I am a computer engineer, (amongst other things) and I have a dell laptop. I love it. When it comes to desktop systems I will buy them (or make the parts) myself. Dealing with laptops is just a pain. I am on my 5th Dell Laptop Power Cable. While I would never buy a Dell Desktop, the laptop itself has been nothing but awesome for me (for years now) but I just have to accept that I am going to go through the power cables like candy. I feel your pain, but trust me, it could be worse.