News Bits: Dell Launches Idea Storm Site, Boxed Vista Sales Lag, Apple Sub-Notebook Coming

<!-- Generated by XStandard version 1.7.1.0 on 2007-02-16T21:11:29 -->

Dell Launches IdeaStorm site for users to submit product suggestions

Dell has launched a Digg.com style site in which users can submit product ideas and suggestions to Dell, and then others can vote on those suggestions. The site is called Dell Idea Storm. Which ever suggestions are the most popular, Dell will consider as an idea they integrate into their product line.

Dell also unveiled StudioDell, a video sharing site focused on Dell issues. The site contains both company video and submissions from users. Comments are allowed on IdeaStorm but not on StudioDell.

Kudos to Dell for allowing more feedback from the public, it'll be interesting to see how it works out.

Dell IdeaStorm Site

Studio Dell Site

Vista notebook shipments to take off in Q2

Since Microsoft is forcing branded manufacturers to upgrade all of their consumer notebooks to the new Vista operating system by March, the shipments of Vista-supporting notebooks will take off in Q2. Vista-supporting notebooks will represent over half of consumer notebooks shipped in Q2.

While notebook sales picked up significantly in Q1, only a small portion of shipments were Vista-supporting models. First-tier notebook makers such as Dell and HP will pick up Microsoft's marketing strategy, but white-brand and business notebooks are not likely to agressively adopt Vista.

Read More (DigiTimes)

Boxed sales of Vista down significantly compared to XP

According to stats from NPD, the number of copies of Windows Vista purchased during the first week of sales was 59 percent lower compared to the first-week sales of Windows XP. Revenue was also down.

While sales of boxed copies were rather weak, PC sales jumped 67 percent during launch week compared to a year earlier. Although sales of Vista were not as strong as XP, the weekly sales of the new OS were five times higher than sales of Windows one year ago.

Vista's average selling price was $207, representing a 65 percent increase in price compared to XP's average selling price in its first week.

Read More (CNet News)

Apple expected to re-enter sub-notebook market

It has been almost ten years since Apple had an entry in the sub-notebook class. The last sub-notebook Apple introduced was the PowerBook 2400 - it did not even last a year.

Jobs is expected to launch a small MacBook to re-enter the sub-notebook market with. It promises to be a modern day PowerBook 2400, with a lot more to bring to the table.

Read More (Apple Insider)

HP not supporting dv2000t/V3000T notebooks with Vista audio drivers

HP quietly updated the motherboards of its dv2000t and V3000T consumer notebooks at Vista's release. They changed the audio devices from the Conexant &quot;Waikiki&quot; HD Audio to a newer version. Users with systems that were not pre-loaded with Windows Vista will not receive audio drivers for their systems.

The dv2000t and V3000T were sold as &quot;Windows Vista Capable,&quot; however without working audio drivers, they are not. Users of these notebooks are being told to use the audio driver from Windows XP, although the driver causes system slowdowns and lockups when used under Vista. In addition, it only works under Vista 32-bit.

Discuss this story in the forums

Petition Online

 

IdeaStorm is cool! Can anyone say Dell Tablet PC?

 

maybe dell will actually listen just a wee, It is a great idea though
jim

 

Here's a cool idea...the macbook or the macbook pro line should come in silver, green, blue, pink and red, and black, just like the ipods. I would have gotten a green one to match my ipod. Oh well.

 

Wow dell is getting desperate, needing public general consumer feedback.

They don't need a study to understand style > performance currently.

I bet if they just re-designed their chassis / provided more customization they'd be back on track. Hmm maybe i'll submit that to the idea storm site

 

So there is going to be a 15" Macbook and now a ultraportable Macbook as well, what can we assume the size will be? 12" display? Because it isn't much smaller than the current 13.3" Macbook but I feel any smaller than 12" and the mainstream audience won't pick up on it.

Do you think it'll be a 11.1" notebook just like how the 11.1" Vaio TX complements the 13.3" Vaio SZ/C and the 11.1" Asus U1F/S6F complements the 13.3" W5F?


How about making a smaller Macbook Pro Apple as you did with the Powerbook?

 

Hmmm...here's a simple tip for Dell: ditch the white bumpers!

 

I dunno. I agree that Dell has had some recent issues - with Michael Dell's return and all, but I think it's the right approach to ask people what they want. After all Dell is a BIG notebook company, and if we can make a difference its better for us.

Yes, there are multiple requests for this. Do promote them on IdeaStorm!

Absolutely. Someone has posted that there over at IdeaStorm. Vote it up!

 

Lol , if they need someone to tell them that , then they are really in trouble .

A free focus group for DELL , lets hope they will pay attention altough the solution is very simple :

The problem with DELL is that they havn't upgraded their line in years , sure its got better CPUs & GPUs but thats it , same old designs ( how much solid and successful ) , thick and unattractive , same sound , same not so hot screens , same keyboards ...

 

I agree it's a great idea and I think Dell deserves a pat on the back. Now I just hope they take some of the ideas to heart.

I get to meet with Dell folks every now and again. Last time was in December and I asked about a Tablet PC and basically they said no. But then I talked to a lady at Microsoft in charge of Tablet PC stuff and she implied Dell was working on something (without actually naming Dell, she said one of the largest PC companies that has yet to make a Tablet is making one, which could only be Dell). Oh well, we'll see, for now it's a good idea to vote up any such idea!

 

I like the idea of the Ideastorm at Dell. I've only really been disappointed with one of four systems purchased from them. Sadly it was an Inspiron notebook though.

I'm quite disappointed with the way HP is abandoning their dv2000t and v3000t customers. It's not their fault for purchasing before Vista was released--but they're going to be left out in the cold when it comes to audio drivers.

 

IdeaStorm looks like a cool idea and definitely can improve consumer opinion on Dell's systems, but I don't think it's a very practical approach. Putting something big and open to the general public sounds like a great idea, but it quickly becomes swamped with so many ideas, so many suggestions, and so many versions of the same suggestion that the true feelings of people quickly become muddled or distorted. You get a ton of feedback but it's normally too overwhelming to sift through. This is a HUGE improvement over traditional question-based surveys where you're at the mercy of the question creators.

If I were working for Dell's product development department I'd do the ideastorm idea but couple it with several focus groups containing members of sites like this one (NBR) and others. I'd want to hear the general opinions and ideas but also more targetted ideas from the real power users that get into this sort of technology. Ideastorm hits the problem of "you can't please everybody" and the multiple focus groups with the real hardcore users would allow targetting of the more opinionated and vocal people. Generally if you can hit both a broad opinion and please some repeated narrow suggestions then you're pretty good to go. It's more expensive than just sticking a big public site out there, but the input is also more valuable.

StudioDell is, on the other hand, a brilliant idea as long as they follow through. It's a great way to get a lot of video complaints that focus on Dell away from the general public and on a site off to the side.


And I think its funny Vista isn't doing so well. Microsoft needs to get a clue and stop trying to copy off Apple. They need to really pay attention to the Linux crowd because that's their biggest threat, not Apple. Flashy UI graphics and effects do not trump performance, compatability, and security. Microsoft has their priorities set backwards. I'm sure we've all seen enough of the Vista to OSX comparisons to notice there's a little more than coincidence going on.

 

That's why there is the promote feature (for voting). For example, if a certain idea doesn't get over 500 votes, maybe it won't be considered by Dell. I just made up that number, but it seems reasonable. Currently, a bloat-free Vista OS is topping the list.

 

I took that feature into account already. Little things like wording can cause people to repost the same idea and further muddle things. There's so many ideas up there now it's impossible to read through them all now.

 

I hope Dell will actually listen to people's comments.

 

This is just good news galore. A Dell suggestion site is great... hopefully new looks, a higher class 15.4", and a more mainstream XPS system will be on the way. Not to mention a tablet.

And the Apple news is exciting. I think I'm going to purchase a Mac sometime this year, but I can't say I'll get one that small. I like portability, but I'd rather have everything all in one chassis. But that's me...

 

Dell needs to really redesign their entire product line. I didn't hear positive things about their quality and those Dells look really outdated and ugly. And they haven't really established the trademark look.

 

Unfortunately Ideastorm has gotten all hosed up by some enterprising Linux advocates who fgiured out how to hack the voting system and have "vote flooded" their ideas.

For this to work Dell will need to lock it down better so they can get REAL information as to popularity.

 

What a brilliant idea Dell! I just wish the users would throw all their weight behind one Linux pre-install idea, instead of diluting the voting pool.

That's one I voted for, Dell could easily come to a support agreement with Canonical, and Dell hardware (latest series anyways) is known to work quite well with a smattering of Linux distros.

 

Hmm, I wonder how legit the actual voting is, or if its just a marketing stunt? Don't get me wrong, I think its an amazing idea for Dell, but like Andrew said before, hopefully they will take some of that to heart instead of inspiring false hope in the masses.

 

Um, I wouldn't trust that voting at all. The linux option has something like 5X more votes than the site has members!

Whether the linux faithful want to admit it or not, stupid hack stunts like that only undermine the credibility of the open source movement by making its adherents appear immature.

 

You don't have to be a member to vote.

I didn't register, and I added 3 points to every topic I liked. And that page is being thrown around the net, on most Linux forums now. The brilliant thing about the Linux community is how it bands together. Some might not like Dell machines, but realise that the proposal is good for the entire communities.

Also, I'd like to know how you come to figure that people are hacking the voting system? Got any proof, or are you just going to be flamebait? If you are indeed the same Joelist on the IdeaStorm site, you're already being accused of trolling over there.

 

I don't think Dell would release a site that was that easy to hack. What big company would? Granted, everything can be hacked, but I doubt they would make it easy, I'm sure they spent at least some time on the security, unless of course it was just a marketing thing.

 

I'm the same Joelist.

Anytime you get results that skewed and out of line with reality chicanery has to be suspected. In this case the chicanery (probably the word hack is not totally appropriate) is in their allowing guests to vote, thus allowing the "vote early and often" that occurs a lot on online polling.

The problem with this of course is that it produces skewed results that are out of line with reality. Note that before the site got thrown around on the Linux forums the most popular idea was for Dell to cut the bloatware on their installs. This lines up with the street word (in the workplace, in homes and such) for years.

All of a sudden over three days the idea of Dell putting Linux on their machines swamps every other idea and dwarfs the total numbers of members. That smacks of the type of "voting" that, for example, happens in FedEx NFL player of the week.

Is putting Linux on Dell machines REALLY the overriding concern of their customers by a factor of more than two to one? Not likely. The bloatware concern both historically has (as documented a lot on this forum for one) been a top concern. Promoting Linux to slay the "big bad MS" never has.

 

It's an internet survey, only people who are technically proficient and interested in participating are going to vote. So only people who really care about putting their ideas forward and promoting them will.

I didn't promote the no-bloatware idea, because it doesn't seem to be a problem with Dell Australia. My new Inspiron arrived with only one piece of bloatware - WinXP Home Edition.

I'm sure the results would be different had Dell surveyed customers by phone, however, the results you see are legitimate. The majority of voters want Linux options on their new Dells.

 

Exactly. Online opinion polls such as those on Dell's idea site are a flawed method of getting opinions from people; it suffers from voluntary response (which is what you detailed about only people who care will vote) and also non-response (closely related to voluntary response) - people who don't have a strong opinion will simply not vote. So, what you get in the end is a bunch of 'hm, how should I interpret this' data. Not all that useful.