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Get GNU/Linux Machines in Retail Stores

Linux submitted by dpic Feb 14

Imagine how successful Dell's Ubuntu offering could be if just one Dell Ubuntu machine was put in retail stores. If people knew of an alternative to Windows, they would go for it! So what do you say, Dell? Why don't you try to put at least one of your Ubuntu machines offered in retail stores? 734 Comments »

OpenOffice.org as an Option on Vista Systems

Operating Systems, Software submitted by badblood 06/14/07

openoffice.org is already offered on the Ubuntu systems, but not on Vista systems.

So please add it as an option to Vista computers. 29 Comments »

Ubuntu Dells for Premier

Simplify IT submitted by erimar77 06/17/07

Please give the users of Dell Premier the option to purchase Ubuntu Dells.

As a buyer for an academic environment, I have the opportunity to purchase Ubuntu Dells only if they are available through the Premier site. 3 Comments »

Support for Open Document Format

Operating Systems, Software submitted by lordshipmayhem 06/12/07

Dell should encourage support for Open Document Format:
- provide a page listing the benefits of ODF over proprietary formats (OOXML and other Microsoft "standards")
- Link to the home pages of applications that support ODF (OpenOffice.org, StarOffice, KOffice)

ODF is designed to be both platform and application agnostic: anyone who wants to write one, can create applications that allow you to use any ODF file, without losing file formatting. The objective is to allow any user to keep access to their data even if the maintainer of the application the data was saved in ends up going out of business or ending support for the application in question.

I don't know about you, but I have some files that were written in word processing software that no longer exists, in a couple of cases on platforms that don't exist outside of the hands of museums and collectors. Those files are at best extremely difficult if not utterly impossible to open now. 32 Comments »

Dell Must Use Ubuntu Stickers! {Pics Inside}

Linux submitted by thebittersea 06/10/07 **UNDER REVIEW**

96 Comments »

Make your legal team restrain themselves when they're trying to silence bloggers who are trying to help people buy from Dell.

Dell, Dell Community submitted by jmxz 06/15/07 **IMPLEMENTED**

Yesterday Dell sent the following letter to a blog that was giving advice on how to better order from the confusing Dell web site (like clarifying pros and cons of when you should go to the Small Business vs Home Office sections; and when you might do even better going to a Dell Kiosk- which Dell's own web site never makes clear). Rather than a take down notice from Legal, a polite email from Marketing with corrections to the inaccurate parts and specific requests to remove the confidential information would have been:

Better for the Blogger - because he wouldn't feel threatened.
Better for Dell - because the article never would have been so widely publicized (I learned of it only because of the takedown notice).
Better for Dell Customers - because the rest of the non-confidential information in the article could still help them.

- - - - - - - - - -
from Tracy Holland
to ben@consumerist.com
date Jun 14, 2007 4:39 PM
subject Posting by former Dell employee

Dear Ben,

Please remove the posting located at the following

http://consumerist.com/consumer/insiders/22-confessions-of-a-former-dell-sale...< contains information that is confidential and proprietary to Dell.

While not all aspects of the entry are accurate, ostensibly an ex-employee posted Dell's confidential information in violation of his or her employment agreement and confidentiality obligations (which prohibit the disclosure of such information both during and after the period of employment).

We would appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Please confirm that the posting has been removed by the end of the day tomorrow.

Thank you, and please give me a call if you would like to discuss further.

Tracy Holland

Tracy J. Holland
Counsel
Dell Inc.
- - - - - - - - - -

While some of the information wasn't correct; the blogger has been continually updating the article fixing inaccuracies as they're pointed out to him. Your legal team also referred to "confidential information" but never specified what was the offending confidential information that should be removed. It's a bit hard to guess what parts of that posting might have been considered confidential; because it seems like just about all the info in the article can be found (just with difficulty) browsing the Dell web site and Kiosks.

Ideas for your legal team:
* For the case of this article - point out the "confidential" information (if there really is any) and I'm confident the blogger will remove that confidential information while keeping the rest of the helpful advice (which helps your customers buy Dells) up there.
* In general - try to restrain yourselves from legal threats on Bloggers. It would probably have been nicer if someone from Dell Marketing asked the person to correct things; and the whole thing would have probably gone away quietly -- instead of being very visible on many high profile places on the internet and on mailing lists now.
We hold ourselves at Dell and all our employees to high ethical standards and believe ex-employees have an obligation to uphold those standards. We live and learn in this new world of blogs and appreciate your suggestion.


31 Comments »

Downloadable, PDF format, full technical specs for all systems

Advertising and Marketing, Dell Web Site submitted by benjesuit 06/12/07 **REVIEWED**

Before I buy, I would like to have the options of downloading the full technical specifications of the system. Not just the brief specifications. Place a link under "tech specs" tab that allows you to view or download the full specification PDF file for those of us who care about and understand such things. This way everyone is satisfied.
We are looking to improve the specs pages by making them consistent across all product lines, provide more in-depth specifications and making them available in a printable format.





35 Comments »

Same discounts available on Ubuntu and Windows

Linux, Operating Systems, Sales Strategies submitted by jonsmirl 06/12/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

I'm ordering a Vista XPS 410 right now. I wanted a Ubuntu one but I'm going to throw away yet another copy of Windows. The Vista XPS 410 has $200 off today and free ship for a total of $869. The identical Ubuntu machine is $1019 plus $29.99 shipping. So today Ubuntu costs $170 more than Windows instead of $50 less. Why can't I have the same discounts on the Ubuntu machine? 50 Comments »

Linux promotion

Advertising and Marketing, Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by alfadaemon 06/19/07

I don't know about you, but I noticed the label that you get when entering the only part of Dell site that you get for sure to see Ubuntu Linux.

The label that you first see on the site (The one with BIGGER LETTERS). I don't know about you but when someone ask me where they can find the "famous" Ubuntu-Dell computer I redirect them to www.dell.com/open, and what do you get in there? I frightening: "Not sure Open Source is for You?" What's this kind of marketing? You tell someone, hey there is Dell selling Linux computers but if you not sure if Linux is for you, come get a Windows PC!!!!

I believe that Linux is not only for the "Already an Open Source fan", Ubuntu, and Linux, is ready for much more of that. Why don't change that with something that motivate people to search and get involved in the Linux world?

I know that Dell is getting more $$$ for the Windows' computers, but I don't think this is the right way to promote a "new" product. Comment »

Make the dell ubuntu models available through the main webpage

Dell Web Site, Linux, Sales Strategies submitted by rajeevbhatta 06/19/07 **UNDER REVIEW**

Instead of having the model listings on a different webpage ( www.dell.com/open) have these models available from the product search you have on the main page or a link available through the main page (www.dell.com)

When I go to dell.com and I search for the product model numbers I never can find them I have to go to the other page and then I see it. The only thing I saw on the main page is a small flash ad which then takes you to the page.

Why cant you place these models with the other models on your page.........





30 Comments »

Should Dell create a version of IdeaStorm in Spanish?

IdeaStorm submitted by dell_admin1 04/30/07

Promote this if you think we should. 35 Comments »

No Preinstalled Security Software

Software submitted by jsalem 06/08/07

While the previously posted ideas for no preinstalled software at all or making it more configurable are both admirable, I would advocate something a little different. Some preinstalled software packages have their uses. Some do not. I would like to see all preinstalled security software stripped from new systems. The setup and configuration of these programs cause no end of headaches for users and support persons alike. People easily get locked off from the internet due to improperly configured firewalls or infected due to virus scanners they never knew existed on their systems, let alone how to update them. PC security should be the responsibility of the user, not the hardware vendor, who will invariably frustrate users with OS reinstalls and referrals to the security software vendor. 3 Comments »

Bulk Shipping

Environment, Desktops and Laptops submitted by zgamer 06/05/07

This is in focus to purchasing multiple desktops and notebooks.

When purchasing systems from Dell we tend to purchase a large number (a couple hundred) systems once a year. Upon delivery I am amazed by the amount of waste produced.

IDEA: Bulk ship desktops where five systems are in one box or ten laptops per box. This would allow to cut down on the amount of packing material greatly.

On a side note when we have had systems arrive in this method there tends to be a far fewer chance of getting systems damaged in shipping :) 5 Comments »

Region free DVD drive option for laptops/notebooks.

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Service and Support, Laptops submitted by benjesuit 05/22/07

For those of us who travel and have overseas friends and family, the option to have a region free DVD drive would be a great plus when it comes to renting or borrowing DVD's from other regions. 15 Comments »

Provide OPEN Linux drivers for all DELL products!

Linux submitted by lucianotolfo 05/27/07 **REVIEWED**

I think it's important for DELL to provide OPEN and FREE Linux drivers for all their products (notboocks, desktops, printers, etc.) to mark the way for other manufacturers, to develop linux drivers too (or they can work together with the linux community to do that)

Also the Linux users can get an easy way to configure their DELL products on Linux. Because linux users also take into account which hardware will be compatible on their Linux systems
We have open Linux drivers on our server products today and are driving our desktop and notebook vendors to do the same.






8 Comments »

Dell should promote Linux better by:

Advertising and Marketing, Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by mrlinux11 06/05/07

1) Making it easier to find on the website
2) Adding back the extended hardware support (all other systems have it)
3) Some more Advertising on their website 7 Comments »

Give us the ability to eject a disc from a laptop's drive when it is powered off.

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by joeevil5000 06/06/07

I have heard a lot of people asking for a warning that you have a disc in your CD/DVD drive when you power it down. The best remedy for this is the ability to eject a disc even if the laptop is powered off. It would take an extremely minimal amount of power from the battery to pop open a disc drive. If the XPS M1210 can detect wi-fi networks with the power off, something like this shold be extremely simple. 7 Comments »

Add all the OS's you sell to the "Help Me Choose: Operating System" page

Dell Web Site, Linux, Operating Systems submitted by jmxz 06/08/07

These pages: titled "Help Me Choose: Operating System" (a Dell help me choose page,another one)
only list some of the operating systems Dell sells.

I assume you also recommend Ubuntu for some home users (those who want better security and performance, I imagine) and FreeDOS for business (since that's what you sell on your Latitudes - even though I can't imagine why you prefer FreeDOS there over Ubuntu). But unless you put them in those pages, we can't easily make an informed choice. 15 Comments »

Clear motherboard specs

Dell Web Site submitted by s_wel 06/03/07

How about the specification of the motherboard included with the hardware selection process information on your Web site like:
-- Number of ram slots
-- Number of pci/ pci express slots (With pci express spec. eg. X1, X8, X16)
-- Processor slot info eg. 775, AM2

This would be useful for people buying a cheap computer in the hope of upgrading later. 2 Comments »

Use Less Packaging Materials than Any Other Company

Environment submitted by jerseyshore 06/05/07 **REVIEWED**

It may not be as exciting, but become the leader in using less packaging for every purchase made....less cardboard.....better packing.....and more


We have made huge strides in reducing the amount of packaging we send out with our products. For more details from todd_d, click here.




7 Comments »