Dell Outlet Malls

About Dell

Dell Computers was formed to develop, sell and then support customer specific computers, related products and other services. Started as a small company, it quickly rose to become one of the largest technology corporations in the entire world. It has a number of employees - more than 1,033,000 people at last count in Dell factories, stores and in other roles in many locations all around the world. Dell is listed at number 41 on the Fortune 500 list and is the United States’ third largest PC maker. The company has expanded and changed several times since it was started.

Dell Company History

In 1984, then student, Michael Dell founded a company he called PCs Unlimited. He would soon drop out of the University of Texas at Austin to focus on the budding computer company. His family gave him some expansion capital, equal to $300,000. In the following year, Dell would launch the first computer of his company’s own design, a model he called the Turbo PC. The budding company did well that first year, grossing more than 70 million dollars.

The company name became Dell Computer Corporation in 1988. Revenue for that year leaped to more than 80 million dollars. By 1992, Michael Dell was named the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

In 1996 Dell started selling computers through its website. Expansion started in 2002 with Dell selling items ranging from televisions, tablet style computers, digital audio players and printers. That same year, Dell merged with one of its competitors, Hewlett-Packard. The company again changed its name in 2003, dropping the word “computer” from the title and becoming Dell Incorporated.

Shopping for a Dell

The company opened a number of retail stores in India, while it relied on selling in various, established stores in the US. During the early 90s, the stores that featured Dell computers included Best Buy, Costco and Sam’s Club. They stopped selling in those stores in 1994 for a while, coming back to Sam’s Clubs, Wal Mart, Best Buy and Staples stores in 2007. Dell computers were sold in Sears stores for a brief time in 2003.

Kiosk Shopping for a Dell

Dell opened several small demonstration only kiosks starting in 2002. That program expanded three years later with kiosks opening in Australia, Canada and Singapore. In 2008, the company shut down all of the kiosks in the United States, closing down the Australian kiosks in 2010.

Shopping for a Dell in Person

In 2006, Dell opened a single store in the NorthPark Center in Dallas, Texas selling some of the company’s top models. In addition, that location also included a technical service center. That portion of the store was closed and staff laid off in 2008. In 2008, Dell opened stores in Canada at the Staples store.

Awards and More for Dell

Dell was named to the Fortune 500, ranking number 41 on that list. The magazine also ranked it as the sixth largest company in the state of Texas by revenue. It is also the second largest company that does not produce oil in that state. In Austin, the state’s capital, Dell is the largest company.

How to Get the Best Price on Dell Computers

There are no Dell outlets in the traditional sense; however, there are Dell outlet online stores that allow you to buy items that include refurbished or returned computers, televisions and more at deeply discounted prices. In addition to ordering items directly from the site, it is possible to track orders, contact customer service or make contact to ask questions. It is possible to find coupons and online discount offers that reduce or eliminate shipping charges as well as other options that can bring the final price down dramatically.

Another option is the Dell bidding program, which allows you to bid on refurbished, off lease computers and other items. The bidding is free and every item has a satisfaction guarantee (30 days). All auctions last three days or less, and each item that is won will be shipped on the next business day.

To easily afford your new Dell purchase there are several financing options for consumers and businesses from small to large. There are also financing options for public or nonprofit companies as well.

Latest Arrivals at Dell

One of the latest products offered by Dell is a tablet computer called the Latitude ST. Tablets are similar to laptop computers with some major differences, including the fact that it has an opened design and is much smaller and lighter than the traditional laptop. It operates on the Windows 7 system and has a number of familiar features. This tablet weighs less than two pounds so that it can be easily carried by the busy professional.

Top Selling Items at Dell

There are two items that sell exceptionally well for Dell, those are:

• The Vostro 1540 Laptop computer - The Vostro runs the Windows 7 OS for professionals and features a screen that is 15.6 inches wide.

• The Optiplex 990 Desktop computer - Available in four different sizes including the mini tower, the desktop, the small form factor and the ultra form factor, this is one of Dell’s most popular and best selling desktop models.

Hot Topics for Dell Incorporated

The Dell Corporation is the cosponsor of the Dell Diamond the home of the Round Rock Express baseball team. This is the AAA minor league affiliate of the Texas Ranger’s major league team. 

Dell Goes Green

Dell was one of the first companies in the information technology industry to list production recycling goals. It also announced that it had plans to reduce its own production of greenhouse gases by nearly half with the goal of reaching that level in the year 2015. It received an award for recycling work in 2007. The company has recycled not only computers and computer batteries but other parts as well. That program has brought in millions of pounds of post consumer products, outdated machines and broken computers.

Concerns about Dell’s Future

Computer sales for all companies are faltering for a number of reasons. Desktops and to some degree, laptop computers are starting to become a thing of the past. More and more people are using tablets and smart phones for most if not all of their communication and computing needs, sticking to a single, handheld device that allows them to surf the web, send an email and then make a call all from a lightweight business or personal tool. While Dell finally released a tablet (The Latitude ST) it was only after a number of its competitors had already released and had great success with their own.