Make Laptops more Durable & Water Resistant
Laptops submitted by jrhoesly
04/23/07
Dell need to make all of their laptops more resistant to fluids and accidental spills. (keyboard, ports, etc.) Dell should really come out with a line of extremely ruggedized and high performance laptops and tablet pc's to complete with the Panasonic Toughbook.
610
Solid State Drive as option in Notebooks
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by tablet205
03/28/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
Definition
A solid state drive is primarily a data storage device, for use in computing applications that traditionally use a hard disk drive.
A solid state drive is based on non-volatile memory instead of the spinning platter and mechanical-magnetic head found in a conventional hard disk drive. With no moving parts, a solid state drive eliminates seek time, latency and other electro-mechanical delays and failures associated with a conventional hard disk drive.
Advantages
* Faster startup - Since no spin-up required.
* Faster read time – In some cases, twice or more than that of the fastest hard drives.
* Low read and write latency (seek) time, hundreds of times faster than a mechanical disk.
* Faster boot and application launch time - Result of the faster read and especially seek time. But only if application already resides in flash and is more dependent on read speed than other issues, eg. OS bootup that detects devices will not be significantly sped up even with faster seeks & reads.
* Lower power consumption and heat production - no mechanical parts results in less power consumption.
* No noise - Lack of mechanical parts makes the SSD completely silent.
* Better mechanical reliability - Lack of mechanical parts results in less wear and tear. High level of ability to endure extreme shock, vibration and temperatures, which apply to laptops and other mobile devices, or when transported.
* Security - allowing a very quick "wipe" of all data stored.
* Deterministic performance - unlike mechanical hard drives, performance of SSDs is constant and deterministic across the entire storage. "Seek" time is constant, and performance does not deteriorate as the media fills up (See: Fragmentation).
* Lower weight and (depending upon type) size
* Faster than conventional disks on random I/O
Check out the Idea in Action on the SSD enhancements Dell is making.
7449
Performance Tablet/Thin and Light
Gaming, Laptops submitted by chungng
02/17/07
What I'd like to be able to buy from Dell:
13.3 ~5 lb Performance Tablet PC with great discrete graphics options (x1700 or GeForce 7700) possibly even upgradable.
Possibly a dual graphics chip option similar to the Sony SZ line to help with battery life.
A nice high res wide viewing angle screen WXGA+ or better option for working with multiple text files
9 Cell (or larger) battery options to get 5+ hours of life
Built in optical drive with swappable drive bay battery options
Latest WiFI (802.11n) and bluetooth
Great keyboard with trackpoint nub and touchpad.
Non-plastic case options. Carbon fiber, magnesium alloy... whatever... just something without the cheapy plastic feel.
Backlit keyboard
All the little extras
- SD card reader
- finger print scanner
- extra usb ports
- firewire
- PCMCIA (for corporate smart card readers) and ExpressCard
External docking station
Possibly a camera options
Possibly a non-tablet version as well
2244
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...
4090
MagSafe - Magnetic powercord plug
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptop Power submitted by thorin_2
02/21/07
Awesome feature that all my Mac user friends have on their MacBook Pros.
From WIkipedia.com: The MagSafe connector is a new power connector introduced in conjunction with the MacBook Pro at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco on January 10, 2006. The MagSafe connector is held in place magnetically. As a result, if it is tugged on—for instance, by someone tripping over the cord—it comes out of the socket safely, without damaging it or the computer or pulling the computer off its table or desk.
I checked, and Apple doesn't have a patent on it...yet. They have a patent pending status however there are plenty of examples of prior art. See http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060112/1555226.shtml for example.
1220
Automatic Battery Conditioning
Laptop Power submitted by tmcqueen
02/23/07
I've seen Battery Conditioners that cycle through draining and recharging the battery several times in order to keep batteries in top shape. It would be nice to have this feature on Dell notebooks, maybe an option to condition the battery while the laptop is on AC power?
120
the new Dell Carputer
New Product Ideas submitted by billanderson
02/23/07
Carputer: a computer to be installed in your car. Either in your trunk, or under your seat, or in your dash in a 2DIN slot. The indash model can even be mororized so the screen pops out and the system turns on with the touch of a button. And hides away again when you are finished, to be away from prying eyes.
Reference a site like
mp3car Wikipedia: http://www.mp3car.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)
- carputer will be able to run multiple O/S like Windows or Linux
- one of many multi-purpose GUIs like Roadrunner will give user easy access to all the features using a 7" touchscreen installed on the dash
- carputer is integrated with the car's electrical system, so it starts when the car starts, and shuts down gracefully when you stop the car.
- electrical power is monitored and conditioned for the car's DC electrical system
- bluetooth connectivity allows the wireless network, cell phone, keyboard, mouse etc all to be seamlessly connected
Use the carputer to
- play your mp3's through your car's sound system
- play your video files and view them on the 7" LCD touchscreen.
- be your navigation system. Customer can install software like MS Streets and Maps, add a GPS sensor even after the basic carputer is installed
- surf the net or do email with the built in wireless network card
- built in satellite radio ability
All of this can be built for not much more than the price of a medium priced car radio.
Everyone I talked to said YES they would buy one. If they didn't have to worry about buying all the individual pieces,and learning how to connect all the electrical components together and hooking into the car's electrical system. Dell could do it all and provide a pretty much turnkey system
Thanks Mr. Dell
70
Promote & Demote button
IdeaStorm submitted by goonmaster
02/21/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
Endless double posts on this site, please give the community a way of removing them.
You can report a duplicate idea by clicking the 'report abuse' link.
120
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.
12457
Could Dell Own Green?
Environment submitted by adrian
02/01/07 **REVIEWED**
Environmental concern and sustainability are today real issues with consumers and voters in many of Dell's markets. It looks as if a genuine commitment to reducing carbon and cleaning up their footprint will become a more important factor for companies wanting to strengthen consumer loyalty in the coming years.
Dell has already made its environmental commitment clear.My suggestion is that this could become a hallmark of the company - why not make the products, literally, green? If Apple can own 'pretty' and IBM/Lenovo can own 'serious', why can't Dell own 'green'?
Dell continues to do a lot to support our environment like our Plant a Tree for Me program and other activities documented on our Environment blog on Direct2Dell. Click here for more details.
11870
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.
85150
Have Firefox pre-installed as default browser
Software submitted by robinjfisher
02/19/07 **REVIEWED**
Does what it says on the tin! Most people only use IE because they aren't aware of other browsers - they think Internet Explorer is the Internet! What would really drive take up of alternative browsers is if Firefox was pre-installed as the default browser so that when people look for the "Internet" in Windows, they are using FF.
Firefox advocates at Dell have initiated discussions and driven action around exploring alternative internet browsers and experiences. As you can tell from our response to the Linux community, open source continues to be a part of our conversations about new products and services.
115743
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.
120054
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.
138539
Pre-Installed Linux | Ubuntu | Fedora | OpenSUSE | Multi-Boot
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dhart
02/16/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
Offer the 3 top free Linux versions for free pre-installation on all Dell PCs.
Quality free and open source software drastically lowers the cost of new PCs, and helps prevent software piracy. For example OpenOffice.org, the Microsoft Office alternative, can shave hundreds of dollars off the price of a new PC. Cast your vote for OpenOffice and other free software.
Offer easy multi-boot options with Windows Vista, Windows XP, or NO Windows (yes, Linux can entirely replace Windows!)
Offer trade-ins and Linux CDs for older model Dell PCs. Cast your vote for the mini Linux Dell PC and the Universal Education Dell PC, both utilizing free software.
Would you try Linux if it were this easy?
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.
Please take a look at www.dell.com/open for linux options on the Inspiron.
151610
Dell Tablet PC
Laptops submitted by gautam
02/16/07 **IMPLEMENTED**
The XPS and E series notebooks are great, but a move into making 12.1 and 14.1 inch tablet PC convertible notebooks would be fantastic. I can easily see the m1210 and the e1405 being ported to the tablet medium.
Check out what Glenn from the tablet team has to say about the Latitude XT.
13103
 track my votes
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