Introduce a "No Component" Option When Customizing

Desktops, Gaming, XPS products submitted by fahdriyami Apr 23

Intoduce an option to not choose a PC component especially for the XPS Desktop Range, most of Gaming Consumers have already built a PC before and have some of the essential components already, for example, i already have a compatible Intel processor and want my Dell shipped without a processor to save money. a "No Component" limit should also be applied, and not all components should have this option. Talking from a business point of view, this could reduce electronic waste in the long run, however it could also reduce sales of the components which could upset manufacturers...
BUT, the earth is more important. 26 Comments »

Live Linux CDs for diagnostics

Desktops, Linux, Operating Systems, Service and Support, Software submitted by undead999 11:41am

Offer a live Linux CD/DVD or ISO for diagnostics and data recovery. A corrupt operating system that wont boot may result in unnecessary data loss, what if a user could get to their files and export them to a CD or USB drive using a Dell provided Live Linux CD, customer satisfaction will improve. While the dell diagnostics hidden on utility partition can be useful, they do not offer complete diagnostics such as testing a network cards, writing to CD or DVD.

I understand there will be driver limitations for new models initially, it may take months or a year to get all/most of the drivers for a new system, but this is still a better option than a Dell customer losing data or doing a complete reinstall to troubleshoot hardware.

This could also position Dell to put more pressure on hardware vendors to develop Linux drivers ultimately expanding Dells Linux product offerings. Comment »

Stripped down, fast Linux Box

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops, Linux submitted by pawprintz 02/17/07 **REVIEWED**

How about a fast, Internet ready Linux desktop. Small form factor, pretty monitor, mouse & keyboard, the O.S., OpenOffice & Firefox. Cheap'n'fast


Dell sees the value of this idea, and is keeping the sugestions for a Linux small form factor on the radar. john_h will let the community know of any new information as it comes.




128 Comments »

Stop overcharging for Xeon

Desktops submitted by shadow010 Apr 23

Simply put, if you compare prices of the optiplex systems with xeon processors with processors from newegg you see that Dell prices most of the exact same processors $200 higher than newegg. 2 Comments »

Offer 1920x1200 on all of your 17"+ desktop monitors!

Desktops, Monitors and Displays, Laptops submitted by winoffice Apr 8

Dell offers a 1920x1200 screen resolution on its 17" and even 15.4" notebook displays (the Vostro 1700 is a 17" notebook and it offers 1920x1200; the Precision M4300 is a 15.4" notebook and it offers 1920x1200).

And yet for some reason Dell offers only a 1440x900 screen resolution on its 17" desktop displays (they offer 1920x1200 only on the monitors that measure 24" or greater).

So Dell thinks that desktop users have less vision than notebook users? Or Dell thinks that I sit close to my notebooks, but not to desktop monitors? I can tell you that the answer to both of the previous questions is no! I use both desktops and notebooks and of course my vision is the same, no matter which of those I might be using at a given instant. And I sit close BOTH to notebooks AND to desktop monitors.

If Dell can offer 1920x1200 on its 17" notebook displays, then they can definitely do the same for 17" desktop displays.

So offer 1920x1200 on all of your desktop monitors that measure 17" or greater.

Now before you anti-1920x1200 people demote this, note that I said "offer" so it would only be an option, and you could always opt out.

And yes, this is a duplicate, a duplicate of my own post even. But I want to buy a 17" Dell monitor, and without 1920x1200, it becomes difficult. 3 Comments »

Offer the Ec280 in US

Desktops submitted by goose1927 Apr 22

Dell should offer the Mini ITX EC280 to US and Canada consumers. Its the perfect Mini-platform computer that would benefit many office users and basic home users, Ubuntu would be perfect for this machine and its an awesome price point for a basic no frills PC or even a 2nd basic PC for the kids, you could even use some of Intels newer ITX formatted motherboards in there that support core 2 notebook processors for added performance, using the gm965's in a market that would appreciate the small form factor... Plus the form factor uses a great deal less for power then its big bulky desktop equivalents and would help your green movement. Comment »

64bit Drivers for Vostro Desktops

Desktops, Operating Systems submitted by dguillaume Apr 14

Why are there no 64bit drivers for the Vostro 400? I ordered it with 4GB of RAM but it can't see it all as it comes pre-installed with 32bit Vista, I have tried upgrading to 64bit but Dell don't provide any drivers. 3 Comments »

Ubuntu in Oz

Desktops, Linux, Sales Strategies submitted by goombadoolies37 Apr 16

I know this is an overstated idea (i.e "put Dell in my country"). But I want to put this on again for the following reasons:

1. It's been a year, and the kinks in the system should have been ironed out. Australia has been patient, now I want it.

2. I have purchased 3 computers from Dell in the last 2 weeks with Windows XP, because they offered an alternative to Vista. I work in a smallish firm, where I have significant informal influence over purchases of IT equipment. I have shifted my boss from HP to Dell.

3. I have purchased from Dell indirectly because of Ubuntu. Although aware of Dell as an option, I would not have considered purchasing equipment from Dell, but for the informal advertising caused by the Dell Idea Storm and Dell's decision to offer Ubuntu. Consider it "pre-emptive loyalty".

4. I want to buy a new laptop for my wife (her old Laptop is a compaq with XP wiped and ubuntu installed). I can buy it from pioneercomputers in Australia or Dell. I don't want to pay Microsoft Tax when I won't use Windows. If I cannot get one from Dell, I won't buy from them. That may open up an issue with item 3, because I may then move additional business away from Dell. 3 Comments »

Intels 45nm processors are power savers

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops submitted by bundy88 Apr 9

Dell should start offering choices for Intels 45nm processors in all desktops due to the fact that they save on power and are as fast or even faster then the standard 65nm processors. Check out this website for extra info. http://www.intel.com/technology/architecture-silicon/45nm-core2/ Comment »

Ion cooling

Desktops, Environment, Servers and Storage submitted by bbr Mar 20

Please add these to your hardware
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111293&govDel=USNSF_51

Researchers have developed a new micro-fan only slightly larger than a dime.

The item uses less energy, cools "better" than a fan, and makes no noise.

--

Broadcasters: B-roll of the fan and video interviews with Dr. Schlitz are available from Dena Headlee.

Engineers harnessing the same physical property that drives silent household air purifiers have created a miniaturized device that is now ready for testing as a silent, ultra-thin, low-power and low maintenance cooling system for laptop computers and other electronic devices.

The compact, solid-state fan, developed with support from NSF's Small Business Innovation Research program, is the most powerful and energy efficient fan of its size. It produces three times the flow rate of a typical small mechanical fan and is one-fourth the size.

Dan Schlitz and Vishal Singhal of Thorrn Micro Technologies, Inc., of Marietta, Ga. will present their RSD5 solid-state fan at the 24th Annual Semiconductor Thermal Measurement, Modeling and Management Symposium (Semi-Therm) in San Jose, Calif., on March 17, 2008. The device is the culmination of six years of research that began while the researchers were NSF-supported graduate students at Purdue University.

"The RSD5 is one of the most significant advancements in electronics cooling since heat pipes. It could change the cooling paradigm for mobile electronics," said Singhal.

The RSD5 incorporates a series of live wires that generate a micro-scale plasma (an ion-rich gas that has free electrons that conduct electricity). The wires lie within un-charged conducting plates that are contoured into half-cylindrical shape to partially envelop the wires.

Within the intense electric field that results, ions push neutral air molecules from the wire to the plate, generating a wind. The phenomenon is called corona wind.

"The technology is a breakthrough in the design and development of semiconductors as it brings an elegant and cost effective solution to the heating problems that have plagued the industry," said Juan Figueroa, the NSF SBIR program officer who oversaw the research.

With the breakthrough of the contoured surface, the researchers were able to control the micro-scale discharge to produce maximum airflow without risk of sparks or electrical arcing. As a result, the new device yields a breeze as swift as 2.4 meters per second, as compared to airflows of 0.7 to 1.7 meters per second from larger, mechanical fans.

The contoured platform is a part of the device heat sink, a trick that enabled Schlitz and Singhal to both eliminate some of the device's bulk and increase the effectiveness of the airflow.

"The technology has the power to cool a 25-watt chip with a device smaller than 1 cubic-cm and can someday be integrated into silicon to make self-cooling chips," said Schlitz.

This device is also more dust-tolerant than predecessors. While dust attraction is ideal for living-room-scale fans that that provide both air flow and filtration, debris can be a devastating obstacle when the goal is to cool an electrical component.

A prior press release on an earlier iteration of this research is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100354 10 Comments »

front usb ports 3 on the front of the pc case under drive bay

Desktops submitted by rickdub Apr 21

Put 3 usb ports on pc front easily acessible under dvd drive, 2 together then inch space for 3rd usb port,to
allow for larger usb devices like wirelss mouse recievers.
PUT video out on front near sound out, microphone ports.MAYBE have a front usb mini for digital camera,s 2 Comments »

Proper/decent Bios for flagship XPS 720 desktop (e.g. A06)

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops, XPS products submitted by huggy_bear Mar 19

Plz provide a proper/decent Bios to the XPS 720.
Latest revision (A05) apparently fixes some of the issues reported by customers but there are many more remaining, e.g.:
1) official/proper support for Quad-core Penryn-family CPUs (i.e. Yorkfield Q9450, Q9550 and QX9650).
2) proper support for EPP SLI memory (e.g. reportedly only a few brands/models currently supported...).
3) overclocking options in the Bios to let "advanced users" tweak the FSB, memory clock ratio, voltages, etc... 14 Comments »

Useful USB Ports

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops submitted by jshereshewsky Apr 9

I have a number of devices connected to my desktop via USB cords; web cam, mike, back-up discs, PDA, printer(s), etc. etc. Although my current DELL desktop has two USB ports on the front, most are from the rear, which is an area that is difficult to access. Can't you build a desktop machine with an expandable number of USB ports (powered) that connect from the front of the machine? 7 Comments »

Offer AMD Processors with Ubuntu Linux!

Desktops, Linux submitted by krazzyj 05/25/07

Offer AMD processors with Ubuntu.

Today I tried to purchase an Ubuntu system, only to be stopped cold with an Intel ONLY system. Open you eyes and allow AMD cpu's with your Ubuntu systems.

9 Comments »

Four Hard Drives Please (Option)

Desktops, Sales Strategies, Servers and Storage submitted by lukemcurley Apr 1

Currently Dell consumer desktops are limited to two hard drives, can you please, especially for high end consumer/gaming desktops, enable up to four hard drive slots, with four SATA ports on the motherboard too so that the option is there. This is great for expansion of disk space either when purchased or later.

Also if you can offer SATA dvd/blu-ray drives it would be great. 2 Comments »

Use DisplayPort

Desktops, Monitors and Displays, New Product Ideas submitted by i.peters 06/06/07

I read something on your website:
http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/innovation/en/cto_display_...
About a "DisplayPort" thing that you can connect power, USB and display in a all in one digital interface, great idea, i agree that monitor connection needs a new technology. Now you need to use that technology, get it through development and get it out there before another company (like apple) will snatch it up and it will be the "next big thing".

But when it is developed make it able to transfer a lot of info and have UPnP. Make it so that your monitor can have a display, USB ports, web cam, microphone, speakers and a disc drive (yes, that's right implement a disc drive [HD DVD or Blue-ray] into the monitor so that the tower can be stashed under a desk, but still has the ability to be taken apart and add something like a bigger hard drive or something). Also (maybe) make it so that your monitor can be powered by that cord too, so that there is only one cord. If not and in your tests you end up with melted motherboards, two cords is still pretty good.

But the point is that you should get that all into effect soon and than I think that this could be the next big thing.

PS - Make sure people know about it, ADVERTISE IT!!! 3 Comments »

More Choice of Graphic cards on (Home & Home Office) Laptops and Desktops.

Desktops, Gaming, Inspiron products submitted by fahdriyami Feb 3

Sometimes when looking for a reasonablly priced notebook or desktop i would go for the Inspiron range, and im a gamer, when customizing my pc i just wonder why is there only one or two choices of graphic cards?!, most of them support the same bus type, so why not offer them?! eg, the best Inspiron notebook you offer only comes with a GeForce 8600M GT, can you just offer an 8700M with it at least? i know you did it for a reason and its probably a good one but im just curious...thinking of it, an Inspiron with an 8800M sounds ok :D 3 Comments »

Upgrade ability for Desktops!

Desktops, Sales Strategies submitted by ajmukon Mar 6

Increase the upgradability (sp?) of all Desktop units.

Currently, the only upgrade options are RAM, HD, Video card (which is in itself low), and Disk drives.

allow us the option of upgrading our motherboard, cpu, PSU (if we get a larger video card), above, etc (if you can think of anymore, post a comment!) 25 Comments »

choice of colours for desktops

Desktops, Sales Strategies submitted by mooboo Apr 9

Wouldn't it be cool if you could choose your desktop to be any colour you wanted (just like the inspiron laptops).
Just a thought, I personaly think it would be cool. 1 Comment »

Dell all-in-one Desktop Computer and printer

Desktops, Printers and Ink submitted by colep04 02/27/07

Why not make an all-in-one (for Consumers) Dell computer (such as the Apple imac) but, also a small added printer in the back of the all-in-one. 8 Comments »