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Dell Server’s “Proprietary Connector” Costs Customer

By Ed Foster, Section Gripes
Posted on Mon Jan 05, 2004 at 06:19:50 PM PDT

A reader writes:

We were going to transfer an internal DAT tape drive from an older Dell server to a new Dell PowerEdge 2600. While scoping the new hardware for fit/rails/etc., I noticed that there were no power cables available in the 5 1/4" drive bays. So I called Dell Tech Support and was told that the only way to add additional drives would be to purchase Dell supplied peripherals which would come with an appropriate backplane that would plug into a proprietary connector to provide power and data transfer connections.

So we got the kit from Dell. It contained a standard DAT drive, plus a standard SCSI cable. The gotcha was a semi-standard power cable that plugged into a power port on the systemboard. I probably could have found this power cable by going to a specialty cable shop or a clone computer shop, but my time is worth more than that. What Dell cheaped out on was in not providing the power cable with the server. They also didn't provide a part number for the power cable, which would have solved my problem. Their tech support was so bad that they caused me to spend $700 that was unnecessary.

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Dell Server’s “Proprietary Connector” Costs Customer | 32 comments (32 topical) | Post A Comment

Standard Dell[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#1)
by Anonymous User on Mon Jan 05, 2004 at 09:34:30 PM PDT

Hasn't this always been Dell's strategy? Provide a decently (but not overly) well-built box that's checklist-compliant (even if some of the checkboxes are a real stretch) at an amazingly low bare-bones price point that gets shot to hell the minute you need to add things like, say, hard drives?

I'll take my overpriced-but-well-built-and-truely-checkbox-compliant HP Proliants, thank you. Or one of these days I'll eval some IBM Boxen.

[ Reply to This ]

Standard Dell...[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#2)
by SMEE on Tue Jan 06, 2004 at 06:33:27 AM PDT

Having done tech support for Dell machines (I've never worked for Dell itself) I can tell you I would never buy one.

I had customers who got DVD drives with bent pins (how did THAT pass final inspection?!?!!) It is almost impossible to bend a pin any other way than during install. Before you're thinking the customer was lying, I had to spend 20 minutes telling the boob how to open the box; unless he's a better liar than Hillary Clinton, I believe him; he was too IT illiterate to be making it up)

Dell's quality control needs a lot of work. They claim to "test" every PC they ship out. They can't. I saw too many errors that a retarded squirrel would have picked up during a simple boot up! <u>IMPORTANT</U>

What the original poster was buying was "Dellware" which is just third-party stuff Dell resells. They don't support it or guarantee it for more than 30 days--a sort of standard Wal-Mart return policy.

I know this for a fact because I repeatedly had to tell poor souls who had bought Digital Cameras that required Firewire cables with their Dell boxes except that the boxes did not have Firewire ports!!!. It would be like calling a truck 4-wheel drive whilst leaving out the transfer case (only an extra 8 grand, no prob!).

"But what do I do?" They would always ask. I'd have to say, "I'm sorry ma'am, I can't provide support on this" and what the heck am I supposed to do <u>over the phone</u> about a Firewire port in the first place!

There were many other stories I could tell you. But that would fill up all of Ed's servers...just kidding.

In my opinion, Dell's aren't even worth the dirt cheap prices they are now advertising. ("$399!" In whispered voice: "Processor, memory, and motherboard are extra..."

If cars were sold the way computers are...there'd be riots in the street. If pharmaceuticals were made the way software is made, the drug industry would be sued out of existence.

Back to the subject. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT buy "Dellware." If you need a peripheral, or any third party prod whether hard- or software, such as a camera, DAT, etc, buy it directly from the manufacturer or a reliable retailer (Fry's would be good if your on the Left Coast; my first VAIO had major XP issues and they exchanged it in less than 20 minutes for a new one with no BS at all).

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

OT: Frys[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#3)
by sconeu on Tue Jan 06, 2004 at 09:49:18 AM PDT

Frys has in the past had major, MAJOR, MAJOR quality issues.

Yeah, their return policy is great, but I tell people who ask me for advice that unless you really know what you're doing, don't buy there.

One time I bought from them: CPU, mobo, video card, CDROM, RAM.

The only thing that didn't need to be exchanged was the video card, and that's because it was in the original shrinkwrap. Other people I know have had similar experiences.

I will admit, though, that they seem to have gotten better recently. But my attitude when dealing with them is still caveat emptor.

--
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the United States of America.
[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Fry's Quality[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#4)
by byelen on Tue Jan 06, 2004 at 11:51:21 AM PDT

And this is their fault how? Last I looked, Fry's does not manufacture, they only retail. If they accepted the return of the defective hardware without any hassle I see no problem. Now if they would only open a store in Denver (grin)....

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

mac soft[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#21)
by Anonymous User on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 07:55:03 PM PDT

links[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#28)
by alhnuf on Thu Aug 14, 2008 at 03:54:15 AM PDT

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][ برامج حماية ضد الفيروسات .. للجوال ][
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تبي تعرف جوالك اصلي ولا تقليد ادخل
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اكتب اي رقم جوال واعرف نوعة
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عرض تفصيلي لنوكيا N71 مدعوم بالصور
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الموبايل الأكثر مبيعا بالعالم
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*** ثلاثة تليفونات محمولة جديدة من سامسونج ***
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ثيم العالمي على الكمبيوتر الكفي Imate &Qutk
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Nokia N78 Preview كل ماتريد معرفته عن نوكيا n78
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اتصل مجانا من موبايلك باي موبايل في العالم
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بعض البرامج الإسلامية
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برنامج صانع الثيمات مع الشرح بالصور
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خدمة مجانية تشكر عليها الاتصالات السعودية>>>>
خدمة مجانية تشكر عليها الاتصالات السعودية>>>>
¨°o.O أضخمـ مكتبه ألعاب N73,N91,N93,E60,N80,..لأجهزه الجيل الثالثـ O.o°¨
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برنامج كميرة جديد جدا
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& 40 نك بلوتوث &
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أعرف سعر الموبيل الاصلى قبل شراءة "وانت فى بيتك"
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¤ô§ô¤اغلى جوال بالعالم~*¤ô§ô¤
¤ô§ô¤اغلى جوال بالعالم~*¤ô§ô¤
كل ما تحتاجة لجوالك صور+نغمات+شعارات +أسرار ارجو التثبيت
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ارسل رسائل مجانيه
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mobimb_demo ميديا براوزر يتوافق مع أجهزة النوكيا وال السوني اريكسون والسامسونج
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[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Fry's Salespeople[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#12)
by Shadocat on Wed Jan 14, 2004 at 08:21:20 AM PDT

I don't have any problem with their quality so long as you aren't getting a re-shelved product. My problem is with their salespeople and their bait and switch attitude (not technically bait and switch, explained below).

They advertise a product for dirt cheap and then the sales people always tell the customers that the advertised product isn't any good and that they shoud go with product B that is 3 times as expensive.

I once sent someone new to computers in there to pick up something and the salesperson had him so confused that he had to call me on his cell phone to assure him that what I sent him for would work.

I contrast this with Micro Center who's sales staff is very good. I went with someone to buy a computer system for his daughter. I just stood in the background and played dumb. My friend was looking at the most expensive printer they had and the sales person pointed him to a less expensive printer that would do the job he needed but would fit in a dorm room better.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Fry's isn't exactly a retailer either[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#15)
by Reziac on Tue Jan 27, 2004 at 03:01:56 PM PDT

Forbes had a big article on this a few years back: At Fry's, each salesperson has their own little area, and only deals with their own goods -- since those are the only ones they make any money with (so naturally, there is a lot of bait-and-switch). It operates exactly like a swapmeet. Fry's itself is essentially just the "bank" for all these subcontracters.

I've learned long ago, NEVER buy anything at Fry's unless it comes with a manufacturer's warranty from a well-known company that stands behind their products, so if something does go wrong, I won't have to deal with Fry's (where your warranty is worth squat).
~REZ~
[ Parent | Reply to This ]

222[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#23)
by Anonymous User on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 06:33:56 AM PDT

55[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#24)
by Anonymous User on Tue Aug 12, 2008 at 03:55:05 AM PDT

jawal[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#29)
by Anonymous User on Thu Aug 14, 2008 at 07:24:34 AM PDT

اجمل لعبتين على النوكيا حملها من هنا
اجمل لعبتين على النوكيا حملها من هنا
ثيم العالمي لنوكيا من تصميمي لايفووتكم رووعه
ثيم العالمي لنوكيا من تصميمي لايفووتكم رووعه
اقوى مجموعة برامج ل6600/3650/6330/7610/.... بالمنتديات
اقوى مجموعة برامج ل6600/3650/6330/7610/.... بالمنتديات
اجعل جوالك اسلامي واستغنى عن كل ما هو قد يسيء الى الدين
اجعل جوالك اسلامي واستغنى عن كل ما هو قد يسيء الى الدين
مجموعة العاب جديدة وخطيرة للجوال (:
مجموعة العاب جديدة وخطيرة للجوال (:
مشكله فى اللغه العربيه لاسماء الملفات الصوتيه N70 !!
مشكله فى اللغه العربيه لاسماء الملفات الصوتيه N70 !!
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طريقة لتصريف المكالمااااااا&# 1575;ااااات المزعجه جربوها000000000000
دنيا حلوه مع الحلفاوى
دنيا حلوه مع الحلفاوى
استبدل هاتفك الجوّال واحتفظ بالبيانات القديمة
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كيف تعرف جهاز الشخص اللي تبغاه
كيف تعرف جهاز الشخص اللي تبغاه
جميع رموز خدمة 902 هنا (تفعيل أو إيقاف خدمة وغيرها)
جميع رموز خدمة 902 هنا (تفعيل أو إيقاف خدمة وغيرها)
اذا ممكن برنامج
اذا ممكن برنامج
برنامج يحمي جوالك من عدم إغلاق الهاتف ( " 1 " ) تريد تحمي نفسك تعال ادخل
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help me:NOKIA N95
help me:NOKIA N95
خدمة جديدة فى السعودية 000 ( ايميلى = جوالى ) !!!!
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ثـلاثــة هــواتـف جـديده مــن نــــوكيــــا N72 و N73 و N93 (صـــور+مواصفـات ) ...!
ثـلاثــة هــواتـف جـديده مــن نــــوكيــــا N72 و N73 و N93 (صـــور+مواصفـات ) ...!
تحكم في جوال صديقك << حركات حلوه ادخل وشوف
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طريقة ربط الجوال بالكمبيوتر وماهي طريقة الربط
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بس لجوالات نوكيا
بس لجوالات نوكيا
الان:: اطلب اي برنامج يخص جوال 6630 وانا تحت الخدمة بإذن اللــه....(^_*)
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نـقــاط هــامــة في جــهــاز نوكيا 6600
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وش رايكم بنوكيا 3110
وش رايكم بنوكيا 3110

ادخل وعطني رايك بلجوال n73
ادخل وعطني رايك بلجوال n73
ومن غيرك ياسوني متفنن في صناعه الاجهزه تعال شوف احدث كمبيوتر من سوني
ومن غيرك ياسوني متفنن في صناعه الاجهزه تعال شوف احدث كمبيوتر من سوني
تحديد موقع المتصل عبر الجوال
تحديد موقع المتصل عبر الجوال
قبل تبيع جوالك قم بهذه التعليمات...!
قبل تبيع جوالك قم بهذه التعليمات...!
(البنات برسائل الوسائط ينشرون صورهم وهن لا يعلمن
(البنات برسائل الوسائط ينشرون صورهم وهن لا يعلمن
إذا كنت تريد معرفة جوالك أصلي أو تقليد
إذا كنت تريد معرفة جوالك أصلي أو تقليد
اتمنى ان تدخلوا
اتمنى ان تدخلوا
(على حسابي Collect Call )
(على حسابي Collect Call )
الجوال يخصص جوالاً لصغار السن بتكلفة منخفضة وبدون "بلوتوث"
الجوال يخصص جوالاً لصغار السن بتكلفة منخفضة وبدون "بلوتوث"
خـــــــــــــ&# 1600;ـــدع جـــــــــــوا&# 1604;
خـــــــــــــ&# 1600;ـــدع جـــــــــــوا&# 1604;
طريقة زيادة مستوى الصوت لجوالات نوكيا ...بالصور
طريقة زيادة مستوى الصوت لجوالات نوكيا ...بالصور
طريقه تتصل فيها دون ان يظهر رقمك
طريقه تتصل فيها دون ان يظهر رقمك
وش اغرب اسم في جوالك
وش اغرب اسم في جوالك
طريقة بسيطة لمعرفة الأرقام التي بإسمك..
طريقة بسيطة لمعرفة الأرقام التي بإسمك..
من يفهم لجوال N70
من يفهم لجوال N70
من يفهم في الجوالات
من يفهم في الجوالات
تحويل آيه قرأنيه الى مسج غرامي
تحويل آيه قرأنيه الى مسج غرامي
جووالك تحت المجهر....
جووالك تحت المجهر....
طلب ؟؟؟؟؟.....؟؟؟؟؟.....؟؟؟ ;؟؟..
طلب ؟؟؟؟؟.....؟؟؟؟؟.....؟؟؟ ;؟؟..
اللي فاهمين لجوال n73 يدخلون
اللي فاهمين لجوال n73 يدخلون
~***~مـــوســـوعه آسـآمــي للبـلــوتــوث ~***~
~***~مـــوســـوعه آسـآمــي للبـلــوتــوث ~***~
خدمة الرسائل بقناة العربية
خدمة الرسائل بقناة العربية
كيف تتكلم من الجوال بدون ما تصرف ولا ريال ؟؟(..حركة جديده..)
كيف تتكلم من الجوال بدون ما تصرف ولا ريال ؟؟(..حركة جديده..)
ادخل ووافد
ادخل ووافد

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Dell wants to do all Dell support[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#5)
by Howling on Tue Jan 06, 2004 at 11:58:14 AM PDT

The attitude of Dell support is that they (and thier contractors) are the only folk able to do support and maintenance on Dell computers.

We have given up looking to Dell for parts for Dell computers. They don't provide any parts lists or even a price once you have a Dell part number.

I just go online to various venders (including Ebay) to find parts for Dell desktops and laptops.

A recent TV add for Dell's "great support" had me laughing pretty good.

[ Reply to This ]

That's what they are--ads...[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#11)
by Anonymous User on Tue Jan 13, 2004 at 08:06:16 AM PDT

Remember that talk is cheap. Saying you have great support without some sort of verifiable metric could mean that you have support in the "top 95%" of all companies out there. Customer service has gone to shit over the past few years... If you tell people you have good customer service, they're bound to believe you.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Dell's been good to me so far.[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#6)
by wantobe on Wed Jan 07, 2004 at 05:30:16 AM PDT

All of our servers and most of our desktop and laptop systems are Dell, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've never had a problem on any of these machines that, as long as they were under warranty, didn't get fixed by the next business day. For the desktops I just have them send the parts (which arrive the next day) and I fix it myself. I let them muck with the laptops, but they too are working the next day after a local authorized rep comes in to fix it.

Admittedly, I don't buy many "Dellware" items when I purchase the machines, so maybe that's the difference. Still, other than a long wait on hold here and there (not often, but it happens) and an unintelligible accent now and then, I've had nothing but top-notch support. I even strongly recommend Dells to those who ask me, if they don't have a lot of computer knowledge. But I always tell them to pay the extra for on-site support.

Rob Miles
--
There are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Same Here[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#7)
by RocDoc on Wed Jan 07, 2004 at 10:26:12 AM PDT

I've been mostly happy with the quality of the Dell equipment and the support they've provided. I've outfitted dozens of my clients with an "all Dell" environment -- anywhere from a single stand-alone for the home to over 50 units in a client/server configuration. Yes, I've had an occasional hardware failure, such as a dud monitor or a soundcard gone bad, but Dell as always made good on their warranty in a professional and timely manner.

As for "Dellware" -- well, I've been able to get similar (or even exact) items from third party vendors or from eBay. Of course, no support from Dell for these items, but then again, why should they support equipment they did not sell ...

What it boils down to, for me, is: What is the customer's requirement? If the customer can be satisfied with a Dell box with its included software, and does not appear to need upgrades in the near future (one to two years), then I recommend Dell for Price/Performance ratio. As an aside, I used to recommend HP, too, but can no longer due to their merger with Compaq. My experience with Compaq, e-Machines, and Gateway have led me to not recommend them when Dell or a custom built unit will meet their needs.

If the customer indicates a need for specific features, performance, or upgrade capability, then I quote a custom built unit to fit their needs. The purchase price tends to be 25-40% higher for a custom unit, but it will pay for itself in the long run for the customer with the immediate and specialized support that I can supply my customer.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Dell's good... *if*...[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#8)
by CowboyinBRLA on Thu Jan 08, 2004 at 10:19:53 AM PDT

*IF*, that is, you never, ever want to upgrade your system with anything other than a Dell component.

If you're a corporate customer paying for premium level support, sure, they'll be out in 24 hours and can fix almost anything. But if you're a reasonably computer-competent small businessman or home user who wants to upgrade things himself, don't count on it. Dell cases and motherboards are infamous for non-standard power connectors and switch connectors, for instance; try putting a standard ATX motherboard into a Dell case and you'll see what I mean.

Of course, the company has every right to sell computers with parts that can't be replaced by anyone but Dell. However, that ought to be disclosed.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Like the guy below said...[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#10)
by wantobe on Fri Jan 09, 2004 at 08:33:01 AM PDT

I've never had a problem adding third-party components to the desktop systems. I would expect to only use Dell components (memory, for instance) in the servers and laptops, so that's not an issue with me.

The average home user isn't going to upgrade to a newer video card just because one came out this year, or put in a new motherboard, CPU or power supply, so most of the home users I know won't have a problem in that regard. If a component goes bad, that's why I recommend they purchase the service. It doesn't cost a lot, and when you need it it's well worth the price.

Rob Miles
--
There are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who understand binary and those who don't.
[ Parent | Reply to This ]

My Experiences with Dell[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#9)
by Anonymous User on Thu Jan 08, 2004 at 12:23:54 PM PDT

I've read all the posts here as of Jan 8. I guess I've been lucky, because ...

I have a couple of Dell systems myself and my clients have others. On the rare occasions I've had to contact tech support, they've been helpful and exchanged parts. I have personally installed off-the-shelf 3rd-party memory; IDE hard disks, CD-RW drives, and DVD-ROM drives; SCSI hard disks and tape drives; and ISA and PCI cards with zero problems. I've never run into a proprietary connector ... or anything that REQUIRED me to get something from Dell, for that matter. In fact, other than the original system orders, I've never ordered anything from Dell.

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Copyright[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#13)
by Anonymous User on Fri Jan 23, 2004 at 01:45:49 PM PDT

Try exchanging a DELL power supply with a GENERIC power supply. Think all ATX power supply connectors are the same .... (really, don't try this unless you like smoke).

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re: standard and non-standard connectors[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#14)
by plusf on Tue Jan 27, 2004 at 02:02:37 PM PDT

i had the same problem with an hp vectra about four generations ago. i wanted to add a disk drive. the only way they'd sell me the mounting rails was in a kit of ten pairs!!!!!! not exactly economical for me, at about $6 a pair.... someone finally relented and sold me one pair. a few generations later, i bought a Kayak, and found, to my delight, that, along with the disk in the machine, were included about three sets of [much cheaper and better-designed] plastic mounting rails.... my latest Pavilions don't use rails at all: the internal drives are screwed to a sub-chassis that has the room for expansion drives.... of course, if the add-on drive doesn't include enough mounting screws, there's still a challenge... :) +af
plusaf.com
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external option?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#16)
by Anonymous User on Tue Feb 17, 2004 at 02:24:57 PM PDT

In the case of the original story, it would have made much more sense to use the external SCSI port (or get a PCI card) and an external 5.25" SCSI adaptor kit. Actually I probably would have reused one of the many old external SCSI CDrom devices (I think I have seven) laying around my office and converted to the Dell drive. The only thing that would have been a hassle would be to mount the external device in the rack cabinet, in which case I probably would have just sat it on top of the server.

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Time worth that much?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#17)
by Anonymous User on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 03:26:25 PM PDT

I don't mean to be trolling, but I sincerely doubt the author's time is really worth $700/hr if he's swapping drives for a living. The point is that computers once took some electronics knowledge to assemble and operate. And while it's good that Joe User doesn't need that expertise today, those that administer the servers should have the ability to find thier local Radio Shack or even make the part themselves. It would only take an hour, maybe less.

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In reply to Radio Shack Guy[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#18)
by Anonymous User on Mon Jan 03, 2005 at 09:56:35 AM PDT

hmm in reply to the radio shack guy. >>Time worth that much? (none / 0) (#17) >>by Anonymous User on Wed Feb 18th, 2004 at >>03:26:25 PM PDT yeah any stump with a A+ knows they can use a ohms meter and figure out which 4 cables/pins to match up to a Molex connector then rig something together to make it work.. I'm guessing you didn't see that it was actually a server that he was talking about... these aren't the home end user pc that fall under the you get what you pay for these things come with support and a warranty and usually are the lively hood of a corporation and any down time can far exceed $700 dollars an hr. so do a google search see what servers go for then do a google for the cost of a scsi tape drive add the low end and the high end prices and tell me if you want void all future warranty support and or possible permanently damage one or both devices by using your little Mickey mouse cable. I would also like to see you explain to your boss and or ceo that the reason your server keeps going down in the middle of the night, the reason that you haven't had a consistent backup in months and the reason you now have to pay for a complete new setup is cause you wanted to play electronics tech with your little soldering iron. yep I can fix a lot of stuff with duct tape but I'm sure not gonna do that at work with a server that is also the back bone that many coworkers jobs depend on being up 24/7.

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ibelievedu[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#19)
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