Direct2Dell

It's funny when I see references to "packaging" and the only focus seems to be the the box.  First let me say that as a user of Dell products (LOTS OF THEM) the box is the easiest, most cost effective and highly recycleable thing about the "package".  Reducing the box by say 10% or some such and calling it a green initiative would be greenwashing at best.

What about all the styrofoam?  What about every cable being wrapped in plastic and some items (mouse) DOUBLE WRAPPED? Why are there #4, #5 and #7 plastics used for baggin different things in the same box? This is such a drain and makes it very difficult to recycle.

We order hundreds of PCs at a time.  Why not send us 5 manuals, driver disks, and warrenty cards and we'll archive that instead of trashing/recyclign hundreds of them?  I litterally unbox 48 PCs at a time.  I take the 3 CDs that come in each box and put them DIRECTLY into our CD recycling container!

Dell and the rest of us still have a long way to go. Control of chemical output helps everyone's water...but much of it's already a toxic mess. Paper conservation helps the forests, but as noted we still use a lot and wood fiber is treated with acids to produce it and that aways goes somewhere. Energy production causes a multitude of ills and by Dell's own admission the purpose of producing more energy efficient models is largely to produce more and more computers. The social environment gets neglected, too, with gas prices soaring and the climate warming it's the poor and native peoples of the world..those least equiped to do so...that take the heat.

I don't want to know what my new Vostro REALLY cost...but I need to know how I can use it to do better. WE have to...

--a grad student focused on the historical consequences of technical change.

Nitpicking on what seems like an isolated event does not go with the high standards Dell promotes, not at all.

Hmmm...HP may have found a loophole to saving the environment by shipping orders with whatever they have left laying around...sounds like a new "recycling" program to me...  ;-)

By the way...*THAT* was sarcasm...

Hi everyone,

I feel this post is not to criticize HP of their poor  packaging methods, rather encourage them to review their methods so that we all move towards a greener future. This is for our own benefit. If HP does respopnd to this callout, the purpose of this post is achieved. So lets not argue about who is better as a PC manufacturer rather focus on who is concerened about the environment and is working towards it.

Honestly, just think about the other boxes (hundreds, thousands?) that may have been sent out like this one.. This is a great post to show the wastefulness of a company.. It just so happens to be HP..  It was brought for everyone to see. If we want to act on the "Green movement", something this small should be pointed out.. I agree on the glass house analogy, lets hope Dells shipping practices are a little better.. If not , than it looks like the foot will be headed to the mouth..

patrick,

dell did not manufacture windows vista, microsoft did, so microsoft is to blame. i have an XPS laptop with vista, yep, it's really buggy. i have an HP desktop on windows vista as well, but guess what, it's still buggy! microsoft's strategy is to partner with pc manufacturers like acer, dell, hp, lenovo, etc. that's how microsoft got their billions. although these pc manufacturers do support windows problems, but to bash out the pc manufacturer is pointing a finger at the wrong guy. do what i do, bash out microsoft instead. or like what you said, go with apple instead. but just be warned with limited applications that are compatible with their software, if you want help, apple will charge you very expensive prices for their support. me? i would rather use ubuntu or redhat ;)

More like a childish post. Picking out what looks like a minor issue from a competitior and making out its a huge problem, then trying to position Dell as eco-friendly whilst throwing in an unrelated HP-bashing video on Youtube.

Web 2.0 guerilla marketing tatctics? I don't think so. I am glad HP does not stoop down to these levels as it shows a real lack of class. 

In fairness, any compnay that uses an entire pallet to ship one mouse deserves a little gentle fun being poked at them....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/23/enormouse/

Great picture, crazy packaging strategy!

I love the tone of this post.  When I worked at Dell ten years ago that was the mentality.  Be competitive or go home.  Only when there is competition is excellence achived.  So Dell is so far out ahead of the other major computer manufactures now they have to call them out and create competion.  HP will either step up and help push Dell or they will ignore the challenge and fall behind.  Either way Dell wins, GREAT POST!

@Bob Cobb

If you noticed in previous posts dell has taken care of those issues they even point to those issues you are pointing at.  i just ordered a bluetooth travel mouse and it came in a package about 6x4x2 which was just the right size. and in the last 20 orders i have had from dell only 1 package was too big for the contents which was a bluetooth module in the same 6x4x2 box.  but it contained a cd as well so i think dell is doing better because 2 years ago when i ordered a module the same size it was shipped in a approx 12x8x8 box.  so if you ask me dell is moving in the right direction.

Hey Dell, i think you have gotten your pantyhose in a nuse here!  Get out while you can!

Granted, HP is far and away one of the worst offenders in excessive and poorly planned packaging I have ever come across.  And I order a lot of stuff from a lot of different places.

But, I have to agree with some of the previous posts.  This seems an inappropriate place to launch an HP bashing crusade.  They may be deserving of it, but let's try to find a better place for this.

This is a really, really bad issue for Dell to start pointing fingers over:

Big box for a small deliverable

Celebrate Earth Day with this catalogue that you... didn't ask for

One USB key, one huge box

Might I also add to my earlier post. There are still alot of Dell customers being affect by the "no power" problem experienced with the W2600 and W3000 LCD TVs.

Maybe Dell should do the decent thing and issue a product recall. They have know about this issue since 2002. And were still selling W2600s in 2005!

Suddenly a few sheets of paper in a few boxes doesn't seem so important.

In the past Dell used to not to trash talk their competitors.  What has changed at Dell in the last year? 

What an arrogant, ridiculous post, referring to HP as "the printer company." No wonder Dell is such an unlikable company.

"We can all learn a lot by listening to customers ..."

If i remember rightly Dell took a very different tone when "customers" complained about the price and specs of the Latitude XT. Rather than holding their hands up and saying "sorry we got it wrong". Dell engaged in a pathetic half harted attempt to sell the XT and convince "customers" it was a good deal.

Of course at least those customer complainig  about the price got a responce. All the way down the threads people were asking "will it support Linux", "Will there be a Ubuntu version"?

We still don't have a linux version because N-trig don't support Linux. How did Dell end up with the only touch sensor on the market that doesn't have a Linux driver?

If this is childish. It's no less childish than the original blog. Dell set the standard.

Let us not even consider one of the peripheral suppliers, but Dell itself.  Eight months ago, I plunked down $959 for a Dell Inspiron Laptop with Vista software.  I have had horrible trouble with this buggy software.  So when I called Customer Service, I got a foreigner with a horrible accent who told me that there is nothing wrong with Vista and that I was the first person who had ever complained about it.

I know that isn't true, because I have heard several people talking about it.  I only wish there was a way to voice my displeasure with this product.  Since there are not any real people to talk to, I will have to to persuade everyone I know not to purchase from Dell.  I used to love their products, but now I am going strictly with Apple.

That is sad that hp cant just send these papers in one of those 8.5x11 Manilia envelopes.  or better yet VIA E-Mail or when they purchased what ever it was they purchased.

Personally i dont see any thing wrong with the post yes they are making fun of H.P. BUT if hp where to use their brain dell wouldnt pester them. (So i think)

Agreed Svenger

This page is supposed to contain info from Dell and suggestions from users, not silly fingerpointing at HP or other competitors. It seems petty and should be left for internal salesforce docs only.

I don't like the tone of this posting.  Pointing fingers at HP - even when cloaked in the guise of a 'lets do the right thing' message.

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.