Just got off the phone with #dell only to have them inform me that they don't support their default configuration (opened the computer turned it on, experienced problems). Basically, "we don't do software support without a $250 support contract". Thanks Dell...
(mind you, still more helpful than than #futureshop )
I'm sorry to say that I don't know any company with good tech support these days. I have gone the route of buying from the more expensive company with a rep for good support (as you presumably did with dell) and, while they did pick up the phone and were super nice, they were still ultimately useless with what turned out to be a problem with their own bloatware (I expect they knew and were not allowed to say). I have since gone with the cheap, disposable laptops.