University Tech Support Frustration

[Froste]

So I put a thread up a little while back where my mother had asked me to choose her out a suitable laptop for work. I decided upon the dell xps 13. Annoyingly even though its payed for by a grant the University she works for required they install waaay overkill management as far as she has to get permission to download anything... The tech place their keeps on delaying giving it too her (I'm pretty sure they are just using it, they admit they really want one...) First they won't allow it because she ordered the cheaper model with 4gb of ram. They told her it wasn't allowed and that she would experience too much lag for even basic browsing (I use a bloody chromebook at school with 2gb of ram and I run like 40 tabs.) I pointed out that they could just replace it with the 8gb model. But then they said that they suggest she use their suggested laptops list. Ughhh.... And now after I insisted that the dell xps 13 was completely adequate for her needs they come fowared JUST NOW to tell her that because it isn't labeled as a business laptop and has a slightly shorter warrantee they wont support it. And they will not service her if she gets it.

At this point she is quite frustrated and I'm hoping that she just tells them to order the 8 gb dell xps 13 2015. And seeing as they wont service it just take it without any of the university restrictions... (like seriously they go and claim their software is needed for the computer to run >.<, My school has far less restrictions...)

Sorry for such a ridiculously long post, I jsut feel that this has been very poorly managed by the tech support that are supposedly their to help. So basically my question's is how does the dell latitude compare to the xps 13, is their any other computer listed as a business laptop that you would suggest (I got kinda hung up on keeping that dell xps 13 its slick as hell lol.)

I think it is worth pointing out I havnt been in any remote contact with the tech support, I get everything second hand from my mom.

[Enderman]

why not just buy it herself as a personal device and not have to deal with any of this crap?

[EpicGeekonFire]

why not just buy it herself as a personal device and not have to deal with any of this crap?

 

I agree, buying anything through that IT dept is like punching your ticket to hell. 

I can see a long road of issues with them and their software. lol. 

[AStateOfTrance]

why not just buy it herself as a personal device and not have to deal with any of this crap?

I second this

[Froste]

Because she doesnt want to pay for it, and she mostly uses it for her work...

[bcredeur97]

Dual boot two OS'es. install the junk on one, and use the other. 

[ImBleu]

Because she doesnt want to pay for it, and she mostly uses it for her work...

 

Could you supply a full list of "supported" "business" laptops. I'd give Lenovo a check, they've got some pretty sleek and well built laptops too.

[NannerBeans]

Because she doesnt want to pay for it, and she mostly uses it for her work...

At first I thought that they were being stupid. Then I realized that your mom doesn't pay for it. What they're doing is completely fine. If your mom wants to choose exactly what laptop she gets and choose what goes on it, she should buy her own. It's a laptop provided by them so they can have whatever stupid rules they want. If she doesn't want to pay for one, just pick one from their list. Their warranty issue is actually a legit issue since money from a grant is regulated and there is probably something in there that says the laptop that the grant is used for must be able to last a certain amount of time and that would require a longer warranty. 

[Froste]

Oh im not calling them stupid for wanting to have their software on it... While its frustrating its understandable. Its them not telling us anything about these requirements until months after they got the laptop... Like litterally they are releasing a new requirement they didnt tell us about ever month...

I will try to get my hands on the list if I can... And of course their paying for it its a work laptop, its used for work.

[Tiby]

Welcome to the corporate world. Don't give the IT Pros too much slck for this (some of them are really nice guys) but they are forced by their company policy to support only a specific range of laptops (usually from the companies that have a contract with them with extended support and return for any type of damage). 

[BOT Edward]

At my workplace we issue out Dell Lattitudes and they are great little machines.

Most of the time their "software" is something like Microsoft SCSM client or something, a tool that can be used to assist support and the role out of application/updates (as well as some virus protection). Their software is probably a corporate image that uses their domain and automatically gets applied group policy...

[Froste]

Well whatever she decides upon hopefully its lighter, and has a larger touchpad... Thats all she uses and it's completely awful... (Im pretty sure she is still using an older dell latitude lol)

[Guest]

Put a Linux Distro in dual boot.

[Kyuubixchidori]

Are you being serious, but no offense she's getting a free laptop. As long as its not interfering with her ability to work, there's nothing to complain about. Imho