Goal: Dell FREEDOM Box - A Fully Open System for Home Users by 2010
Dell, Linux, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dpic
11/29/07
Set a goal of having at least one fully open system for home users by the end of 2010! This would be Dell's greatest endeavor yet!
The Dell FREEDOM Box | From the software, all the way down to the hardware, a completely open system
Software:
* A fully open source operating system with no restricted software like Gobuntu.
Hardware:
* All hardware must follow these rules--
1. The interface to the hardware must be explicitly made public, so the hardware can be used freely.
2. The design of the hardware must be made public, so that others can implement it and learn from it.
3. The tools used to create the design should be free, so that others can develop and improve the design.
This movement is already making headway and progress will continue to increase. Dell is already getting involved--
It has been stated that Dell has a goal to have open Linux drivers for all Dell products. Dell, keep the pressure on your vendors to open up!
Support OpenBIOS and Open Firmware!
"Among its features, Open Firmware provides an instruction set independent device interface. This can be used to boot the operating system from expansion cards without native initialization code.
It is Open Firmware's goal to work on all common platforms, like x86, AMD64, PowerPC, ARM and Mips. With its flexible and modular design, Open Firmware targets servers, workstations and embedded systems, where a sane and unified firmware is a crucial design goal and reduces porting efforts noticeably."
- http://www.openbios.org/
Already, there is huge support for replacing proprietary BIOS
- http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/62549/LinuxBIOS_instead_of_proprietary_...
- http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/74358/Dell_Support_Open_BIOSes_for_Linux
And there is the Open Graphics Project
- http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/72320/Help_The_Open_Graphics_Project<
This project would put Dell at the heart of the movement bringing Freedom, Reliability, and Innovation to the world of technology! Does one really need to ask why this would be better than proprietary technology?
1810
No Limits! Make **all** choices available **anywhere** in the world
Sales Strategies submitted by mrw
09/16/07
First example: The Germans are second class customers, because they don't get the same choices for Ubuntu Laptops as in the USA. We here in Switzerland are even third class customers, because we do not get an Ubuntu Laptop at all.
Other example: The choices I can make for a notebook depends on how I walked through your shop! Sometimes for the same Model, I can chose a low end Harddisk, sometimes not. That's absolutely ridiculous! Please allow any possible hardware combination!
Allow to select any matching hard disk in any laptop (or desktop)! Allow to setup any kind of memory, especially e.g. one(!) 2GB module instead of two 1GB modules, give the choice for between either a mirroring display or an anti-glare display for any available display size and resolution. If technically possible, allow to choose between NVidia and ATI, and allow to chose the Memory of the card. Allow to completely deselect the operating system and all kind of installed software.
First: Make all offers available anywhere in the world!
Second: Do not limit the possible combinations!
Shouldn't the customer be king? Let us all choices!
4020
Make a calendar with all COMING SOON and IN PROGRESS ideas
Advertising and Marketing, IdeaStorm submitted by krasmussen
09/22/07 **REVIEWED**
One of the biggest annoyances with IdeaStorm is that the horizon for an idea being implemented is very blurry, if at all existing. If you're lucky, you get "third quarter 2009", but mostly, there is no timeframe at all. This leads to the feeling that not much is being done, and exactly that feeling is what IdeaStorm should be eliminating.
Therefore, I propose that you make a list or calender with all the COMING SOON and IN PROGRESS ideas with timeframes for all of them. Just a "december 2008" would be nice, or better yet, "deadline 31st november 2008".
I don't know if this is connected with some goal management inside Dell, if it is, maybe you should work on improving that, too?
Today, the best way to know the progress of an idea is through Ideas in Action, our Weekly Update or Dell comments in the thread.
6840
Easier way to OPT OUT of Dell selling my private information
Advertising and Marketing submitted by ninefoot3
10/17/07 **IN PROGRESS**
I rec'd a brochure yesterday saying Dell and DFS were going to share my private info with other 3rd party companies for marketing purposes. Well, it said that in about 5,000 words or so. At the end is a box stating that I may opt-out of this by calling the number listed or writing a letter (including certain info) and send it to the listed address.
I chose to use the phone method. After being shoved around to a few people, I finally got someone who could help me 'opt-out'. This involved 'opening a case' as if I had a technical issue with my account.
My IdeaStorm suggestion, hey Dell, make it easier for us to OPT-OUT of your attempts to make money off of my personal information. What's the matter? Didn't make enough money off of my patronage to Dell products and the interest rates charged? Getting an extra $1 for my name, address and age information going to help Michael Dell get a new boat? C'mon!
While I'm disturbed that Dell wanted to sell me out, I'm more disturbed that Dell made it difficult for us to opt-out. A simple URL would have been nice. I know, that would make more people opt-out and Dell would have less names to sell. It's like a mail-in-rebate or the lack of a cancel button in the account information at freecreditreport.com, you HAVE to call, and since that's a pain in the neck, most people will sloth themselves into something they don't really want.
4380
Submit hardware specifications to the Linux Driver Project
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Linux submitted by upstaked
10/05/07 **REVIEWED**
Back in January kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman from Novell started a project offering companies free Linux driver development.
This proved so successful that Novell made it his full-time job and turned to a project with over 200 kernel developers: http://www.linuxdriverproject.org/ .
So Dell, submit specs and convince your hardware providers to do so too. I want to spend my money on great new hardware that runs on Linux.
We constantly work with our hardware partners to develop and maintain open-sourced drivers. Also, we make it clear that through their own developers (or other projects like the Linux Driver Project) they need to deliver on drivers.
9540
Dell: Support Open BIOSes for Linux
Dell, Linux submitted by phubert
10/10/07 **REVIEWED**
An Open BIOS for Linux would free it from the DOS legacy code and speed boot times.
The current BIOS is a legacy throwback... it's time to replace it!
Our current priority is to expand Linux availability by bringing more platforms and languages to market. Read what daniel_j has to say.
5620
Ubuntu Dell Repo
Linux, Service and Support submitted by tekhawk
07/20/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
basicly a simple idea dell to support the ubuntu community a little bit by running a repo for its laptops and desktop if nothing more to support the software that they install on the system and to provide driver updates theses repos should be setup on the machines before shipping so that the users can get the driver updates quick and easy and offer driver on there for all the drivers that there are for dell machines that are support on linux not just the shipping lines
so that user might find that other machines then the ones you ship with ubuntu can easly be made into power ubuntu operating machines
As matt_d has said below, we have repositories for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, Novell/SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, and a growing one for Ubuntu. Check it out here http://linux.dell.com.
7530
Stop Overcharging on Notebook RAM
Sales Strategies, Laptops submitted by realskript
08/28/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
Dell really... REALLY need to stop overcharging... and when i say overcharing... i mean atleast double what you would pay to pick up the ram yourself.
On XPS Notebooks... you are charging $500 for 4GB of ram... when you could easily go pick them up at your local computer shop for $250... and pocket the other half of the $500...
It would be nice if dell could save the customers as well as the company itself this hassle.. and start charging NORMAL prices for an upgrade in RAM.
thanks =D
PS..... PROMOTE THIS!!!!
19640
Put Ubuntu on a laptop with better specs
Inspiron products, Linux submitted by piratehead
10/16/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
Offer an Ubuntu laptop (Inspirion or otherwise) with available discreet graphics, discreet audio, 8GB or more of RAM, a quad-core processor, bluetooth, next-gen WiFi, and integrated webcam.
I don't know how many of those are possible at this point, but each one is a step forward for people who are waiting on certain specs to bite on a Dell laptop.
Now that you offer laptops with Ubuntu on them, I really don't want to go to another company just to get the computer specs I want. I wish to vote for Dell with my dollars, paying for a laptop that has actually been tested and certified by the manufacturer to run Ubuntu. Please give me the opportunity!
Check out the Idea in Action to find out more about our Ubuntu offerings.
6420
make linux systems EASY TO FIND
Dell Web Site submitted by phubert
10/18/07
At other sites, I have seen comments by individuals who have BOUGHT Dell Ubuntu systems complaining about the difficulty FINDING said systems.
I think you'll get more sales if you improve the visibility!
6400
There should be an option of having no trialware on all computers
Software submitted by jervis961
08/23/07 **REVIEWED**
Here is a news article about trialware and how Dell feels that regular customers want it but small business ones do. Do they not look at the ideas here?
"Not interested in all of the trial software that clutters up new PCs? You're not alone: According to Dell's recent research in both focus groups and broader surveys, small-business users overwhelmingly view trialware as an irritant, not a benefit. That research has led Dell to axe the extras from its new Vostro line of small-business desktop PCs and laptops. Eliminating demo applications is a major step for Dell, which has caught flack for the quantity of trialware on its consumer PCs. (One frustrated customer went so far as to develop a "Decrapifier" utility. The company says that consumers who buy PCs for personal use do express interest in preloaded trial software, but that small-business users have different needs. By eliminating the trialware from Vostro machines, Dell says it has cut the system setup time in half. For now, Dell is the only major PC manufacturer to ship small-business systems without preinstalled trialware as a standard practice. (Some competitors, such as HP, allow customers to choose a no-trialware configuration.)"
Dell offers a broad amount of software choice and minimal software shipped. Read jeremy_f's post on the options we give our customers
24470
Put Ubuntu on the list of operating systems when building a PC!
Linux, Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by samb0057
08/10/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
Ubuntu is hidden in a dark corner of the website. I work in IT support, and I have a client who was having virus problems a little while ago. I fixed the problem by installing Ubuntu on their PC. Very recently they called me asking for advice on a new computer, I told them about your new offer providing Ubuntu pre-installed on PCs and they wanted to purchase, but could not find the section on your site (this person is a very basic user, doesn't know what open-source means, probably didn't even see the open source link). There is no way they would have found your Ubuntu section on their own.
I urge you to offer Ubuntu as a choice of OSes in the system configuration wizard, the only way to really sell Ubuntu is to offer Ubuntu as a primary option, rather than a hidden alternative. I personally am looking to buy a new laptop, and you guys have always been my number 1 PC manufacturer (I don't think I've ever bought a new retail PC except from you guys), but I feel that your Ubuntu offerings are lacking. If you offered Ubuntu on some of the great deals you offer on your home page, I would be willing to pay just as much as I would for a Windows Vista system and I probably would have already ordered.
26770
Start offering DELL products to the general public in Poland
Dell, Linux, Sales Strategies submitted by lukasz.wisniewski
11/12/07
According to today's local newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza [1], by 20th November, 11:30 to be more exact, Dell will just have manufactured their first notebook in Lodz, Poland. Unfortunately, even though I am inhabitant of this city, it is more than unlikely I will buy DELL notebook anytime soon.
Firstly, the current policy of your company in Poland is "Only for enterprises and institutions" (original in Polish: Tylko dla firm i instytucji). Such a approach seems to me to be more than just bizarre. Do you happen to realize Poland is something like 38 milions of your potential customers? Just for instance, in my city, there are two big public universities, several private ones - you see the universities but not the students. Is this of your concern? I guess not but Apple is already there offering discounts for students.
Secondly, start distributing preinstalled Ubuntu for Poland as well. I actually do not see the point why you do this in UK, Germany or France and not in Poland. People of Poland are more eager to install open-source products, just let me remind you that according to XiTi monitor [2] open-source Firefox browser has market share of 39.6% in Poland, whereas in Germany - 38%, France - 23.9% and UK just 18.7%.
Thirdly, by preinstalling Ubuntu I mean making it an option anywhere where there is an OS selection option on your website. I clearly see no reason in the world why you keep offering such a miserable Ubuntu notebook in Europe instead of something more powerful - Inspiron 6400n with Intel T2130 processor. In your opinion, how impressive is that nowadays?
Last but not least, DELL, please stop participating in this devoid of good sense campaign "Dell recommends Vista..." which is sarcastic. You really do not have to put down this sentence on your website as in Poland you force people to use Vista leaving no other choice.
Take all these remarks under your consideration unless it is OK with you that Poles should travel to Germany in order to buy your notebooks. Hear our voice, DELL!
Signed,
Lukasz Wisniewski
student of the Computer Science
Technical University of Lodz
Links:
[1] http://miasta.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35136,4662983.html
[2] http://www.xitimonitor.com/en-us/browsers-barometer/firefox-july-2007/index-1...
4210
Make Linux and no Operating system standard options on all future products
Operating Systems submitted by jervis961
08/17/07 **REVIEWED**
OK Dell you have committed to supplying Linux options in limited form. Since you have laid the groundwork already here is the next step. Every new product you release that needs an Operating system should have Linux and also no Operating System as an option in the configuration along side Windows. Since you have to write drivers and test compatability for Vista when making a new product just make it compatable with Linux at the same time. There will no longer be a need for a seperate sections for Linux or no Operating system since all of the products will have the option. this will help make your site easier to navigate for you customers. You can also create an ACCURATE help me choose section for the OS choices.
Check out what daniel_j has to say on the options we offer.
21640
Implemented: Ubuntu Dell is Le$$ Than Windows Dell
Linux submitted by thebittersea
05/05/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
see comment from Erik down below... [Dell's Pricing Team]
$774 Inspiron 1420 (Ubuntu)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Ubuntu version 7.04
Anti-glare, widescreen 14.1 inch display (1280x800)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
80GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Integrated High Definition Audio
$824 Inspiron 1420 (Vista)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows® Vista Home Basic Edition
Anti-glare, widescreen 14.1 inch display (1280x800)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
80GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
24X CD writer/DVD Combo Drive
Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Integrated High Definition Audio
The difference in promotion pricing was due to an error on the site, which has been fixed.
33450
Have Opera pre-installed browser
Software submitted by envek
02/19/07
Opera is fast, standart compliant, free of charge (on desktops), lite, powerful and crossplatform web-browser.
It's a good choice to people, wants to have good soft without any customisation (or with little) and work with it. Easy and convenient.
Visit www.opera.com for more information (http://ru.opera.com/ and http://jp.opera.com/ for russian and japan official pages).
Yes, I want to have Opera as default browser. Are you?
6898
Dont eliminate XP just yet
Operating Systems submitted by javaprog07
02/17/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
Ok, well I know I may be chastised for bringing this up, but vista is still a young operating system with its own problems etc... I would like to see both Home and Business computers, especially notebooks have an XP Home and Pro option on top of Vista until it has at least been out for a year. For those seasoned users like me who just feel that you need to let a new OS mature before jumping right in. I am planning on buying a new notebook, and I would like to insure I wont have to format it on arrival just to have XP.
Check out the Idea in Action to find out more about Dell offering XP.
26870
 track my votes
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