sometimes. I can choose from an R200, R210, R300, R410, R610. What's the difference? It's too hard to look at just those, so I 'Narrow my selection' and click on 1U for Server Form Factor. Great. Now I can see... the 200 and 210. Are the others not really 1U? OK... I'll unselect the 1U, and muddle through. I now see that there are 48 results. On the first page, the 610 and 410 are both listed 4 times. At least in this view I can understand what the difference is between them.
I'll select the 610. Look at the processor choices..! Is Turbo faster than 800Mhz? What's an HT? Going way back to the first page, the 610 is supposed to come in quad core and dual core configs, but you can't see that here, without searching all of the processor types..
So, I continue spec'ing (by artifice and magic) out a server, painfully running through the line items (memory is particularly difficult... a menu of layout, amount, speed, type, etc would be so much better than the long (in this case, 40 or so) list of options. Same wiht the OS, but the list is now closer to 60.
Now we get to controllers. No where can I find out what the difference is between a PERC and a CERC. (Yes, I know, but it's a good example).
The endless and irrelevant software section comes next. A collapse all section would go a long way to addressing that.
Having spent 25 minutes poring over search results, someone walks into my office with a question. I then have to go to a meeting. I come back an hour later, and I've been logged out, and the configuration I had is now gone.
I place a call to our network group regarding who their buying servers from now, because I just can't take it anymore.
While we're at it, I was looking at blades last night. Of course, I'm not allowed to get even a ballpark estimate of what a blade enclosure is going to cost. I also found out that if I order a non-redundant power supply, it may delay my ship date. If I order a redundant power supply, it may delay my ship date. Really, I expect the guy who wrote these things to pop up and tell me he's here until Thursday, and I should try the veal and tip my cocktail waitress well.
Further, and on a completely different issue, I find it quite surprising that I get absolutely no notification from Dell that there's a coming line change and introducing the new line. I buy a fair number of Optiplexes per year. Wouldn't Dell like to tell me to why I want to buy the new 760 over the 755s I've been buying?
On the other hand, I am appreciative that Premier now works with browsers other than IE, although I fear that that might be due to the efforts of the browser, rather than Dell.
ThatWouldBeMe10.0
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