System Security - Fingerprint Scanners
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by guardianxps
02/17/07
I would like to see computers have some new technology added like Fingerprint scanners. Stolen computers are an issue and adding this will create a better level of security. The only downside I can see would be if one person sold the computer to another and didnt reset the scanner.
Still, I would like to see this and I am sure others would too.
712
Notification about updates to product lines
Dell Web Site, Sales Strategies submitted by brutten
07/09/07
As a reseller of a fair amount of Dell’s products it would be really nice to be notified of major changes in the product lines before they hit the web page. Maybe a mailing list?
CUSTOMER: “I really like this laptop will you order me five more?”
ME: “Sure, I will order them today!”
DELL: “That model has been replaced with XXX”
ME: “Hello customer that model is not available anymore let’s start over from the new product lines.”
CUSTOMER: “Hmm, what has changed... options, price, specs etc...
ME: “Arrgh!”
230
Recycle & refurbish old Dell PCs back to Dell for 10% discount
Environment submitted by reg
05/18/07
Recycle your old Dell back to Dell for a 10% discount on new equipment. Dell can then secure overwrite erase the hard drive, install Ubuntu + hardware drivers, then donate the hardware to unemployment, food stamp, and welfare offices Nationwide. The social services offices then can pass out the refurbished used equipment to its clients, and Dell can be given BIG tax breaks by the State and Federal Systems.
1. Recycle - Turn it in, don't landfill it.
2. Reuse - There is still life left in that old hardware
3. Reduce - Buy new electronics less often, get 5 years use out of every PC.
4. Refuse - wasteful spending, wasteful practices & wasteful companies.
5. Refute - Once wasteful practices or procedures are identified, correct the problem with Action!
12520
Explain how dropping extended hardware warranty indicates whole-hearted Linux support
Linux, Service and Support submitted by mistern
06/05/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
I think every Dell customer is interested in an honest and trustworthy partner Dell.
So, please, explain somewhere, why you dropped extended hardware warranty on your Linux systems, you surely have good reasons that just need to be explained.
If you don't have good reasons except maybe Microsoft's incentive plans (which is what probably most people expect), please tell us too.
This was an ordering system glitch (which is now fixed), for more details click here.
610
More Consistent Pricing Please and Some Transparency
Dell Web Site submitted by irascian
02/18/07
Prices vary wildly across the Dell site meaning the user has to put in way too much hard work to get the best available price.
2 weeks ago I ordered a Dell Latitude 820 and decided it would be a good time to order a 24" widescreen monitor. As an option I was offered it as something close to £700 + VAT. Purely by accident I stopped the item mid-order because Dell never offer me the option of a second power supply for the laptop that was my main order when I order online (or a second battery - those of us who travel want spares at our home/work location and enough portable juice to carry on working)
Anyway in going in to look at the monitor separately I saw that not only was the recommended price for the monitor LOWER than when I'd been offered it as a bundled option, but also was "on sale" at a price reduction of a couple of hundred pounds. I shouldn't have to hunt around for the best price. I should just be told before I go and look at another manufacturer's offerings. In this particular case I wanted two monitors so the savings were substantial, but I really had to hunt for them.
I also hate the subterfuge used by sales staff to hide pricing and sell stuff they get better commision on. During negotiations of a deal for two monitors/docking stations etc I was offered a "free upgrade from Vista Business to Vista Ultimate" and the seller kept trying to offer me a special price on a PowerVault storage unit I had no interest in. When the "free upgrade to Vista Ultimate" came through the total price had jumped up since my first quote - it wasn't a free upgrade at all. The seller then pesuaded me the increase was acceptable because he was sending me a "free" PowerVault storage unit and like most when I was told I'd got a special free unit I figured I'd done well.
Then the invoice arrived showing I'd been charged £252.38 for a low capacity backup unit I'd never wanted and never ordered, only taken because I was told it was free. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what the prices on the other items that made up my order really were because they were all lumped together in one sum, but I wouldn't have paid £10 for the measly 40GB backup unit I received let alone £252.38 and if there had been a price discount available instead I'd have taken that. Alternatively for the price differences available I MIGHT have been persuaded to pay the small price differential between the useless 40GB PowerVault unit and the much more useful 120GB one.
In short, I feel I was totally conned with talk of a "free" unit that clearly isn't reflected in the two separate invoices I received.
Dell need to get their act together, display consistent prices for items across their web site AND tell sales staff to be honest when putting together proposals about what is free and what isn't
901
Linux or BSD alternative to "Windows Home Server"
Operating Systems submitted by homer
02/21/07
Dell already offers Business server products, but I think the time has come to accept that many home consumers also use servers (albeit of a smaller and cheaper variety). Microsoft certainly seem to agree with that conclusion, which is why they are developing their Home Server product.
Linux and BSDs are the De Facto server operating systems, and a typical Linux server setup can offer an order of magnitude more services than what is being proposed in Windows Home Server ... but without the cost, and with all the traditional benefits that Linux brings, like better security, stability, efficiency, and control.
I propose that Dell offer SFF (small form factor) Linux and/or BSD servers for non-business customers, and also standard form factor servers for those who want them, but with an emphasis on low-power consumption, so-called "quiet computing", and general headless use (no KVM).
An example of a very easy to set up server product, is
http://www.freenas.org/< featured in a review on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rlC61qipiM< the emphasis of FreeNAS is obviously file storage, but I'd prefer to see a home server more oriented to all-in-one service provision.
As an example, one of my home servers offers the following services to all the workstations on my network:
bind DNS
DHCP
OpenSSH
Denyhosts (SSH hack protection + auto-reporting)
Dovecot IMAP
Postfix MTA
SpamAssassin (with Spamhaus + SpamCop RBLs)
Leafnode NNTP
Yam (Yum server)
RSS (local feed from Yam)
Apache
Squid
Privoxy
AWStats
IPTables (FireStarter)
PXE network boot (FC6 busybox + install script)
NFS
CIFS (Samba)
CUPS print server
Rsync (backup for all connected workstations)
Mondo (bare metal self-backup, i.e. disaster recovery)
BitTorrent Server + Tracker (Hosting FC5 and others)
GiFT P2P server + index node (hosting custom RPMs)
VNC server (Fluxbox)
MythTV server node (1 of 4)
Cinelerra render node (1 of 8)
The Yam server is particularly useful, since it facilitates updating the software (a la automatic updates) across the whole network. I.e. download once, deploy many times, thus saving a lot of bandwidth.
Now I wouldn't expect a Dell Linux Home Server to go as far as I have with the above services, but it's just a flavour of what's possible.
I should also add, that the server in question is a mere 533Mhz machine, with just 512MB of memory, yet it works transparently with no visible speed issues, or issues of any kind whatsoever, so that'll give you some idea of how efficient Linux is as a server OS, and how reliable.
Please vote for this idea. A pre-built, pre-installed, Linux home server is definitely the way forward, in this rapidly emerging market space.
1140
Ubuntu & Win XP Dual boot; Open office and Firefox /Thunderbird
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops submitted by bsteff
02/20/07
Sell desktops (and yes laptops) with dual boot of Ubuntu AND Win XP. My particular work environment cannot tolerate Vista and I don't like the control Microsoft is attempting to exert over my PC. Consumers are NOT mindless idiots!!! GEt rid of DRM. I will gladly pay for digital content and I will not sell/give it to a friend or acquaintance (read pirate/thief). GWA is bad enough with threats from Microsoft to crank up the pressure on non-genuine PC's. I am a physician and I control, to a large extent, at my hospital system what type of software we get in the form of PACS (computerized x-ray digital image viewing on local PC's - thin client) Almost all of imaging is now digital.
The threat of Microsoft DRM degrading images used for the critical diagnosis of patients is intolerable such that we are exerting considerable pressure on vendors to provide clients that run under open source. Why open source? Simplyu because it puts us back in control. If images are degraded and critical diagnoses missed, we docs and our patients are going to pay the price. Ubuntu, and other GUI's of LInux (such as Xandros) can let us avoid this. I run Ubuntu routinely and find it dependable and easy to use. I can trust it. Microsoft has lost my last shred of trust with Vista and its DRM and driver situation.
On another front, we in medicine are under tremendous pressure to cut costs. For a faculty of over 400 at my medical school and staff of about 1500, the cost of MS Office is tremendous. Open Office Org. software is a great help in this regared and even has features that MS Office does not offer. MS has lost our trust. We will probably all use Open Office Org in the future - so why not offer it as loaded at purchase time. I would be willing to pay a nominal fee, say $30-50 for the loading up of the software on my PC so htat i can use it immediately when I receive it.
Dell should know that the loading of all the JUNK software that comes on my PC's from Dell is a Large factor in my reluctance to order new PC's at shorter intervals, no matter what the technical hardware advances.
Brad A. Steffler, MD
Medical School Professor
1336
Linux certification for hardware
Linux submitted by godji
02/20/07
It would be great if, when customizing a computer (laptop or desktop doesn't matter), there would be some indication about what hardware will work with Linux. On systems where all hardware is supported, there could be an option to have no operating system preinstalled, or have Linux preinstalled. Also, such systems should have some sot of sticker, similar to the ubiquitous "Designed for Windows Whatever". The sticker could say "Designed for Linux" or "Works with Linux" or "Linux Ready", etc.
The motivation is that a customer should be able to buy a computer to use Linux on, without worrying about hardware that will not work with a free operating system. Unfortunately such devices still exists; Dell should be alerting customers to their presence.
1285
OS Reinstall CD's
Service and Support submitted by xhotardx
02/24/07
How about auctually including real install cd's for the original OS. So when you have to reimage I dont have to spend 2 hours uninstalling stuff that I dont want. Why can these not be provided for free? If a consumer is paying for a license there is no reason that you cant front the 4 cents and give them a copy of that software (even microsoft is cool with that).
2250
Universal power adapter (power supply) for all Dell products
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptop Power submitted by rguptaos-dyndns
02/19/07
How many of us have to buy multiple “AC / DC Adapter or power bricks” for each of electronic devices and laptops? I have power supply adapter for home, office and travel bag… about 2-3 of these for my laptop, cell phone and external hard disk or other devices I use.
I have background in electrical engineering and I know technically it is possible to use the same power supply / adapter unit with some intelligence built in to power up cell phones, hard-disk, laptops, speakers, mp3 players etc. I also understand that the accessories are one of the most profitable business aspects for electronic companies like Sony and Dell.
Dell wants to be the leader and differentiator? Well...
>> How about a smart universal power adaptor for all DELL products that intelligently recognizes the product and supplies the appropriate power.
One power supply and connector for all products!!!
I know technically it is possible – I did design this and did work on the patent application but, did not file because I got focused on some other activities. I am pretty sure there are enough smart engineers at Dell to design this. If you want a head start contact me for details.
3511
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.
2245
Preinstalled FOSS
Linux, Software, Desktops and Laptops submitted by sceptre0
02/20/07
Although I don't think it would be a good idea to go overboard with preinstalled software, a few free and open source software (FOSS) programs would be nice. Having a large computer company such as Dell behind these products would really give open source the traction it needs to be widely accepted. Also, FOSS does not expire or require activation such as most of the software currently bundled with Dell computers. The currently bundled programs add no value whatsoever to the product and are actually a nuisance to most people. Open source would greatly improve the out of the box user experience. These are the programs I believe would ADD VALUE to Dell computers.
Firefox
- Safer than IE
- Easy to use
- Hundreds of extensions
- Compatible with almost all websites
Openoffice
- Compatible with MS Office files
- FREE! (Hundreds of $ less than MS Office)
- Easy to use interface
- PDF export
Gaim
- Compatible with all major chat networks
- Ad free (no more annoying flashing ads)
- Easy to use
Also, a link to a repository of Dell approved free and open source software (FOSS) for download would allow users a one stop shop for free software. It would make it easier for people to find FOSS which is free, capable, and ad/sypware free.
I would also like to see Linux, primarily Ubuntu, offered as an alternate to Microsoft Windows. This could allow Dell to further lower prices because Linux is free. For the inexperienced computer user Ubuntu Linux is easier to use and virtually immune to infection. Ubuntu is a great easy to use alternative to Mac OS X which is not available for the PC.
Thank you for taking my thoughts into consideration.
1994
Let us choose a delivery date
Dell Web Site, Sales Strategies submitted by bitoclass
02/17/07
There's apparently no way to specify or choose a delivery date for computers or monitors from your site.
Given that most people are out of their house most days at work, and may need to arrange time off to take in a delivery, it would be much better if you could choose a convenient date for delivery when placing an order on the web site.
It would also give you some competitive advantage because I know from asking that (for instance) HP can't even do this by phone, let alone on their site.
Obviously the date would need to be after the product was ready but you could give a range of, say, a week after the product was due to be ready to ship, during the checkout process, for the buyer to select the delivery date from.
2865
Backlit Keyboards
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by rarmasu
02/21/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
I find myself many, many times in dark or poorly lit environments having to guess the various keys - would be fantastic to have a backlit keyboard - with backlit individual keys as the best option.
I would actually pay extra for that convenience if the option was available.
This could be done for desktops or notebooks.
Check out the white LED backlights on the <ahref>XPS M1730.
22290
ONE SHOPPING CART PLEASE (dell.com)
Dell Web Site submitted by ootleman
02/16/07
Why split it up into 4 different shopping carts (home, small business, etc)? I still don't know how it works. 1/2 my products go into one cart, 1/2 my orders go into the other, possibly depending on where I was browsing from.
And, then, seems like the shopping carts expire after a few hours. After all that time spent configuring, why not keep it around longer.
Matter of fact, why not split the site up at all? If I click on desktops - show me all desktops. Do I, as a small company, need differ computers then a medium business? Please show me everything and let me figure out what works best.
2781
Don't make us buy Vista
Operating Systems submitted by icantseeyou
02/21/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
From all of the press I have read it is plain that Vista is a big bomb. To buy the cheapest version I hear it isn't even as good as XP SP2. At the same time you need at least 4 Gig to run it. Offer other options... I don't care if it's Linux, XP, or a rat running on a wheel. Don't make us buy Vista.
You can read more about this the OS options Dell offers here.
9050
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