April 2009 - Direct2Dell

There have been millions of downloads of the Windows 7 beta since Microsoft made it official back in January this year. Since then, it's been good to see positive reactions to it in the blogosphere. As we all wait for the release of Windows 7 Release Candidate, I thought you might be interested in hearing about our experiences with the Beta Code.

Over the last month we have been testing hundreds of Dell systems and the results are promising.  

Here’s a peek into what we are seeing when testing:

• On many systems we are seeing noticeable improvements in boot to desktop times (versus Vista)
• Almost all existing Vista drivers are working – great sign in terms of compatibility
• Vista Application compatibility is promising as well (including the IE 8 compatibility mode)
• Transcoding (ripping) media files is faster than Vista

More to come as we test on later builds of Windows 7.

We would love to hear more about your experiences with Windows 7 on your Dell PC.  What did you like?  What may not be as useful?  Send us your thoughts.

Today Dell introduces the newest Vostro laptops, based on customer feedback and the needs of small business in the current economy. The redesigned laptops include the 13.3-inch Vostro 1320, the 15.4-inch Vostro 1520, and the 17-inch Vostro 1720 (You can check out product images here on our Flickr Page). In addition, the new Vostro laptops include free Dell Video Chat software helps small businesses survive budget crunch by replacing travel with technology. For more on how videoconferencing can work for your small business, check out the post on the Small Business Blog.

Products are available today in North America and select South American countries, followed by Europe, Middle East and Africa on April 7, and select Asian countries in May. In the vlog below, Alison Gardner, Dell lead for Vostro product planning, explains how customers were directly involved in the redesign and how the newest Vostro laptops help small businesses easily increase productivity, reliability and enhance security.

4-7-09 Update: Thanks to our members on IdeaStorm for highlighting that the newest Vostro laptops will be preloaded only with software that is requested by buyers -- an idea submitted by jervis961.

Dell has used IdeaStorm as a customer feedback and collaboration venue for over 2 years.  We have a thriving community that has submitted over 11,000 ideas and Dell has implemented over 300 of those ideas into our products and services.

Today, we are taking the next step to extend the reach of IdeaStorm and the ideas and comments within it.  With a click of a button, you will have the option to use Facebook Connect.  This verifies your Facebook identity and allows you to choose the information you want to include on your Facebook Wall.  It couldn't be easier to tell your friends about your ideas or other great ideas on IdeaStorm that you would like Dell to listen to and have them vote on the ideas as well.

First, you authenticate your Facebook account using Facebook Connect:

Then, you write any commentary you want included on your Facebook Wall.

When you click publish, everything is posted on your Facebook Wall for your friends to see!

We have also created two applications within Facebook for both IdeaStorm and Dell Social Innovation Competition.  From these apps, you can enter ideas and participate on either site without ever leaving Facebook. 

Check it out and let us know what you think!

For those of you in the market for a new primary laptop (vs. a netbook) I encourage you to check out our updated Studio 15 laptop. While we have been selling the Studio 15 for almost a year now, today we’ve refreshed some features and technologies that take it up a notch for in performance and entertainment capabilities. When we first rolled out the updated Studio 15 in Asia several weeks ago, two features got a lot of attention from folks like Engadget:

• Energy efficient and mercury-free 15.6-inch 16:9 LED display options in HD resolution (720p/900p/1080p). These backlit LED displays also support excellent color reproduction for photos and movies.
• Optional 256 or 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 graphics to take on the more graphics-intensive applications, like playing games, decoding video, video chats, etc.

The new(er) Studio 15 also features entertainment-centric features like 5.1 channel audio with a 3-watt subwoofer, dual headphone jacks so you can share your movies and music with a friend, and an optional slot-load Blu-ray disc drive. Hint: the Studio 15 can also moonlight as the family Blu-ray player – just connect it to an HDTV with an HDMI cable grab the popcorn and, voila, family movie night at home is a hit. Or catch up on missed favorite show the same way - my hubby and I watched last week’s Amazing Race before this week’s, by connecting the family laptop to our 40-inch HDTV and heading to CBS.com.  It’s definitely worth the investment in a second HDMI cable. Other ports and connections include an 8-in-1 media card reader, dual USB ports, one USB/eSATA combo port.

Of course the Studio includes a complete with array of built-in connectivity options including standard Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth support, and Mobile Broadband. It also features a 2.0MP camera with dual digital array microphones, with optional facial recognition software ($25) so you can keep personal files and data private.

And as with the previous generation, individuals can personalize the exterior of their Studio 15 laptop with a variety of unique color and design options. The personalization palette includes six colors: Ruby Red, Midnight Blue, Plum Purple, Spring Green, Promise Pink (generates a $5 donation to  Susan G. Komen for the Cure.) and something new called Black Chainlink. I personally like this option – it’s a glossy black finish, with a subtle chainlink texture that can help reduce fingerprinting (unless you’ve been into the fried chicken or pizza, and then you are on your own).

Update: If you want to see more images, either visit this link to Dell's Official Flickr page, or click on the image below.

Customers will also be able to choose initially from more than 30 of the most popular Design Studio images to decorate their Studio 15. BTW – keep an eye on the Design Studio – Ed Boyd and the consumer design team have been busier than elves in December prepping for our next “showing” and it’s pretty awesome! 

What better way to honor Earth Day than to help your fellow citizens go green? Today Dell launched a partnership with Brighter Planet to help power earthtweet, a platform which uses the #earthtweet tag to aggregate tweets about what you're doing to celebrate Earth Day. Whether you're hosting an event, or coming up with a unique way to conserve, your earthtweets will inspire others to get involved, and could even win you a brand new Dell laptop. More on that contest below...

At Dell, we’re working to become the greenest technology company on the planet. We’re making some great progress toward that goal, too, having met our carbon neutrality goal in 2008, buying more and more renewable energy and producing some of the most energy-efficient systems in the industry. But we believe we’ll make the biggest impact by jumping into the conversation, sharing what we’ve learned about going green and learning from everyone else.

Similarly, Brighter Planet is dedicated to helping you take charge in the fight against global warming and building a clean-energy future. Brighter Planet funds top-notch renewable energy projects creating practical solutions to climate change. Members of Brighter Planet have offset 92,377,511 pounds of CO_2, which is like taking 2,786,594 cars off the road for a day.

Help spread the word! Tell your Twitter followers about the #earthtweet tag, and add the earthtweet badge or widget to your personal blog. Encourage your readers to join the conversation. Each day, earthtweet will hand out prizes for tips they’ve received that deserve some extra attention. For our part, Dell will give away a Dell Studio 15 laptop (Energy Star compliant, features a mercury-free WLED display and comes in Spring Green!) after a weeklong contest that focuses on technology-related tips. See EarthTweet.com for more details. Also visit Dell’s Facebook Wall which will be dedicated to your green ideas for 7 days, with fresh topics daily! Get tips, share your ideas and spread the word!

Official rules for the contest can be viewed here.

Happy tweeting!