IdeaStorm | IdeaStorm
Community IdeaStorm All Categories All Ideas (Popular Ideas)
Print

IdeaStorm

Sort By: Popular Ideas Recent Ideas Top Ideas Comments
Idea List0
1920
Bios release By gabiz_ro,  Oct 22, 2009  |    Fri Oct 23 01:21:23 GMT 2009

Can we expect some bios update for Inspiron 9400?
Almost 2,5 years and no update for this model.
New version could fix demands you received in time from users,but most important will be
- SLIC update
- HPET support  for real not just declared in ACPI
- AHCI support
- and some thermal settings or even profile.
I use most of time on power adapter and would be good to stay cooler but fans start at ~60° Celsius
I just saw on HP suport for some old model from 2005 latest bios release is from june 2009 and we at Dell are left alone.
gabiz_ro1920.0
Comments: 6
Categories: Service and Support  Inspiron  
1190
BIOS Update for XPS M1710 By bulldog89801-1,  Oct 22, 2009  |    Thu Oct 22 13:38:33 GMT 2009

For those of us that still have current warranties on our XPS M1710's (Mine is good until Oct. 2010), it would sure be nice to see a BIOS update that would address the SLIC update issues, Fan issues etc...
bulldog89801-11190.0
Comments: 0
Categories: Service and Support  XPS  
1620
Give us real bios control By retro,  Apr 21, 2008  |    Mon Apr 21 22:52:53 GMT 2008

Give us all full control of our hardware, I hate entering a bios and seeing only the most basic settings and not much of them, I may get some faster ram and want to set the cas or i may want to adjust my hard drive settings.
retro1620.0
Comments: 10
Categories: Accessories (Keyboards, etc.)  Desktops and Laptops  
1160
Dell BIOS and HPET timer support By josehernandez,  Jan 22, 2008  |    Tue Jan 22 22:40:34 GMT 2008

HPET timer will be useful for different purposes:
1) Kernel uses it for timer interrupt and time source (gettimeofday).
Kernel will use one particular timer among available HPET timers
(typically 3).
2) The HPET driver exports the HPET device in /dev which can be used by
other kernel drivers or user programs.

In this particular case, with forcing of HPET, (1) above seems to be
working fine.
But, (2) is printing 0ns. Probably because missing HPET information in
ACPI. You may need to do some more changes in drivers/char/hpet.c in
case BIOS doesn not support HPET.

But, this will not affect normal kernel functioning. This will only
affect is someone wants to use /dev/hpet interface.

source:http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/6/8/267


DELL/ Status Update
HPET is enabled and exposed by BIOS on most newer systems.
josehernandez1160.0
Comments: 22
Categories: Software  
Status:Partially Implemented
1330
Enable AHCI in Dell Notebook BIOS By ldr,  May 6, 2007  |    Sun May 06 20:19:36 GMT 2007

Latest Dell notebooks are based on ICH7M chipset and even have SATA hard drives with NCQ support. But, the option to enable ahci, and therefore to enable SATA NCQ is not available in Dell BIOSes (other brands give the option).

Having this option in Notebook BIOSes would allow a up to a 30% performance gain under Linux and Vista.
ldr1330.0
Comments: 9
Categories: Laptops  Operating Systems  Sales Strategies  
650
DX10 Videocards for the M1710 laptops! By americanmetal,  Dec 31, 2007  |    Tue Jan 01 06:20:01 GMT 2008

As DX10 cards are starting to come with every new computer, I think they should be produced for the M1710 form factor!
americanmetal650.0
Comments: 4
Categories: Accessories (Keyboards, etc.)  XPS  
1350
Please give us BIOS support for SATA AHCI mode on Inspirons! By soulreaver,  Nov 26, 2007  |    Mon Nov 26 17:20:14 GMT 2007

Inspiron system such as the Inspiron 6400/9400/E1705, etc. does not have the option to use/enable AHCI (Advanced Host Configuration Interface) in BIOS so the SATA drives are not running at maximum performance.
The system board chipset supports it. The transfer mode is set by default to standard compatible mode. Can't take advantage of NCQ capabilities.
Using Inspiron as my system at home and Latitude/Precission at the office.
I can see it supported on latest Inspirons (1720, etc)

Please introduce AHCI support with the next BIOS upgrade on our models as well.
soulreaver1350.0
Comments: 13
Categories: Service and Support  Inspiron  
40730
coreboot (formerly LinuxBIOS) instead of proprietary BIOS By yesmathew,  Feb 20, 2007  |    Tue Feb 20 16:16:10 GMT 2007

coreboot (formerly known as LinuxBIOS) is a Free Software project aimed at replacing the proprietary BIOS (firmware) you can find in most of today's computers.
- Fast boot times 3 sec.
- Runs in 32-Bit protected mode almost from the start
- Can boot Windows too...

External links:
- http://www.coreboot.org/Welcome_to_coreboot
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linuxbios

An Example:
- http://wiki.laptop.org/go/LinuxBIOS

DELL/ Status Update

Please see john_h's comment
yesmathew40730.0
Comments: 102
Categories: Desktops and Laptops  Linux  
Status:Reviewed
1270
Resist EFI for your customers! By dpic,  Nov 30, 2008  |    Sun Nov 30 18:26:31 GMT 2008

Thousands of customers have called out for Dell to put effort into adopting an open-source BIOS replacement (like coreboot) for a number of reasons but Dell john_h has informed us that their  "BIOS teams have investigated, but no plans to do this. Most of the industry is moving towards using uEFI"

THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A PRO-CONSUMER MOVE!

EFI brings more complexity to the system without bringing significant advantages and disables fully open-source BIOS replacements like OpenBIOS and coreboot. As a "core value" EFI is dedicated to the preservation of intellectual property related to chipset programming and internal architecture. It is impossible to have a fully open-source BIOS if EFI is involved.

If Dell won't fight for what us customers want, who are we supposed to go to to ask for coreboot? Customers are at the hands of the industry. Doesn't that seem backwards? We thought ideastorm was to find out what customers wanted and fulfil that demand. Where do we go if dell won't listen? Please, Dell, fight for your customers and for a better future for computers.

Another important thing to realize about EFI is that it also contemplates enabling chipset features that will trap certain OS operations to an EFI-based control system running in System Management Mode. In other words, under EFI, there is no guarantee that the OS owns the platform.

Accesses to IDE I/O addresses, or certain memory addresses, can be trapped to EFI code and potentially examined and modified or aborted. Many see this as an effort to build a "DRM BIOS". This is a real concern in secure environments (such as those found in governments, banks, and large search engine companies).

[Much content adapted from http://archive.fosdem.org/2007/interview/ronald+g+minnich]
dpic1270.0
Comments: 7
Categories: Desktops and Laptops  Linux  
630
Notebooks BIOS should support AHCI. By timotheus25,  Jul 30, 2007  |    Mon Jul 30 19:31:50 GMT 2007

Most of the Dell desktop and workstations now support AHCI operation of the SATA controller. This operation can give significantly increased hard drive performance; but requires special support in the BIOS, the motherboard/chipset, and the hard drive itself.

I own a Dell 640m with T7200 chipset, most features maxed-out. The fact that the BIOS does not support AHCI, while the chipset does, is very disappointing. The notebooks from Apple and HP both do offer this feature for the same chipset(s). (HP in its BIOS and Apple in the firmware.)

It should be feasible enough to add the functionality to the notebook BIOS since the desktop BIOS do have the feature available, yes?
timotheus25630.0
Comments: 0
Categories: Laptops  
280
Don't put headphones and speaker ports on front of the laptop. By einer,  Nov 10, 2009  |    Tue Nov 10 18:58:15 GMT 2009

It's really uncomfortable to use your laptop while holding it on your lap or when lying on bed when we have cables of our headphones sticking into our belly.

Please do not put those ports on front of laptops but instead move them on the side.
einer280.0
Comments: 0
Categories: Laptops  
22690
Use magsafe power connectors By badblood,  May 20, 2007  |    Mon May 21 01:11:04 GMT 2007

MagSafe power connectors, by Apple, are magnetic power connectors that pull out harmlessly when the cord is tripped upon.



They are very cool and quite sensible.
DELL/ Status Update
badblood22690.0
Comments: 118
Categories: Laptop Power  Laptops  
Status:Under Review
8730
Option to Buy Computers without Windows / OS By undoit,  Feb 9, 2009  |    Mon Feb 09 21:55:54 GMT 2009

It is really annoying that there is no way to purchase most laptops and desktops without also purchasing the Windows operating system. The selection of computers with Ubuntu preinstalled is no where near complete and the configuration options for the computers that are available tend to be limiting.

First of all, I already own a copy Windows XP. I am not interested in buying Windows again.

2) I don't run Windows any more. I use Ubuntu or another Linux-based operating system on my laptops. I shouldn't have to pay for something that I am not going to use.

3) I don't want the Windows sticker on my laptop. I end up peeling it off and sometimes it doesn't come off cleanly, leaving some sticky residue.

I take full responsibility for installing the Linux operating system of my choice and doing any trouble-shooting if something is not compatible.

Please add an option to purchase Dell computers with no Operating System!
undoit8730.0
Comments: 72
Categories: Desktops and Laptops  Operating Systems  
120
Win7 64-bit driver for dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR Module By Hond70,  Nov 20, 2009  |    Fri Nov 20 11:14:47 GMT 2009

I'm running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 on an Inspiron 1525. It's working great, but I miss a working driver for dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR Module. I've used driver R140135, but when I add bluetooth devices, all I get is error messages in the device manager.
There are many other suffering from the same problem (see Google). Dell, please provide us with a working driver!
Hond70120.0
Comments: 0
Categories: Operating Systems  
39310
Standardize Power Cables for Laptops By badblood,  Aug 27, 2007  |    Mon Aug 27 18:15:59 GMT 2007

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.

DELL/ Status Update

Please see dawn_l's comments below.
badblood39310.0
Comments: 135
Categories: Accessories (Keyboards, etc.)  Laptops  
Status:Under Review
450
Ubuntu Linux should cost less then Windows and be available on Netbooks. By tkeith,  Oct 30, 2009  |    Fri Oct 30 13:47:36 GMT 2009

 Dell was the first major computer vendor to offer Linux, for which it was praised.  However, the Ubuntu option is now gone from arguably it's best implementation, Netbooks, and where available it costs $50-100 more then Windows.  I was told by support that it was because it costs Dell more, then told it was because people were buying Ubuntu and not liking it.  Neither excuse makes sense, Ubuntu is free to install and people were not properly notified nor given any training information about Ubuntu and the differences from Windows.  
tkeith450.0
Comments: 3
Categories: Linux  Netbooks  
34160
There should be an option of having no trialware on all computers By jervis961,  Aug 23, 2007  |    Thu Aug 23 10:24:58 GMT 2007

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/ Status Update 

Please see Kara's blog for an update.



 
jervis96134160.0
Comments: 176
Categories: Desktops and Laptops  Software  
Status:Partially Implemented
80
2GB Ram Upgrade Option for Dell Mini 10's with Ubuntu. By w1ng3dkn1ght,  3 days ago  |    Mon Nov 23 13:50:54 GMT 2009

As understood, Dell Mini 10's are restricted to only 1GB of ram due to the agreement with Microsoft and the use of Windows XP on the Mini's. It is unfair for those who want to buy Ubuntu and are restricted to 1GB of ram. I understand that Ubuntu is open source software, and that Dell is not in any kind of ram restriction agreement with Ubuntu. So I think it would be fair to add a 2GB ram upgrade option for those who want a Dell Mini with Ubuntu on it.

For this reason, I haven't brought a Dell Mini. Many people as well have decided for now not to buy a Dell Mini 10 because of this. I really don't want to start looking else where for a Netbook.

I hope the community and dell employees revise this idea and implement it. Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this.

NOTE: I apologize if this was seen elsewhere, I did not select any categories in which to this goes.
 
w1ng3dkn1ght80.0
Comments: 2
Categories: Linux  Netbooks  
90
Ambient Light Keyboard By zodi,  Nov 22, 2009  |    Sun Nov 22 21:56:46 GMT 2009

I really would like DELL to offer wireless ambient lighted desktop keyboards, and ambient lighted keyboards on notebook PC's. It would be very helpful & would grow your sales & margine.
Dell consumer & DELL Shareholder.
zodi90.0
Comments: 1
Categories: Accessories (Keyboards, etc.)  
60
Light Sensor By Chengy,  Yesterday  |    Wed Nov 25 08:00:13 GMT 2009

 I am unaware if DELL offers this or not. My idea is to have a screen that has an ambient light sensor attached to it. Right now if I am sitting in a room that is flooded with light or in car during the day the screen is extremely hard to see. If the screen could sense this and automatically darken it would be a dream come true. Or in an extremely dark room say when I am watching a movie in my room, the full brightness would be an eye strain so if it could again sense that and darken a tad it would be amazing.

Same goes for Monitors.  

I am aware the Asus already offers an ambient light sensor on their N series of laptops. 

Chengy
Chengy60.0
Comments: 3
Categories: Monitors and Displays  
< Previous12345...Next > Page 1 of 653
Already a member?
Sign in.

Username:
Password:
Forgot Password?
Not a member? Register Here
Ideastorm Video
General Stats

    The Dell Community has:

    - Contributed  13,053 ideas
    - Promoted  701,247 times
    - Posted  87,985 comments

    Dell has:

    - Implemented  389 ideas
Follow us on Twitter
About IdeaStorm
Status
Top Idea Makers
Community Team