Start offering DELL products to the general public in Poland

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Start offering DELL products to the general public in Poland

4100 points posted to Dell, Linux, Sales Strategies by lukasz.wisniewski 11/12/07

According to today's local newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza [1], by 20th November, 11:30 to be more exact, Dell will just have manufactured their first notebook in Lodz, Poland. Unfortunately, even though I am inhabitant of this city, it is more than unlikely I will buy DELL notebook anytime soon.

Firstly, the current policy of your company in Poland is "Only for enterprises and institutions" (original in Polish: Tylko dla firm i instytucji). Such a approach seems to me to be more than just bizarre. Do you happen to realize Poland is something like 38 milions of your potential customers? Just for instance, in my city, there are two big public universities, several private ones - you see the universities but not the students. Is this of your concern? I guess not but Apple is already there offering discounts for students.

Secondly, start distributing preinstalled Ubuntu for Poland as well. I actually do not see the point why you do this in UK, Germany or France and not in Poland. People of Poland are more eager to install open-source products, just let me remind you that according to XiTi monitor [2] open-source Firefox browser has market share of 39.6% in Poland, whereas in Germany - 38%, France - 23.9% and UK just 18.7%.

Thirdly, by preinstalling Ubuntu I mean making it an option anywhere where there is an OS selection option on your website. I clearly see no reason in the world why you keep offering such a miserable Ubuntu notebook in Europe instead of something more powerful - Inspiron 6400n with Intel T2130 processor. In your opinion, how impressive is that nowadays?

Last but not least, DELL, please stop participating in this devoid of good sense campaign "Dell recommends Vista..." which is sarcastic. You really do not have to put down this sentence on your website as in Poland you force people to use Vista leaving no other choice.

Take all these remarks under your consideration unless it is OK with you that Poles should travel to Germany in order to buy your notebooks. Hear our voice, DELL!

Signed,
Lukasz Wisniewski
student of the Computer Science
Technical University of Lodz

Links:
[1] http://miasta.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35136,4662983.html
[2] http://www.xitimonitor.com/en-us/browsers-barometer/firefox-july-2007/index-1...

iwo 11/13/07	Hello Łukasz, I agree with You. I have got Dell c640 (bought in USA) with Ubuntu almost from begin I'm using it. I also use Firefox, because IE isn't safety and fast, as all Windows software. I'm waiting for accessories for this (for example new battery, DVD-RW) and for new hardware. Did you know that Łódź's local authorities want to name street were Dell is built, by his name? Yes, that's true that in Poland there is many Linux users, and Ubuntu is the most popular linux distribution for today. I like Dell, and I wish to buy as individual client new stuff also, but for today, I may buy used, or from abroad. Dell with linux → cheaper PC, or notebook → more clients. Sorry because my poor English, I hope you guys will promote this idea, even if You are not from Poland.
sitsuj 11/13/07	The one and only reasonable way for Dell to raise the number of sold devices is to wide it's policy of selling these devices. I'm a student who's planning to buy a new notebook in the nearest future. I've done some research and I have to say it's a great pity, that Dell notebooks aren't available for everybody. I know at least five people, who will buy new laptops in next few weeks, so it's not only me having problem with narrowed range of available devices (I believe I don't have to say that everyone of these five persons know his five persons, etc.). As you can clearly see this is not just a pity for me (and every potential buyer) but also for Dell - your notebooks are out of competition. I strongly agree with Łukasz and iwo - Dell should change it's policy.
izach 11/14/07	hello Lukasz, I'm not clear! Do you mean that you want to make sure that the Dell Lodz, and not say the US? Is the important of it because you want to support your local economy? Other wise, I'd say who care in a global economy. /IZ
lukasz.wisniewski 11/14/07	Hi izach, there are already some good ideas with popularity of over 7000 points, which are on its good way to come to life. - http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/73206/Make_Linux_and_no_Operating_syste... - - http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/72962/Put_Ubuntu_on_the_list_of_operati... - However... You do have a possibility to buy DELL notebooks in US which we don't. You do have a possibility to buy some DELL notebooks with Ubuntu in US which we don't. Introducing this idea to a country like Poland, at times having to cope with a stereotype of a third-world country, would be another good step in gradual progress of Ubuntu propagation and perfect opportunity for DELL to make more money. This is why I ask all of you to promote this idea and I want to thank all of you for all comments, promotions and demotions so far. EDIT: Now we have a thread on this idea on Polish Ubuntu forum [3] http://forum.ubuntu.pl/showthread.php?t=58462
mmaadd 11/16/07	HP started selling consumer notebooks, Dell must do the same... for example in http://www.komputronik.pl (one of the biggest polish online electronic shop) the best selling product is HP Pavilion dv6640ew.
lukasz.wisniewski 11/16/07	Actually I have been considering that very one HP Pavilion model for quite a while but since it is shipped with Vista preinstalled, it would be humiliating for me to be forced to pay for something I would not make use of. I tried to find a way to circumvent this so-called "Microsoft Tax". A way to do this would be to DECLINE Vista's EULA. According to that license I should be entitled to obtain a refund from the manufacturer - I have been asking/e-mailing HP for past two weeks if they had any refund policy and got no reply so far. Well, I guess they have ignored me so I am here trying to buy a good Vista-free notebook from Dell, though, it's a rather strangely looking nonsense that I cannot buy any DELL notebook.
sazar 11/16/07	I agree with your points but, you do realize that a university or school is an institution of sorts right? As such, I would be shocked if there was no program either present or in the works to provide solutions to students.
lukasz.wisniewski 11/16/07	sazar, as I have already said DELL sees the university but not its students. Therefore, you can find many DELL desktops which serve as the equipment of the university but you won't buy a new DELL notebook in Poland if you're student or some random private person, quite shocking isn't it? I just fail to understand what is the purpose of that :\|
sazar 11/16/07	Dell primarily sells to organisations everywhere it is involved. Maybe it will sell to consumers once all the processes are setup correctly. No idea :( Sorry.
minder 11/18/07	I see Dell products surrounded with a specific cult in Poland. People are buying these PCs like crazy on net-auctions (even though lots of them need rare RIMM memory) because they are impressed with their great architecture, stillness and reliability. And yet you say you don't need such devoted fans. You are just a few steps behind Prince - I do hope you won't sue your admirers just like him.
klesiczka 11/19/07	I agree with Lukasz. I want to buy Dell-s laptop with Ubuntu and i must buy it on dell.de or dell.co.uk. It's stupid. I want buy laptop with Ubuntu in Poland.
retsef 11/19/07	Dell laptops sux! I had one from USA - because I was unable to buy it in Poland, and it broke after 1 year. Unfortuantely warranty was for 12 months only. Now I have Toshiba laptop several years old and it works without any problems with Ubuntu+Beryl. Unfortunately Toshiba also does not sell laptops without M$ Windows - probably to be changed soon as UE wants to make manufacturers to sell computers without any system.
slav 11/19/07	I'll bring an example. I study on University of Technique in Wroclaw. We've got a lot of PC's and servers from Dell, but as a students we cannot buy Dell laptop. In second case, my university gives me software from Microsoft for free(from MSDAA program) so why a have to pay for another license of Windows And the last case. I've bought my in USA, but You don't offer worldwide warranty so I had to send it to US, if I'd have any problem. But the worse is that my laptop battery is in critical state and If I would like to replace it, I have to buy it in other country...(like dell.de) That's a pitty, cos many from my friends think that Dell produce very good notebooks(I think so too as a lucky Dell notebook user) and would like to buy it, but have no possibillity
piotrek86 11/19/07	I study IT on University of Lodz I was waiting for this laptop with Ubuntu. Finally I bought Lenovo ThinkPad R61. If Dell don't want my money...
winoffice 11/19/07	Please note that I live in the United States. However, I still think that the Polish people should have the chance at the same Dell products and services that the Americans have.
retsef 11/20/07	Street at which Dell has its factory was to be named 'Street of casualties of terrorist attacks of 11 November' (in polish 'al. Ofiar Terroryzmu 11 wrzesnia'), Dell did not wanted it as it has clients in Arabian Countries (it would be not nice to send there invoice with such address) and it proposed name 'Dell Street' (in polish 'ulica Della') but it was not good for city's councilmen and at the end it names 'Computer Science Street' (in polish 'Ulica Informatyczna').
ultr 11/20/07	I don't want to go abroad just to buy a new laptop :) (Doesn't this sentence sound ridiculous?) If only you haven't signed anything with microsoft, why woulndn't you offer Ubuntu as an option? Last time I have bought a laptop, I have paid the windows tax - now I'm not going to. I want a machine with open OS or without one at all.
winoffice 11/20/07	I think that "Computer Science Street" would be a very good name for the street where Dell's factory in Poland is. After all, Dell makes computers.
winoffice 11/20/07	ultr: Dell seems to offer Linux as an option on various computers. But I ask that no one submit an idea aking that Dell offer Linux systems in Poland - a user (namely ergo) here on IdeaStorm already submitted an idea asking Dell to offer Linux systems worldwide, and this means Poland too.
error 11/20/07	I totally agree with you. Łukasz. It is riddiculus that private person cant buy a notewbook directly form dell. Such a person has to order it in third party company which orders it in US (!!) when we have local factory in Lodz - insane - It is a LOSS for Dell Poland too - no income from theese notebooks. So I think dell should offer computers to private customers in PL too (but NOT only the SLOWEST ones, we do like XPSs' too ;) ) GO DELL THINK IT OVER!!
lukasz.wisniewski 11/20/07	winoffice: Although 'worldwide' sounds good yet take into account that word 'Poland' sells better in my country - just yesterday we had an article in a mainstream newspaper on this idea :D Moreover, there is a positive side-effect - increased interest in this site coming from many Poles voting for the other ideas as well. So you see, it's just a matter of how you look at it. Maybe the worldwide open-source revolution has to start in a country of Lech Walensa, who knows? ;P Once again, thank you all for your support, insightful comments, promotions and of course demotions. Eventually, depends on you how soon, Microsoft will loose its monopoly and cease to dictate notebook prices - let's make this moment come true.
retsef 11/21/07	winoffice: I wrote that street at which Dell has its factory already names 'Computer Science Street'.
winoffice 11/21/07	lukasz.wisniewski, who knows, maybe people will start to drop Linux after it gains the monopoly and go back to Microsoft, again because they are tired of a single OS having the monopoly? In this case, when Microsoft regains the monopoly everything will start again.
flamenco108 11/22/07	I would like to propose, that it might be reasonable to sell also Dell notebooks with preinstalled Kubuntu in Poland.
arkanen 11/22/07	Great idea - PROMOTED!
dave-2 11/26/07	@winoffice: surely you aren't that clueless. Saying "Linux has a monopoly" is as ridiculous as saying "retailers have a monopoly on office products", ignoring the fact that Staples, Office Depot, WalMart, BJs, Costco, and everyone else compete to sell paper and pencils. One of the biggest criticisms of Linux is that there isn't a standard distribution. If there were a standard Linux, that still wouldn't be a monopoly because multiple companies would still compete to distribute (not sell) a standardized product. But there won't be - Google's Android (Linux for cellphones) isn't competing in the same space as Suse, Debian and Ubuntu - everyone has their niche.
dominik232 11/27/07	PROMETED!!!!!!
lukasz.wisniewski 11/27/07	A few minutes ago an article attracted my attention : [4] http://www.pr-inside.com/dell-carrefour-announce-european-retail-r318823.htm - [4][PL] http://tech.wp.pl/kat,39516,title,Komputery-Della-w-ofercie-sieci-Carrefour,w... - Dell and Carrefour intend for consumers to be able to purchase Dell products in 365 Carrefour Group stores in France, Belgium and Spain beginning in January. Plans also call for additional stores in more countries later in the year. Carrefour is one of the largest retailers worldwide. My questions for someone representative at Dell are: 1) Will these notebooks include Ubuntu? 2) Why Poland is not mentioned? 3) What does 'more countries' mean? (My nearest Carrefour store is 10 minutes away.) 4) What does 'later' mean?
sazar 11/28/07	I can only imagine they have an EMEA strategy and Poland has to be on the map too.
arekolek 11/29/07	I'm looking for a laptop right now and it's really hard to find hardware with linux compatibility guarantee. I mean, I just want a computer that will be fully supported without having to check all the pieces myself. And I think that Dell is the one that is doing it right, but that means nothing to me as long as I can't shop for Dell computers in Poland...
flycharlles 11/30/07	I see you point,but i wish Dell with Linux would be offered in whole Europe.Also the Brazilian( nearly 200 million,also where i am from there are 12 Universities) population is 6x time bigger then the polish and there isn't Dell with Linux yet to offer.I don't like Ubuntu,i wish they could to offer it with Linux Mint 4 (it's a debian/ubuntu based) or Open Suse 10.3.But anyone it's a good start to offer Ubuntu.
flycharlles 11/30/07	Soory I mean 12 Universities just in Rio de Janeiro city
badblood 11/30/07	why is this idea still on the front page.
error 12/01/07	[why is this idea still on the front page.] Why not? if u dont like it go and play somewhere else
badblood 12/02/07	why not? Because there supposed to be some system which pushes ideas off the front page if they don't get voted for very much. And this idea doesn't actually have all that many votes? It's alsot a fairly hillbilly idea.
elfstonewise 12/13/07	I was looking for about 3 hours for any information on buying dell laptop with ubuntu or without OS in Poland. The Polish Dell site is onyly for companies and there's no contact e-mail or something. I could always buy Fujitsu Siemens or Acer with Linux pre-installed but I prefer to have Dell laptop. Why are you discriminating Poland? If you think that Linuks isn't popular in Poland then you're wrong. On Woodstock we (I and a bunch of people) were showing ubuntu and telling the difference between windows and linux. On one day we gaved away over 200 CD from Canonical (we ordered via Shipit). And the people were asking about when we will have more CDs. Give Poland a try. You won't regret it.
error 12/15/07	Hey, something is probably going on http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/11736/12760/dell-uk-retail-deal-... quote "This deal will see Dell in stores from Norway to Greece, and from Spain to Finland as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland."
petzymathuram 12/15/07	Late news...I knew it already
iwo 12/25/07	Error, Yes it's true, but They still want to sell PC with Vista, so this action cannot stop like that !! I'm suprised. Why Dell cannot understand, that if we safe 100$ (I do not know how much exactly), we may use it to buy better PC or just more hardware from Dell. So they keep "M$ money" for themselves... Other situation → if we cannot buy 100$ more expensive PC we are just going to rival company, and that is all.
error 12/26/07	iwo, one step at the time ;)
iwo 12/27/07	Yes - one step - Dell with Ubuntu for everybody - This is allready half step. ;)
michalk Jan 20	to slav: I know the feeling about lack of warranty of the equipment You bring with You to Poland. I had the same problem, I've bought Dell Inspiron 6000 in USA and my dvd drive broke down in Poland. I was told by the Polish Dell Service that I have to send it back to USA. The thing was I have 3Years Warranty Next Business Day Service. I've written and call to the Service Centre but always the same response - No Way, sent the device back to USA. But one day the phone was picked up by the Head Master of service and He told me to make Device Transfer or something like that! According to his words when You make the Device Transfer Dell Poland have to repare the laptop from Inspiron series. And they did. After a week I called them again and miracle happened. No I have new dvd and full warranty is recognized. There is a blog where you can find someone writing about having the same problem and solving it. Good luck!
lukasz.wisniewski Jan 25	So now we have XPS 1330M with Ubuntu but not in Poland... this only got me more irritated, I'm happy for Spain though. Anyway I try to get to know if I can order XPS in one of those countries (DE, FR, UK, ES), here is LiveChat in French - mine is not perfect so no laughing ;) 02:34:34 PM Customer Lukasz Wisniewski Question Initiale/Commentaire: Puis-je acheter XPS1330 avec Ubuntu sur votre site et le recevoir en Pologne? 02:35:19 PM Système Système ________________ a rejoint la session! 02:35:19 PM Système Système Connecté avec ________________ 02:35:19 PM Agent ________________ bonjour 02:35:28 PM Customer Lukasz Wisniewski bonjour 02:35:29 PM Agent ________________ la livraison se fait uniquement en france 02:35:38 PM Customer Lukasz Wisniewski pourquoi? 02:37:23 PM Customer Lukasz Wisniewski en Pologne je ne peux pas acheter ce model, que puis-je faire? 02:37:39 PM Agent ________________ avez vous besoin d'autres informations? 02:38:46 PM Customer Lukasz Wisniewski oui, si je vais en France et achete XPS la-bas, aurai-je la garantie en Pologne? 02:44:26 PM Système Système ________________ a quitté la session! 02:44:26 PM Système Système La session est terminée! Michael Dell has been to Lodz just recently but what is going on? PROMOTE THIS IDEA: http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/66731/Dell_Ubuntu_for_Europe
martin3361 Feb 5	Lukasz we need to pull back a bit and think about this from DELL's viewpoint. Dell will not start offering anything to endusers (uzytkownikow indywidualnych, takich jak ja i ty) until they will have an established support infrastructure in Poland(i dont know if they do or not). Right now they only distribute to institutions because it is much easier and cheaper to support them. They will get killed by all the calls and costs if they have to fulfill warranty(shipping back, answering long distance/international calls). Until they do that, its possible that "cost of support > revenue from sales" so they wont take the risk and sell. But if they already sell to institutions, give it 6-8 months and you will see enduser sales. Powodzenia, -marcin P.S. Another point - why do they offer limited selection of ubuntu? becuase DELL is a business, in business to make money, They have agreements with Microsoft, for either discounts or revenue sharing, and by selling laptops with Windows installed DELL makes more $$ than if it sells the laptop with ubuntu, even for the same price.
winoffice Feb 5	@dave-2: "surely you aren't that clueless. Saying "Linux has a monopoly" is as ridiculous as saying "retailers have a monopoly on office products", ignoring the fact that Staples, Office Depot, WalMart, BJs, Costco, and everyone else compete to sell paper and pencils." What then do you say of the many people who claim that Microsoft has a monopoly? Saying that is also ridiculous, as Microsoft never had 100% market share is software or computers in general.
martin3361 Feb 5	@winoffice, MS has +90% of the (overall) OS market. By all means and purposes it can wield enormous pressure, and by that token is a monopoly, Dont take me wrong, monopoly is not always bad (where it benefits and not burdens the user), in this case MS is a monopoly and is bad. hehe, MS sometimes reminds me ZORG from Fifth Element lol
martin3361 Feb 5	Hey Lukasz, a bit off topic, sorry does city Jaroslaw ring any bells ?
winoffice Feb 6	@martin3361, MS is not a monopoly. By definition, to have a monopoly means "to be the only one to sell", that is, have 100% of the shares in a certain market. The only token for having a monopoly is having 100% of the shares, and even 99.99% means that there is no monopoly. MS never had 100% of the shares, so even if it is regarded as a "monopoly", it is not. And I do not see what you mean by saying that MS is bad - I disagree with you there - its "monopoly" might be though (note that I included quotation marks to show that it is not really a monopoly).
martin3361 Feb 7	Hey @winoffice yes, academically, monopoly is 100% in real life, at +90% market share for all practical means and purposes Microsoft IS a monopoly. if you structure your business plans/strategies around academic definitions of stuff you are dead. If its bad or not is a matter of personal opinion. I think its bad, because I am limited to basically one source of operating system for which applications of any type are written, and again +90% of applications are written for or around MS OS. Lack of choice for me is bad for me. Again, personal opinion.
pbaranow Mar 22	I think this is a great idea to sell DELL products to all customers. I was looking for a new laptop for quite a long time and I find DELL laptop as great in terms of quality to price ratio and design. I would be pleased to be able to buy directly from DELL but now I am forced to buy from one of internet stores I'm not familiar with. I know people that are going to buy laptop and they know DELL as great hardware. But the only hardware we can buy with touching it before we buy is Acer, Asus and different stuff that probably will broke on way home from store. Let us buy DELL! :)
winoffice Mar 22	Hey @martin3361 define "all practical means and purposes" Microsoft CANNOT be a monopoly - it can be at most REGARDED AS a monopoly...but just because a company is regarded as a monopoly does not mean that it actually IS a monopoly. Microsoft cannot be the only one to sell, as Linux and Mac OS X have a portion of the operating system market. Since Microsoft is not the only company to sell operating systems, Microsoft cannot be a monopoly.
wujek Jun 9	Great idea
gilanel Jun 17	I'm using Ubuntu since 6.06 I'd love to have laptop with Ubuntu on board. Right now I have only a desktop. Best regards from Poland - Leżajsk

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