If I go to buy a cheap notebook, I can blame me or the reasons why I have no money to buy a better one. But if I buy a GOOD notebook, as a Dell is expecting to be, even more if a Latitude or Precision, and you put a WSXGA+ Samsung like the SEC3350, or the other WXGA+ by Auo, and I paid a high end notebook to get a sandy, oily, dirty, yellowish display, with light leakage, whites not white, blacks not black, porr colors and bad viewing angles, may I get a bit angry? And why must I get angry and fax an angry letter to Escalation to have all solved, if it is my natural right to have a good to very good display out of the box? Don't you realize yet how often people avoid Dell for: 1) bad displays 2) bad customer care ??? TO me it is a pity. I really like all the rest in Dell. It is a pity... 13 Comments »
Today I received an email reply to my request for upgrading the CPU on my XPS720 BIOS A05 to an Intel E8500. The text of the reply " Dell does not offer processor or motherboard upgrdes for discreet items.Dell does not recommend upgrading the processor or motherboard in any given system as the design layout has been customized on all Dell systems and the power of the system may not be suitable for the system.Dell does not recommend that you perform an upgrade of the processor as this might damage the system."
The first rule of gaming PC's THEY MUST BE UPGRADEABLE and that includes Motherboards, CPU's,PSU's!
The second rule of gaming PC's Machine information and software updates such as the recent BIOS A05 must be accompanied by information posts, that tell customers what these updates do!
The third rule of gaming PC's DON'T MISINFORM YOUR CUSTOMERS that bizzare email is gobbledegook, what does the phrase "the power of the system might not be suitable for the system " MEAN!
An XPS buyer is likely to know what is possible. The E8500 is according to Intel's publicity requires both less power and cooling that its predecessors!The A05 BIOS is required and it fit's the 775 socket. SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM!
THE KEY TO SUCESS IN GAMING MACHINE SALES IS LIFETIME UPGRADABILITY AND SUPPORT in other words we don't need to buy new cases especially as the XPS720 case is a large BTX or a PSU or Optical drives. We only need to replace what is needed to be replaced and that's new generation CPU's and the occasional Motherboard on socket change and worn out componentary like hard drives/video cards. It's possible to make money selling upgrade componetary (newegg and other sellers do). It's Dell's business model policy that is the problem. 1) Dell needs to ensure on contracing for motherboards that Both NVidia and Intel are going to support them and not produce compatability problems-It's clear there is some problem with component ordering.On new CPU inroduction Motherboard providers need to be required to test New CPU's with boards. Dell should also test new CPU's on Test machines and after CPU's are tested, they can be released as CPU UPGRADES. Dell could email all XPS owners and offer upgrades to Motherboard ,CPU and other componentry and this could even be carried out by service personel at the customer 's cost (this would also save on warranty claims as a lot of people may replace Graphics cards and CPU's prior to failure in operation). This is far more environmentally accptable than the previous Dell policy of not upgrading thereby forcing customers into buying new machines. Customer may then purchase continually year in and year out rather than a major purchase every 4 years and ongoing service plans could also be sold. By whole of life I mean as long as essential components such as motherboards/fans can effectively modernize the machine around 4-5 years, however if an unexpected development occurs that reneders modernization impossible well so be it. One things for sure CPU's/HardDrives (replaced by Solid state) and better ram are going to lower power requirements. GPU cards will eventually lower power also, when they proceed down the Intel road in chip performance rather than the very low tech and sloppy SLI designed to extract as much money as is possible from customers for too little reliablity and performance. 17 Comments »
Nothing is more annoying than laptop power cables that are not interchangeable from one computer model to another or from one brand of computer to another. Power cables have been standardized on most electrical applicances, including desktop computers for decades.
Make an effort to promote and implement standard power cables for laptops.
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
I think it would be more healthy, if you would take a cooling to the Harddisks of Notebooks. Many Monitoring tools show me Temperatures on 55°C and more on some Notebooks for onlythe Harddisk. This is not healthy on time. A second heatpipeline to the Ventilator could take the Problem i think 6 Comments »
Create a way for a Dell moderator / admin to label ideas together. The mod can type in an "encompassing" label. To go above and beyond, you could even do it like Gmail and let ideas be tagged with more than on label. Each "bucket" of ideas (under a particular label) should publicly report the TOTAL number of votes for the aggregate idea. If Dell really implements our ideas from this website, they almost /certainly/ already do this internally. Help the community out to visibly see this as well.
The problem is that there are a great many essentially duplicate core ideas are laying around all over this site. Merging ideas may be fair to the original purveyors. However, some insightful oversight (ha!) in this manner could help a lot. "Ubuntu" may show a million points! Aggregate scores for other good/common ideas like cable management or docking solutions would start to show cumulative points more indicative of the true popularity level of that vein of ideas. (Read: potential $dollars for Dell!) 6 Comments »
How about a new voting button here on IdeaStorm: something to indicate neutrality, conveniently positioned in the ui between the current promote/demote buttons. I don't always want to promote an item. But, I also may not want to actively hurt the image of a decent idea. I only actively promote ideas the implementations of which could influence my personal purchasing decisions. If the neutral votes were counted, it would give more credence to the total number of people who have considered the idea. This could be additional actionable data rather than just the single "points" field. There should also be a way to *change* your vote from that status. 23 Comments »
On PC's i can easily Change the Grafikcard. But if i'd like some more GrafikPower on my Notebook, or i'd prefer an other Grafiksadpater i can't change it, if i got my Notebook and would like to change it. Make it changeable like the Processor. I think it would also be cheaper for the Production of Mainboards for Notebooks, because you have only build one type of Mainboards and maybe the compatible Adapter from Grafikchip to Mainboard. 8 Comments »
I want a power strip that i can plug in via USB and script behaviors for the various plugs.
I would be able to plug it into my PC and using a simple scripting process make...
Outlet 1 turn off and on in X second intervals
Outlet 2 turn off and on in random intervals
Outlet 3 turns on at X am/pm & off at X am/pm
Outlet 4 5 & 6 "chase" eachother when 4 goes off 5 comes on, when 5 goes off 6 comes on, when 6 goes off 4 comes on & so on
These are just examples, with the scripting language you should be able to do any combination of the above.
Once its scripted the way you like it, unplug it from the PC & the power strip remembers via flash memory or whatnot & you can go ahead & put it wherever its needed
Possible uses:
Automate lights in your house to provide the illusion of activity when youre out of town.
Automate & synchronize xmas-light display systems
Automate & synchronize model-train sets
Set it to automatically turn on your monitor, printer, lights, whatever, when its time for work & off when its time to go home.
Use it to turn on/off heaters in your basement during winter months & keep pipes from freezing.
I would like Dell to build more durable products. Something that will last a minimum of 5 years.
And by "minimum" I mean exactly that. The product shouldn't die a death after 5years and 3 seconds. Dell should be building goods that last. 23 Comments »
Dell wants your feedback on the following idea intended to improve customer service and support:
We're considering providing customers the ability to self-select their service queue based on their own technical capability, such as "Advanced Computer Knowledge," "Intermediate," or "Beginner," further customizing the support experience.
UPDATE (May 18 at 8pm Central): A number of people are asking for more information about this idea so they can comment. However, this idea is not a defined “offer” at this point, so many details have not yet been determined. That’s why we want your feedback! Others have asked if this idea would cost extra or not… in this case, that has not yet been determined and we’re hoping to use your comments to help define the answer. 82 Comments »
My personal optimal laptop size for travel: 13.3"/14.1" (or tablet)
Weight: 13.3" 3.0-3.5lbs, 14.1" 3.5-4.5lbs w/ standard 6-cell battery (should last 5 hours, lets get some new, more efficient Li-Ion technology for batteries), light weight carbon fibre chassis
Common core features: WXGA LED backlit screen (possibly WXGA+ for 14.1") and CCFL w/ transflective display options (or if possible LED + transflective? low-flex cage for LCD screen and chassis);
standard (T), medium (P/SP), low (L/SL), and ultra low (U/SU) voltage CPU options (or special CPU like Apple MBA or Lenovo X300, Penryn CPUs when available, w/ high efficiency copper heatpipes/heatsink to rear fan exhaust);
integrated (X3100) and GPU/hybrid options (X3100 + 9500M GS);
2 SODIMM DDR2 slots with easy access (up to 4GB DDR2-677); up to 500GB 5400RPM, 200GB 7200RPM, and SSD w/ read/write speeds
Common side features: 3x USB 2.0; 1x IEEE 1394a; 1x eSATA; ExpressCard/54;
1x DVI (alternatively HDMI or DisplayPort with VGA) w/ option for 2x DVI by adding another DVI on a dock;
low-flex, full keys, ergonomic (maybe introduce a slight split or slight V but still flat), spillproof, and backlit keyboard;
dual headphone jacks and a mic-in; Dolby certified speakers;
Gigabit LAN; 802.11abgn wireless LAN; WWAN or GPS optional;
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR optional; Bluetooth remote control that fits into ExpressCard slot optional; webcam optional w/ dual array mics; TPM 1.2 w/ fingerprint reader optional;
removable DVD+-RW (w/ proper holder when it is not in laptop, like an empty box - cover goes into laptop for weight saving and DVD drive goes into the rest of the box to protect it);
9-cell battery optional, in the front that acts as a palm rest while slanting entire laptop down (like MS Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, should last 8 hours);
90W slim AC adapter w/ magnetic connection and stops charging when full;
Misc: Windows XP, Vista, Linux, no OS options; preinstalled softare options
Comments, questions? Let's update the laptops so that they are ready for the next generation! I wanted to consolidate some of the good ideas that were floating around and put them together. 9 Comments »
Dell needs to offer faster RAM (i.e. If the FSB on the laptop is 800Mhz then match with 800Mhz RAM rather than 667Mhz RAM). I always have to buy the minimum amount of RAM for the system and end up throwing it away. They charge me $350 for 2GB of 667Mhz then I turn around and purchase 4GB of 800Mhz for $130. Since they make you buy at least 2GB... it is such a waiste! 7 Comments »
I would like to see the restore partition made to be used by itself. I don't like Norton, it's a resource hog. I removed this, almost immediately. I installed Avast, which is FREE. So if I go to use the Recovery Partition, Norton isn't there to prompt me how to use it. Good thing I ordered a set of Disks for my system when I bought it.
System Disks,Drivers and other programs should be sent with the purchase of every new computer. 2 Comments »
Okay Dell, i know youve been burned by the MP3-player market in the past, but heres what I'm looking for from an mp3 player which NOONE provides.
1: No music manager. The device is essentially an external hdd with buit-in mp3 playback. I dont need yet another program trying to be my all-encompassing media library/playback/encoding suite on my PC. I already have all that. Just let me drag & drop music onto the device just like any other external storage device. its not difficult to do.
2: Record directly to the device via a 1/8th jack NOT a built-in condenser mic. Let me record -in high fidelity- directly to the device from a plugged in mic (or more likely, a mixer board, guitar, whatever). I'm not talking about recording 56kbs voice-notes, i mean full 256kbs (or higher) music recording.
3: integrated FM transmitter. Why should i go out & buy a seperate device for a feature im so obviously going to want? An FM transmitter lets me listen to my mp3's on the car stereo without having to plug anything in. You can skip the FM tuner, there is nothing worth listening to on FM radio, if there was i wouldnt be looking for an mp3 player in the first place.
4. A button for enabling/disabling shuffle. Please do not make me dig through menus to disable shuffle. Sometimes im listening to a shuffled playlist & decide that im in the mood to hear more of this particular artist, why cant i just hit a button & turn shuffle off?
5: Ability to replace hard drive. Hard drives are getting bigger all the time, let me replace the one thats in it now for a bigger one later on. Dont worry, youll still sell units, even more so when people figure out that yours is the only one on the market that doesnt go out of its way to keep users from upgrading it.
6: Regular batteries. I can buy rechargeable AA or AAA batteries, theyre just as good (or better) than some li-ion battery buried deep in the unit, and when they wear out i can go out & buy new ones. Furthermore, if im in a pinch i can put regular batts in there to get me by for now.
7. Integrated speaker. Sometimes i just want to play along, or listen with some friends. Dont worry, the integated speaker doesnt have to be incredibly good quality, they can be the same thing you put on laptops, its just a stopgap measure.
8: 12V adapter. This will be used on the road quite a bit, most PC hardware uses 12V DC anyway, it should come with a 12V DC power adapter.
9: support for OGG, MP3, FLAC and WAV decoding AND ENCODING i personally am not all that concerned about WMA, but you may want to add it too.
Things i dont need:
A: A color display. It just adds expense & provides no useful purpose
B: Video playback. I have no desire to watch the latest movies on a 2" screen
C: Tie-ins with online music stores. I already have nearly all the music i want, if i want more i already have avenues for that.
D: Proprietary headphone jacks. Apple may be able to get everyone to cow-tow to their made-up accessory standards, dont count on you being able to do it too.
E: Bloaty music-manager software required to upload music. See #1 above. Maybe offer it for people who want it, but dont require me to install a bunch of crap software just to upload a few tunes to the unit.
F: FM/TV tuner. See #3 above. Its an mp3 player, not a teevee, not a radio, its a MP3 player. Anything that doesnt make it better for playing/recording mp3s is an unnecessary expense.
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
There has been much speculation about a leaked picture of a possible upcoming Dell ultraportable. Some say 13.3 inch others think it is 15" and some even speculate it is the 16" from the XPS they showed at CES. Upon magnification you can see it has the following visable: Slot load DVD, 2 USB, Ethernet and 2 other ports (display port and power?) on the left side. Also visable is built in web cam on the LED lit screen. It doesn't appear to have media buttons or a fingerprint reader.
The guys in marketing and developement must be getting sick of being scouped by Engadget and with all the flack they have gotten over the other recent releases (XT, M1330 and M1530). Why not create some good PR, scoup Engadget for once and find out some of the complaints while there is still time to tweak the system. Discuss this system Dell as it can only lead to a better product and greater buzz for it in the process. 46 Comments »
track my votes
