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.
24100
Linux Low Cost
Linux submitted by oagostinho
03/23/07
Hi,
Why don't sell one computer with Linux but oriented to The low cost market? Not properly for to developing world, but to anyone!!
I think, these days it's possible to that with WLAN, etc,etc! That I can use when I'll go to travel to another place or vacations or whatever!
See ya!
Orlando Agostinho
Computer Engineer
Lisbon/Portugal
150
Gel Wrist rest inserts for Laptops/notebooks.
Laptops submitted by benjesuit
03/23/07
The addition of either stick-on or insertable gel or memory foam wrist rest on your laptop/notebook line up would be terrific. They needn't be more that a few millimeters in height.
Long hours typing on laptops, especially the desktop replacement variety that have keyboard setbacks from the front of the unit on the order of 10cm - 14cm, can leave the outer palm soar and can cutoff circulation.
70
IR Remotes For Projectors
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) submitted by canavank
03/23/07
The RF Remotes that come standard with the 5100MP Projectors are extremely powerfull. We have had occasions that a remote operated 75ft away in a closed room has operated projectors in another room. Also we use multiple projectors in a room. I would like to operate these individually without having to use three remotes.
Am attenuation of the power or by using an IR would help the situation
90
OpenOffice? Dell can do better...
Software submitted by runbei
03/23/07
OpenOffice is likely to hurt as much as help. Having formatted a self-published, 300-page book in OO, I've become thoroughly familiar with its formatting features. A nightmare.
OO was designed by well-intentioned techies who appear to have not the remotest clue when it comes to user interface smoothness. Nearly everything in OO is either slightly wrong, outright awkward, or horribly inconvenient (the aforementioned formatting). And much, much worse: all of it is virtually undocumented. (The online documentation is obscure, at best; and at worst, ulcer-inducing.)
Why not provide a far, far better, inexpensive commercial alternative: Softmaker's TextMaker and PlanMaker. Sensible, user-aware design, full-featured, expertly documented. Where OO feels like a lumbering Microsoft Word-imitating Borg cube, TextMaker is light, efficient, and friendly.
-210
What are EV certificates
submitted by catalyst
03/23/07
EV certificates are the result of a new standard developed by the leading SSL certificate providers and browser manufacturers, including Network Solutions and Microsoft. EV certificates require qualifying companies to go through a rigorous validation process designed to provide customers the highest level of assurance that they are dealing with a legitimate business.
0
Dell to market linux based email server appliances / exchange replacement
Linux submitted by steveoc
03/23/07
Ohhhh ... nasty nasty news for Microsoft here
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=343< an ominous portent for Microsoft, 23% of the survey respondents indicated they intend to migrate away from Exchange Server and switch to an alternative Linux or open source Email and messaging distribution platform over the next 12 to 18 months. The users attributed their decision to their belief that Linux Email and messaging packages are cheaper and easier to manage than Exchange," according to study author and Yankee analyst Laura DiDio.
Ouch.
And consider that is signed off by Laura DiDio as well - not exactly known for bending facts in favour of anyone other than Microsoft.
How about Dell put out a range of turnkey email servers that are plug-and-go, loaded up with a decent open source email server and webmail product ?
If its too intimidating to make a choice of packages - just install a selection of them and provide a simple tool to configure which one does which job (a shell script, a README file and a man page would suffice)
Ideally, include some tools to migrate data from an existing exchange installation onto the new system as well. Market the whole thing as a plug in exchange replacement.
Plenty of linux admins build and deploy servers like this as a matter of course - it is not beyond Dell's ability to put a solid package together, and market it aggressively.
Price it right, and you will still have an excessively fat profit margin on this product line too.
You could OWN a substantial slice of the email server market overnight.
Its not rocket science.
150
A Win-Win-Win siutation
Software submitted by robinvw
03/23/07
Installing Firefox is a win-win-win situation. Its a win for the user ca use it gives a better, safer browsing experience. Its a win for Dell cause it means less customers calling in for tech support (due to God knows what infecting their computer). Its a win for the developer cause FF is more W3C compliant!
570
BIOS Recovery
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) submitted by majestic
03/23/07
I wish Dell would take a step back in time and reintroduce a BIOS recovery scheme on their motherboards.
As an active participant in the Dell Community Forums, I've seen a lot of postings in those forum related to BIOS upgrade problems. Lately, there has been quite a few complaints related to the newer BIOS version not supporting the OEM processor that came with the system as well as BIOS upgrades that fail to properly install thus rendering the system unusable. Lately the Dimension E521 is a frequent topic. In some of these cases, Dell Tech Support honored the warranty replacement of the motherboard while others were left with the out of pocket expense of paying for the repairs themselves on fairly new systems.
All this could be avoided if Dell would revert back to a BIOS recovery scheme. Not only would it give the consumer a little confidence in knowing there is a remedy for a bad BIOS flash, but it would save both the consumer and Dell the expense of replacing the motherboard. If nothing else, at least socket the BIOS chip so that it can be swapped out in the event of a bad BIOS flash. Presently, I would be reluctant to advise anyone with a new Dell system to flash the BIOS unless Dell Tech Support was walking them through the procedure over the phone.
400
Keyboard with a "Track Stick"
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) submitted by duke_nut
03/23/07
I regularly use 2 notebooks (Dell, with track stick & IBM with trackpoint) and a "purpose built" system at home with an IBM Desktop Keyboard with TrackPoint. At the moment I am spending a considerable amount of time with a customer that provides a Dell port replicator, large monitor and has a standard keyboard.
The large monitor increases my productivity but the mouse actually decreases my productivity because I have become so used to Track Stick style pointing devices. There must be lots of other people just like me whose pointing device preference is Track Stick / TrackPoint
Any chance Dell would consider producing a standard desktop keyboard with a Track Stick ! It would have sell like "hotcakes" with monitor stand/port replicator combinations !
190
Partition Windows to JUST 5 GB - Allow room for Linux :)
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot submitted by rambutan
03/23/07
In selecting options allow use to choose:
Hard Drive Partition(s):
1 - All to Windows however Windows wants
2 - Windows only on first 5 GB of hard drive rest unassigned
3 - Windows on only 5 GB and rest with Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE....)
This satisfies Dell's commitment to have Windows on EVERY comsumer PC and allows the user to upgrade to Linux with less hassle.
-10
Invest in Africa
Dell submitted by flooted
03/23/07
Develop a wing of Dell to promote IT solutions in sub-Saharan Africa. Enable connectivity and enterprise there, and help increase opportunity.
220
Physical off-switch for cameras and microphones
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) submitted by steve2
03/24/07
With advances in connection speed, compression technology and pattern recognition technology microphones and cameras may soon become security issues for private data outside the computer (and inside the computer like troians sniffing the root password from the sound of you typing it on the keyboard. this has already been demonstrated).
What i want is a physical off switch (one that cuts off power, not one that just tells the computer to put it into standby) for all microphones and cameras and other devices that gather data from the environment.
480
10 things that every laptop should have nowdays
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by eyefish
03/24/07
Please note that I'm copying this list from this URL which is the source of this article: http://eliax.com/blog/articles/2007_03_18_10-Things_every_laptop_should_have.htm
10 things that every laptop should have nowdays:
1. Allow us to use the laptop's built-in screen as a TV monitor for other devices (like external video game consoles, external analog/digital cable, secondary monitor for another machine, etc). In other words, let me use the LCD screen as a separate entity. It'd be nice if we could detach it for this purpose as well. As a bonus, include a remote control to operate it.
2. Modularize laptops so we can easily upgrade its CPU or GPU. I'm sure this will create an even bigger laptop market, just like it did for desktop PCs.
3. Ingregate GPS functionality, along with a password-protected BIOS setting to enable it or disable it.
4. Multi-touch screens like the Apple iPhone. HP already has one model that does this, and it is rumored that Apple will implement it across its whole product line. This would be great for presentations, music programs, POS point-of-sale applications, video games, etc.
5. Built-in accelerometer to detect movement and rotation in any direction. Apple already has this, but this has a lot of potential when coupled with the GPS function outlined above to report back over the Internet exactly where a lost or stolen laptop is. It's also be great for detecting the screen orientation when displaying a GUI, for games, as a musical instrument, for protecting the system in case of sudden movements, and for scientific experimentation, among other things.
6. Allow us to replace the built-in hard drive for some sort of solid-state memory. I know this exists but it is too expensive, so how about creating a standard form factor spec so that all makers of such devices can compete on similar terms driving prices down?
7. RAID support. You can count with the fingers in your hand how many laptops offer this, but this should really be an option on most laptops nowdays, specially when you take into account how often laptop drives fail (I deal with this problem at least once every two months with my family members). This way, if one drive fails the other continues operating and warns the user to replace it before data is lost.
8. Allow us to share built-in devices with other laptops or PCs via the USB port. In other words, I should be able to connect by laptop to my PC and automatically have the PC recognize the laptop's built-in DVD burner and allow me to use it as an external USB DVD burner. The same for webcams, hard drives, WiFi equipment, etc. For this purpose the laptop can have an A-to-B USB cable connector (similar to printers or digital cameras) so it is not mistaken for the other type of USB connector.
9. Allow us to access the music, images and videos stored in the hard drive, as well as media placed into the DVD tray, without turning the machine on. In other words, like a single-function device so we don't have to deal with booting into the OS just to play a movie. I know some laptops offer this in a limited way, but every laptop should be able to do this.
10. A remote control. Apple already does this with his machines, but this should be part of every laptop on the market. This would be great for suggestion #1 and #9 above, and it'd be very useful for presentations, video games, and to control other multimedia equipment in the home (like a Home Theater setup).
250
Disk support for four hour support customers
Service and Support submitted by raloc
03/24/07
Improve disk replacement policy. Perhaps treating disks as consumables.
In my experience of Dell four hour support, a server failure is never fixed within the four hours that we pay for. One of our engineers is tied up with the fault for most of the four days it actually takes and this is not good value for all involved.
We are asked to run numerous diagnostics which are then analysed at length by Dell support.
Then we will be asked to run the firmware update bundle cd which often degrades some components to an earlier version, followed by more tests.
Eventually a disk will be reluctantly sent out to us which solves the problem once the array rebuilds.
160
Promoted and Demoted Votes in separate tallies
IdeaStorm submitted by arclight
03/24/07
The combined counter makes it hard to tell the total number of votes and demotes. Having a separate blue and red numbers for demote and promote would make it possible to tell at a glance. Perhaps the combined number could be listed with them too, but right now the only way to see if a idea has a lot of votes and demotes is to look at bottom of page.
350
 track my votes
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