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Pre-Installed OpenOffice | alternative to MS Works & MS Office

Software, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dhart 02/17/07

Provide OpenOffice.org for free pre-installation alongside Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office. OpenOffice.org is more capable than Microsoft Works, and a serious competitor to Microsoft Office, at a fraction of the cost (it's free!)

OpenOffice.org can open, create, edit and save Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

Provide as OPTIONS for pre-installation many other high-quality free software programs such as:
- Firefox: web browser with popup and privacy controls; say goodbye to Internet Explorer infections!
- Thunderbird: email program with free anti-spam and privacy controls
- Pidgin: instant messaging all-in-one program for popup-free MSN, Yahoo, AOL and others
&nsbp;[ed: GAIM was renamed Pidgin in April 2007 to settle the issue with AOL's trademark on AIM]
- PDFCreator: creates Adobe PDF files from any program
- Scribus, Inkscape & GIMP: desktop publishing, freehand drawing & powerful image editing
- Audacity & VLC: multi-track audio editing & universal all-in-one media/video/movie/DVD player
- Stellarium & Celestia: planetarium viewer & outer-space mapping, like Google Earth, but for our Solar System

Pre-installed quality free and open source software drastically lowers the cost of new PCs, and helps prevent software piracy. Cast your vote for Linux and other free software. Cast your vote for the Universal Education PC [ed: article removed/merged by dell_admin] utilizing free software.

CHOICE is what consumers want on their new PCs, not annoying surprise circus-ware (the typical smattering of confusing 3rd party popup-infested software found on most new Dell PCs). Quality free and open source software is well behaved, and may be legally pre-installed on PCs, and legally shared with friends and family, sharing is encouraged! Cast your vote for consumer CHOICE and public transparency at Dell.
562 Comments »

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 31 Comments »

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....





64 Comments »