dwall72

Beefier (Ubuntu Pre-Installed) Desktop Series needed for powerusers

Inspiron products, Linux, Desktops and Laptops submitted by sethloco Mar 10

The current Inspiron 530N's mobo/processor/casing falls a little short of what a poweruser would be looking to buy. I think there would be a market for an upgraded desktop, because in recent times, there are a lot of linux powerusers who are finding that they don't have to build their machines from scratch and do a bunch of research on hardware compatibilities. However, they still expect top-notch machines and a short glance at the Inspiron 530n sends them elsewhere. It would be nice to offer a sub-$1000 (base) desktop series with specs more like the following.
PROCESSOR: Q6600 2.4GHZ core 2 quad or E6550 2.33GHZ core 2 duo. Some of us like to run vm machines.....help us out!
CASE: Just something larger with ample space to put 2+ hard drives and good heat dissipation
POWER SUPPLY: 500+ watt options
MEMORY: Again...with those who use vm machines, it's nice to have the option of 4GB+ of memory. The fact that the current Inspiron bios cripples this is a major showstopper. As an aside, Dell's current memory is overpriced. A Linux poweruser buying this theoretical machine, who by prior necessity is used to building their own, is going to know that and purchase memory elsewhere.

Thanks for the IdeaStorm site! 27 Comments »

Linux-based UMPC maybe XPS-branded

Linux, XPS products submitted by greenpc 03/20/07

Rebadge the Gigabyte U60 as the Dell XPS U60 and mix it up by developing a Linux UMPC OS to compete with the crappy UMPC XP implementation. I can see it now - the Dell XPS U60 featuring Ubuntu to go OS. Comment »

8GB and up for Laptop

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by cperng 04/20/07

The 2GB maximum memory is too little to do any real work in MS Vista OS, we need minimum 8GB and up for the laptop. 53 Comments »

Option to choose between Linux or Windows on all the pc's

Operating Systems, Desktops and Laptops submitted by pacsum 07/13/07

I want to buy the 1501 (here in costa rica) but I must pay extra for a Vista license which I won't use because I use Ubuntu. It would be nice that Dell offered Ubuntu as an option on all their PC's, but I guess it's also a good bussines to sell licenses. 4 Comments »

Stop making excuses, and start paying attention. WE WANT LINUX!!!

Linux submitted by homer 02/28/07

Dear Michael Dell,

By now, many people will have started reading Blogs and articles about how you have back-peddled on your commitment to listen to your customers' wishes. Here's just one:

http://blog.lobby4linux.com/archives/104-So,-How-Does-It-Feel-To-Have-Been-Ha...

[Edit] Here's a more "high profile" article, from The Inquirer:

Dell backs down from Linux promise

That makes this site (DellIdeaStorm) nothing but a farce.

First you ask us what we want, then you just blatantly ignore us. What exactly was the point in asking us what we want? Is this some kind of sick joke?

Maybe you were taken off guard, and hadn't anticipated the vast demand for Linux that happened, but it did happen, so deal with it ... or be perceived as a liar and a charlatan.

If you amalgamate all the various Linux "idea" posts on this site, and tally up the total votes, you're looking at something like TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND VOTES FOR LINUX. Are you just going to ignore that, and pretend it never happened?

Here's your response to this amazing phenomenon so far, and my comments:

We are listening, and as a result, we are working with Novell to certify our corporate client products for Linux, including our OptiPlex desktops, Latitude notebooks and Dell Precision workstations.

Well you are obviously not listening. The vast majority of the Linux requests on this site are not from "corporate" customers, they are from end users seeking home computing Linux solutions. Are you listening yet?

This is another step towards ensuring that our customers have a good experience with Linux on our systems.

It's not a step forward, it's a sidestep shuffle. What exactly are you afraid of ... that people might actually prefer Linux to Windows? I could build and "certify" a Linux workstation in 20 minutes, without the assistance of production facilities and a team of engineers, why is this such a problem for the world's biggest OEM?

Are you suggesting that Linux somehow represents a "problem" with regards to hardware, and that it's going to take a team of rocket scientists months to discover Linux compatible components?

Right now, Linux works with virtually the same hardware that WIndows XP does, and considerably more hardware than Vista ... but that doesn't seem to have prevented you "certifying" Vista (a.k.a. Windows ME2). What a joke!

As this community knows, there is no single customer preference for a distribution of Linux. In the last week, the IdeaStorm community suggested more than half a dozen distributions. We don't want to pick one distribution and alienate users with a preference for another.

No, no, no, no. That's not how it works. This is just more excuses.

At the end of the day, Linux is Linux is Linux. The distro is not that significant (other than the distinction between a commercial or community distro).

Surely the CEO of one of the world's biggest companies can make a decision.

Pick a Linux distro and run with it. And stop making excuses.

My personal preference is for Fedora Core, but if you offered an Ubuntu desktop machine, I'd buy it, because (like I said) at the end of the day it is Linux that is important, not the distro. My primary motivation is to keep my money out of Microsoft's pockets and have an OS ... any OS ... that is not Windows. I can, and probably will, switch between half a dozen distros during the lifespan of that hardware.

However, it is extremely important that you offer pre-installed Linux workstations to end-users, rather than just "OS-free" systems, because without this option, you will be helping to perpetuate the misconception that Linux is not popular. Well congratulations, you have just discovered exactly how much of a misconception this really is. Maybe you should have considered DellIdeaStorm years ago, rather than sit around waiting for point-of-sale figures that could not ever accurately reflect the popularity of something that is a free download.

Trust me ... you will not alienate anyone by making a firm choice of distro support. I'm sure the tens of thousands of home users, who are demanding Linux from Dell, will be overjoyed just to have a choice of any Linux distro.

We want users to have the opportunity to help define the market for Linux on desktop and notebook systems.

This is just nonsensical marketing gobbledegook. Say what you mean, and stop obfuscating the truth with gibberish.

You can "define" the market right now ... by selling us what we want, rather than what Microsoft dictates you sell to us. The 200000+ vote for Linux should be a clear enough "definition" for anyone ... who's prepared to listen ... and not bury his head in the sand.

In addition to working with Novell,

Bad move. By all means offer Microvell to any corporate user gullible enough to swallow Steve Ballmer's baseless FUD about Microsoft's intellectual property, but I think you'll find home users rather less than receptive to any distro offerings from any company that sleeps with the enemy.

we are also working with other distributors and evaluating the possibility of additional certifications across our product line.

This is the only promising statement in the whole response, but it sounds like a lot of hot air to me.

Actions, not words.

GIVE US LINUX!

Are you trying to rejuvenate sales or not? Give the customers what they want.

We are continuing to investigate your other Linux-related ideas, so please continue to check here for updates.

Oh I'll be sure to, but I'm not holding my breath. Microsoft has you far too firmly under their thumb for me to seriously expect any positive changes at Dell.

Thanks for giving us all a glimmer of (false) hope, though. 68 Comments »

Develop A Linux/Ubuntu Compatibility Testing Tool

Linux, Desktops and Laptops submitted by aikiwolfie Jan 24

It's clear now that implementation of Ubuntu across Dells range of desktop and notebook systems is going to be a slow and arduous process. Undoubtedly there's a tone of compatibility testing and bug fixing to be done before Dell can sell most systems to customers that just work. Dell however are holding things back by not utilizing the Linux communities greatest assets. Linux users!

The idea is quite simple. Distribute an automated test pattern to Dell customers who are already running Linux/Ubuntu on their PCs. The automated tool will probe the systems configuration and ask the user about any technical difficulties they face and report the results back to Dell.

With an army of users out there Dell could quickly amass a wealth of valuable test data with respect as to what works and what doesn't work. This would allow Dell to concentrate their Ubuntu efforts on the systems that are most compatible. Which would in turn allow Dell to quickly provide a good range of choice for it's Ubuntu and Linux customer base.

Think of it as a way of Simplifying IT! 8 Comments »

Hard Disk Raid setups

XPS products submitted by bbr May 30

XPS systems should be possible to configure with Raid-0, stripe, Raid-2, Raid-5.

There are hard disks for sale of over 1 Terabyte, but the dell configurator only allows 500 / 750 GB 2 Comments »

Stop Advertising Windows Vista On Your Linux Pages

Advertising and Marketing, Dell Web Site submitted by aikiwolfie May 11

A while ago I noticed the Latitude XT promotional demo video in the Linux section of the Dell community page. And questioned it's relevance then. In the open source page on Dell.com Dell is still trying to steer open source users back to Windows.

The Latitude XT is a Microsoft Windows only product and is not offered with Ubuntu or any other form of Linux so far as i know. In fact the demo video shows the Latitude XT running Windows Vista. Please stop badgering open source users and stop hounding them with this Windows Vista nonsense. We've already decided we're not interested. 7 Comments »

MARKET linux PCs for real, and Open Office, for real

Advertising and Marketing, Linux submitted by chopdoc May 7

I actually laughed when I read some Dell staffers' comments along the lines of "my research shows the customers want Windows".

Of course the research shows that, of course Dell isn't selling many Linux PCs. Probably the leading topic on Idea Storm has been Linux and Open Source. But that is because Dell attracts mostly "techies" here...not customers.

If you want to sell something, you need to advertise and market it. Microsoft has had a decades long campaign to get into the position they are in. The common consumer thinks Microsoft IS their computer.

Dell has moved forward, but not much, and they have limited and burried the Open Source option and resisted every step of the way. That is a fact, regardless of the lip service Dell gives here.

Open Source, particularly Linux distros can SAVE the customers money. I've crunched the numbers myself, I've calculated the TCO. Stability, reliability, cost.....how and why can Dell continue to avoid the reality of these issues by saying "our research indicates the customers want Windows"?

Give Open Source the marketing exposure it deserves and that the customer deserves. Dell made their name building custom ordered computers. They were known as "the best" in many regards. Then they lost their way. I was optimistic when Mr. Dell returned, but apparently he lost his way as well.

Market the Open Source options for what they really are and do it across the product line. Tell the customers what it really is and don't make it seem like some sort of off-beat secondary option...it simply isn't that anymore unless you continue to make it that.

Check your reaserch, your customers want value....lower prices....reliability..... The answer to that is Linux no matter how you slice it. So SELL it....for real.

Dell could really make a name for themselves again. 19 Comments »

pre-installed linux ubuntu on desktops and laptops

Linux, Operating Systems, Desktops and Laptops submitted by fra9000 02/20/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

i think linux will be the future...so please make some model-line of desktops and laptops with ubuntu linux pre-installed... thanks


This idea has been implemented on select desktops and notebooks in the US, UK, France and Germany.

80 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 »

Add all the OS's you sell to the "Help Me Choose: Operating System" page

Dell Web Site, Linux, Operating Systems submitted by jmxz 06/08/07

These pages: titled "Help Me Choose: Operating System" (a Dell help me choose page,another one)
only list some of the operating systems Dell sells.

I assume you also recommend Ubuntu for some home users (those who want better security and performance, I imagine) and FreeDOS for business (since that's what you sell on your Latitudes - even though I can't imagine why you prefer FreeDOS there over Ubuntu). But unless you put them in those pages, we can't easily make an informed choice. 15 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.
300 Comments »

Change Dell Direct Media with "mythtv+linux" (free software)

Linux, Software submitted by jalberto Jan 19

Dell Direct Media is a windows reduced version and it depend on a full windows instalaltion to work. The idea is to create a new "Dell Direct Media NG" based on a embedded linux with mythtv. This will provide the same funcionality so more features and pros:

- Dell's pros:
* no license cost
* no window depends (welcome to a totallyOS free computer)
* no MS fees
* a big developer cuminity for free

- Dell's cons:
* help comunity to improve HW sopport on dell

- Costumer's pros:
* more codecs avaible
* plugins and skins aviables
* a full pvr system
* internet access from tv
* no dependant windows computer

References:
http://www.mythtv.org/
http://www.imedialinux.com/imedia_mythtv 23 Comments »

Sell Linux PCs Worldwide - not only the United States

Linux, Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by ergo 05/02/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

Dell has now decided to sell computers with Linux pre-installed. GREAT MOVE! But for the moment, it only concerns the US... Here outside the US, we can't wait to buy a pre-installed Linux Dell PC! Please sell Linux PCs worldwide!


Check out the details on Dell Linux systems worldwide!
524 Comments »

I bought a Dell to run Linux.

Dell, Linux submitted by warner 09/09/07

If you bought a Dell, either one of their Ubuntu machines or a Windows machine, to run "Desktop" Linux; please post, just once, to indicate that Dell made a "Linux" sale. This way we can get a sense of, and give Dell a better sense of, how sucsessfull the Dell-Linux program is. Please include what Dell has done right and what they could improve on for their growing Linux customer base. 18 Comments »

High-end Linux laptop

Linux, New Product Ideas, Laptops submitted by teron 07/10/07

Currently, the Inspiron 1505N can be customized to be rather high-end, but it lacks one crucial component: A really high-end graphics card.

This is a request to provide a Linux laptop that can be fitted with a huge hard disk, lots of RAM and a high-end Nvidia graphics card, preferably in a 15" design with lots of USB ports. 8 Comments »

Reveal Truth About Microsoft License / Promotion Deals

Advertising and Marketing, Dell submitted by gear Apr 27

It is now an open secret that Dell PCs sold with Ubuntu and "No OS" except for servers are more expensive than PCs with a Windows license.

It is also an open secret that Dell is not featuring Ubuntu and Windows XP prominently in accordance with customer demands.

It is also assumed that Dell is under a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits the disclosure of terms Microsoft imposes on the OEM licenses, and also the terms for participating in their promotional programs and other inducements to be an exclusive Microsoft shop.

However, in less than a year, the Administration will change in Washington, and with it, the potential for renewed interest in the anti-competitive behavior of Microsoft and their illegal efforts to extend their monopoly to other markets.

i.e. hardwiring in Microsoft search in Vista and making it very inconvenient for a user to use an alternative search engine, or imposing their Internet Explorer Browser by making Microsoft / Windows update incompatible with all other browsers and not offering customers a choice of alternatives like Firefox when you buy their operating system.

Here are my speculations:

Dell is incentivized by Microsoft to participate in these anti-competitive schemes by the following methods:

- Install Microsoft Vista in lieu of any other operating system

- pays a license fee to Microsoft for every PC sold regardless of whether it ships with a MIcrosoft OS installed.

- rewarded for not pre-installing Firefox

- prevented from not offering "Media Direct" or a equivalent system or making this DRM scheme optional.

- incentivized to offer no viable option to Office except for Microsoft Office Live even when viable options like Googledocs, Open Office, etc. exist and are 'out there'.

- incentivized to bundle Microsoft Works with every PC sold

- prevented from disclosing that Dell is a willing party to these efforts to illegally extend Microsoft's monopoly and participating in anti-competitive measures

Under such circumstances, Dell may have considerable legal liability and exposure to anti-trust laws by colluding with Microsoft.

While it may be a year before these issues come up in the USA, the issue may come up in Europe, where the EU has an active ongoing investigation of Microsoft going on.

I would hate to see Dell fined by the EU like Microsoft.

Please start revealing the truth --- because if the terms are as I speculated above, it likely will be the same terms Microsoft give to every other major manufacturer of PCs. 63 Comments »

Sell Ubuntu on high-end gaming systems (noting that Linux benchmarks better than Vista on 3D games)

Gaming, Linux submitted by jmxz 10/30/07

An interesting review can be found at phoronix

One area though we haven't yet analyzed is how their official Linux driver now compares to their much-optimized Windows Catalyst driver. Today, however, we will be looking just at that as we compare the ATI Radeon HD 2900XT 512MB performance under Linux and Microsoft Windows Vista.
...
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was used seeing as it’s a brand new title and with a native Linux client and is certainly able to stress the Radeon HD 2900XT.

When setting out on the benchmarking for this article we had no idea that in all of the Enemy Territory: Quake Wars benchmarks, ATI Linux would steal the lead from the latest Redmond operating system.

Considering Linux outperforms Vista on (at least this benchmark's) 3D shooter - please sell Linux on high-end gaming systems. 30 Comments »

Mutli screen for laptop

Monitors and Displays, Laptops submitted by alle 06/15/07

Now a days every one wants more screen space, to view all at once, right now we can do this by using the option "Exten my Windows desktop onto this monitor", but it cost more to have more monitor and its fixed we cannot move with Laptop/notebook, wonderign if we can build multiple monitors attached with Left and Right pannel flip models.

__________

| L | C | R |

| L | C | R |

__________

L -- Left screen which is a flip model to close

R - Right screen which is a flip model to close

C - Center screen attached to Laptop

Left and Right screen will overlay on Center screen when closed. 9 Comments »