Dude, are you getting anything but a headache with a Dell? Some Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts don't believe so lately.

One of the most well-known computer brands in the U.S. is establishing a reputation as one of the most troublesome, recent surveys show.

Purchasers of Dells in greater Fort Lauderdale and throughout the U.S. are seeking computer repair in record numbers, lodging complaints about misleading ads, equipment failure and - perhaps most surprisingly - the unreliable computer service and advice offered by the company.

One national computer repair franchise analyzed thousands of records and reported this week that among five top brands, Dell users had the greatest statistical likelihood of needing aid from a computer service.

As we talked about last week, this same study concluded that Macs beat PCs in terms of overall reliability, according to news reports.

Computers by Lenovo and IBM came in second, followed by HP, Gateway and then Dell. Last year, Dell was in fourth place and Gateway fifth.

On a local note, several South Florida and Greater Fort Lauderdale computer repair firms' data backs up the study's conclusions regarding Dell.

Several agencies - each of which asked to be kept anonymous - said that the bulk of computer reliability and marketing issues they were confronted with in the past year and a half involved Dell computers.

Does this mean you should write off Dell? Not at all, although it pays to take its promotional promises with a boulder of salt.

Customers need to be advised that marketed prices, financing, warranty protection, at-home computer repair and technical help will probably not live up to expectations, though the products may still be well-built.