I work in a datacenter and office environment that's about 80-90% Dell (and quite large), and can say this - their laptops and servers are very good... durable and reliable with very long shelf lives - we have dozens and dozens of DELL laptops and servers that are in perfect working order, just sitting in storage after 4 or 5 years of continuous use, because they got hideously obsolete before they broke. I use a Dell Latitude that was purchased in 2001 and used continuously to monitor any pages from hardware failures in our data center. Still works like the day it was purchased... but with a 500 Mhz processor, it's not good for much other than sitting on my desk, waiting to receive an alarm about some hard drive failure.
Their "workstations" (basically super high end desktops) are decent too, but their desktops... meh, not so much. I can't recommend Dell for a desktop, but then again, I can't recommend any of the big brands either. Bottom line is that if you buy an OEM desktop, you're getting ripped off. At least Dell offers long warranties on their products, and covers all components on their machines, which is a big plus. Of course, single consumer support kind of sucks (expect 4-6 weeks sort of thing, unless you pay extra for next business day service, which costs a good chunk), but at least you'll get a free replacement if something goes bad. Eventually.
Best option is still to build your own - even if you have to buy half now and half later (if they don't approve enough credit for you). That's what happened my first NewEgg purchase - bought the case, PSU, and monitor first, then after I'd paid that off a month later, I bought the internals.
My first desktop was a Dell years ago when they were a half decent company. Ever since they moved their manufacturing to India I refuse to do any business with them. Not only do they produce an inferior and overpriced product, but they do it while taking jobs away from Americans. I have nothing good to say about Dell.
How is that "taking jobs away from Americans?"
Like you'd be able to find an American willing to work an assembly line job for 10 grand a year. But you offer that same job to India, and the line to apply is around the block. Because in India, the average yearly wage is about $5000. (or was last time I checked). Everyone wins. Some Indian lands a much better job that he/she could ever had dreamed of otherwise, Dell saves money and American consumers get cheaper products. Not to mention the boost American investors get from Dell stock.
Not to mention that all the support and management for that lowly assembly line job is back here, in America, as are the sales jobs. We do a lot of business with Dell where I work, and I've yet to see, talk to, or even exchange emails with any Dell employee who wasn't an American.
And, by the way, just "Being American" isn't a free ride to be middle class with no education or real work skills (manufacturing jobs).
I'd honestly much rather support a well educated, hard working Indian guy than some fat assed American who feels entitled to a good career just because of where he was born and isn't willing to seek out higher education to move up in the corporate world.