Tried to order a keyboard from Dell.

Had ordered several from them before on line because I like their keyboards.

Went to their site, tried to pull up my order history, but it didn't work, so I called.  I wound up with someone SOMEWHERE in the world (not the USA), explained that I needed to order the same keyboard I ordered before.  (They had added new ones, so I wasn't sure which one I had ordered, and I couldn't pull up my past order history.)

Anyway, she kept asking me if I was using my business or personal credit card.  I explained my situation to her, that it was just a keyboard, and I wanted to put it on my credit card, but she still kept asking if it was business or personal, so much, in fact, that I became very leery of dealing with her, wound up telling her so and HUNG UP.

Turns out I had to buy a new computer in the last couple of weeks.  My choice WOULD have been Dell, but after my previous experience, I bought an Acer instead and LOVE it.  It's a LOT cheaper and works just fine.

I sometimes feel like the "queen" of on-line ordering, and I've never, ever had an experience with ordering on line that gave me such a negative "gut feeling" as I had with Dell.

All I can say is be very, very careful.

• Will never order a Dell again - me
  • Dell - E-machine lover
  • Get a game port/USB adapter from Radio Shack - This will at - least "solve" that
  • That's because Dell's customer service is outsourced to India. sm - M
    • outsourced for sure - nm
    • Tried to order a keyboard from Dell. - MT
      • Thanks for all the insights. - me
        • I had a very similar experinece with Office Depot. NM - FBL

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I ordered an XPS400, over $1,000, with extras.  I was assured this had a 15-pin game port for transcription, did not need to have it added on.  Get it in the mail today and no game port.  There is a 15-pin port, but the monitor is on it.  They said it included a DVI adaptor for the monitor, said it was included, but it is not.  So I tried Delll Chat and was not able to get through, was told I was not a customer. 

I AM SORRY TO PUT THIS HERE, BUT I CANNOT GET A REPLY FROM MT STARS.  CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THIS BOARD.  THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

ALSO, I KNOW GATEWAY WILL SELL YOU DESKTOP WITH XP, BUT IF YOU WANT A LAPTOP, YOU HAVE TO BUY A REFURBISHED ONE TO GET XP.  THERE IS NO EXTRA CHARGE TO PUT XP ON.

Make sure you get the extended warranty, again, MAKE SURE YOU GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. And, here is why.

My first laptop went out on my, though it was a couple of years old.  Because I had the extended warranty, a service tech came to my house, replaced motherboard, hard drive, heat sink, and keyboard.  He was able to back up everything first and restored it once all the new stuff was in place. 

One of my PCs kept giving some weird blue screen error and I couldn't get to go even in safe mode. I called up Dell, told them the problem, they looked up my extended warranty and they sent someone out to repair it.

Overall, I have been happy with Dell products.  The only drag is that everything Dell sells regarding accessories is proprietary and you have to order it through Dell.  No generic accessories will work.  My suggestion is if you decide to buy a Dell laptop, make sure you get the car power supply and you might even get a 2nd regular power supply because I have been known to leave town and forget the power supply at the house.  Now, I have everything in my laptop bag for when I go out of town and can just throw my laptop in the bag and know everything is there.

Lastly, some Dell laptops require a special aircard to connect to the internet.  I ended up getting a 2 cabled USB air card and I'm glad I did because 2 USB plug ins give better reception than one.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I'm happy to help.

was a piece of junk, so I'm not the one to ask if you should buy a Dell.   I'd get at least double that processor speed.  My computer is about 10 months old and I have 5 times that, which means that there is probably something faster out now, or soon will be.  It is more than I need for work, but I also use computer to download music/pictures, and a bunch of other stuff.   The Dell I had had 650 mHz and it was slow and that was almost 6 years ago.   You may have to customize anyway to get XP unless you buy one previously owned, which you can also buy from Dell.   It is always a good idea to buy bigger than you need currently just to allow for updates to any software or new software you may add.    You need to also think about tech support.  I know Dell has tech support in India, which can be extremely frustrating.  I don't know that other computer companies don't offshore their tech support, but that would be a question I would ask and find out if there is a locally authorized dealer to handle warranty repairs or if you need to send off the computer.    I would not recommend a Gateway computer and I would not recommend any computer that has a Celeron processor.   They tend to be in all the lower end computers. 

I have LOTS of peripherals on both my laptop and desktop Dells and they certainly didn't come from Dell. You've been misinformed.

I love my Dells.

That key printing never wear down because the letters are part of the key itself.  They just don't make them that way anymore because it is too expensive to make.  Some of the mechanical keyboards like Cherry have what they double shot key imprinting and the letters are part of the key itself and don't wear off. That IBM keyboard is very noisy from the type of keyswitch it has so you may not like that.  Logitech and Belkin make some membrane switch keyboards that are supposed to have longer lasting key imprints.  I have a logitech that has the longer lasting key imprints and it is pretty good.  You have to look on the specs to find out if has the longer lasting key printing.

I have experimented so much with keyboards and have done a lot of research.  Way too much info.  

He just came to get the rest of his belongings!  Two police officers were with him.  It's snowing here, but I put everything and I mean EVERYTHING of his outside.  He took his dog and off he went.  I watched all of it from my livingroom window. 

On a personal note, today is his 28th birthday!  I say Happy Freakin' Birthday and GOOOOOOD RIDDANCE!!!!

Here is a list of emoticons to demonstrate how I'm feeling...  It's the beginning of the end of my marriage and I love it.  Whooooooppppeeeeee!!!!!  Congratulate me!!!!!

to desposit an unexpected load in my shorts at winning!  Holy crap that is awesome for you!   I can squeeze the living daylights out of a dollar, and with that kind of cash I'd most definitely put myself down for a sabattacle from the danged keyboard!  I'd invest it, just because I've always wanted to do that but never had nuthin' to work with.  Lame, I know, but I don't call myself "hayseed" for nuthin'! 

Congratulations again!!  Wow!!   

Okay, any lefties use this keyboard? How long did it take to get used to? I use my left thumb for the space bar and I notice on a diagram of the keys that I would always be hitting the backspace key.

I'm really interested in getting a better keyboard. I destroyed my left hand and wrist the other week when I fell because I'm becoming a real klutz.

I bought the Soft Flex gloves, but they only help a little bit. My production is down because of it and it's driving me crazy. I can only type an hour without stopping and then have to rest the hand for some time.

I did buy a Microsoft 2000 keyboard but have yet to recieve it. Is this a good one?

Do you use a keyboard tray with it or just set it on the desk? Do you think a kayboard tray would be the least expensive item right now that would help with a straight keyboard?

Any info you can provide to help me in making any decision would be greatfully appreciated.

'Scuse me for being old school, but I've only ever used a straight keyboard.

From the company board...  Is this legal? To have a gag order on employees?

Here is the link:  http://forum.mtstars.com/company/v/1/4575.html

Call a recruiter. No new employee can tell you this and let me tell you why...

There is a very specific, fairly new paragraph in the information that new hires are sent: If you talk about your salary, you can be terminated.

Salary is dependent on your test scores, your interview, the account you'll be on, and your experience. It differs for everyone, and it is competitve with other MTSOs. Your best bet is to call, or email, a recruiter. Their information can be found on MT Jobs, MT Stars, and MT Desk in their weekly ads.

Best of luck in your job search!

for a home office deduction you have to meet the following criteria.   Don't overdecorate or they may get you...

Those are the big 3, and I've read enough posts on enough boards over the years to say that I think there really is a very strong general consensus on the order I've put them in.  Andrews and M-Tec are actually probably fairly close together in terms of reputation, with Career Step following close behind those 2.

Sounds like it would be more a matter of balancing the costs, time, etc., versus what is offered by each, but if possible, I would think going with Andrews would not only result in better career opportunities, but also just a lot less frustration in the future with difficult dictators, etc., because of the better overall training and foundation they give. 

Can an IC MT also do VR, or is the cost for VR too expensive for IC's to buy and use themselves?  I am curious, as I see many MT's posting about VR, and I wonder if they are transcribing for a company or as an IC.  

Also, if you are an IC and do use VR, what is the best program and how much does it cost.

Thanks for any and all advice~