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39612

More RAM!

39612 points posted to Desktops and Laptops by mwmtjm 01/30/07 **UNDER REVIEW**

Do away with 512MB of memory as a base option to buy consumer desktops and notebooks. With Vista running best on 1GB at a minimum, don't make customers have a basic experience with the new OS because Dell wants to be able to advertise at a lower price point. The success of Vista -- and subsequently for Dell -- will be largely in word of mouth. Take a long-term view and build the momentum one great customer experience at a time right now!

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john 01/30/07	I believe being proactive in this case = industry leadership.
i_own_dell 02/16/07	It has to be the order sooner or later...this has to come in place...
forworldpeace 02/17/07	Well lets see... from a marketing stand point the appearence of a great price is awesome... all you have to here Mr. Dell is make sure that the upgrade costs are reasonable... users would know what to upgrade
gcreese 02/17/07	Yes, appropriately configured machines is what made Gateway so strong in the 90s. (Of course, then they lost it.) But I remember looking at Dell and Gateway at the time and Gateway had well-configured machines while Dell had bare-bones machines it would have taken me half an hour to upgrade. So I went with Gateway, did a few minimal tweaks, and that was that. By offering barebones cheap machines it looks like you're clueless as to what's really needed.
jervis961 02/17/07	Currently ram upgrades with Dell are way too expensive. Upgrading from 1 533MHZ GB of memory to 2 677MHZ GB is over $200. I can go to Crucial .com and order the 2GB 677MHZ set for less than $200. I can understand Dell is trying to make money but you will get more repeat business with proper pricing and customer service (lets not open up that can of worms in this thread).
edac 02/17/07	But what about those people who want to buy a DELL and load a copy of XP. XP runs fine with 512Mb. I will not be runing vista till SP1 arrives and they have sorted the DRM issues.
pdonket 02/17/07	I agree with edac, in addition...if you want more ram, why not click the mouse button to select 1gb or 2 or 4, whatever the case be. It's not exactly a hard process.
pdonket 02/17/07	Computers only have a max of 3.2gb's of ram @ dellcomputersarah. You can put more in but only 64 bit OS' will recognize it. You're confusing memory (Random Access Memory) and hard drive space. Hard drives can go up into the hundreds and thousands of GB's, ram does not :)
agreer 02/17/07	I say let me buy my desktop with one GB now and get 4 gb when I can afford it a few months down the road...heck, RAM is cheaper from 3rd parties anyway and it is no harder to add ram to a pc than air to the tire of a car.
pdonket 02/17/07	@agreer: psh it's easier than that even! It's one of those "card A- socket A" types of things.
joelist 02/17/07	Actually Dell does need to increase their baseline hardware to give better performance. And forget about XP, Vista is where it is at, so Dell needs to be pushing it aggressively.
anotheruser 02/17/07	I disagree. 512MB is enough for me to run Linux with zero problems. Post-Vista, Dell no longer offers it on many models, which means I'd have to pay for RAM I don't need.
analyst 02/18/07	More RAM slots, instead of more RAMs.
pdonket 02/18/07	Why is that necessary analyst? OS' only recognize up to 4GB anyway, no need for more slots.
agreer 02/18/07	I would rather focus on bigger dimms than more overall memory, if I get a unit with a gig of ram, use one 1gb dimm, not 2 512s, it makes upgrading easier and cuts polution 6 month down the road when I have a 512 MB so-dimm that no one wants.
jmxz 02/20/07	Minimal RAM configuration should stay low. For a compute server, 512MB is more than enough (Google ran on less for many years). For a file server 512MB is more than enough. For a web browsing desktop 512MB is more than enough. Same for a powerpoint/outlook sales laptop. If Vista needs more, consider making a less memory-hungry OS an option, since NT, 2000, Linux, Solaris, etc all run fine with 256. I'd say _lower_ the minimum configuration; and focus more on the capacity. Memcached servers in our cluster like seeing 16GB or more.
whatsupdell 02/20/07	The problem isn't offering more ram. It's the fact Dell's ram upgrades are not competitive with 3rd party vendors. Get competitive pricing going from Dell, and everyone will just select the upgrade that suits them best. Otherwise, they're paying for ram they'll end up replacing with a lower-cost, larger capacity stick.
taterworks 02/20/07	I think Dell's decision to continue offering 512MB of RAM allows the customer extra flexibility to configure a bare-minimum hardware configuration if they WANT to. How hard is it to select the 1GB option in the configuration pages? Honestly... I hope that with this IdeaStorm concept, Dell is ready to deal with the multitude of ideas that seem good, but under the surface are just dumb. Like this one. The rationale behind it, that one needs 1GB to acceptably run Vista, is at best a subjective one. Do Grandma and Grandpa need 1GB of RAM so they can enjoy seamless high-definition playback? No -- they only need to browse the web and look at photos of their grandkids, and that's all. The idea that Dell should take away these low-end configuration options is just silly all around.
jervis961 02/20/07	I will say that you do need more than 512MB or ram for Vista. I have 1GB installed in my Inspiron 6000 and I'm already using 537 of it while surfung the web. I think Dell needs to be more competative with pricing or allow minimal to no ram configurations for those of us that will buy it cheaper from a 3rd party.
polyverbal 02/21/07	I want to buy more RAM when I want more performance not because of a badly written OS that won't perform without it. 512MB is OK by me.
saoir 02/21/07	I perfectly understand Dell's need to market aggressively. I am also in business. However I have so many friends and colleagues who have been persuaded by special offers on Dell's web site and brochures to buy PCs with far far far too little RAM. Ordinary non-expert users can not be expected to appreciate the relevance of RAM and many of the people I have experience of end up with a very negative opinion of their PC and of Dell. The same goes for other marketing tricks by the way. Dell may end up selling a few more PC's in the short term, but I am certain you lose customers for upgrades and future PC purchase.
compsoldier 02/21/07	Dell needs to have as standard 2gb for its high end computers and gaming systems. And I'm not talking about rambus ram either
gtw 02/21/07	Rambus RAM? What kind of RAM are you talking about?
ventura 02/21/07	I have personally experienced how much happier people are when they have enough RAM to quickly do everything they like to do on their computers. I think most computer companies are being short sighted by putting less RAM in a base system than is needed to run it well. In the long run you make yourself look better in anecdotes that customers tell if you install enough RAM. Average computer users aren't comparing 256MB to 1 GB of RAM when comparing their system to someone elses. They are comparing how fast their computer is to Joe Blow's down the street. No it won't necessarily help you get great numbers when doing an apples to apples comparison on some techie site, but it will benefit you in word of mouth.
wheeldweller 02/21/07	Ya know, I have 5 Linux boxes with 512M or less, and I have one with 1G. The 512's rarely go into swap, if ever. It's plenty. The 1G machine, which does my video ripping and other heavy lifting and IT rarely uses 1G. If they loaded Ubuntu (or any other Linux) they wouldn't NEED the 4G that Vista requires. Sure, 4G is the "sweet spot" on VIsta, and so (like the last 20 years or so) Microsoft will require faster and more costly machines to get the little stuff done. The 1G I have? a single P4@2400, a year old. The workstations? 7-10 years old. The only way I could be happier with my computers is if more games...even old ones...were ported to Linux like Loki used to. So as long as Microsoft has business-as-usual, there will always be Linux boxes that rock, for cheap. There's no debate on extra ram. Microsoft will force it, sooner or later. My point is, Linux don' need it.
manimal347 02/21/07	512mb ram keeps costs down. I oppose this idea, as some users may care more about price than performance, only surf the web and draft documents, or intend to use an operating system other than Vista with Aeroglass. Let the market take it's time to remove 512 mb ram machines from the marketplace.
pdonket 02/21/07	I agree with manimal, some people simply don't need 1gb of ram.
teotwawki 02/22/07	The buyer should have the choice, so the lower the minimum the better. Some have posted that they get any upgrade memory elsewhere as Dell's is so over priced. Many simply don't need very much either because they just want to surf & read e-mails or because they run a more efficient OS. Even a PS/3 only has 256MB! Apparently Vista only runs fast in 4GB but you wouldn't recommend that as a base would you ? Perhaps increase the minimum automatically if Vista is selected but leave it low for Linux or blank machines
enola.rossi 02/22/07	My linuxbox works well with 512 mb, now i dont use a bit of my swap Tasks: 99 total, 3 running, 96 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 14.4%us, 3.7%sy, 0.0%ni, 80.9%id, 0.0%wa, 0.7%hi, 0.3%si, 0.0%st Mem: 514844k total, 472844k used, 42000k free, 104524k buffers Swap: 666688k total, 0k used, 666688k free, 136720k cached Happy linux & kisses from Italy ciao
emme 02/22/07	If you have 2GB on board on all the machines with Windows Vista, you'll pay less for every memory bank. So you can have lower costs for memory and give to all the people with Vista the possibility to work as people need. I think that having 2GB machines as standard machines can give to Dell another point to beat competitors.
jefherz 02/22/07	Some people here are mistaken...Your saying you want more RAM which increases the cost of the PC's. Microsoft wants you to buy new computers, thats why they made vista the way they did, so that you are forced to buy a new computer in order to upgrade to vista. Better yet Dell should not force Vista on customers, give us the Choice to Buy Windows XP on a new machine dont let microsoft tell you how to sell your product to us.
therrydicule 02/22/07	I think is a good idea to get twice the ram need.
t3chnomanc3r 02/23/07	Rather than more RAM, lets see an end to dead-end RAM options where you are coerced by price into taking 2 smaller RAM modules where 1 of the total size makes more sense. In other words don't jerk us around offering 1GB as two 512MB modules at a lower price than a single 1GB module unless there is a benefit to two modules like dual channel. Also, yes Dell "branded" RAM options are way out of wack with market prices and they aren't even performance name brands like Corsair. If you want to charge a premium, then at least make it "name brand" performance RAM.
homerr 02/23/07	As the IT guy at work everyone comes to me about their own/friends/parents Dell home systems/laptop and as soon as I see 256mb of RAM on an XP system that is halfway decent otherwise I know what the problem is. Meanwhile, Dell is losing reputation because Joe Sixpack is now po'd that he has to spend $100 on RAM for his Dell that was supposed to be 'a good setup from Dell'. I have to explain that Dell kneecaps it's systems in order to give you that low, low price. It's frustrating on all sides and usually ends up with a gruff, "I'm not buying a Dell ever again!"
homerr 02/23/07	How about automatically switching the pre-filled in radio button to 1gb on the RAM spec page when a user configures a system, and as 512mb min for XP? Maybe for Vista have something like 'mainstream user' next to 1gb of RAM, and 'enthusiast or gamer' next to 2gb in order to let people identify with their tech level?
jmac 02/23/07	It would also be nice to see them charge market prices for RAM. All my friends get the bare minimum when they order from DELL and buy RAM upgrades elsewhere. They save hundreds of dollars doing that. Plus they often have a DELL support person on the phone talking them through the installation process. So it costs DELL more than just the lost RAM sale.
fbnewtz 02/23/07	I think RAM is where Dell makes most of its profits. Honestly, I usually end up putting after market memory in any of the machines I purchase from Dell becuase they price their memory like Apple prices their memory. I agree though, they should have a bare minimum of 1gb of ram in there. It is cheating the end user experience by making them reallly think their computer is a junker by not giving them the bare minimum amount of memory.
olegturaev 02/23/07	I am usually the first one to promote more choice. I mean, why not click on the 1gm option if you really want to, and forget that 512 is even there? It's not bothering anyone, and maybe someone actually wants 512... However, even I believe that 512 has got to go. 512 isn't bothering anyone, you say? You can always choose a higher option if you want, you say? Linux (and for some, even XP) can run just fine on 512, you say? Well, let's see... First, as it stands now, Dell does not offer a Linux option. Nor does it offer an XP option anymore. So guess what, they force you to get Vista. You're paying for it either way, and it's a big part of the cost. If you want to get the PC, wipe Vista (that you've already paid for), and install Linux, then I think you're stupid. Second, Dell lures many inexperienced customers with a low starting price due to the 512 option. They have it pre-selected. Then, very inconspicuously, they put a huge sign "2GB recommended for Vista to run like an actual $200-dollar piece of software." It is misleading. Many dumb users will give the 512 option a try, just because the upgrade is so expensive, hoping for the best, and never do business with Dell again. Third, keeping 512 an option actually costs Dell money. It is quite literally making the process more expensive. More options means an extra stop on the conveyor belt. They have to order, store, and upkeep the 512 sticks. Removing them as an option would actually make the costs of other RAM choices go down. Fourth, peace out!
zgamer 02/24/07	Bump. 1GB should be the minimum under Vista, 512MB is just painful unless your running Starter edition.
zeavott 02/25/07	I completely agree with this idea. Hoorah~
ronlamb 02/25/07	Personally I would want 2 GB minimum for Linux. Then again my use of Linux is database prototyping and video editing. Therefore, anything that drives the price down, i.e. more demand for higher amounts of memory is good for me. I agree that 512 is decent even for database development on Linux, but the extra memory goes a long way in baselining performance.
pdonket 02/25/07	2GB of ram base is ridiculous many home users would have a hard time using 1GB let alone 2.
alcassi 02/25/07	1 GB really should be the minimum. Also, it should come in one slot so the owner can still have an empty slot for later memory upgrades.
boss_78 02/26/07	1Gb?! That is ridiculous! If Vista starts with 1024Mb, Linux starts with 64Mb and XP with 256Mb!!! Do not make climb the prices!
reg 02/26/07	Recent Testing concludes that VISTA runs best with 4 GB of RAM. More RAM doesn't seem to add much speed, but anything less than 4 GB significantly slows Vista down.
navvy 02/26/07	I have recommended Dell to several of my friends. I tell them to choose the smallest RAM option and I will fit RAM from www.crucial.com for them. Crucial ship to me next-day for free, so I have the RAM before the computer arrives. Dell need to offer RAM and other options at more sensible prices.
vfwlkr 02/26/07	1GB is required for vista
wgtthompson 02/26/07	It is called marketing. Dell needs to compete on advertised price with other vendors. Dell does this because of the market pressure. Dell would not do it if people did not look at "$350 Desktop Wow!" in the ads. Besides, people buy computers for kinds of reasons. My company uses Dell for test equipment running custom "simple" software. There is no multimedia, they could use 256MB if the wanted. Besides a minus sign is not very "positive" when you read the brochure.
galahad 02/27/07	While shopping a new Dell recently for a better gaming experience,I opted for 4 GB ram in an XP.In small lettering at the bottom of order sheet after product was totalled was a suggestion to run 64 bit processor with 4GB ram.Why isn't ordering process clearer?
dainichi 02/27/07	with ram so cheap and OS's so memory hungry, why is it that the cheapo laptops have a default of 256MB of ram? 256 is generally not enough for even the most basic tasks. widows runs/boots slow, applications require more memory so they resort to virtual memory, thus the harddrive gets paged more resulting in increased wear rates, once one gets their system the way they like it there is 400mb worth of stuff running in "memory" and another 200mb (min) in virtual memory, by default. 512 should be the bare minimum with 1GB being the default.
jaggad 02/27/07	I agree!
pdonket 02/27/07	Ram isn't all that cheap, bout $200 for 2 1GB sticks. Dell doesn't want to spend that.
ethan 02/27/07	This is not a simple issue at all. There is a lot of marketing and strategy that goes into filling the lower-end pc market. However, Dell needs to grow up and realize that they are better than low-end fillers. A pc with less than 1 GB of memory is a very sad offering that Dell should not offer under any circumstances these days, especially on a computer running Windows Vista. Really though, the only reason Dell offers low-end computers (with half a gig of memory) is to attract people with a small price in order to get them to upgrade. I would respect Dell as a company much more if they were more transparent and simply offered appropriate hardware for the computers they sell. 512 MB of memory is simply sub-modern. To Dell: Spend the next 3-4 years phasing out your low-end models. In that time, do all the preparation you need to make your middle to high-end models look more attractive - marketing, R&D, whatever. Just leave the low-end models to the smaller companies!
janginger 03/03/07	When I bought my xp system in late 2001 the 256 MB of ram was all I needed I am just a home user. Then about a year or so ago I thought I could use some more. Everywhere I looked they said to see Dell.......Well my computer was over 4 years old and the price of more ram was just silly. I am slowly moving along with what I got and the computer seems like it might last a while longer but I don't think I can take it much longer.. I thought I would put all that money into more ram when I had to get a new computer so I am thinking about 4 GB should do it... Then just see if they can slow me down before the computer is ready to die.......lol More ram to start so that adding more won't cost so much......
reg 03/03/07	www.eMachines.com , www.hp.com , www.gateway.com , www.averatec.com , www.tigerdirect.com , etc etc. they suck up the whole 'low end' market. Apple, Sun, IBM, HP, the grab the 'high end market'. The Mid market - can Dell market to the middle market? People who don't want 1337 GamR systems, and don't want simple bare bone systems either. Dell seems to be having a hard time aiming for the middle laptop and desktop market. Dell needs to focus on that 'Core' - Middle Home and Middle Business systems. That is what built up Dell, and that is where it's future will be... Let me call up an order for 500 slim case Core 2 Duo PCs, and get it to me by next Thursday - with MY base image installed For Me. Can Dell do that?
pdonket 03/03/07	you mentioned HP being both high end and low end, are you referring to HP's acquisition of voodoo?
yesmathew 03/05/07	BadVista has increased the price, reduced our freedom - http://www.dellideastorm.com/article/show/64564< user to the next level of computing... - http://www.dellideastorm.com/article/show/64563
myinnershadow 03/07/07	i disagree with removing 512, it should be an option. you should not have to get more if you don't want it. especially if you already have ram why have to get everything from dell.
danieljames 03/08/07	512 is a good amount of ram. if your os cant run on that there is a problem. dell is right to keep cost down like this
reg 03/08/07	Vista runs best with 4 GB RAM. Offer 4GB as STANDARD configuration on 'High End' machines, GamR boxes, etc - with the option to have less, or more RAM.
wallyhorse 03/08/07	2GB of RAM in my opinion should be the starting point on ALL machines these days (desktops and laptops), with options to downgrade from 2GB to 1.5GB, 1GB or 512MB (as well as upgrade to 3GB or 4GB and even 6GB or 8GB on machines that can handle that much RAM), and advertise to customers based on all computers having AT LEAST 2GB of RAM, and make it clear that 2GB is strongly recommended for Vista.
yesmathew 03/09/07	More RAM is good only at same cost. BAD VISTA should not increase the cost of the base configuration!
purranki 03/14/07	I don't understand the logic behind this memory issue. If an OS is a memory hog then that OS is not well designed and if you design keeping that OS in mind as a priority, then your design is also flawed and suboptimal. Beryl has more eyecandy and user experience novelty than Vista provides, and it runs easily with 512 Mb. I don't favor linux as the only option, but forcing everyone to have 4 Gb of RAM will only increase very slightly what the computer can do, even for the (crippled) Vista nerdcore fans.
gdavidson 03/14/07	If they choose Vista as an option, you just shouldn't be able to choose anything lower than 1Gb of RAM.
pdonket 03/14/07	I guess I agree, most people that buy from Dell are computer ignorant and don't know that they'll need 1+ gigz of ram to run vista. We should invent a de-ignoantizing spray for America.
matknny 03/14/07	vfwlkr is right 1GB is needed as specified by Microsoft, although people need cheap computers and upgrading is easy
gtw 03/15/07	I agree, 512MB is just fine for XP or Linux. You don’t need to get more unless you want it. However since Dell insists on shoving Vista down many consumer's throats without having any other option, then they should at least be able to put 1GB of RAM in there. ~ ~ On a related note, I don't know why people around here are griping about the increases in RAM. It has gone up exponentially since I got involved using Windows 3.1 in 1994. Remember when 16MB was enough? Then you had to get 32MB, then a couple of years later, 64MB was the standard, then 128 for about a year. Then you had to get at least 256MB if you wanted XP to run fairly decently without it hanging up all the time while it searched for available RAM. We've been in the 256 - 512MB range with XP for the last five years. Yes I know many bought 1GB during that time, but a lot of people thought that was excessive for their own simple uses. Ok, maybe in 2003-2004 it was, but not today. You all need to a get a grip. 2GB - 4GB of RAM will be the standard before the decade is out. Computer hardware didn’t stop in their tracks when Win2000 came out.
wallyhorse 03/17/07	Interesting: More RAM was a no-brainer even in early 2001, when BEFORE XP even came out I got 512MB of RAM for my computer with Windows ME (then the latest home version) at a time when most people were only getting 128MB and some even 64MB. Now, 1GB is the minimum I want for an XP computer and 2GB for Vista, and preferably 3GB for XP and 4GB for Vista. I would also offer 6-8GB Options for those who want those now.
ctkachuk 03/21/07	The baseline should be 1G B, think, with options to go more, since most systems are crappy with less than 1. Even word processing programs can have problems on some machines with lower amounts of RAM. Of course, have an option to go lower or higher, but gaming machines should start at 2GB, even, not 512, and have exorbitant costs to upgrade to higher amounts. Sure, my 2 gigs cost 400 bucks, but it's high quality DDR2-800 ram, while Dell uses cheap DD2-667 which is out the door and cheap.
wallyhorse 03/21/07	That's another thing: Dell does offer computers on the business end with 800MHz RAM, I don't see why they can't offer that on the consumer end. It might be that some think not many people outside of "techies" will want the 800MHz RAM or most are too cheap to want that option.
gtw 03/22/07	I agree with you more RAM was a no-brainer, but it seems like some people around here want to run modern operating systems on vintage 1999 machines and get away with not having to pay for anything additional. Then they complain when their processor runs slow and apps take a long time to open or not open at all. But what do expect when somebody buys a $400 laptop runing on an Intel Celeron 300 or a Pentium III with 256MB of RAM and then crybabies because their apps take forever to open in XP or (even worse) in Vista,. Then I just don't feel sorry for them. In fact, I have to laugh at them becasue they were too cheap to spend more money in the first place. They swallowed Dell's too-good-to-be true deals, hook, line & sinker, so they get what they deserve. They get what they pay for. If you're going to be cheap, then buy a used laptop and don't expect too much. I know where you can get some good deals on $200 laptops still running ME on them. (laughs)
wallyhorse 03/22/07	gtw: I still have ME running on one of my computers and 98SE on another (that I bought in late 2004 for about $150 that included an upgrade to 384MB of RAM, I noted my ME computer on a post upthread). Both are slower simply because of how advanced programs have become in the last year or so, but are still efficient enough to work with until I can find a reasonable replacement. I'm also looking if I go new at the Systemax computers on Tiger Direct. Some of them are still sold with XP (and some new laptops in fact with Pentium M processors), but many do offer for instance 800MHz (PC-6400) RAM as well as the Core2Duo processors (at least 2.4GHz with the 4 MB Cache) I would want at a very reasonable price.
reg 03/22/07	$ 399.99 = The Mach Speed P4MSD-800 D2 : Intel Pentium D 940 3.2 GHz 400GB Hard Drive 18x DVD±RW DL DVD Drive 1GB DDR2 PC4200 RAM Clear Sided ATX Mid-Tower Case 450 Watt Power Supply Wow, Tiger Direct really has rolled out some nice bundles for you wallyhorse. Thanks for the Tip. (Remember to Add the CPU fan, the GPU graphics card of your choice, Windows XP SP2 - OEM CD, and a Glowing Cable Package + lights for an UberGamr Big Rig. See next comment.) Mach Speed P4MSD-800 D2:
reg 03/22/07	Flesh it out with all the UberGamr Requirements: (click any of the text for the direct link) 775 CPU Fan: 2nd 1GB RAM stick: Grab two Memory Coolers: Glowing Cables, Fans, and Case Light: Top of the Line ATI RADEON X1950 PRO 512 MB Graphics Card 8x AGP Quiet & Cool Power: One More Glowing Internal Cooling Fan that looks cool, and keeps your PC cool too: If you need a new copy, Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP2 OEM CD: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=GAME ON, DUDE! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
reg 03/22/07	P.S. If that Silver Case isn't flashy enough for your Gaming Rig, Try the RAIDMAX Sagitta (with 450 watt power supply) : Also comes with additional lighting:
gtw 03/23/07	wallyhorse- I skipped ME altogether. For most people, it was a crash-prone disaster, unlike the stable Win2000 Pro which came out around the same time. I still have a 1999 Sony PCG-580 Pentium III 800MHz that’s running Win2000 Pro (upgraded from 98SE) and I would never dream of loading XP on it, let alone Vista. That was my whole point. It’s slow and if it’s on dialup, it will take forever to get anything done. It’s getting ready to be retired soon for something modern, like a Core 2 Duo or a Quad Core if I really want to spend the money. I’ve delayed it as long as I can. Great machine, though. It got almost daily use for the last 8 years, but I know it won’t last forever. I may also keep the old Sony, blow the HD off and install Linux on it to see how that goes.
jenriquez 03/26/07	I've just noticed you've removed the 1 GB 1 dimm option for your Inspiron line at http://www.dell.com.mx, instead of improving our options you're making them worse, please let us really customize at our desire, if you impose so many restrictions, we're not "creating the computer of our dreams" but just building one from what we have at hand :(.
wallyhorse 03/27/07	Interesting: I would think you'd want as many options as possible, though it's also possible they have to streamline it for their workers on-site.
ctkachuk 04/04/07	To any of you who say Vista runs best on 4 GB; WRONG! I am currently using 2 GB on my machine, and I run games like Oblivion at high detail settings with no problems on Vista. 2GB is fine for Vista, in fact, Vista runs great on 2 GB. 1 GB is minimum though, and should be for a reason; Vista will take up that 512 pretty much sitting idle.
reg 04/06/07	Tested by the labs, Vista performance is best @ 4 GB. More than 4 GB does not improve performance. 2 GB works great, better than 1 GB. 1GB will run, but less than 1 GB will crawl.
wallyhorse 04/10/07	Exactly Reg: I would base my sales points with VISTA on the recommended 2GB of RAM. I would ALSO, however, offer computers with XP for less with 512MB or 1GB of RAM as the base, but remind people if you want to later upgrade to VISTA, it's recommended to have 2-4GB or RAM for that..
jtome 04/20/07	2GB of Ram should be the default setting for all Windows Vista computers. I currently have 2GB of ram on my Windows XP Pro system and sometimes run out of ram while running photoshop, illustrator, dreamweaver, flash and imageready at the same time. Even at times my system starts running slow jjust running illustrator CS2 with complex files. If This can happen with Windows XP Pro, it will happen with WIndows Vista and Vista ultimate with no doubt.
mdh 04/20/07	Not everyone wants to run vista, and not everyone needs more than 512 megs of memory. More can always be purchased as an option, so why bump the bottom line base price up? Having a good mix of low-end and high-end system options for people with a variety of needs and budgets available is a definite plus, moving the low-end bar up doesn't help anyone.
jtome 04/20/07	Actually many people who buy computers do not know all this technical info about their computers and think their system should just work. I often tell people that they need more ram on their computer when they tell me it is running super slow. Often people are running a system with 512 MB of ram + programs like Norton AntiVirus + other programs at the same time. I tell people that each of these programs consumes system resources and that if you read the system requirements for windows xp it says that you need a minimum of 512 just for the OS. This does not take into account the latest and greatest versions of Norton AntiVirus + the office software and any other programs. True if they run one and a time 512 should be ok, but many of these programs are often running in the background to constantly protect your computer. If you think 512mb is plenty you do not use a computer every day for much work at all. I use my PC almost every day for design related work or as a TV as I have a TV card.
jtome 04/20/07	I took a look at the VANTEC SPECTRUM FAN CARD. Does anyone know if there is a verion of this same PCI fan card without bright lights? thanks.
evildonkey 04/25/07	I had to vote this one down :( 512 (or even less) is just fine for linux. More ram is always good, but there's no reason to raise the minimum.
lits 04/27/07	If I want to downgrade it to 512 to save a few bucks then I should be able to. I dont want to be forced to buy 1gb. I occassionally buy desktops to use as linux devices (firewalls, NAS, FTP/WWW, etc) I dont need 1gb to do all this. 512 is plenty and if I need 1gb then I will opt for it.
abqaussie 04/27/07	Newbs don't understand their own RAM needs. Buyer beware and all but there's no way someone should have been able to buy a PC that shipped with 256 MB of RAM as the minimum for Windows XP. Its just dumb from a marketing standpoint. I know enough people who bought their very first "NEW" computer in the last year or two and it is "slow" because they bought the minimum RAM they could and didn't know better. Sure its their fault but they blame Dell for making "slow" computers. Whatever the reason if Dell can find some way to get people to understand and buy enough RAM for their needs it will benefit Dell in the long run. I just put an extra $50 worth of RAM in two people's machines and they think they are the best things since sliced bread now. But they thank ME not Dell, and one asked me to build them a new PC because of it.
jervis961 04/27/07	Oh is that why Dell adds the "Dell reccommends" next to options? ;-)
migizi 05/01/07	I would like more RAM if it was priced more competitively. It usually cheaper to purchase online than have it configured with your order.
rubin 05/02/07	I purchased one of these 512 machines. For my kids had no great expectations, BUT RAN SO POORLY THAT I WILL NEVER BUY DELL AGAIN. Selling machines that dont work is bad for business! Same specs work fine with XP so I expected no difference.
shiningarcanine 05/02/07	RAM prices are very low. Dell could afford to increase the amount of RAM that it puts in its PCs and it would make Dell more competitive. Dell should look at it this way, a potential customer can either see 1GB of RAM being offered in the base configuration or 512MB of RAM listed in the base configuration and then compare it to a competitor's system that has 512MB of RAM, which would Dell prefer the customer to see?
jhill25570 05/05/07	RAM do not cost a lot of money. It would not cost Dell that must to make 1GB a minimum for the Vista systems.
thiago 05/08/07	The small RAM amount is even worse in Latin America, were it's common to fiind 256Mb-inside offers... 512 should be minimum - world-wide.
ethan 05/09/07	From reading all previous comments, and re-evaluating mine, I think that the most accepted form of this idea is for Dell to change the default memory configuration to a minimum of 1GB for all Dell computers sold with Windows Vista or Windows XP. Considering the need for flexibility in the ways that people want to use their computers, and taking into account Dell's future expanding support of Linux, all Dell computers not sold with Windows Vista should be able downgradable to 512MB of memory. This would include computers sold without an operating system preinstalled. This seems like a reasonable offering. The biggest issue in my opinion is that Windows Vista does not run well under any circumstances with only 512MB of memory. This is indisputable. Dell should not offer computers with Windows Vista equipped with less than 1GB of memory. Some have noted that Windows Vista runs best with 4GB of memory, and many have said that the minimum offering should be 2GB for Windows Vista. However, it would be infeasible for Dell to offer a higher minimum than 1GB of memory in their Windows Vista computers while maintaining their low price points, especially in their notebooks. And many customers do no more on a regular basis than browse the Internet and use other Internet-related software, which they do not need a generous amount of memory for. Dell should, however, use only 1GB memory sticks for these Vista computers to accommodate for easy upgrading in the future. Though Windows XP has run fine for many years with only 256MB or 512MB of memory, and that is still true of the operating system itself, applications have made leaps in the amounts of memory that they may typically use. It is important now that consumers are encouraged to purchase no less than 1GB of memory for a computer that will run Windows XP. To keep costs down, it would be appropriate for Dell to use 2x 512MB sticks in Windows XP computers, since the chances that their memory will be upgraded are far less than in Windows Vista computers. 512MB of memory should also be a downgrade option for these computers, since they are likely to be used as backup computers or for the kids to browse the internet on. Even though Linux may run fine on 256MB of memory, Dell should not be ordering ANY 256 MB memory sticks. Linux computers should be offered with a default 1GB of memory, with the same option as Windows XP to downgrade to 512MB. Different operating systems and environments as well as different people have different needs, but 1GB is the very best median for the minimum amount of memory offered. One thing remains though, and I think is the heart of this Idea: Windows Vista should not be offered with less than 1GB of memory.
tyrone8323 05/11/07	ethan - i believe you wrote down exactly what i was thinking. you stated facts and back them up. on my xp machine, i started with 2GB's of memory because of the graphics intensive applications i use and of course, gaming. once i installe sql server, i started to realized a little bit of lag so i ended up getting another 1GB, totalling to 3GB of memory and machine runs smooth like butter. i will upgrade to new components once vista sp1 is out for 2 to 3 months and believe me, i won't be getting anything less than 3GB of memory to get the best optimal performance out of vista and my applications.
yesmathew 05/13/07	@tyrone8323, it looks like your configuration is not at all green. Looks the software and application you are using are not at all optimized so you need so much ram. Hmm....
thiago 05/13/07	tyrone, you're talking about a certain kind of user (those running RAM-hungry apps like publishing, CADs, 3D modeling, scientific) which is not, I think, the kind of user we should be concerned about here. Of course there'll always be users to whom 4Gb of RAM would be "just enough", but this topic is about normal users who just want to have some fun browsing the web and using normal apps, without having their computer lagging all the time by accessing virtual memory.
kitakits 05/19/07	Another CX with a based Memory of 512MB is complaining about System Performance.. we have to do something about this guys...
cool 05/23/07	As Vista becomes older and less prone to errors and 1 GB sticks of RAM become more common, then their price will drop and this won't even be an issue anymore pricewise for the system. But eventually I would imagine Dell will see where the market is going and as a result of lower costs and more demand, will put more RAM in their systems anyway. In the meantime, XP is still around and it works fine so until a SP comes out for Vista why bother using it? But yes, for users who want Vista now Dell should include more RAM.

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