XPS M1330 Laptop with Docking Station
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Small Business, XPS products submitted by matto
11/27/07
The XPS M1330 Laptop is a stunning laptop, but is also ideal for a lot of business people on the move. It's lightweight, it's thin, it's got a slot-loading DVD drive. Dell seem to recognise this by listing it as an option in the Small Business section (here on the Dell.com.au website at least). And they're right - it would be perfect for me, except for the lack of a docking station.
I use my laptop both at work and at home. I have a docking station at each location. This means I simply need to drop the laptop in, and straight away it's hooked up to the mains power, to my keyboard and mouse, to the wired network and to my secondary monitor. You can see how the lack of a docking station makes this process a lot more tedious. Fair enough - the keyboard and mouse can be replaced with bluetooth items, but there's still the network (no wireless at work), the power and the secondary LCD. This constant need to plug and unplug would soon take the sheen of an otherwise perfect device, not to mention the likelihood of damaging the delicate connectors with daily use.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to use the XPS M1330 for work, if only this one little problem could be overcome. I understand the challenges in packaging such a thin and light notebook, but I'm sure that greater minds than mine are able to come up with something!
I know I'm probably just a bit lazy, but the docking station really is one of life's little luxuries. I dare anyone who's used one previously to try and do without!
Thanks for the chance to put it forward.
Regards,
Matto :)
480
True Business Class Notebook
Laptops submitted by ai42
02/17/07
I am a huge fan of Business class notebooks and over the years the Latitude has gotten better I admit but it still in my mind lags far behind the Thinkpads, and the HP nc series.
1. Build Quality
Simply put the Latitudes share too many parts from their Inspiron Cousins. The share keyboards, power adapters etc. The keyboards flex and feel mushy. The screen flexes too easily. The chasis is just too flexible. I know you guys have improved over time, but most of your attempts are to throw some more magnesium exterior panels on to an Inspiron which does a lot to improve the feel but you need to have a rigid inner structure to back it up. After all Thinkpads have been using Magneiusm Frames, as well as Carbon Fiber composite materials for years with much success.
2. Innovation
Dell for the longest time has not really pushed for innovation in their Business class notebooks. To my knowledge an accelerometer to deactivate the hard drive when moved is still not available in Dells (while it has been adopted by Thinkpads, HPs, and even Apple does it). Keyboard illumination would be a nice touch, it would be really impressive to see a solution similar to the MacBook Pros, but even the Thinkpad has their built in LED light. As well as it would be very nice to see a good solution for the power connector similar to what is used in the Macbooks. I know ti is a very common issue of having damaged power connectors and it would be nice to see another manufacturer attempt to make a better solution for this problem. Thinkpads even have holes in the keyboard to safely drain out spills on the keyboard. This Wifi catcher that Dell is using now is hardly impressive. Any decent corporate user would not be driving around Wardriving looking for a Wifi signal.
3. Corporate Image
I think a lot of these issues stem from a deeper issue of Dell cost savings. Dell for the longest time has been doing quite well by being the cost leader. While I think that does have it's place I certainly think that a truly innovative and extremely well built product especially for the business sector will sell well despite not necessarily being the cheapest on the block.
4. Things that Dell should keep
Now I shouldn't bash everything because there are reasons I even consider Latitudes when I do buy new notebooks. I do like having a high resolution screen which I find very refreshing that most Dell notebooks do offer W/U/S/XGA resolutions on most of your notebooks. It is also very nice to see dedicated graphics solutions in your notebooks which are not too over the top. As well as the form factor of most of your business class notebooks is about right.
107
The Clutter Is Forming: We Need A Moderator
Dell Community, IdeaStorm submitted by googideas
02/17/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
Approximately 48 hours into its life, and Ideastorm is filling up with repetition and senseless comments. Since moderation cannot be exercised by the participants a moderator a la Dell Employee must put up her hand. Or his hand. We aren't picky!
One: Repeating the same ideas from earlier posts is a pain to the reader and a waste of space and time. These should be removed.
Two: Suggestions which are without applicability to the issues at hand should be removed: one post states that "Dell should set up Dell Pay to compete with Paypal." Sigh. Why?
For what unique purpose? Dell's business is not online payments, in the same way Apple's is not selling music (they sell music at a loss to sell iPods at a gain). There is no benefit to Dell and it meets no need.
Since this format is experimental and fully funded by Dell, I encourage Dell to cut the wheat from the chafe and remove as much as they see fit. For all of the "I have rights" and "freedom of speech" advocates, you don't. This is a place where the good keep going and the bad go out.
The less posts the better. It provides Dell what they want: the opportunity to test strong ideas properly. Without the removal of clutter, the good ideas will by dint of the time they are posted (e.g. 3am) and the increasing volume of posts, inevitably suffer at times the forest's size despite the grandeur of the tree in question.
I may be going against the grain of popular opinion, but you add your vote to this post if you believe in the goal of this site, and not the freedom it offers to utter the first inane thing which comes to mind.
jackie_c is IdeaStorm's moderator. Also, for any mod updates, check out the talk with the moderator blog at the top of the page.
12547
Design & Form Factor
Desktops and Laptops submitted by logi
02/16/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
This forum is a great idea to get Dell back to #1.
What I like to see is new and innovative styling across the board on notebooks and desktops. Dell's product line looks 5yrs old and needs a total refresh.
As you can see Apple Inc. is winning conumers hearts because Apple owners are actually proud of displaying them in the living rooms instead of hiding them. Get rid of that XPS desktop design that thing is so ugly.. and come up with something consumers would be proud of displying in their media rooms.
Also I would like to see Dell create a sleak new design for a media center box so we can utilize vista home for the entertainment room and display it next to my audio and video units.
Thanks for listening Mr. Dell.
Hope_l talks about how passionate we are about design in this thread. To read more about how this idea is being put into action click here.
23006
National Call Centers [and other Service Improvement Ideas]
Service and Support submitted by henrieb
02/17/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
As a corporate customer I like Dell's products and my USA customer support. I have read the web about all the people that have had problems with Dell customer service and mine and others are not isolated incidences. If you want people to be loyal take a hint from the corporate sales and give Home users even a little customer support. My corporate help does not read scripts, they have the power to take ownership and fix the problem. Granted I do buy Gold support. If Dell thinks it saves money for bad support; I have personally talked 20 or 30 people out of buying a Dell.
* Addition: After reading several of the comments on this topic it appears that what we really want is someone in customer support that will listen to us, and hopefully help us. Culture and language barriers just make this harder. Maybe a better way to track customer performance would be to find out if they really helped someone and not how fast they can end the call. Dell management needs to start taking ownership of this problem. Maybe Dell management needs to start calling Dell support with fake problems and see it the system they created can help them, it sure does not work for us.
27691
No Extra Software Option
Software submitted by ootleman
02/16/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
Would love the ability to have a clean Vista install. No AOL software, no earthlink software, no google software - just a clean, original OS.
Check out jeremy_f's update on our current software options.
120904
 track my votes
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