Dell DOE Discount Prices

20 May 2000

Dell's DOE website describes DOE discount pricing for standard configurations.

For desktop use at SLAC we recommend the Dell OptiPlex model, and for laptop use at SLAC we recommend the Dell Latitude model (see Supported Hardware).

Dell representatives informed us that the best price you get from them is for one of the bundled configurations listed on this website, then add your upgrades as line items. You can upgrade a bundled configuration, but cannot downgrade it (e.g., you can add more RAM but cannot ask for less RAM).

Dell's DOE pricing as quoted on this site for DOE bundles is lower than the Federal Government pricing (GSA), which is in turn lower than educational pricing, which is in turn lower than street price (which you get from the general Dell website). Changes that Dell makes to the DOE bundled configurations and pricing will be reflected on this website.

OptiPlex vs. Dimension desktop systems, and

Latitude vs. Inspiron laptop systems

Dell representatives also informed us that as an institution, we should recommend their OptiPlex rather than their Dimension line for desktop systems, and their Latitude rather than their Inspiron line for laptops. The reasons are:

  1. The Optiplex and Latitude lines are fully tested for maintaining a network of hundreds of computers. Because these configurations are stable over several months, this line is included in the DOE bundled configuration and has the best discount. The OptiPlex and Latitude lines are more expensive than the Dimension and Inspiron  lines, although with the DOE bundle discount the difference is not great.

  2. The Dimension and Inspiron lines have the newest and fastest computers, which may not be most reliable to be maintained in a network of hundreds of computers (although they would be fine for use as home computers).  This is also why the configurations in the Dimension and Inspiron lines may change week to week.  There are problems likely with the availability of Windows NT and Linux drivers for the components.

    For institutions like SLAC where it may take more than a week to process a Purchase Requisition from origin until it reaches the Purchasing buyer, the Dimension configuration may have changed in the meantime. The Dimension line is therefore not carried in the DOE bundled configuration.

Owner: Desktop-Admin
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