DELL Venue 8 - a rant

Anyone who thinks Dell actually listen to their customers or even gives a damn about them has got it all wrong. Anyone who thinks that the Dell Venue 8 is without problems has got it all wrong. Personally I think I've been duped with by Dell.

You won't see many complaints from lawyers or executives about the Dell Venue 8. Of course not, they won't be looking at a budget tablet will they! Those guys will go for the expensive big brand name tablets which most probably be tax deductible. In my case the only affordable tablet as a senior, was this piece of crap by Dell.

The tablet isn't all crap but if the complaints are not looked into and dealt with, it might as well be since I couldn't use it.

Not unlike others I usually only leave a review when I'm extremely angry at a company, service or product or I've had an extremely happy experience with a company, product or service.Now, the unfortunate thing is there are professional reviewers out there propping-up products and those reviewers, I think, should make it known up-front they're being paid or somehow rewarded for their reviews.

On the other hand there are those who, for some reason or other feel they should write a review within a couple of days of purchasing a product or service. I just paid for a product with my hard-earned money and you want me to tap on the like button? I give you my money and you want me to give you free frikin advertising? You got that one wrong pal.

Just in case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm pretty pissed-off at Dell. My experience with the Dell Venue 8 got me pretty frustrated and after doing some web research I finally went to the website of the place where I purchased the V8 - futureshop (a subsidiary of Bestbuy)

I started writing the review using the V8 but then I got a hell of a surprise. I ended up having to use my netbook because the first problem I had to face was the inability to tap on a star. I thought it was the website itself until I accessed the website using my phone, my V8 and the netbook. Let me explain this using pictures.

Fig. 1 Notice the 5 white stars

 So, if I was going to write a review I would need to click or tap on a number of stars. Using the netbook and the phone I had no problem (see Fig. 3) but using the V8 just wasn't cutting it. Go ahead give it a try.

Fig. 2 Notice the one red star

Fig. 3 Dell Venue 8 get a single star

I realise this review is longer than what I originally intended but the story had to be told.

The frustration finally got the best of me and today I decided to call Dell to try to solve the technical issues.

After 20 minutes of waiting of waiting what seemed to be an eternity I got to speak to a person.

On three occasions during the telephone call I had to remind that person that I was using the Android and not the Windows (Venue 8 Pro) version.

This person tells me I've had the tablet for a hundred twenty odd days - I almost blew a gasket - I cannot understand how DELL made it to where it is in the desktop market with these issues. My DELL Venue 8 tablet is 33 days old. They corrected themselves and finally said that's the date it was sent to the retailer.

So, am I getting any closer to the end of this rant you ask, yes I am. I am a technical and user documentation author so I tend to get into too much detail at times so please bear with me.

The difficulties I've faced are pretty much the same as what others are facing. Here are the main points:

• The tablet sometimes shuts-down and reboot on its own. When it does, it will change the wallpaper to a default wallpaper on its own and for no specific reason. 
• On some websites the pages are not rendered properly.Black boxes appear all over and the tablet goes crazy. I believe this is happening more often on sites like feedly.com
• Once this happens, I can no longer do a screen capture and have to shut the tablet down
• And like everybody else the tablet sometimes freezes and I need to power off and back on again.

Fig. 4 Black boxes

Fig. 5 More black boxes

Fig. 6 I wasn't the only one with black boxes

Fig. 6 Black boxes Dell hasn't heard of.

I might not be a technician but this all seems to me that it is graphics problem.

What bothers the crap out of me is that DELL knows there's something wrong (as can be witnessed by other reviews) but they will not admit to it. If it was a auto mobile everyone would jump on the bandwagon with a class-action suit of some kind.

So what I'm saying is that the DELL Venue 8 might look cheaper on paper when you start comparing to other tablets BUT will end up costing you more in wasted time trying to solve the technical problems which end up NOT being solved. And that's not accounting for the frustration.

Dell, if you're reading this, I want my money back and I also want to be paid for wasting my time.

D-Link DAP 1320 Range Extender

As you well know when it comes to products or services I don't like, I'm first to let the whole of the listening public know about them.

On the other hand, if I find something which really pleases me, get out of my way, because I want to be even faster to shout it from the highest point.

This week I got bored and flipped-open the BestBuy flyer. They had a sale on the DAP 1320 Range Extender, $44.99 plus tax, affordable I thought. And, if it worked, then more than reasonable.


My router is located in the basement but sits on a window sill next to the driveway and a few feet away from where I sit to have my coffee or vino or read the paper even. Yet the signal, because of the metal and interferance sucks big-time. It doesn't matter whether I'm using my cell, tablet or netbook its always very poor signal.

So, having given the advert all of 5 seconds of thought I planned to go and get me one. As always, the staff at BestBuy and sister-company Future Shop need a swift kick in the arse. Why is it I need to go looking for them instead of the other way round. Oh! I know, they're too busy talking to each other. Do they know their products? No. Do they listen to your questions? No, because they give you an answer to something totally different to what you asked.

Took it home on the premise that if it didn't work I could return it.

Plugged it in, followed the directions and yes, was up and running with a huge improvement to the signal in the garage, which went from non-existent or poor to EXCELLENT imagine the joy.

NOTE: The setup takes less than 10 minutes. Use the browser setup instead of resetting the router - it's easier.

The product far exceeded my expectations and that is difficult to do.

Would I recommend this product? You bet your bippie I would. Well done D-Link. If only I had seen this a couple of years ago, sure would have saved me a lot of frustration and aggravation.

D-Link gets my approval and that's why I'll keep buying their networking products as I have in the past.

Rogers and SportsNet and the Champions League

Rogers and SportsNet and the Champions League

I never thought that petit moi could scare-off the empire of Rogers Communications and its affiliated SportsNet.

What's pissed me off this time is their coverage of the Champions League. So, I decided to go to their forum pages and, as usual, complain. If you don't say anything you'll get nowhere. Capisce!!

On the forum I wrote that:

• if their facebook pages has an "unlike" button I would click it a thousand times
• they (SportsNet) don't have a contact email on their web pages
• if a soccer game is transmitted in widescreen (envelope size) why don't they broadcast it in the same way. Instead, they broadcast it in normal (old style) size which in turn cuts-off parts of the left and right side of the screen. I've seen them switch so I know they can do it.
• And finally, I protested that they have a bias in favour of the English or Spanish teams and  against Italian teams. I receive or subscribe to 6 of their channels (at least) through Cogeco Cable. Channels 54, 68, 151, 152, 153, 421 and 426. Of those Channels 4 were yesterday Tuesday, 23rd October) broadcasting the Manchester United game and another was broadcasting the Barca game. The Juventus game was relegated to 4 in the morning (24th October). Today's (24th October) games, the same thing.

Their reply to my post on the forum was to DELETE it. I never thought they would be afraid of one comment from a little guy with a moustache.

Champions League Fig. 1

Champions League Fig. 2

 The above two figures are screen shots of the SportsNet website.

So, in other words both SportsNet and Rogers - YOU SUCK CARDBOARD

EuroSport World and Telelatino or TLN

TLN you suck

In addition to a Saturday afternoon game, TLN (Telelatino, Cogeco Cable 33) used to broadcast 3 Serie A soccer games every Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

I was spoilt by TLN and really looked forward to Serie A action. In addition TLN used to show EUROPA League matches but snatched them away when it came to Quarter Finals and beyond. 

The Saturday games were taken away - without notice; and all-of-a-sudden, this Sunday we're told that the 2:45 p.m. EST game (LIVE) will be exclusively broadcast on EuroSport World. There's only 6 frickin games left before the end of the season you bastards.

So, here's an open letter to Joe Vitale;

Mr Vitale,

As a major shareholder in Euro World Sport AND advertisers on TLN we think your decision to take away the Serie A afternoon game is outrageous, especially given the fact that not all of us have access to Rogers and, as you well know Cogeco and others except Manitoba carry your signal.

You're doing this at the 6 games before the end of the season BECAUSE??????

If alienation is what you're aiming for, you're doing a great job. You did it with the Europa League as well - and then when it comes to the quarter finals and beyond - you take it away.

Unfair and not very customer friendly.

Looking forward to your reply.

Thanks you

If I thought in any way that a boycott of advertisers on TLN would do me any good I would start one but, unfortunately, I think the majority of people who would watch Serie A, are located in the GTA (Toronto and environs) and easily have access to other cable providers.

There are 6 frikin games left in Serie A and they snatch the broadcasting from us!!! They could have at least waited and given those who have access to Rogers to switch for next year - maybe not. FCUK U TLN!

Reference: TLN on Wikipedia

RCA RLEDV2479A LEDTV

As one can tell I don't often blog but when I do, it is to tell others about a product or service.

I know I should do it more often but one has to find the time.

Walmart has a sale this weekend for a 24" RCA LED TV/DVD Combo. I don't care much about the DVD - with or without it made no difference.

The main objective was, that it had be small (i.e. no bigger than 24") and had to have a earphone jack - as simple as that.

Price was decent enough and affordable so I went to pick one up.

Got it home, out of the box, connected and ready to go. The ad looks like this:

Picture quality - for a 1080 connected to cable = HORRIBLE
Sound quality - I've had better sound from a cracked speaker. Sound is terrifyingly tinny.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PIECE CRAP.

iPAQ replacement battery from ebay

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting pretty tired of being taken for a ride by ebay merchants and ebay does nothing about.

With impunity these guys are allowed to circumvent ebay policies at OUR expense.

For example, I recently purchased a couple of batteries from http://stores.shop.ebay.ca/Cellular-Link-Wireless__W0QQ_armrsZ1. The price was OK and I had already purchased batteries from this guy before - about three or four years ago.

The iPAQ battery

Shipping and handling was $2.99 per item and an additional COMPULSORY insurance of $2.00 - in US funds. The problem I have with this guy is the fact that when the package arrived there was NO INSURANCE and the postage was $1.18 - Canadian funds. That's about 300% when you consider the exchange rate. Of course you need to remember that since I ordered 2 batteries this guy was also charging for the shipping and handling for the second battery at NO EXTRA COST to him. Are you getting all this.

Costs of shipping

PayPal didn't do anything but then what could they do!!! ebay on the other-hand hasn't yet done anything. Will they investigate? I doubt it but I will give them the benefit-of-the-doubt for now.

Was I cheated when I first ordered from this guy, probably, but I didn't pay much attention then. Are other buyers being cheated by this guy, probably, but perhaps others don't care about being shafted, I do.

Let's do some math:

This seller has 19,000+ sales. If there was only one item per package that's US $19,000 now add to that the profit on the shipping and handling and the figures will speak for themselves.

Hey, I don't mind people making a profit because it takes work, blood, sweat and tears. BUT don't do it at my expense.

Got your own story about ebay? Add a comment.