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Dell trips up over laptop components

Delays aplenty

Dell customers hoping to bag an XPS M1710 laptop may find themselves twiddling their fingers for a very long time as they sit at home waiting for the doorbell to ring.

The direct PC box shifter has been struggling to turn around its production line quickly enough to deliver a range of new laptops within a reasonable timeframe.

One disgruntled customer contacted The Register after he learned that his estimated delivery date had been pushed back by a whopping six weeks.

Dell told him in an email that "due to the popularity of the product you have ordered there has been a delay at our suppliers". (Ed. I thought Dell was the supplier?)

Our reader telephoned the computer maker's helpline only to be told that Dell, which has been pre-occupied with attempting to woo the channel by going indirect, was having a problem sourcing displays for the laptop model.

Dell said in a statement that a worldwide laptop components shortage was to blame for the backlog. It said:

Dell is seeing supply constraints across various components, including LCD displays used in notebooks and monitors.

Depending upon the model ordered by the customer and options chosen, the components included in their order will vary.

We understand that customers are frustrated because this is not a common occurrence for Dell.

We are making steady progress toward addressing the backlog of orders. Teams are working around the clock globally to decrease the number of systems affected by delays.

We regret any inconvenience this may be causing our customers.

But this is the latest in a series of production blunders at the firm.

Just last month, Dell confirmed that its range of colourful Inspiron laptops would not ship to customers on time due to a manufacturing cock-up with the paint being contaminated by dust. ®

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