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See http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage for info about a 1 yr extension for just the GPU issues

That's brilliant! Just the way to sell fewer desktops!

Dell has had huuuuuge problems fulfilling laptop orders because of supply chain problems. So making their desktops the same (bad) way they make their laptops only makes cents. I mean... sense...

Spoke to my Dell sales rep today about this thing. All the components you'd normally want to upgrade (RAM, SSD, etc.) are soldered to the main board. RAM goes bad, SSD fails? It's trash, only worth $99 in my opinion.

If you can wait until 6 a.m. Central tomorrow, Sept. 5, youâ(TM)ll be able to get a Mini for only $99 with the purchase of a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop through 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9 (U.S. only).

yourblog found via endgadget.

Dell are releasing BIOS upgrades for their laptops to cope with the Nvidia weak component problem (basically the fan will spin up sooner). This includes the laptop models that come with Linux preinstalled. Except there's no BIOS updater that will run under Linux; they're all Windows based (although if you have a DOS floppy knocking around you can use that)

Umm...Dell has a Linux BIOS updater in its SMBIOS library. The only downside is that you might have to install wine for the image extraction (though it says it is still doable without).

Dell are releasing BIOS upgrades for their laptops to cope with the Nvidia weak component problem (basically the fan will spin up sooner). This includes the laptop models that come with Linux preinstalled. Except there's no BIOS updater that will run under Linux; they're all Windows based (although if you have a DOS floppy knocking around you can use that)

<tongue location="cheek"> Of course that might be ok as lets face it 3d gaming under Linux is as likely as Stallman shaving and looking respectable</tongue>

An update on that Gizmodo page on reliability says Dell refutes those numbers pointing here.

Dell's chief blogger just revisited the "tingling" experience with a post over at Direct2Dell. http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2008/01/18/41538.aspx

Last year, I posted detailed information on the tingling sensation sometimes associated with leakage current http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/24/8522.aspx. Since the story, I re-visited the issue with members of our Engineering team. Here's what they had to say: Even though the leakage current is extremely low and well within safety limits, it is perceptible by some people. This perception may be experienced as a mild "tingling" effect. However, if that "tingling" effect is coupled with an electrostatic discharge, such as is experienced when walking on carpet in dry conditions, the total effect can be surprising but not harmful. The primary effect being felt is from the electrostatic discharge (static electricity). Typically the tingling sensation can be eliminated with a three-prong adapter, however a three prong grounded AC adapter will not eliminate the electrostatic discharge. The tingle is not harmful to the users or the system components. Again, more details about the tingle sensation are available here. http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/24/8522.aspx

Last year, I posted detailed information on the tingling sensation sometimes associated with leakage current http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/24/8522.aspx. Since the story, I re-visited the issue with members of our Engineering team. Here's what they had to say: Even though the leakage current is extremely low and well within safety limits, it is perceptible by some people. This perception may be experienced as a mild "tingling" effect. However, if that "tingling" effect is coupled with an electrostatic discharge, such as is experienced when walking on carpet in dry conditions, the total effect can be surprising but not harmful. The primary effect being felt is from the electrostatic discharge (static electricity). Typically the tingling sensation can be eliminated with a three-prong adapter, however a three prong grounded AC adapter will not eliminate the electrostatic discharge. The tingle is not harmful to the users or the system components. Again, more details about the tingle sensation are available here. http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/24/8522.aspx

Dell is trying to address this issue: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/09/10/29517.aspx/ Hopefully this will improve with time.

Except that Dell is PRE-INSTALLING Ubuntu, and everything is included and open sourced in their install except for optional (included) proprietary Conexant Winmodem drivers. Suspend, wireless 'just works'. Read some reviews of this new sale, it's not 'oh we're shipping FreeDOS' all over again.

Go to Direct2Dell.com to see what hardware work they did too: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/05/24/ 15994.aspx (in ogg format, to boot).

System76.com is another good OEM.

As posted on Arstechnica 6 hours before this was posted on Slashdot, Dell already apologized for overreacting. The apology can be read here: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx

Lionel Menchaca at Dell says, "Ok, we goofed. We shouldn't have sent a notice". Find his full blog entry at: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx [direct2dell.com]

Dell already apologized: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx

And this article was posted to Slashdot AFTER that happened, and there is STILL no "Update: Dell actually apologized before we posted this article, 'cause we're dumb."

You're doing them a huge disservice by letting this stand uncorrected, kdawson.

Lionel Menchaca at Dell says, "Ok, we goofed. We shouldn't have sent a notice". Find his full blog entry at:
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx

When are these companies going to learn that trying to suppress information on the internet just makes it multiply?

...approximately.

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx

Due to an ordering system glitch during the weekend, we inadvertently removed extended warranty and CompleteCare options from our Website. We're working to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible and those options will be reinstated this afternoon. If customers ordered systems when extended warranties weren't available, they will have the option of upgrading at the original price. There will be more details on that program soon. For more details visit http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/05/ 17450.aspx

According to this post, Dell is stating that this was a mistake on there part, and they're working to resolve it. Looks like more of us should review Hanlon's razor . . .

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/05/ 17450.aspx

Not always with open source drivers, but it will be able to be Linux-compatible.

While the Dell/Ubuntu deal is definitely a major victory in the name of “Linux” and Open Source, the inclusion of proprietary drivers will still prevent many people who value freedom--including me--from purchasing one of these machines. I run gNewSense, which is a distribution of GNU+Linux based on Ubuntu, minus the proprietary components (drivers, firmware, etc.) When I can purchase a machine that doesn't force me to use proprietary software in order to use any piece of its hardware, then I'll make a purchase. Until then, as some may say, “Close, but no cigar.”

From yesterday's direct2dell blog post on the topic:

For device types where a choice exists between a component with a non-Free driver and one with Free driver availability, in our Linux offering we'll opt to bundle the component with the Free driver. Wireless network adapters is one such example; Printers are another. We recommend Linux users buy our printers which have PostScript engines in them, as opposed to those which don't and for which no Linux drivers are yet available. The Tech Specs tab for each printer on dell.com show if it has PostScript or not.

Some components, particularly some video cards, have working 2-D open source drivers, open source 3-D drivers actively being clean-room written by the community, and closed-source 3-D drivers available from the video card manufacturer. In these instances, while we continue to encourage the development (by all parties) towards open source drivers, we will provide the closed-source drivers for people who wish to use them.

The last category is devices for which no open source drivers are available at all, such as software-based modems. In our desktops these are add-in cards, so you can substitute a hardware-based modem available from your local electronics store quite easliy. However, we can't substitute hardware-based modems in our notebooks without redesigning and significantly increasing the price of the system. If it's important to you to have a hardware-based modem, you would add one into your PC Card or ExpressCard slot.

My bone of contention comes from several decisions Dell has made:

• Opting to go with ATI and NVIDIA instead of Intel for 3D graphics.
• Using softmodems that don't have free drivers in these machines. There are softmodems available that have free drivers. For the desktops, hardware modems could've been used “out of the box”. Dell still chose the proprietary softmodem route across the board. While it is true that I could purchase one of their desktops and replace the modem, I would still be giving my money to the manufacturer of the proprietary hardware. I simply won't do that.

On the bright side, however, Dell did state the following directly after explaining the three “categories” of drivers (emphasis mine):

Dell recognizes the importance of open source, GPL-licensed drivers which are maintained upstream in kernel.org. They allow users the widest choice of Linux distributions, effectively taking the specific hardware and distribution out of the decision-making process and let you focus on solving your business problems. We will work with our hardware partners to develop, test, and maintain Free drivers, and continue to make progress towards that goal for all drivers. Most drivers are in good shape now, but there's clearly longer-term work to be done. Work that we're doing now at the driver level will pave the way for more Linux offerings in the future. There's no way to please everyone, but I'll continue to shar

Check http://direct2dell.com/ for blog postings.

Check http://www.dell.com/open for ordering (selling the three systems starts at 4pm CST).

If you read around the site somewhere, it mentions that they are US-only (dunno when UK is gonna get ubuntu systems, even Canada can't get their hands on this yet).

Hope this helps. I know I'm definitely saving a bit for the laptop.

According to the Direct2Dell blog, the Linux ordering portion of the site won't be available until 4pm Central Standard Time (CST) (though I suspect they meant Central Daylight Time since Daylight Saving Time is in effect).

Is it just me, or doesn't anyone else thing that MS must be rather worried about the fact that a large manufacturer is looking hard at selling a non-MS operating system?

Of course they are, but they also have a huge amount of pressure that they can put on Dell to not offer it through increasing the amount Dell has to pay for licenses. Eventually Dell may be able to live without Microsoft if Linux becomes viable, but that day isn't soon. So I find it hard to believe that Dell will go through with this and especially hard to believe they'll do a good job with it, but anything's possible. They are claiming on the blog they send you to after the survey that they are going to go through with it, but who knows. We'll see. You do make a very good point about this solving the chicken and egg problem, if done right. But Like I said I'm pretty confident MS will make sure it's not.

found it at on the blog here http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/03/13/ 7985.aspx and a link to the poll http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/cor p/linux?s=corp but it is the standard " what do you use the box for " poll.

From Dell's blog...

Update: We're overwhelmed by your responses, and we know the survey server is overloaded too. We're working on it, and the survey will remain open until March 23, so you'll have plenty of time to make your vote count.

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/03/13/ 7985.aspx

Poll down. But their blog is still up. *Wonders for how long...*

For some time Dell is running a PR show at http://direct2dell.com/ to look good in public. Lets feed it to them and get a good laugh out of their whining and excuses for their customer "support".

Curious how HP is following Dell's lead in the marketplace. Also ironic that Voodoo's blog commentary about Dell and discussions with Michael were published at the same time as VooDoo was discussing being sold to HP. Perhaps some of the Voodoo comments about Dell were in fact motivated by competitive interest versus any real insight? More importantly, however, at Dell we continue to be about three steps ahead of both VooDoo and HP. They have a ways to go. Six months ago we acquired Alienware, the leader in this field; our own XPS line, which just celebrated its one year anniversary with a gaming competition, is a line of products that is already beginning to incorporate technologies from high-end gaming for high-end PCs (something HP-Voodoo hope to do). Seems to me the PC is really only personal again when the customer can customize their own product, directly with the manufacturer of the product. That is personal because consumers buy what they want and need versus what is on the shelf of some store or old tech being cleared from inventory. Dont know how that works for VooDoo under this scenario....but hope it does because access to a solid supply chain and economies of scale has preoccupied Voodoo for some time. We wish VooDoo well working up through the tech labs and product group to the efficient and operational effectiveness of the business leadership. Hopefully they succeed with some of their product "innovations." In our situation, we are committed to leadership on this front, with Michael and others at Dell having over a year head start on HPs venture into gaming. Michael and Kevin readily recognize the importance of technology and leadership in this field. Michael himself is an avid gamer, who has been meeting other gamers and speaking at gaming conferences, so we dont need to "make the case" inside our business. We expect to continue our business leadership. See our corporate blog at http://www.direct2dell.com/ for some video and information about gaming and the PC

One of the Dell Engineering Veeps does a good job explaining how Li-Ion batteries work on their corporate blog. http://www.direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2006/08 /22/2149.aspx

When the story first broke this evening, bloggers wrote about it and noted the fact that their www.dellbatteryprogram.com was not up and running yet. Yes, I was among those bloggers.

Soon after the Dell battery posts started appearing, someone from Dell corporate was following Technorati and visited my blog. Not too long after that, Dell responded on their blog with details about the recall. And they even mentioned that the recall Web site will be live after midnight Central Time tonight.