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Linux Hardware Compatibility List

Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by s3indiana 02/20/07 **IN PROGRESS**

Create a listing of Dell hardware that's compatible with the major Linux distributions (Fedora, OpenSuse, ubuntu, Freespire) providing compatibility with not just systems (desktops and laptops) but include peripherals (printers, camera's, flash drives, compatible routers, etc.). Include levels of compatibility so the reviewer can make an educated choice. This would provide the greatest assistance for those looking at alternatives...

We're working to add something like this to our linux.dell.com wiki. Click here to see what john_h has to say.




31 Comments »

Tell us what WiFi chipset a laptop has.

Broadband and Mobility, Dell Web Site, Linux, Laptops submitted by tonyb2006 08/29/07 **UNDER REVIEW**

Tell us the WiFi chipset used in a laptop before we buy it so we know if the WiFi chipset supports a feature we want, or if it supports Linux or another operating system that we intend to use. The WiFi chipset being like "Intel ipw2200" or "Broadcom BCM4306", or "Ralink rt2500".







19 Comments »

Put Ubuntu on sale at the same time as Windows (unfair to Ubuntu sales count if we install it afterwords)

Advertising and Marketing submitted by brett_alton Jun 26

I'm pretty frustrated to receive a flyer with a Inspiron 1525 laptop on sale for $599 while the Ubuntu laptop with the same specs are $699.

Why is this frustrating you ask? Why don't you just buy the $599 laptop, wipe it and put Ubuntu on it you say?

Well, I can easily purchase the $599 laptop, wipe Windows off and put Ubuntu on but there are two problems with that:

1) I don't get Dell's support for Ubuntu Linux
2) Dell doesn't see what I do with my PC after I purchase it, thus, they don't know that they actually sold an Ubuntu laptop. This means that it is one more Windows laptop sold over a Ubuntu laptop. Why is this important?

Well, apparently a few weeks after supporting Ubuntu, Dell sold 40,000 Ubuntu-based laptops. It is finally my turn to purchase one, but I want to be added to that count so that Dell knows I'm buying an Ubuntu-based laptop. Why is this important?

I want Dell to continue selling Ubuntu-based laptops, so I think it would be in the Linux communities and Dell's best interest to offer the same deals on Ubuntu laptops as Windows laptops.

I don't want Windows Vista and I don't want you to think I want Windows Vista. I want Ubuntu, but I want to pay the same price as the other guys. 9 Comments »

Give XPS Notebooks Gigabit Ethernet

XPS products submitted by croftki Feb 17

I understand that Dell market research says home users in general are not interested in gigabit ethernet for home networks. Those who pay for the premium design in the XPS line, however, are more likely to want gigabit ethernet. I would rather buy something more exciting than a business class notebook, but I want to build on my home technology with each purchase I make. XPS Notebooks unfortunately do not help me do this. It seems my only option is to buy a Latitude. 28 Comments »

Have Firefox pre-installed as default browser

Software submitted by robinjfisher 02/19/07 **REVIEWED**

Does what it says on the tin! Most people only use IE because they aren't aware of other browsers - they think Internet Explorer is the Internet! What would really drive take up of alternative browsers is if Firefox was pre-installed as the default browser so that when people look for the "Internet" in Windows, they are using FF.
Firefox advocates at Dell have initiated discussions and driven action around exploring alternative internet browsers and experiences. As you can tell from our response to the Linux community, open source continues to be a part of our conversations about new products and services.





1244 Comments »

Backlit Keyboards

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by rarmasu 02/21/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

I find myself many, many times in dark or poorly lit environments having to guess the various keys - would be fantastic to have a backlit keyboard - with backlit individual keys as the best option.

I would actually pay extra for that convenience if the option was available.
This could be done for desktops or notebooks.


Check out Vida_K's comment below on the New Latitude.
301 Comments »

Give Open Source Software a Higher profile On Dell.com

Dell Web Site submitted by aikiwolfie May 22 **REVIEWED**

From InformationWeek.com : Open Source Quality Improving, But Development Assumptions Need Revising

This report confirms what open source supporters have known all along. Open source developers deliver very high quality code. As such Dell should be giving the open source developers it uses a higher profile on Dell.com instead of hiding them away in some dark recess out of the way!

At the very least give your own in-house open source developers more exposure! They deserve it after all the top quality code they've produced, tested and tweaked.


Please see matt_d's comment
7 Comments »

There should be an option of having no trialware on all computers

Software submitted by jervis961 08/23/07 **REVIEWED**

Here is a news article about trialware and how Dell feels that regular customers want it but small business ones do. Do they not look at the ideas here?

"Not interested in all of the trial software that clutters up new PCs? You're not alone: According to Dell's recent research in both focus groups and broader surveys, small-business users overwhelmingly view trialware as an irritant, not a benefit. That research has led Dell to axe the extras from its new Vostro line of small-business desktop PCs and laptops. Eliminating demo applications is a major step for Dell, which has caught flack for the quantity of trialware on its consumer PCs. (One frustrated customer went so far as to develop a "Decrapifier" utility. The company says that consumers who buy PCs for personal use do express interest in preloaded trial software, but that small-business users have different needs. By eliminating the trialware from Vostro machines, Dell says it has cut the system setup time in half. For now, Dell is the only major PC manufacturer to ship small-business systems without preinstalled trialware as a standard practice. (Some competitors, such as HP, allow customers to choose a no-trialware configuration.)"


Dell offers a broad amount of software choice and minimal software shipped. Read jeremy_f's post on the options we give our customers





154 Comments »

GeForce 9M series of laptop GPUs on Dell XPS laptop

XPS products, Laptop Power submitted by helmecj01 Jun 3

Dell needs to have the New Geforce 9M series of laptop GPUs on Dell XPS laptop.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/03/nvidia-gets-official-with-geforce-9m-serie... 58 Comments »

Put Ubuntu on the list of operating systems when building a PC!

Linux, Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by samb0057 08/10/07 **UNDER REVIEW**

Ubuntu is hidden in a dark corner of the website. I work in IT support, and I have a client who was having virus problems a little while ago. I fixed the problem by installing Ubuntu on their PC. Very recently they called me asking for advice on a new computer, I told them about your new offer providing Ubuntu pre-installed on PCs and they wanted to purchase, but could not find the section on your site (this person is a very basic user, doesn't know what open-source means, probably didn't even see the open source link). There is no way they would have found your Ubuntu section on their own.

I urge you to offer Ubuntu as a choice of OSes in the system configuration wizard, the only way to really sell Ubuntu is to offer Ubuntu as a primary option, rather than a hidden alternative. I personally am looking to buy a new laptop, and you guys have always been my number 1 PC manufacturer (I don't think I've ever bought a new retail PC except from you guys), but I feel that your Ubuntu offerings are lacking. If you offered Ubuntu on some of the great deals you offer on your home page, I would be willing to pay just as much as I would for a Windows Vista system and I probably would have already ordered.







158 Comments »

switch to LED monitors

Monitors and Displays, Laptop Power submitted by yardsale Jan 16

I dont know why dell hasnt done this yet. switch all monitors on desktops and notebooks to LED. did you know that you can run an LED screen at full brightniess and it uses less power than a LCD monitor at the lowest brighting level?!? its cheaper, its energy efficent, and it needs to be done! promote this, if you demote i wanna know why! 63 Comments »

No more plastic wrap, please

Environment submitted by falbert May 22

In the last shipment of computers I received I was shocked by the amount of plastic wrap used for items like power cords, USB cables, VGA/DVI cables. Do these items really need to be individually wrapped in a plastic bag. I can just imagine the tons of plastic used by Dell annually...

Something to think about 106 Comments »

Please make Ubuntu XPS Notebook cheaper than XPS Vista Notebook

Linux, Operating Systems, XPS products submitted by dki May 26

Hi,
I have tested the price of the default Vista-Notebook XPS M1330 (in Germany) and the Ubuntuversion with the same Configuration. The result was amazing :(:

Vistaversion: 909,00 €
Linuxversion: 923,44 €

Is Vista cheaper than Ubuntu?? I can not imagine.

So my wish: Make Ubuntu-Laptops competitive! 31 Comments »

Offer Ubuntu Netbook Remix OS on your Ultra portables

Linux, Operating Systems, Laptops submitted by jervis961 May 25

The new Ubuntu Netbook Remix OS will be announced the first week of June according to an interview with Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/25/canonical-ceo-says-ubuntu-netbook-remix-bu...

The OS is Tailor made for ultraportable type systems. They have been working with Intel on the project so it should run very well on the Atom Processor

35 Comments »

Fed up with Microsoft

Operating Systems, Laptops submitted by triangle 02/19/07

Each week I receive in my mailbox promotionnal offers from Dell.
Our company have only needs in laptops but we never bought a Dell because were are SMB company needing no-OS pre-installed because we run NOVELL-SuSe.

So the day each people could buy a laptop "nacked" I will change my opinion and have a look on Dell products for office and for personal home use.

My proposal is to deliver pre-installed Windows if it cost something to Dell more to nack computers and simply disagree with the EULA. Dell have no need to provides activation codes and the consumer will be happy to have the choice.

When you read Wall Street journal you can see that Microsoft course decrease since they published security updates for the most secure OS of the planet. Not very credible...we prefer running Gnu/Linux that is really more secure because they are no needs to buy additional stuffs like antivirus, antispyware, firewall...and office suite :
all come inside.

It is very curious that a world leader in computing does not see the needs of his customers : now you have to think in many ways : Microsoft, Linux and why not tomorrow Macos on regular PCs (the install protection was already hacked).

In other way it is incredible that Vista could be sold with DRM inside, reducing video quality when not drmized and many other tricks allowing the computer to do what it wants and not what wanted by his owner....simply crazy. 1 Comment »

DVI-D should be standard on all 15-inch Dell Laptops!

Monitors and Displays, Laptops submitted by beansbaxter May 30

Dell should offer a DVI-D connection on all laptops, especially ones with 15-inch screens and above. The 15.4 MacBook Pro has a DVD-D while the XPS M1530 only has HDMI.

One of the distinct, clear advantages of having a DVI-D allows 30-inch displays to be connected to your laptop. Dell could sell more 30-inch LCD's that way too.

Many of my colleagues who work web and print design are running 30-inch displays. Since 30-inch displays require a DVD-D port, it's either desktop action or a MacBook Pro for the laptop site - there really is no need to have anything bigger than a 15.4-inch for portability reasons when going to meetings, etc.

If Dell was to take their 13-inch XPS or their 14-inch Inspirion 1420 and throw DVD-D on those, they would have a competitive advantage of the 13-inch MacBook and others which dont offer that.

Bring on DVD-D. It only makes sense. 7 Comments »

Use only the best and brightest LCDs for all laptops! No sub-par manufacturers need apply!

Laptops submitted by astudios 02/17/07

From what I understand, today's Dell LCDs on laptops are made by Toshiba, LG, Samsung, etc.. why make it an anticipating "waiting game" for the customer to see which quality of LCD they get when their laptop comes in? The LCD display is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT part of any laptop. Dell.. please, use ONLY the best and brightest LCDs on all of your laptops.

Quick story of my experience.. I'm a huge Dell-fan and buy lots of PCs and laptops from them for myself, my business, and for my friends and family. The LCD on their 700m laptops were the *absolute best* .. After that, I purchased the XPS1210. The LCD was "duller" and I was disappointed. But then I ordered the XPS1410 for a friend and when it came in, I was horrified with poor viewing angles of the LCD. The only way you could comfortably view the screen was when it was PERFECTLY square with your eyes! I was almost ashamed to give it to my friend. Finally, recently, I ordered the Inspiron 6000 (SXUGA?) and was relieved that is was much better. But still nothing like the 700m I used to own.

What happened to Dell's LCDs? Please make this top priority and bring the "wow" back into your laptops! (And oh, another thing, if you could somehow make your laptops thinner and lighter, that'd be great too!).

Thank you for allowing us this forum. 24 Comments »

Better Notebook sound and features

Laptops submitted by foxx 02/17/07

I was looking for a high end notebook for video editing. Every Dell model I looked at was missing something essential.

Most serious is the lousy sound. I can understand for low end notebooks, but high end need A REAL SOUND CARD. I would have been willing to buy a sound card, but that required a PCMCIA slot and you had elimintated those. I gave up.











119 Comments »

touch screen laptop

Monitors and Displays, Laptops submitted by jdelidc 08/29/07

my grandpa suggested this 8 Comments »

Laptop Touch Screens

Monitors and Displays, Laptops submitted by pablohs May 7

There should be an option to purchase any laptop with a touch screen. 6 Comments »