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Provide Upgrades for XPS 700 Owners

Desktops submitted by kmkenney 02/19/07 **IMPLEMENTED**

Dell originally marketed the Dell XPS 700 as a fully featured, fully upgradable gaming computer - this included a motherboard engineered for enthusiasts that you could upgrade down the road if you wanted to.

However, a lot of Dell XPS 700 owners are a bit angry over the use of the BTX motherboard. BTX seems to have lost its backing and ATX is the popular standard. Not only that, XPS 700 owners can not upgrade their systems to Quad Core due to the motherboards design, however this issue was fixed in the XPS 710.

Lets quote Lionel Menchaca on this one:

"For folks that are concerned about future upgradeability, note that the XPS 700 is the first system we’ve introduced that was designed to support an industry-standard BTX system board down the road. This means if you want to swap out the system board down the road, to accommodate future technology, you can. Some custom cables are required for certain connections."

Go to Newegg.com or NCIX.com or anywhere else and tell me where you can find a NVIDIA 680i Chipset BTX Motherboard! Didn't think so.

There has been a long, long discussion at the Dell Community Forum (Link: http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=xps_desk_ge...) regarding the Dell XPS 700, it's issues, and how Dell have seemingly pulled the wool over several peoples eyes.

I believe that Dell needs to set the record straight once and for all, either the XPS 700 is fully upgradable or it isn't.
Read more about the XPS 700 upgrades here.




17 Comments »

No proprietary parts

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops and Laptops submitted by neogamerdrew 02/19/07

When maintaining or upgrading a Dell, it is a shear nightmare to try and replace parts. Most things are not the standard ATX parts you would expect. I suggest that Dell move away from proprietary parts, and open the door for people to use after market parts. 28 Comments »

More FREE Upgrades on XPS Systems

Gaming, Sales Strategies submitted by thecommish16 02/26/07

If coupon codes aren't in the cards anymore, I think QUALITY FREE upgrades on ALL XPS systems would be great. Would be nice to see Dell cater to the enthusiasts by offering the most bang for the buck in terms of the ultra high end options such as SLI, Quad Core, 30 inch monitors, etc. Comment »

DELL 100 EUR Laptop

Laptops submitted by drahnreb 03/02/07

Why no 100 EUR (125 $) laptop from DELL?

14" Display (1200*800) with onboard graphic
1 GHz ECU
256 MByte RAM
40 GByte Harddisk
802.11 b or g WLAN
DVD/CD RW
UBUNTU Linux

Thats enough for surfing , writing e-Mails, letters etc.

Dear DELL community what are you thinking about this configuration? Comment »

Business machines with better video cards

Gaming, Laptops submitted by mrviceman 02/16/07

Why are the 15" notebooks so limited in the cards you can put in them. Business people play games to. Yes I know there is a size issue, but I bet ATI or Nvidia has a solution that will work. Believe me, there is a market in smaller notebooks with a wide choice of video cards. 3 Comments »

More AMD machines, higher graphics options, better sound integration

Desktops and Laptops submitted by pjf3rd 02/17/07

I applaud Dell for offering a few machines with less expensive AMD processors, but Dell needs to offer AMD options on more machines and notebooks, from the low end to the high end. Competition is good, sell more AMD and force Intel to reduce their ridiculously high prices.

And Dell needs better graphics options all over the spectrum. Why can't a buyer get a better graphics card pre-installed on ANY machine in the line, not just the higher-end ones?

Bottom line -- if I want to pay to get high-end graphics and sound and save money by choosing a lower-power processor and less software, why can't I?

I was forced to buy an HP notebook last year because HP offerred a 2Ghz AMD processor, 1GB RAM and 100GB hard drive + DVD-RW for under $1,250, while an equivalent Dell notebook was well over $2,300. And I got 15.4 in WXGA as well. The only HP drawback was 1280x1024 max on the LCD, but the graphics card supports 1600x1200 for an external monitor.

The last Dell desktop I bought (Dimension 8400) came with Soundblaster Live sound, but because it was a separate card and not chips on the MB, there are no front-panel sound connections. This is extremely annoying and makes sound connection changes much more difficult (my CPU is in a cabinet where it is harder to get at the back of the machine). Choosing higher-end sound should not remove convenient front-panel connections.

I have been a loyal Dell buyer since the mid '90's, and I still recommend Dell to friends and co-workers, but I will buy where the price and features are the best. Wake up Dell! 1 Comment »

No Proprietary Hardware

Dell submitted by galaxie 02/26/07

I'm a long time IT pro and pet peeve of mine from the old days was proprietary hardware. I totally dislike the Dell moves in that direction and one reason I quit buying and promoting Dell equipment. I personally like the generic chip sets over proprietary ones. There are a couple significant reasons.

Number one, less support. Need an updated driver? Less drive to create one for you if it is not a wide spread chip or was quickly abandoned by Dell. How about one for a non-Microsoft OS? If you look around for the more widespread stuff there always seems to be someone with a driver even if it is not the OEM.

It makes you dependent on Dell to come up with a driver and or recognize an error. Look at network and sound cards - primarily where I see this. You have to jump through the maze of support that is the dell download site. (That's a whole different Idea.) It is really easy to hit a number of forums out there and find solutions or work arounds for "generic" stuff when there is an issue, good luck if you have something Dell.

Another reason, it to me makes me think of Dell as just junk. Just like MS trying to lock you into their products. The problem is, there isn't actually a reason to do it with hardware though. I mean there are possibilities, but none seem good. Take networking for an example. I mean how much can you honestly save by creating and making your own chipset vs buying a broadcom off the shelf one? (I haven't tore apart any to really see what the actual chips are on Dell cards.) That said, I don't think the broadcom chipsets are the best in world - but they do seem to work very well with virtually every network device. Granted I think Intel makes better stuff in general and use it in all my equipment at this time and it is USUALLY an option for an upgrade to Dell stuff - at about what it costs me to buy it separately. Comment »

External graphics using PCI-E Cable

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Gaming, Laptops submitted by error 02/17/07

Make a laptop with integrated graphic card (for long battery life) and use pci-e cabling specification to connect external graphic card by cable (for ultimate gaming power)

http://www.pcisig.com/specifications/pciexpress/pcie_cabling1.0/

Imagine 12" notebook with power of external GF8800GTX :) 16 Comments »

Better Notebook sound and features

Laptops submitted by foxx 02/17/07

I was looking for a high end notebook for video editing. Every Dell model I looked at was missing something essential.

Most serious is the lousy sound. I can understand for low end notebooks, but high end need A REAL SOUND CARD. I would have been willing to buy a sound card, but that required a PCMCIA slot and you had elimintated those. I gave up.











119 Comments »

No DRM

Software submitted by fgarpe 02/26/07

Don't put DRM hardware or software in any

http://defectivebydesign.org/
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesti%C3%B3n_de_derechos_digitales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management 8 Comments »

"Advanced" Laptop Configuration screen

Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by otacon 02/16/07

Let computer savy customers start off with nothing, forget base models and base configurations. Pic a screen, processor, RAM (give more options for RAM, along the lines of OCZ, etc.) and so on. Stop with all the add-ons at the end. When I configure a laptop/desktop I don't want to chose a router, printer, etc waste of my time. Put the add-ons for the regular, "customize it" users. I want to configure, get the price and leave. 5 Comments »

Increase customization to hit the sweet spot with the geek community

Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by mathoda 02/16/07

The geek community craves easily customizable computers, both in terms of the hardware and software. Their choices of hardware and software become reflective of their identity, in a way it isn't for non geek consumers. Apple laptops, while beautiful, aren't very customizable. To reach the geek community, Dell should aim to support the standards that the geekiest consumers prefer, such as an easy to choose from several different operating systems (ubuntu linux, other distributions of linux, bsd, vista, etc), several different choices of applications, etc. Dell should also let you customize more of your component choices for the hardware. While Dell may fear the customer support required for such customization, the geek community more than other communities is probably willing to have customer support open sourced (the way support for linux is supported by geek message boards) rather than be the traditional handholding required for mainstream customers. 5 Comments »

Better Styling, More Choices on Video Cards and a Hybrid Video Design, and Definately less or NO pre-installed Software.

Sales Strategies, Software, Laptops submitted by kman79 02/16/07 **REVIEWED**

Dell probably does build one of the best performing notebooks that one could order, well at least you could make it to be one of the best performing notebooks, but they lack in style. Of course the priority of having the notebook is having good performance, but having a stylish exterior adds value and want for the notebook/laptop. The white and gray casing gets old, and needs updating. I like the simple yet stylish look of the M1210, the rest of the line should be updated. Maybe it's just me, but the rest of the XPS line of laptops need to be toned down, it just looks to kidish and has too many things going on with it. Design a better looking notebook with the current hardware performance you have available right now, and you can guarantee it will sell better. The design does not have to be complex, but anything is better than white and gray plastic exterior you currently use. Get ideas from Apple, Asus, Sony, Toshiba and even HP. Give the exterior look of the notebook some curves......maybe evem a glossy finish, and a little texture. People spend thousands of dollars on their Dell Notebooks, at least make them feel better by making the notebooks look like it's worth the money spent on them. Give the notebook some attitude, a personality and a soul and not just a piece of plastic with a keyboard and a screen.

Dell should also give customers more choices with the video cards. I wanted to get an M1210, but was dissapointed that it only had a Geforce Go 7400 as the only choice for video card. I was more than willig to spend the extra cash on a higher end video card. Also, if sony has not patented this design/idea, what about a Video Hybrid design where you have a choice between intel graphics while on battery, and purve Nvidia graphics when plugged in. I think the idea is genious and very useful. You can use intel graphics when your running on battery to save and extend battery life, and switch over to nvidia graphics for full-on graphics power when the notebook is plugged in.

More importantly, let it be the customer's choice on which programs and services they want installed on their ordered computer. I hate turning on my newly ordered computer and having all these unwanted software and services already installed. I hate having to spend the first minutes to hours after receiving my computer uninstalling programs or doing a clean OS install.


Over the past year we launched several laptops that were developed purely for the consumer. Check out all the details on mike_h's post.





10 Comments »

A decent 17" bussiness laptop line.

Laptops submitted by pmb 02/27/07

have severals 17" inspirons 9200-9400 notebooks and the "ultrasharp"-dimm screen stinks. In think it's a good idea to have a "middle-cost" professional alternative with a really good anti-glare (non-glossy!) screen. I not a gammer and for works we need a 17" notebooks, why don't sell a Latitude o similar 17" bussiness oriented laptop at decent price (not the overpriced M90 workstation, please!)

In have also a pair of inspiron 1300 with 15.4 screen. These screen are really very good in my opinion, why canno´t put the same quality screen in the Inspiron 9400 line??

Also the white-silver chasis it's really very ugly in my opinion. The general impresion it's they are a bulky and cheap desing copy of Mac laptops...

Please a black-silver design like latitude or maybe Inspiron 1300 it will welcome (why not a inspiron 1300 line with 17" screen option??).

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DVI (incl. DVI-D) for _everything_ please

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) submitted by pstader 02/20/07

Too bad our purchasing missed to order the DVI Riser Card with our Optiplex. The guy who ordered extra picked Ultrasharp Displays with DVI input, which we have to use via the analog connection. No warning, no nothing during the order process. Why even sell computers without DVI ? Analog connections might have been alright for everything up to 1024 * 768 resolutions but everything above that really benefits a lot from dvi. So please. Make DVI standard and not optional. Would love to see Notebooks with Dvi connector too. 4 Comments »

Handheld and phone to sync with Linux

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Broadband and Mobility, Linux submitted by stephanw 02/20/07

I'm teacher an i like to work with linux. But all available (popular) Phones or Organizers uses Active Sync or a Software that works only with MS Outlook.

Please develope a handheld, or better a cell phone with organizer that supports calendar, contacts and notes synching with a linux software (Evolution, or others). And i would buy it immediatly.

Best regards
Steve 6 Comments »

Silent / Quiet Computers: Sound levels in decibels

Desktops and Laptops submitted by pchris 02/17/07 **REVIEWED**

I'd like Dell to provide the sound level in decibels for each of their desktops, under max load as well as at idle.

How a manufacturer can produce an expensive computer, and then have the user acoustic experience of that computer dominated by the noise generated by a cheap fan worth just pennies, for the entire lifetime of that computer, is incomprehensible. Computers are noisy when brand new, but those cheap fans begin to rub and oscillate and make additional annoying noises, frequently within a short period of time of purchase.

Personally, the peace and quiet of my personal workspace is very important to me, it's my sanctuary from the world where I can focus and be creative. To have that experience disrupted by cheap fans is sad, especially when slightly more expensive fans and some reasonable design would solve the issue. Another reason why I consider buying an Apple.

If the cost of a better sound design and fans is significant, it could be an extra cost option.
In general, Dell provides noise data of its products in the Environmental Datasheets. Tests are conducted according to ISO standards in a NVLAP accredited acoustics facility. Click here for more details




152 Comments »

More RAM!

Desktops and Laptops submitted 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!


113 Comments »

No OS Preloaded

Linux, Operating Systems, Sales Strategies submitted by agreer 02/17/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

I have a XP Pro retail copy, will soon buy retail vista, I also like Linux: Make WINDOWS-FREE, and OS-Free an option for more than just expensive business lines.


Dell has systems available that do not have an OS pre-loaded called N-Series line. You can check them out at www.dell.com/nseries.

460 Comments »