That's one of the things I didn't mention :-) The reason I have bought 14 Dells is that I do have a very advantageous arrangement with them as a benefit from my husband's employer. One of the benefits is a 3-year next-day on-site warranty.

Still, in spite of the discounts, I'm frustrated that the support has deteriorated so much. Perhaps I should just be more philosophical and accept it. After all, service has deteriorated on almost every product in the last few years. Software support has become increasingly frustrating and I understand why: It's expensive. I know firsthand since I provide support to my customers too. However, I'm not planning on reducing or discontinuing support, even though that would be more lucrative--at least in the short term.