This is probably moot in the face of the HP/Compaq merger, but here is a compilation of the comments regarding Dell versus Compaq servers. ---------------------------------------------------- Dell support has been good in the past. Dell is currently selling their servers at or just above cost to increase their market share of installed platforms. I would not take this as a good sign since this will increase their support calls...all other things being equal. I have never had a problem with Dell or COMPAQ server support. The bottom line is COMPAQ has a longer history of making servers. If my choice was based upon server cost, Dell gets the nod. If I base the decision on quality, history and cost then COMPAQ gets the nod after a lot of head scratching....just like you're going through now :-)) ------------------------------------------------------- We were a Compaq shop when we switched to NT 4 years ago. Since that initial server purchase, we started buying Dell. The servers are iron clad. If you have a problem, the support at Dell is pretty good. The one thing that Dell does not have that I loved with Compaq was the Insight Manger product. I was very easy to get the latest drivers/firmware/etc. and install them on the server. Dell has a remote card (DRAC) that will give you the same functionality as the Remote Insight Board, but they do not have a utility that will seamlessly download and install the drivers and firmware updates. They have a product called OpenManage that will allow you to pull down the files by system type but you still have to create diskettes or manually install from the hard drive. Even though Dell does not have a product that is nearly as good as Insight Manager I still choose the Dell's over Compaq. They run as well as Compaq and they have always cost less. Also, I have noticed that Dell does not produce as many system updates as Compaq did, that is why the loss of Insight Manager was not that big of a deal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have been at this state agency for almost two years. We exclusively use Dell servers and Workstations. I am responsible for 29 NT4 servers and haven't had to call Dell support for one of them. I have Dell PowerEdge 1300's, 1550's, 2100's, 2200's, a couple of 2400's,a 2450, and a 6450. Our Novell servers are also Dell Servers. Most have been implemented as a result of a new imaging system rollout. Since this is a small agency, I don't use very many of the remote tools that came with them though. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't know if you will get exact comparisons as their models are slightly different. If you are researching this, it may pay off to check both websites and compare models that you feel are similar. I do know that I have worked with both Compaq and Dell and have liked both. I have about 10 Dell servers that in the almost 2 years we have had them, I have had 1 hard drive fail - that is it. We have 1 Compaq server that just quietly humms along never complaining about anything. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have worked with IBM, Compaq, and Dell, and each had their good and bad sad. Dell has excellent technical support, and helped me bring back a dying PowerEdge 4300, which by the way I have had some serious problems with in the past. PowerEdge 2450 and 2200 were excellent servers and I never had a problem with them. Compaq support, I cannot speak of, as I have NEVER had to call them, a testament to their ProLiant Series of servers, DL320's, DL360's, CL380's, etc. IBM service was very good as well, next day onsite support for their NetFinity 5500 series and 6000 series servers, (the most powerful I have come across), and those machines are very well built also. If cost is your primary concern, and you are looking for decent hardware, and you can deal with the occasional call to tech support, go with Dell. If you want state of the art management technology, with 99.99995% uptime, go with Compaq, or IBM as a second choice. Good luck to you and happy shopping. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We are almost totally a Compaq shop now - (48 Servers and approx 400 W/S) and I must confess to being hugely impressed, the only time we have to call support if hardware - and in the last 5 years that has been 3 Hard Drives (all part of RAID 5 with hot spare arrays - phew!!) and numerous DLT drives... the servers themselves have been ROCK SOLID...... the only experience of Dell is the laptop I am typing on at the moment... no complaints so far in 18 months of sterling service.... As the old saying goes - "you get what you pay for" and it's not always right - I would not touch IBM again in a fit (old decision by an old manager, gone now :-)) - we have engineers working on the 4 Netfinity servers we have in a remote office more than anything else - I won't even mention the AS/400's ;-B If you can handle the budget - go Compaq - Insight Manager rocks (especially with the BMC Patrol stuff they bundle with the latest versions - my servers mail me to say that the tape drive needs to be cleaned now..) ------------------------------------------------------------------- I've always been very happy with Compaq servers and their server support. I still recommend them highly. For lower end servers I have a habit of recomending Dell. Their hardware is solid. I'm not real happy with their support. A Dell laptop eh? I spent almost 4 weeks waiting for a Dell 8100 laptop this summer. Finally cancelled the order and picked up a Compaq 1710T from PCCONNECTION. I got the Compaq 2 days after ordering (because I was too cheap to pay for overnight shipping). I'm glad I did (really nice machine!!). Delivery delays/BS are one of my biggest gripes about Dell. ------------------------------------------------------------------ > How about doing things like firmware upgrades? weak point in my experience. in general Compaq was far more reliable for me : 800 workstations, 200 Dells, 200 CPQs, the rest is a tutty-frutty of white boxes, IBMs, VA Linux, Suns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- What I've felt is that Dell will treat you as if "what have you bought this week?". Especially if you are not a huge Dell shop. Their hardware is barely more than a whitebox clone. Separate 3rd party NIC. Separate 3rd party RAID Adapter (the PERC - PowerEdge Raid Controller has been oem'd by both Adaptec and AMI for different versions). On the Compaq side, Compaq supports the entire contents of their box, not sending you to the component manufacturer like has happened to me on several occaisions with Dell. But I must admit that their field support contractors do get a good education on site, like the one I had to show how to hot swap power supplies on the Dell 6300, and the one that didn't realize that with a blown RAID adapter you couldn't FDISK from DOS to look at partitions (which he insisted upon before replacing the RAID adapter)....ymmv --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks - DR http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ntsysadmin_list_charter.htm
