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Embedded Linux OS

Linux, Software submitted by bogdano2 05/20/07

How about an Embedded mini-Linux with Firefox browser?

This would ensure that the PC was useable when:

- no OS was installed on hard disk

- hard disk failed

- OS was somehow crippled due to virus, boot config error, file system corruptions, etc.

...and woud remove the need to keep a Knoppix-like CD/DVD lying around.

There are countless examples of embedded Linux OS's with very small footprints and browsers.

Lets face it, we've all been is situations when we just did not have the right CD/DVD to get us out of a bind. This feature would give all of us the ability to get what we need as long as the machine had a working network connection.

See my post at: http://www.dellideastorm.com/article/show/67418/PCs_With_Embedded_Internet_Ca... 1 Comment »

Provide a way to associate similar ideas/posts

IdeaStorm submitted by hjwasson 04/26/07

There should be a way to associate many similar posts together. If you page through IdeaStorm, you will find clouds of posts regarding "Please don't kill the Axim," "Fix the search feature," etc.

1. IdeaStorm members should be able to click on "This post seems similar to another post."

2. They can then paste the URL of the similar post(s) and click Okay.

3. There should be an "I agree/disagree" voting function for each URL, similar to the current promote/demote. This would appear on all of the potentially similar posts.

4. Once the agree value reaches a set threshold (say 100 points), the posts become associated.

5. Associated posts get a sub-heading stating "This post is associated with x, y, z" and there should be an aggregate value of all the points earned by the associated posts.**

**This is the heart of the matter - if there was an easy way for Dell (& all of us) to see just how popular a general topic of discussion was, I think you'd be able to spot huge trends that might otherwise get buried because no one individual post got enough posts to rise to the top of the discussion lists. 10 Comments »

Build a Linux Info Page on Dell.com

Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by josmar52789 05/04/07

This would be a great resource for people who are unfamiliar with Linux and would help existing users to learn more about Linux.

By the way, use ubuntuguide.org as a model... 10 Comments »

Confirming the total price of the systems

Sales Strategies, Service and Support submitted by petzymathuram 05/23/07

Hi,

The rep normally mentions the total price, tax, system subtotal after reading the GMOR. Suggestion 1: It would be fine if the rep reconfirms the total price with the split up after verifying the shipping address once again. Suggestion 2: It would be fine if the script " May I place this sale on your credit card / debit card" rephrased as " May I place this sale of 625$ on your credit card / debit card or May I charge 625$ on your credit card/ debit card" For DPA customers the script : "May I place this sale on your DPA" can be rephrased as ''May I place this sale of 30$/month on your DPA"

Scenario: To confirm with the customers the total price

Reason: 1. Many customers get aggitated after the sale stating "Why am I charged so much?" 2. Reps will at no point forget to mention the total price to the customers with the split up by default. Hence can escape a score down as well. 2 Comments »

Simplify Pricing between Small Business and Home

Sales Strategies submitted by ripwalk 05/19/07

Having different pricing between Home and Small Business is discouraging. You never quite know whether you're getting the best deal or not.

simplify it - just have all your products available to all at the same price points. Rather than two separate streams. 1 Comment »

Make Carbon Fiber Based Laptops to Minimize weight and Maximize Strength

Laptops submitted by wonderworm 05/07/07

Sony's has a big winner with their Carbon Fiber based Vaio laptops. Carbon Fiber has become extremely cheap over the past several years so for little cost, Dell could reduce the weight of some of their laptop lines significantly while actually improving structural integrity.

Plus Carbon Fiber is just cool. 1 Comment »

Nerd Discount + Support Option

Advertising and Marketing, Sales Strategies, Service and Support submitted by dino 05/16/07

If a customer scores high on an optional technical quiz reward them with a nerd discount. Since Dell will be saving all that money on not having to support this type of user. Also the service tag could be flagged with a nerd alert so the technician only has to answer the phone with, “Hello nerd what part do you need me to send.” 36 Comments »

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.




194 Comments »

Intergrate Bluetooth into Dell USFF Desktop

Broadband and Mobility, Desktops submitted by ny_dell_fan 05/20/07

Could you please consider a way to integrate bluetooth into the Dell USFF (Ultra Small Form Factor) Desktops this is a great design but it could be taken a bit further by offering a solution for wireless keyboards & mice. one of the draws of such a unit is the small foot print but it defeats the purpose when you have a rats nest of wires coming out of the unit, i know dongles are an option but in a faced paced environment its easy for some one to walk by and snap a dongle off and damage the unit. i am almost positive an integrated bluetooth option will add appeal to the USFF line of desktops. Take a hint from Apple (ouch, sorry) 1 Comment »

Ruggardized Military Grade Tablet PC

Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by pkarlos_76 05/19/07

In the field I work I see multiple possibilities of use of a ruggardized military grade Tablet PC. While we can purchase this specialized companies, these companies are limited to slow outdated updates of the product that we would see 5 to 6 years ago. They have a weak research and development levels for the most part due to limited cash flow. I would like to see Dell offer both semi ruggardized version of the tablet pc and fully ruggardized military grade tablet pc's. 2 Comments »

Batteries

Laptop Power submitted by sileq 05/16/07

I bought an Inspiron 6000 and after a year the battery stopped working. I went on line to order another battery and noticed comments from other customers who had the same problem. I called customer care and was told that these batteries that are selling for $159 before tax actually do only have a lifespan of only one year. I am astounded that this can be acceptable. Having paid over $800 for my laptop I am now expected to pay in excess of $160 a year for batteries? Is this some kind of joke? The customer representative went on to say that the longevity of the battery could be affected by my usage! I didn't know that I was limited to a certain amount of hours her day! Nor did I know or was told that I would be expected to buy a new battery every year. Needless to say buying a computor that is portable is incumbent on having a working battery and not being tied to a electrical socket. I am disgusted that this is considered acceptable. I will not buy a Dell product again. 4 Comments »

Website Dedicated to Linux Support for all Dell Model Computers

Dell Web Site, Linux, Service and Support submitted by jthurst 02/19/07 **ALREADY OFFERED**

A website that dedicated to Linux On Dell. Recommendations for xorg.conf file configurations and power management configuration/drivers. It would be great if Dell would dedicate some resources to Linux Support on Dell. When I think of what laptop to buy I think about which Vendor is the most Linux friendly or else what Makes and Model's seem to be working out best for Linux users. Dell laptops seem to have a lot of new powerful hardware that's tough getting Linux to work well on it. For example, the drivers/modules for getting the power management features to work and the Alps/Synaptic drivers and configuration tools is also tricky. The X-windows monitor and graphics card detection and auto-configuration doesn't work well on many Dell Models. Dell has an opportunity to do a lot for the Linux community and in turn the Linux community could do a lot for Dell. I used to have a Dell D600 and now have a Dell 620 and I'm always spending weeks trying to get everything to work properly.


Please see comments below
13 Comments »

give the possibility to choose the OS

Operating Systems submitted by nicolagiacobbe 02/19/07

Simply let the user choose what he wants. I had to put down many Dell offers for not having the possibility to avoid the Windows tax. A pre-installed Linux distro could be OK but the most freedom is to let the user choose which OS wants on his PC (if any). 5 Comments »

Choice of having XP or Vista

Operating Systems, Sales Strategies submitted by jesseberk 05/23/07

I think now that there is an option to have either Windows Vista or Windows XP installed on your machine; it should be open to not just American industry but Worldwide. I would like to have a choice in buying my OS. Especially when I am not from America. Everyone meaning worldwide customers should have that choice also. 2 Comments »

Sell a 200-300$ Dell ultra-portable

Sales Strategies submitted by razvan_cristian 05/20/07

Lots of students around the world and people, who don't feel like paying around 1000 USD for a laptop, want a cheaper alternative.
The Dell ultra-portable laptop (7-8 inches display, with a full qwerty/azerty keyboard, rugged, a low power CPU which is capable to run at low frequencies, USB 2.0, 256MB RAM,etc) would increase Dell's sales very much. Not only that it would sell in extremely large quantities, but it would also help those who can't afford a regular laptop.
Currently, in the US, some shops already sell some "cheapo" laptops, that is a "laptop on sale", which cost around 350$. Although those are cheap, they aren't suitable for every person:
1. they can only be bought in the US from certain places and in certain states
2. they are sold in less-than-small quantities
3. they are full sized laptops, not ultra portable ones

These Dell ultra-portables would sell in large quantities, there are millions of people around the globe who would buy such a device. Think of those who often buy mobile phones in the price range of 200-400 USD and notice how a large part of those would also like to spend some money to buy a Dell ultra-portable.

Some more specs:
- the BIOS has to be able to boot from external USB devices
- the BIOS must have a complete ACPI implementation ( no missing info, etc)
- must be able to run Windows XP / Linux / etc
- could have an SSD storage device with a Windows XP Embedded image or a Ubuntu Linux image
- provide drivers and support for Windows XP and for Linux (for people who might run a different OS from a USB flash drive or hdd)
- the battery should last around 5-6 hours and it must allow a large amount of recharge cycles
- the CPU should be able to go into a low frequency mode (you don't need the CPU to be running at 1Ghz when writing something in Notepad or KEdit, or when listening to music - the cpu usage is at about 2-5%, the rest is just a waste of power)

Hardware suggestions:
- CPU : Celeron ULV (have more choices for the cpu, from the lowest cpu frequency to higher ones, like 900Mhz, 1.xGhz, etc)
- Mainboard chipset: Intel 915
- Video: Intel GMA900
- storage: 1GB SSD
- memory: 256MB DDR2 (user upgradeable)

P.S.:
It's not meant to do everything a regular laptop can handle.
It's not related to the OLPC project.
It is meant to be a cross between a PDA and a laptop: the Lap-PDA.
It isn't meant to run 3D games.
It's recommended for processing activites that are "light on the CPU", you can: listen to music, run something like Office, etc.
Basically, anything that doesn't need an extremely powerful computer (or a computer with a dedicated display adapter) should run on it. 35 Comments »

Region free DVD drive option for laptops/notebooks.

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Service and Support, Laptops submitted by benjesuit 05/22/07

For those of us who travel and have overseas friends and family, the option to have a region free DVD drive would be a great plus when it comes to renting or borrowing DVD's from other regions. 15 Comments »

Simple, non-proprietary components

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops and Laptops submitted by cybrian 05/21/07

You can't currently buy a Dell Dimension PC and when the motherboard gets old buy a standard one from Newegg, for instance, and install it. The connectors are all substandard and proprietary. Because of this, I have a Dell PC with AGP, DDR"1", and Socket 478. All of those are entirely obsolete and in fact the RAM will be obsoleted twice soon. I usually build my own PCs, so I have the knowledge to upgrade a motherboard which will give me access to the new stuff, but the front panel connectors are all substandard. This provides easier assembly and diagnostics since they're only 3 connectors rather than the normal 15-20 or so, but instead of being able to purchase a new motherboard, it means I have to purchase a new case as well which adds anywhere from $20 up to the price, depending on what I get. I am requesting that Dell use standard connectors and cases for their PCs. Dell PCs are currently great for computer newbies, but gurus like myself are completely unthought of and left behind. 6 Comments »

Paypal Payment option!

Dell Web Site, Service and Support submitted by john_saddington 05/19/07

How about letting us pay with Paypal? 6 Comments »

PCs With Embedded Internet Capability

Broadband and Mobility submitted by bogdano2 05/18/07

When my hard drive crashed my Dell was unusable for days while I awaited replacement.

I kept thinking that if only I could just browse the Internet from my machine, I wouldn't feel so trapped.

I have seen many devices with embeded Internet capability including phones; adding this baseline functionality is certainly within Dell's capabilities...

We would never accept a cell phone that occasionally did not boot; in fact all PCs could provide baseline Internet Phone (VOIP) capability and notebooks could provide baseline cell phone capability; all available without a wokring hard drive!

Benefits to all of us include:
- No media to carry EVER!
- Perpetually useful device (as opposed to the doorstop a PC becomes when you cant boot to the traditionally installed OS's).
- A hybrid device that could be used as a phone, media player, or any service that all cell phone companies already provide.
- A truly serviceable device that Dell could fix remotely without making me part of the troubleshooting process !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I think I could have had better luck with my Dell technician as I went through the troubleshooting process if I had had Internet capability. After all, only my hard drive had failed, my network card, video, etc. were still functional.

I won't go into the OS re-install hell that I had to go through after the replacement drive arrived but again, with embedded Internet access, I think much could be done by Dell to improve even this aspect... 46 Comments »

TrueLife LCD Display Screens Should Have An Optional Anti-Glare Coating (like camera lenses & eye-glasses)!

Gaming, Monitors and Displays submitted by hjwasson 05/09/07

There are many posts regarding the fact that TrueLife displays are far too reflective for brightly backlit conditions. User responses to the complaints suggest getting a business class display with anti-glare filter - but these displays have not kept pace, are too dim, have poor pixel response rates and often have poor color rendition.

My suggestion is a compromise: Have the option to have TrueLife displays with an Anti-Reflective coating applied - just like those found on photographic optics or eye glasses! Such coatings are not as effective as traditional anti-glare matte screens, but significantly reduce reflections without greatly impacting light transmission (which is why they are used in photographic optics - they actually enhance contrast and reduce unwanted light scatter). They would moderately eliminate most reflections, while still allowing TrueLife displays to be bright and punchy.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-reflective_coating 
 http://www.firstvisionmedia.com/uww/2005_ar/enhance_properties.html 
 http://www.firstvisionmedia.com/uww/2004_ar/ar_product_showcase.html

I'm sure that Seiko, Hoya, Essilor, iCoat and others would vie for the chance to open up a new market for their coatings, and thus bring more profits to them (and lower costs to us). Some IdeaStorm members might be concerned about scratching the coating - but consider:

1. LCD panels are already prone to scratching, and care must be taken in their cleaning.
2. Modern Anti-Reflective (AR) coatings, with their multiple layers, are far more resistant to scratching than they used to be.
3. AR coatings tend to repel dust, so the need for cleaning would be less frequent.
4. With the use of a microfiber cloth (and mild liquid cleaning formulations when needed), the AR coating and display will remain pristine for many years of service.

If you would like to see modern Anti-Reflective coatings applied to TrueLife displays (as an optional upgrade) please promote this post.

6 Comments »