Introduction
Dell Dimension XPS Gen-4 SystemOver the past 18 months or so, HEXUS has had the opportunity to review complete systems from well-known system-builders such as MESH, Evesham, Scan, and Armari, to name but a few. The general consensus has been that pre-built systems now offer remarkable value-for-money, so much so that it's often not possible to assemble one yourself for less money; one of the allures of going down the DIY route. Pre-built systems now also score well with respect to configurability and expandability. Further, all will carry some warranty, should things go wrong. That's why, sometimes, even enthusiasts opt for the easier option and simply buy a ready-made desktop with all the trimmings.
Think of the first name that pops into your mind when considering consumer-level PC systems. I'd wager that most people would say Dell, and for good reason. The U.S. giant has steadily been encroaching on the U.K market. The approach hasn't been subtle in the least, with Dell favouring huge media blitzes that only an uber-rich company could ever hope to bankroll. The end result has been market awareness in record time. Dell's also realised that it needs to woo the entire spectrum of buyers, right from the granny looking for a no-frills PC that's used to send emails and crop photos, to the enthusiast looking for cutting-edge technology right here, right now. Dell's Dimension XPS desktop systems purport to do just that, that is, offer a mind-boggling array of hardware options inside a specially-designed chassis.
We already know that smaller system builders can tailor PCs that can compete with pretty much whatever the enthusiast can build themselves. The question is whether Dell can, and still keep the low, low prices associated with Michael Dell's empire.
