[Leica] Dell

[Afterswift at aol.com (Afterswift@aol.com)]

The only problem I could find in my 1998 Dell R450 was the power button. 
Instead of using a metal spring to keep it in place, Dell used a flat piece 
of 
plastic held to the front panel (bezel) with two plastic rivets.

After 6 years of daily use, the two rivets popped and the power button 
wobbled and could not work. I solved the problem by replacing the rivets 
with a 
single tiny bolt by drilling a hole from outside the panel through one of 
the old 
plastic rivets. I painted the head of the bolt the same color as the 
computer 
case. The repair is all but invisible. However, the plastic spring is still 
there and is holding up. 

As a back up I ordered a new front panel for $12.50 which contains the power 
switch assembly. I still have it in waiting on a shelf in my storeroom. The 
R450 is a locomotive that seems to last forever. 
About a year after I bought the Dell, the floppy drive failed. Dell Service 
sent a technician to my home who replaced it without cost. He took the old 
drive back for inspection by the factory staff. 

That's the secret behind Dell's success: Their service. Over the years I 
installed a second hard drive and a USB 2 card. I run PhotoShop 5 in the 
Dell, 
which works like a shot. I upgraded Windows 98 to W98SE so I could use an 
external CD burner. The Dell came with a CD DVD player. The original Dell 
17" monitor 
burned out after 5 years of use. Dell admitted they couldn't repair it. I 
replaced it with an LCD flat panel Phillips monitor. The Dell runs a 
commercial 
HP scanner and a couple of card readers. That's all folks.

Bob