skylarkguy

Drivers Update

Dell Web Site submitted by sanjeev 02/17/07

I think it would be nice, if dell could provide the updated driver automatically. Like i have inpiron/e1505 and i went from Windows Media Center to Windows Vista Business. For couple of weeks i wasn't able to use my wireless because for some reasons my driver was not supported, but later i found the driver. So, it would be nice if dell could provide automatic driver download so that user don't have to spend much time where to go and download the drivers. 2 Comments »

1530 XPS LED screen should have 1920x1080 option, APPLE does...

Monitors and Displays, Sales Strategies, XPS products submitted by contrast123 May 30

Yeah, DELL should also offer hi resolution LED, of 1920x1080 as well. 3 Comments »

recovery disaster plan

Dell, Software, Small Business submitted by meeliton May 31

Hi
small and medium companies when purchase Dell server and storage machines, ask for valued aded services such as disaster recovery software, Why can't Dell develope this software or make an agreement with other companis, i. e norton, or acronis?

Seeya Comment »

Offer UBUNTU "packages" servers / worksations for market segments

Advertising and Marketing submitted by phubert Jan 9

Designing, Marketing and SELLING -SOLUTIONS-

Small Businesses
School Classroom
...etc.

-Integrated "ready-to run" 2 Comments »

Improve Dell Support website search

submitted by ioniancat21 Jan 9

I can't stand searching for parts or anything on Dell.com. As a test you can go to the site and see an item featured on a page in front of you and when you search for it by name, part#, part type it's rarely found. Please improve the searchability of the Dell site. On a bright note searching by service tag does work well though. Comment »

Data Center Energy reduction

submitted by danapep Jan 9 **IN PROGRESS**

I know these numbers are not precise, but in broad terms power consumption in a data center to my understanding is roughly:

1/3 waste spilled off as heat in stepping down electricity for low power components
1/3 cooling
1/3 functional computing capacity

Is there not some way we could eliminate the first 1/3, thus eliminating the need for the second third, and thereby cutting power use by 2/3.

I am no electrical engineer, but it seems to me if we think of a data center as a whole instead of one computer at a time and re-engineer servers accordingly, we could drastically reduce the expense and environmental impact. 11 Comments »

Carbon Offset

Laptop Power submitted by plewislinux Jan 10

How hard would it be to install a photovoltaic panel on the lid of a notebook. Wouldn't that be a start towards offsetting it's total carbon footprint? In the long run wouldn't the use of these panels by Dell cause the overall price of said panels to drop? I know the panels couldn't replace the "normal" power supply ,but how much would it help in the average life cycle? 8 Comments »

Donations for Ubuntu development

Linux submitted by dave-2 11/27/07

If Dell ever implements the idea (and this, and this, and this, etc) allowing users to select Ubuntu from a list of OS options instead of going to another section of the website to order a special "N" series model, the Ubuntu option should cost less than the Windows options.

In addition to the OS configuration buttons, offer two buttons that allow the user to contribute that savings back toward Ubuntu development:

o Donate $0 to Ubuntu (default)
o Donate $25 to Ubuntu (split the savings)
o Donate $50 to Ubuntu (donate the full amount saved)

The amount of the full donation should reflect the cost of the least expensive version of Windows (e.g. Genuine Windows(r) Vista Home Premium) . 2 Comments »

Preinstall Windows Defender on Windows XP Systems

Operating Systems, Software submitted by obyone89 11/27/07 **UNDER REVIEW**

Just as you offer the freely available Adobe Reader to be preinstalled on systems, offer the freely available Windows Defender spyware protection software as an option to your customers in addition to the products from Symantec and McAfee that must be paid for. Windows Defender works quite well and is better than nothing as a form a malware protection. It's already part of Windows Vista so why not allow Windows XP customers to get it preinstalled.



11 Comments »

Ideastorm: to recognize new participants, ADD a 'top RECENT contributors' list

Dell Community, IdeaStorm submitted by phubert 11/27/07

The Top Contributors list has individuals who likely are NO LONGER participating as well as many who've BEEN participating for quite some time.

How do RECENT contributors get recognition?

If it is desirable that NEW participation is to be encouraged and that RECOGNITION is one way of doing so, then the site needs a 'recent contributors' LIST. 9 Comments »

Ubuntu wins! Time to MAKE IT MORE VISIBLE! And EDUCATE CUSTOMERS!

Education, Linux, Sales Strategies submitted by phubert 11/27/07

The Linux Foundation Desktop Survey is IN ...

Linux is a desktop creature

"DESPITE a lack of enthusiasm from Linux geeks for sticking their cherished Open Sauce software on the desktop, it seems that it is in this area that the OS is stealing ground from Microsoft." ****

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/23/linux-desktop-creature 42 Comments »

dont gouge customers on price of software depending on model

Sales Strategies submitted by ordinary_user 11/27/07

Its unfair that Dell charges differential pricing for4 the same software (e.g. MS Office) depending on whether the product being configured is a notebook or PC.

Why should MS Office (same edition) cost 12-15% more if loaded on laptops versus on PC?? this smacks of nickel and diming customers and only makes me choose to buy it from retail rather than Dell. why lose the sale opportunity and cause ill feeling for such things?? 1 Comment »

A computer with an internal clock that can turn it self ON at scheduled times.

Environment, New Product Ideas submitted by jmxz 12/11/07

To save power I'd like to turn my computer off or hibernate or suspend it when not in use.
However I also have some scheduled tasks I'd really like to run.

My always on computer does everything from installing security patches in the middle of the night; to checking my stocks and email every few minutes.

Could a Dell desktop have an internal clock that can turn itself on at a programmable time. If so, I could even use the computer as an alarm clock.

A feature with a number of turn on times would be nice "power yourself on at 12:00 midnight, and also 6:30 am". Normal software could handle the "if it's the middle of the night and the computer's idle shut down after the security updates are done" or "if it's 6:30, play music like an alarm clock".

Also nice would be a "if suspended, wake up every half hour" feature whereby my computer could do my email, stocks, etc checking; and alert me (play a loud sound so I hear it even when I'm away from it; and/or send my cell phone an I/M) if there's anything I should react to. 12 Comments »

Save energy: Beep when your battery is full

Environment, Laptops, Laptop Power submitted by pkchen 06/11/07

I know a lot of people who when charging their laptops, leave the laptop plugged in even after the battery is fully recharged. This definitely wastes a lot of power!

Maybe Dell could build in an alert system (a kind beep every 30 minutes maybe?) to remind the user that their battery is full and they can unplug their notebook from the wall socket.

I know that Nokia is going to be building in this same functionality into some of their cell phones ... check the press release: http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1125979"Nokia has launched the first mobile phones to include alerts encouraging people to unplug the charger once the battery is full, a move that could save enough electricity to power 85,000 homes a year."

Think of all the power we could save with just a simple beep! :)

21 Comments »

Dell/Google Home Page

Dell Web Site, Environment submitted by spoonbob Jan 8

Could the web page to be edited to allow for more google search options? I almost exclusively used Google Advanced Search, and would like to be able to set that as my default search engine with my personal preferences. This doesn't appear under Google Labs, and if it is an available option, I haven't found tt. 2 Comments »

Software readable power-meter in Dell computers.

Environment, New Product Ideas, Simplify IT submitted by jmxz 12/21/07

I'd really like a software readable power sensor inside Dell computers that could tell me things like "now drawing 350 Watts".

This would be useful for a number of things.

• Environmental benefits - It can let me see how much benefit there is by telling my disks to spin down when idle; or by disabling 3D effects in my GUI. Based on those results I can decide whether or not they're worth using. Heck - even just seeing how much power it draws might make me want to power it down more.
• More reliable upgrades - It can show me if I have the power capacity to upgrade to some of the new graphics cards that consume very high power; or to add another hard drive to the 5 i already have.
• Reduced customer support costs - If someone does try to suck a bit more power from their power supply than it supports, it results in hard to diagnose intermittent failures.

It seems laptops have such sensors (in their batteries?). But so far I can't find similar for desktops.

Extra points if the power sensors can isolate where the power's used (i.e. 100W for CPU, 300W for hard drives, 100W for graphics card, etc). 11 Comments »

Dell: provide advanced order configuration assistance programme

Sales Strategies, Service and Support submitted by phubert 09/11/07

Given a recent experience with an order here for two 16-port KVM switches and discussion in another thread, I thought Dell might consider implementing "advanced order configuration assistance".

Some of the program could be implemented in the design of the pages following the "customize it" buttons in ways I've suggested elsewhere.

One thought is to programmatically -monitor- an order and offer alternatives (as in the case of this KVM switch that could only support a monitor resolution of 1024x768!!!).

But, it could also look at the -nature- of an order and offer configuration assistance if some pattern was detected.

Asking the orderer the intended _purpose_ of equipment might 'start the ball rolling' for a sofware approach, but Dell could also SELL (market, offer) 'configuration assistance' for ALL LEVELS of purchasers. When I say 'sell', however, I mean OFFER... to differentiate Dell service from their competitors.

***

Related suggestion: ***

http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/73342 5 Comments »

I need a quality PC with edubuntu on it...

Linux, Desktops and Laptops submitted by kevintrooper 09/08/07

...for my kids which are students please create Edubuntu pre-installed!

thanx, KevT 17 Comments »

Entry for each new product in Linux Wiki

Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by power3d 09/06/07

Dell has a wiki ( http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_7.04 ) for a few systems. Why don't create an entry for each system and then let the community contribute with tips/solutions for each system?
This way would be easier to solve installation or other problems in Linux. 9 Comments »

Quality Checks by Humans

Service and Support, Desktops and Laptops submitted by lambchops468 08/31/07

I ordered a Inspiron 1520 and I am fed up with the issues:

crashed hard drive (first 6 days) (I will forgive this one, happens on every manufacturer, its just luck)
vibrating optical drive (shakes entire notebook, abnormal, new one fixed it)
Grainy Screen
Headphone Noise
Casing Defect (bulge in case seam, can see inside notebook)

I think that dell should instute a quality check system on the computers they ship out. Not just tests that can be run on the computer automatically, but a actual person physically inspecting/testing the function of the notebook such as:
- Grainy Screen/backlight bleed (go get a HP laptop and see the difference, go to the store)
- Headphone Noise
- Casing Defects
- Optical Drives that make too much noise
- squeaky keys
- and other issues that cannot be detected by a hardware check running on a CPU

If you do not have the finances to create such a program, then you can add the service as part of the warranty, with a garuntee that the devices that are checked will not have problems on arrival. (So therefore the QC is optional)

This will actually make/save money because people like me won't have to send their laptops back and forth wasting your shipping money/technician fee replacing parts that would be replaced anyway at the quailty check program.

you could also send a special survey to early-adopters to identify the biggest problems in a new computer line and check those at quailty check, certifying those parts free of defects. 45 Comments »