gabz

Make TV Tuner Optional in all Computers

Monitors and Displays, Sales Strategies submitted by badblood 05/10/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

Can't see why not...

But make it HDTV (backward compatible with analogue)!


Check out the D2D post on the new All-in-One. Also, cable card tuners are now available on the XPS 420 systems.
12 Comments »

Ubuntu for Australia too!

Advertising and Marketing, Linux submitted by badblood 05/24/07

9 Comments »

Linux box for Australia also

Linux, Sales Strategies submitted by lieuhon 06/01/07

I really want to see linux box in Australia too. Especially with Ubuntu. I would expect the price significantly lower than a windows box because Ubuntu is completely free. Although price is not the sole reason for people buying linux box but it is for sure that price is an important one. 1 Comment »

About the Ubuntu PCs

Inspiron products, Linux, Sales Strategies submitted by frenchfries 08/09/07

Do Dell make fun of European Linux users?

Inspiron 6400n and Inspiron 530n are are old PCs with old configurations
But you are selling them at a high price.

Are you trying to palm off worthless PCs on us ?
The US Dell website not sell these models anymore....

I was ready to buy one laptop but i am very disappointed. 2 Comments »

Dell Ubuntu for Europe

Linux submitted by yesmathew 05/03/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

Dell announced to pre-load Ubuntu on Notebooks and Desktops for US market. What about for Europe? We want for Europe market too... users from Switzerland, Germany, France, UK, Austria, Spain, and others are requesting the same.


See the blog post in Direct2Dell re: Ubuntu in UK, France and Germany; Dell/Red Hat Solutions & More.
85 Comments »

"Europe" is not only France + Germany + UK

Linux, Service and Support submitted by warp10 08/08/07

Dell started selling PCs equipped with Ubuntu in Europe a few days ago. Anyway, looks like Dell think Europe is only France, Germany and UK. [1]
In Europe there are many countries that are good markets for Dell, and that wait the possibility to buy Ubuntu-installed Desktop and Notebook.
Please, give to the *whole* Europe the possibility to buy these computers.

[1] http://www.ubuntu.com/dell 19 Comments »

Don't make it difficult for people to find Ubuntu machines

Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by xivulon 08/09/07

Ubuntu is now shipped to Europe, but it is hidden away and not that obvious to find. If you did not follow the news, you would probably have missed it completely. What link do people usually follow when buying a laptop at dell.co.uk? They follow the most preminent links:

Notebooks > Home > Home Essential Notebooks

This is where they usually end up to: http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/notebooks_good?c=uk&...

The inspiron 6400 does come with Ubuntu, but do you see a "Select with ubuntu" button anywhere? I don't think so. If you want a Ubuntu machine you have to get there via a completely different route, by selecting the OS first (on the less visible left column) and then the machine... You can do that for XP too, but with XP you can also select the machine first and then the OS. Why is it not the same with Ubuntu? Moreover, if you click on the laptop image, it will automatically select Vista (thus giving it far more preminence).

So, I am glad Dell started shipping Ubuntu, but to me it looks like they only want to make informed geeks happy, while hiding the option to average joe. If Dell was really serious they should have Ubuntu listed in the customization section of each and every supported machine.

Customize your Operating System:

* Ubuntu Linux [subtract £30]
* Genuine Windows XP [Included in price]
* Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic - English [Included in Price]
* Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium - English [add £23.50]
* Genuine Windows Vista™ Ultimate (32Bit) - English [add £117.50]

There is already a conflict-resolution message, so you could easily signal incompatible OS/hardware choices. The above is what I call "choice", anything else is muddling the water. 6 Comments »

Better selection of Linux notebooks

Linux submitted by kasoroth 08/07/07

An Ubuntu notebook with higher specs would be nice. At a minimum, I'd want a decent monitor option (1920x1200 resolution), a decent NVIDIA video card option, and gigabit ethernet. I'd also prefer an AMD processor, and a price point about $50 less than an equivalent Windows system. 5 Comments »

Ubuntu on all models where it works

Linux, Operating Systems, Small Business submitted by jonsmirl 08/01/07 **IN PROGRESS**

I'm still throwing away copies of Windows. Recently I have ordered some Dimension 9200s from Small Business. All of these machines are running Ubuntu today without problem. They're being used to replace some PE400SCs that are starting to die. A 2GB quad core for $649 was too good a deal to pass up. It makes a great small server.

Please offer Ubuntu as a choice on all configurations where it works. I would have still paid $649 for the box and you could have kept the money you're sending to Microsoft.
We continue to explore different Linux opportunities on our systems. Check out daniel_j's comment below.




40 Comments »

Where did the E1505N go?

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Linux submitted by speedemonspecv 08/07/07

Where did the E1505N go? I was planning on buying one with Ubuntu pre-installed tomorrow, and now its gone! Are there any more 15" notebooks coming down the line, or will you offer an upgraded graphics card with the 1420N? The only thing holding me back from buying a Dell notebook with Ubuntu pre-installed TODAY is the lack of a 256MB graphics card and larger, high-resolution display. Please bring back the E1505N! 8 Comments »

Companies should not be able to advertise on IdeaStorm

Advertising and Marketing, IdeaStorm submitted by jervis961 08/03/07

Its in the Terms of use that you cannot advertise on this site but it seems to happen from time to time with a user submitting an "idea" riddled with shameless plugs of their website or product. Dell admins seem to turn a blind eye to it even when abuse is reported so here is your chance to let your voice be heard.

If you want to keep the advertising off IdeaStorm promote this idea. 12 Comments »

http://www.dell.com/open shouldn't steer people towards Windows

Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by limulus 08/02/07

If I want to look at the open source offerings on Dell's site, there's a nice short URL that redirects to the appropriate page: http://www.dell.com/open

However, some of the wording on the page sounds like it was written to DISCOURAGE people from buying those systems and steer them towards Windows; an excerpt:

---
Not sure Open Source is for You?

The main thing to note is that when you choose open source you don’t get a Windows® operating system. If you’re here by mistake and you are looking for a Dell PC with Windows, please use the following link.

Shop Dell PCs with Windows
---

To make the page better:

* remove the "Not sure Open Source is for You?" and "Already an Open Source fan?" sections or change them to something like this:

---
New to Open Source?

A very important thing for people familiar with Microsoft Windows® but new to open source to note before buying is that it is an alternative to Windows®, not a cheap version of Windows®. Programs specifically designed to run on Windows® will NOT run by default on Dell's open source systems. If you want to run programs such as "Microsoft Office® 2007", "Adobe Photoshop® CS3", "iTunes® 7.3" and "The Sims® 2" you're in the wrong place! (Dell's Windows® systems may be found here.)

If you already knew that or are ok with it, please continue shopping below...
---

* if its to be kept, move the "You asked, we listened." part down into the Ubuntu description, but get rid of the "advanced users and tech enthusiasts" mention; installing an OS (regardless of the OS) is usually the most difficult step (and one not done by 'average users') but Dell has done all the hard work (most notably by selecting compatible hardware) and after that Ubuntu is really not that hard to use :)

* in the "What Is Open Source?" section, the following sentence needs work: "A downside is that some open source software requires intermediate or advanced knowledge to use, and in the case of operating systems, may not be compatible with the same software applications and hardware as Windows operating systems."

What is the reference for "advanced knowledge to use"? Are we talking about the command line? Ubuntu can be used without ever seeing it. Perhaps consider striking that. The real meat of the issue, of course, is that Windows embraces proprietary things and its an uphill battle to try to support them in an open OS. Perhaps use the following:

"A downside is that consumer software applications and hardware choices which are compatible with the proprietary Windows operating system may not work in an open source environment or may require significant tweaking to make them work."

(for software, the tweaking is a reference to Wine... for the hardware, we can hope for support in future Ubuntu versions ;) 42 Comments »

What happened to the E1505N on the Ubuntu page?

Linux submitted by ubondell 08/03/07

When I go to the secret Ubuntu portal (www.dell.com/open) I no longer see the E1505N which had a 15" display. The only laptops on that page is a 1420N which at best can have a 14.1" display @ 1440x900. I am trying to replace an old Inspiron 8100 with a 1600x1200 display that I run Ubuntu on and there doesn't seem to be anything in the Linux choices that matches it. Of course there is the 1520 on the main page, but I would really like a pre-installed Linux than having to do it myself. Why isn't the top-of-the-line Dell laptop that Michael Dell has Ubuntu running on listed on the open page. If he can get one configured with Ubuntu, so should I. 9 Comments »

Same discounts available on Ubuntu and Windows

Linux, Operating Systems, Sales Strategies submitted by jonsmirl 06/12/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

I'm ordering a Vista XPS 410 right now. I wanted a Ubuntu one but I'm going to throw away yet another copy of Windows. The Vista XPS 410 has $200 off today and free ship for a total of $869. The identical Ubuntu machine is $1019 plus $29.99 shipping. So today Ubuntu costs $170 more than Windows instead of $50 less. Why can't I have the same discounts on the Ubuntu machine? 50 Comments »

Remove submitted ideas once they reach -100

IdeaStorm submitted by brutten 07/10/07

Seen some ideas that are just not accepted by the members of this forum and could be removed to keep the site focused on good ideas. Once an idea hits -100 or more it should be removed from the list. 9 Comments »

Offer computers without an OS installed!

Operating Systems submitted by auraofblade 07/10/07

I realize this idea is slightly crazy, but hear me out.

An added with this idea is that the price gets cut. There are some people out there who really don't have quite enough money to buy even the cheapest computer. With around $100 cut off the price (that's that price of a cheap OS right?), people will have the ability to purchase the hardware sooner.

Of course, where do they get their OS? The main one they can use is Linux...its free. On a slight sidenote, you can potentially include an install disc for Linux with the package. And of course that little sticker saying what OS the computer has disappears. 8 Comments »

XPS M1330 with Gigabit Ethernet

Broadband and Mobility, XPS products, Laptops submitted by macavity 07/11/07

I think it would be really good for the M1330 to have Gigabit networking for various reasons.

- if you want to move or back up your music or some videos across your home network you actually need that speed

- most other similar laptops have it. I thought it's standard now and hardwired into every board?

- gigabit home routers are on the market

- I don't want to buy a product and be behind the market right from day-1.

I bought an Inspiron 4 years ago with only 10Mbps 802.11b wifi and regretted it already 6 months into the purchase. 9 Comments »

Pre-Installed OpenOffice | alternative to MS Works & MS Office

Software, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dhart 02/17/07

Provide OpenOffice.org for free pre-installation alongside Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office. OpenOffice.org is more capable than Microsoft Works, and a serious competitor to Microsoft Office, at a fraction of the cost (it's free!)

OpenOffice.org can open, create, edit and save Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

Provide as OPTIONS for pre-installation many other high-quality free software programs such as:
- Firefox: web browser with popup and privacy controls; say goodbye to Internet Explorer infections!
- Thunderbird: email program with free anti-spam and privacy controls
- Pidgin: instant messaging all-in-one program for popup-free MSN, Yahoo, AOL and others
&nsbp;[ed: GAIM was renamed Pidgin in April 2007 to settle the issue with AOL's trademark on AIM]
- PDFCreator: creates Adobe PDF files from any program
- Scribus, Inkscape & GIMP: desktop publishing, freehand drawing & powerful image editing
- Audacity & VLC: multi-track audio editing & universal all-in-one media/video/movie/DVD player
- Stellarium & Celestia: planetarium viewer & outer-space mapping, like Google Earth, but for our Solar System

Pre-installed quality free and open source software drastically lowers the cost of new PCs, and helps prevent software piracy. Cast your vote for Linux and other free software. Cast your vote for the Universal Education PC [ed: article removed/merged by dell_admin] utilizing free software.

CHOICE is what consumers want on their new PCs, not annoying surprise circus-ware (the typical smattering of confusing 3rd party popup-infested software found on most new Dell PCs). Quality free and open source software is well behaved, and may be legally pre-installed on PCs, and legally shared with friends and family, sharing is encouraged! Cast your vote for consumer CHOICE and public transparency at Dell.
574 Comments »

Option for gigabit ethernet for new Inspirons.

Inspiron products submitted by benjesuit 06/29/07

Currently, only 10/100 is offered.

Would be awfully nice to have the option to have gigabit ethernet on the Inspiron 1520/21, 1720/21.

That being 10/100/1000. 7 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 »