Make longer lasting batteries for better portability
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptop Power submitted by winoffice
05/05/07 **IN PROGRESS**
Don't make us recharge our laptops' batteries so often! A recent Cnet article (posted at Cnet's news site at about May 5, 2007) explains that Windows Vista's Aero Glass feature gives you less battery life. So, if we want Windows Vista, then we either have to recharge more often, or pay extra for more and better batteries! Instead, make Dell get rid of the batteries which quickly lose their charge...and come up with something that would give us longer battery life as follows (under Windows Vista), without making us stay away from Windows Vista or pay an extra $99 for another and better battery.
Basic laptops: at least 2 1/2 hours battery life
Entertainment laptops: at least 3 1/2 hours battery life
XPS laptops: at least 4 1/2 hours battery life
3230
DELL Idea Storm Team - Each idea should be responded to.
IdeaStorm submitted by stormrider451
Mar 4
Hello there.. I realize this might have been posted before. But, it obviously has not worked to this point. So here it is.
I think the DELL IdeaStorm Team should try their best to reply to EVERY idea regardless of how unrealistic that idea is; not just most popular ideas. I can understand not posting to negative ideas or ideas that simply have been posted to screw around. Every positive idea should be commented on. Its not that hard to have someone go over every idea that has been posted in a day and write some sort of small message. It doesnt take much, just a simple message saying for example: "sorry but I think this idea is not going to happen soon". Or "sorry but we do not find this idea possible". Its simple things that really make the poster know that they are being heard at least. Many of us are here because we like DELL so much we would like to give them a hand with ideas that we might come up with. Of course, some ideas will be regarding things people want on a certain product they want to buy, but I think thats fine too. Take for example my case, I have three ideas so far posted and only one has been answered:
1) Answered: http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/10076698/XPS_One__More_Video_Power_on_X...
2) Not Answered: http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/10077288/XPS_One__Unecessary_Adobe_Elem... **
3) Not Answered:
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/10077717/Dell_Ink_and_Printers__Sell_th... ***
If you go look at the one that is answered, you will see an example of what I am asking for, you can see there how the idea was answered swiftly and at least it gives me some sort of reply. Comments like these is what I am looking for. Not getting ideas answered makes me really not want to post anything else because I feel I am loosing my time trying to figure cool things that could help my favorite computer company. Dell, if you have this idea storm, lets do it the right way. Make your costumers feel welcomed and that they should keep trying. Is that so much to ask? I mean, I go over each idea posted every day in less than 10 min. Its doable.
Thanks!
470
Give XPS Notebooks Gigabit Ethernet
XPS products submitted 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.
5400
256MB Geforce 9500M GS Upgrade for the M1330! Possible!!!
XPS products submitted by q0987
Feb 23
For all those of you who wanted 8600M GT performace inside a 13.3 inch shell read on...
The next generation of Nvidia graphic cards have just been released and the Geforce 9500M GS should definitely be the prime candidate to replace the current 8-series 8400M GS residing within the m1330 chassis.
Now you may notice that the model numbers (400-500) suggest that the 9-series card is more powerful than the 8-series, which it is, but you may also be apprehensive and reluctant to cry out in joy because of all the talk about how a more powerful GPU fitted into the m1330's small body would generate too much heat and reduce battery life resulting in the loss of true portability.
I share those feelings, however you should know that Nvidia's 9-series has a card up its sleeve (no pun intended). This card comes in the form of a smaller fabrication process.
You see the 8400M GS was built using a 80nm fabrication process to manufacture it. The 9-series uses a 65nm fabricating process which reduces the size of the chip and has the benefits of reduced power consumption and lower heat emissions. Don't ask me exactly how this works because I only have a vague understanding.
Before I go on lets quickly take a look at the graphic cards that were released -
The 9-series currently consists of two mobile graphics cards. The 9300M G is basically a shrink of the 8400M GS with the exact same performance but slightly more power efficient and with less heat being emitted as a result. The second card released is the 9500M GS which has the same performance as the 8600M GT but also gains the same benefits as the 9300M G. Both the 8600M GT and the 9500M GS have more than twice the power of the 8400M GS.
What this comes down to then is that if Dell used the 9300M GS to replace the 8400M GS in the m1330 then you would get improved battery life and less heat emisions without sacrificing performance.
This next bits gonna be alittle more tricky to put into words, but here goes anyway... Next up, the 9500M GS.
Well as I see it, if you can use the benefits gained from the newer cards you can upgrade the performance without generating more heat and using more power than in the current 8400M GS equipped m1330. This would undoubtedly mean we lose the battery life we could have saved and the lower heat emissions but we gain a performance boost without using up anymore battery life than the current m1330 - there you go Dell, two problems solved in one neat package.
Although even if we do use slightly more power and produce more heat than the current m1330, the benefits gained from other revised components such as the newly available Penryn processors will compensate for this and help to negate the overall effect. Also once Montevina becomes available the RAM upgrades from DDR2 to DDR3 will further improve battery life and heat emissions so in the end the fan won't have to work any more harder than it already is today. Plus the m1330 does also have the Solid State Drive options and LED backlit screens for even more power efficiency which you could make compulsory when adding this mainstream graphics card. If you really have to cut down anything, then give us ATLEAST 256MB of the available dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory with the 9500M GS instead of the maximum 512MB. That alone would be a vast improvement over the measly 128MB provided with the 8400M GS (not counting the 128-bit memory interface the former would also bring).
Another thing that Dell could also do is change the materials used to construct certain parts of the m1330 such as the lid and base. For example if titanium was used to incase the components then it would allow for better heat dissipation so you wouldn't have to worry so much about things getting hot inside. I am sure people wouldn't mind paying alittle extra for this luxury (seeing as how it is targeted towards the enthusiast afterall). I know I wouldn't.
If this were done correctly then the m1330 would become the real portable gaming rig it was meant to be.
If however you don't really care about the performance boost and like it just the way it is and would rather have the benefits of improved battery life and lower heat emissions than you can opt for the 9300M G. Even better for those not too concerned with performance but want the rest than you would be able to choose the integrated X4500 (when Montevina comes out) which will supposedly be 3 times more powerful than the integrated graphics available now and may also promote improved battery life and heat emissions (even when compared to todays integrated graphics equipped m1330).
Dell should make these options available so the m1330 continues to appeal to all types of customers e.g. gamer, college student, business user etc.
Dell I am tellin you, make sure you let the consumer decide. I am actually giving you the options you should list -
1. Integrated Intel GMA X4500 (Business user)
2. Nvidia Geforce 9300M G (College student)
3. Nvidia Geforce 9500M GS (Gamer)
4. ??? - BinaryGFX/Hybrid GPUs (ALL USERS)
Even better than this would be if you just add both integrated and discrete graphics cards and have the ability to toggle between the two. You wanna game, switch to discrete. If your browsing the internet or typing up an essay then use integrated.
Alienware have done this with their m15x and using what is identified as BinaryGFX. This has allowed them to add a 512MB 8800M GTX into a 15" chassis and when switching to integrated they have a touch-sensitive control labelled "stealth mode"!
And in case your thinking "thats a 15 inch thats why you can add both" then take a look at the 13.3" Sony SZ6 series or how about the 13.3" Asus U3. If they can do it why can't Dell. At the rate the m1330 is going at its gonna be left way behind! Even LG has been able to put in a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M class graphics card into their 13.3" P300!!
Alienware have also used another great idea. They've come up with the Smart Bay technology which can also be found in their top-of-the-line m15x. If this were also thrown in as a feature with the m1330 then you would be able to swap out your optical drive to obtain an enormous increase in battery life. As this is just an after thought it may just be too radical an idea to pull off. But I thought I'd mention it anyway. Afterall, you never know what might happen.
Dell owns Alienware, right!? So why are they so behind when compared with Sony, Asus and LG?
But suppose if everything I just mentioned was added to the m1330 - you can all imagine the impact it would have on portable gaming! It would be Sweeeeeet!
The m1330 could end up desimating all competition in 2008. To be honest, I consider this to be the real ultraportable XPS that we've all been waiting for all this time! No wait (adds Gigabit ethernet, backlit keys and tweaks the design to reflect coolness) - now we're talking!
Oh! One last thing to think about. Would changing the name to "The M1337" appeal to anyone other than myself!? :)
EVERYONE START PROMOTING NOW TO MAKE THIS A REALITY!
Feedback on this idea would be welcomed both from Dell and IdeaStorm users.
Here is a list of articles on this site that have asked for a more powerful graphics card inside the m1330 -
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75366/Offer_256MB_discrete_Graphics_on_...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/71568/DELL_XPS_M1330_with_more_Graphic_...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75165/Allow_the_133_XPS_M1330_Laptop_to...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/72990/Love_the_new_XPS_M1330_but_need_m...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/73545/XPS_1330_Video_Card
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/74876/Less_plastic_please_on_the_XPS_M1...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/71342/M1330_Resolution__Graphic_Card_Op...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75525/Update_M1330_GPU_to_beat_specs_of...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75590/Updating_XPS_M1330
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75640/High_resolution_screen_and_new_vi...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75965/Implement_an_Option_of_an_Intel_C...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75526/Nvidia_Geforce_8800M_Nvidia_Gefor...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75526/Nvidia_Geforce_8800M_Nvidia_Gefor...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75879/make_the_a_XPSm1330_to_M1335_and_...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/73869/14_xps_notebook
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/76008/M1330_2008
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/71725/XPS_m1335
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/76168/Use_nVidia_Hybrid_SLI_technology_...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/102651/Offer_Core_2_Extreme_X7900_28GHz...
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/75413/Can_Dell_upgrade_the_XPS_m1330_I_...
Further information: Like the Nvidia Geforce 8-series GPUs the 9300M G and 9500M GS support DirectX 10.0, SM 4.0 & OpenGL 2.1. However unlike the integrated graphics equipped in the m1330 today (Intel GMA X3100), the GMA X4500 was specifically designed and made to be an integrated hardware solution that supports DirectX 10.0 and SM 4.0 aswell as to handle Blu-ray/HD DVD footage.
1420
Stop Overcharging on Notebook RAM
Sales Strategies, Laptops submitted by realskript
08/28/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
Dell really... REALLY need to stop overcharging... and when i say overcharing... i mean atleast double what you would pay to pick up the ram yourself.
On XPS Notebooks... you are charging $500 for 4GB of ram... when you could easily go pick them up at your local computer shop for $250... and pocket the other half of the $500...
It would be nice if dell could save the customers as well as the company itself this hassle.. and start charging NORMAL prices for an upgrade in RAM.
thanks =D
PS..... PROMOTE THIS!!!!
19840
There should be an option of having no trialware on all computers
Software submitted by jervis961
08/23/07 **REVIEWED**
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 offers a broad amount of software choice and minimal software shipped. Read jeremy_f's post on the options we give our customers
24730
Submit hardware specifications to the Linux Driver Project
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Linux submitted by upstaked
10/05/07 **REVIEWED**
Back in January kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman from Novell started a project offering companies free Linux driver development.
This proved so successful that Novell made it his full-time job and turned to a project with over 200 kernel developers: http://www.linuxdriverproject.org/ .
So Dell, submit specs and convince your hardware providers to do so too. I want to spend my money on great new hardware that runs on Linux.
We constantly work with our hardware partners to develop and maintain open-sourced drivers. Also, we make it clear that through their own developers (or other projects like the Linux Driver Project) they need to deliver on drivers.
9550
Standardize Power Cables for Laptops
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by badblood
08/27/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
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.
Please see dawn_l's comments below.
28490
A Dell Laptop I can use on my lap! (without being burned)
Laptops submitted by oldsalerogls
02/17/07
I proudly own a 2 year old dell laptop 600m- but it's got heat issues.. who can use their Laptop for 20 minutes before then Laptop begins to get more than warm..and your going to get possibly burned.
Things aren't getting better for new Laptops
Factory Hard Drive and Factory Memory and Processors are running really hot... Noticing it also with other PC Manufacturers (Even with the latest Laptops)
Beat them to the punch...and solve this problem.
Glad to see Michael Dell is Back!
2409
Advertise Graphics RAM correctly
Advertising and Marketing submitted by joffe100
04/20/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
When we say we want to buy a 512Mb graphics card we really do want a 512Mb graphics card - not 512Mb with 256mb physical memory with 256mb shared! This is really BAD and misleading advertising - you do not see other RAM memory being sold 1Gb (512Mb physical, 512Mb shared!)
Should read: 512Mb physical memory and it actually be 512Mb physical memory
NOT: 512Mb** and then some tiny asterixed disclaimer on a linked page that points out that the 512Mb is some funky combination of 3Mb physical and the rest being pulled from virtual memory - this kills many graphic intense apps and games...
suprised no-one has sued over this? Not sure many buyers are even aware....
4170
6 major issues to be fixed by Dell
Dell, Sales Strategies, Service and Support submitted by jervis961
02/17/07
Dell became a top company by providing choice and customer service to a customer that wasn't available at the time but has since fallen behind the pack in these areas. Needing a translator when calling customer support is unnacceptable and other companies are rapidly passing Dell in technology advancements. While this site is a good start, many things need to be changed for Dell to become the market leader again.
1. Customer support needs to be in well spoken English and with employees who are allowed to do more than just read from a script. If they are speaking with a computer savvy customer the rep should be allowed to deviate from the script as long as they don't go outside the relm of normal policy.
2. Better options: Other companies offer high end components in small computers but Dell only supplies intel video processors in its 14" laptop. Dell needs to allow customers to get the size computer they need but with options from low cost through the high end so they can get a computer that is "Purely you".
3. Less forced options: I hate that I am paying for and XPS with internet security when I don't need it because I already have a subsciption that will transfer over or AOL is installed when I know I don't need it. They need to add an option of none of the above to all the added software sections.
4. Better pricing: Why is it over $200 to upgrade from 1 GB of 533 MHZ ram to 2 GB of 677 MHZ RAM? I can go to Crucial.com and get the 2GB 677MHZ kit for under $200. Upgrading with Dell after you own is even worse at over $300 this is crazy.
5. Custom Dell website: Customers want to feel special why not make a MYDELL website that when you log in you get a site designed the way you want it. If you aren't interested in the small business site it gets removed, you don't like to go thru the accessories sections when customizing a system so you don't see that section. Click on customer support and a list of your computer pops up asking which one you need help with and only shows the options for that system.
6. Customer loyalty rewards: I have bought 6 Dell systems over the last few years, why can't I get better customer service or pricing due to my loyalty to the company?
6925
4 RAM slots on laptops
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by theblackcat
02/19/07
Currently most desktop PCs come with 4 slots to insert RAM. This is extremely useful since it is often much more expensive in total to buy 1 DIMM then it is to buy 2 DIMMs that are each half as large. However, DELL laptops only come with 2 slots for RAM. So if you wanted to get 4 GB of RAM you would need two 2 GB modules, which is extremely expensive (as you can see on the website). However, if the laptops were to have 4 RAM slots instead of 2 then you could have four 1GB modules and save a ton of money (close to $500 on the Latitude D820, for example). At least on the larger laptop models there is plenty of space, the RAM modules are pretty small relative to the size of the laptop and the bottom of the motherboard is mostly empty space from the looks of things. This could also be extremely useful with the move to 64 bit processors, since they can use far more than 4 GB of RAM but currently it is not possible to have more than that simply because of how the laptops are designed.
2275
 track my votes
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