STEVE HARVEY ON HAVING BIG IDEAS
The Dell Community has contributed: 9375 ideas | promoted 641847 times | 71534 comments

How IdeaStorm Works:

Post Promote Discuss See
4710

Give XPS Notebooks Gigabit Ethernet

4710 points posted to XPS products by croftki Feb 17

I understand that Dell market research says home users in general are not interested in gigabit ethernet for home networks. Those who pay for the premium design in the XPS line, however, are more likely to want gigabit ethernet. I would rather buy something more exciting than a business class notebook, but I want to build on my home technology with each purchase I make. XPS Notebooks unfortunately do not help me do this. It seems my only option is to buy a Latitude.

cestuila
Feb 18
Get a Latitude. They rock! :)
hoodedthing
Feb 20
But XPS rocks more. I agree, gigabit

http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75444/Need_Gigabit_Ethernet_in_M1530
q0987
Feb 26
The m1330 could use this aswell. It is a kind of business notebook because it can be carried around and I've seen reviews of people using it for typing and things
bulldog89801
Mar 2
I disagree about their research on home networks. More and More ARE making the change. Come on Dell, the XPS platforms should have all of the best bells and whistles whenever possible. I associate the XPS logo as a Dell flagship!
samxu
Mar 9
I agree! The XPS line should definitely come standard with Gigabit ethernet!!!
hevisko
Mar 22
Oh shucks!!!
I was on the verge of ordering a XPS M1530 ;(
I'll have to reconsider, as also the Vostro is 10/100 ;(

That is now after my Acer Ferrari (which I mostly use "at home") and my home machine is GigE, and playing at friends games etc. is GigE...
and this is in South Africa... not to mention that here in Nigeria, the company I'm contracting to is a GigE environment for the desktop ports.

This will make it faster to get a set of USB2.0/FireWire external HDDs when I need to transfer data, and would make my home video editing also slower...

*sigh*
Might need now to re-investigate my options.
cestuila
Mar 22
Latitude and Precision range have 10/100/1000...
wallyhorse
Mar 24
Yes, but I would also do that on the Inspirons if possible. People want faster and faster stuff.
tallcoolone
Mar 24
The m1730 already has a gigabit network card guys
pete7au
Mar 26
The m1330 needs gigabit. It's the main reason I won't buy one!
rotthund
Apr 4
I thought the XPS'es are premium laptops. Why aren't they introducing 10 gigabit ethernet?
cestuila
Apr 4
I would actually prefer terabit ethernet! lol

Whatever people have, they always want more!
cenz
Apr 9
Yep! Thanks for Croftki, I thought for XPS class, it's already have gigabit ethernet... but why Dell make such gaming laptop without gigabit??? So, please put gigabit in XPS
sgogeta4
Apr 9
Why would people demote this? All laptops should have GigE ethernet. Companies don't save much with 10/100 over 10/100/1000.
wallyhorse
Apr 14
Good point!

All laptops should go to 10/100/1000 Ethernet if possible.
piper88
Apr 19
Yes, it's time for Fast Ethernet to die on premium systems at least.

In case you weren't joking on the 10 Gigabit Ethernet thing, let me explain why that is absurd:)
First, 10GBase-t (10Gb on rj45, Cat6 or better cable) is a very new technology. It uses ridiculous amounts of power (~25 watts per port); requires multiple, large chips (Laptop boards are crowded as it is); they are extremely expensive (the chips alone cost several hundred $ per port); and switches that support 10GBase-t are few and far between.

Fiber takes up a bunch of space, and is also very expensive, leaving us with only one viable option for putting a 10Gb port on a laptop: 10GBase-CX4. The port is reasonably small, it can be done in one reasonably sized chip, and the power usage, while high, is fairly feasible. However, the cables have a maximum length of 10-15 meters, are very bulky (about 10mm in diameter) and they cost $50-200 a piece. Who's gonna have a 10gb switch at their desk?

Just in case anybody wondered...
tigerforce
Apr 25
on ALL not just XPS
tigerforce
Apr 25
10/100/1000 not 100/1000/10000 btw lol
thefirstm
Apr 28
I completely agree. In addition, I think that Dell should drop the Broadcom integrated controllers and start using the Intel ethernet controllers that have been integrated into the system chipset since 2000.

See this:
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/10088060
toy9b
May 6
Totally aggree with Gigabit ... it should be 10/100/1000 on all Dell plus 11n @ 300 Mbps so why using 10/100 Mbps ????
cheesewarlock
May 10
It would've been nice to have it on my m1330, and I don't think it would be that hard to implement...
scott31337
May 20
I do like this idea myself and agree with it - For the "normal" home user, Gigabit controllers on desktops can run into problems, and need to be "FORCED" to 100Mbps- or they will not connect properly... Most "Portable"/Laptop users use Wireless, so personally, I do not see this being cost effective. Linksys has a Gigabit Expresscard option available.. EC1000. (if websites are forbidden to be posted, forgive me, remove if necessary)
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLa...
claudio_ch
May 25
When I want to transfer large files from my notebook to my desktop I connect them via a corssed twisted pair cable instead of going through my wlan. The desktop has gbit... my laptop is not up to par with it:-(
contrast123
May 31
Cant believe dell is like this, hah hah. Whats up Dell, we are all just looking at you....you did good ot offer gigabit on new vostro line, but ALL your laptops need this. Thanks. Peace!!
inkslug
Jun 6
First off, things are even worse over here in the UK, we have less of a product range and spec options than in the US. Some of the models that come with gigabit over there may not even be available here. Whilst others that do, don't have other necessary options to upgrade to a decent graphics card or CPU.

What I want to know is if there is no demand for gigabit why is everyman and his dog going out buying cheap routers etc with gigabit ports, and USB gigabit adaptors for their ageing systems. And if you're in the market for a new laptop and you decide to walk away from Dell, at least in the places I shop there's a plethora of non-premium notebooks and desktops already with gigabit.

I have been after a decent laptop upgrade for about six months, but I don't want a budget one, I wanted an Alienware m15x,until they called 3 days after I placed my order to say the cost quoted to me in the purchase order was too low and instead of £1178 it should be £2300. I sulked for a few weeks and swore never to purchase anything from Dell or Alienware again. However I couldn't find a laptop with the spec i wanted and a touchpad near the middle instead of far off to the right (I'm left handed) . So I reluctantly came back to Dell. For me the next best thing to an m15x is not an m1730, but a 1530 because the 1730 is double the price and not as pretty. So yesterday I got as far as configuring the system, putting it in my shopping basket, proceeding to checkout and was about to key in my credit card details when my gut told me something was up. No mention of the ethernet specs. I'd assumed and thought it obvious that a premium laptop from a company such as Dell would have gigabit ethernet. So now it's been two for two failed attempts at purchasing from Dell/Alienware.

Please Dell sort it out. I really want to buy one. It had never occured to me that you would be so backward with regard to ethernet while at the same time providing a legacy firewire and a future proofed HDMI. Where's the consistency. This makes me so mad and is the one and only reason I registered here. It just makes no sense. What's next a parallel and a display port. grrrrrrrrrr

Rant over!
madoon
Jun 20
im not sure if the xps has gigabit ethernet.. im sure inspirons dont.

to be honest gigabit ethernet isnt really that important if you only use your laptop at home. specially because most home switches don't work that fast anyways most work on 10/100, so if gigabit Ethernet was an option anyone getting it would most likely have to upgrade his home network. besides most people at home use wireless networks. whats the point in buying a laptop then being glued to a desk..
lets not forget that our machines would not be capable of those transfer speeds. i doubt our hardisks will get a boost in performance.
besides dell will most likely make it a pay option, which i bet most of us would not pay for if we don't use our laptops for serious IT work.
gorgias
Jun 21
Riddle me this: if gigabit is standard on a ~$700 Vostro, why isn't available as an add-on, let alone not standard, on all XPS models? Why do I have to go all the way up the to M1730 or M2010 "laptop" if I want gigabit?

I can understand not offering gigabit just yet on your Inspiron line, since that's targeted more towards your average consumer. But I don't see how it does you any good to not offer the best of everything, even if only as an add-on, on what you purport to be your premium, pro-sumer line. I mean really: I want premium components for the premium price.
mikelambert70
6:42am
More and more people having network storage at home, NAS boxes here and there. No way using these without gigabit. Besides the cost should be negligible. We are talking about the PREMIUM line of XPS after all? Premium line with crappy network cards??
Please log in to post a comment