Desktops

Since I blogged about our Driver Download Manager functionality last week, some customers like mattroberts, nigel1999 and terryko and others made it clear they did not want to have to download an app to get driver downloads. To be clear, the Driver Download Manager was meant to be optional.

Customers like kittykat21589 rightly pointed out there was a bug in our opt out functionality. Yesterday we made a configuration change on the site to fix this. The opt out to download via Browser without the Driver Download Manager is now working correctly. We apologize for any frustration this has caused and will be closely monitoring the site over the coming days to ensure it continues to work as expected.

Here's the option you should see the next time you download a file from support.dell.com:

And for Firefox users like keepsloanweird who reported that the Driver Download Manager app doesn't work properly, take a look at my comment for clarification. The short answer is that the app requires both Microsoft .NET 3.5 Service Pack 1 and the Microsoft .NET Assistant 1.1 to be installed.

It was never our intention to force users to install and use the Driver Download Manager. Although some of you may choose not to use the Driver Download Manager I would hope that at some stage you may give it a try to see the benefits it can provide.

Thanks again to our customers for the direct and honest feedback. If you have more to share on the topic, let me know with a comment below.

I would like to share some details on an important update for the Drivers & Downloads application on Support.Dell.com. Recently, we completed the launch of the new Dell Driver Download Manager. This new functionality, which is available globally across all of Support.Dell.com, has been created to improve your experience when downloading files from Dell.  

The big change you will see when using the new Driver Download Manager is an improvement in download speed. The time taken to download files using the Driver Download Manager is a lot shorter, up to a 30-40% reduction, depending on your internet connectivity.

The Driver Download Manager also offers a number of improvements to help you through the process of downloading files from Support.Dell.com. You can now pause and resume your downloads. The progress of your download can be saved via an icon on your desktop which you can restart at any time. You can also restart your download should your internet connection get cut off in the middle of a download, as the Driver Download Manager saves your progress ensuring that you don't lose out.

To use the Driver Download Manager (Fig 1 above), you will need to complete a once off install of the application on your system.

Please take some time to visit your local Drivers & Downloads site and check out the Driver Download Manager. Hopefully you will find this new functionality useful and that it helps improve your download experience. I look forward to your feedback.

Editor's Note:  Eoghan has posted an updated blog post at this link.   To make sure everyone gets the newest information possible we're turning off comments to this post.  Comments are still welcome on the newer blog post, so please click on the link above to find the new post.

For those that have been keeping up with Microsoft's Windows 7 development effort, Brandon over at Microsoft made it official today—the Windows 7 upgrade program will be here tomorrow on June 26. That's when we will begin Dell's Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program in multiple regions.  Our upgrade program includes more than 55 countries and over 20 languages.

Here's what this means:

• Customers purchasing specific Dell consumer and business PCs with qualifying Windows Vista versions (Vista Home Premium, Vista Business and Vista Ultimate) will be able to register to receive a free upgrade kit for Windows 7.
• This offer applies to customers who purchase their systems either on dell.com or through their favorite retailer or reseller. Shipping and handling fees may apply depending on retailer or reseller. Program terms vary by country.
• Dell will ship the Windows 7 upgrade kits on or after the official launch of Windows 7 on Oct. 22.
• Customers can visit www.dell.com/windows7upgrade to check eligibility.Customers will be able to register for their free* Windows 7 upgrade kit through www.dell.com/windows7upgrade when we get closer to the Oct. 22 launch date
• Microsoft has designed the upgrade program with consumers and small business customers in mind and will not allow more than 25 upgrade kits to be sent to any one address.

Overall we are looking forward to bringing Windows 7 to market on October 22^nd. Early feedback from our customers and Dell engineering testing efforts is that Windows 7 on Dell clients is making everyday tasks faster and simpler for our customers.  Key pundits and analyst are also very bullish about the new operating system. Dell's engineering and services partnership with Microsoft will enable customers to deploy on day one when Windows 7 ships.

* Shipping and handling fees may apply

Update from Lionel: Since Daniel published this post about the Windows 7 upgrade program, I've gotten several questions from customers like jrporter40, kdsreferee and hartwilson about eligibility requirements.

The upgrade program is for customers who have ordered an eligible Dell system on or after June 26, 2009. The order date is one of three determining factors. System eligibility and operating system version are the other two. Eligible systems ordered between June 26 and December 31, 2009 qualify for the Windows 7 upgrade. If you qualify, then you need to register for the upgrade at www.dell.com/windows7upgrade.

You'll need to enter your service tag number in the registration process. If you do not yet have a service tag number for an existing order, have further questions about the program or need to discuss your specific situation, please contact Customer Service.

Customers in the United States can call 1-800-624-9897. Customers outside the U.S. can do the following to find the correct phone number to call:

• Go to support.dell.com
• Choose your country or region from the drop-down list
• Choose the Contact Us link
• Choose Technical Support
• Choose Call Technical Support

For Dell customers who have been running Vista for a while, Ars Technica and other sites have written about an option that's available to you. Microsoft recently rolled out a Windows 7 Pre-Order Offer that allows customers running Vista to purchase retail versions of the upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional for a discounted price.  See more details about the dates and countries that can take advantage of the Windows 7 pre-order at the bottom of this post from the Windows Team Blog.  

By the way, according to CNET's Ina Fried, the Windows 7 preorder has proved to be a pretty popular item on Amazon.com.

Folks at Dell have been working to change customers perception of Dell’s design over time, and especially over the last several months. Today, I wanted to take a few minutes to update you on Dell’s progress.

Several lifestyle publications, technology, bloggers, and broadcast outlets have been taking notice of some of our latest offerings, especially since our Urban Meet Up event in New York last month.

Beyond that, in the last few months Dell has won 16 awards for design across our consumer and commercial products. These include some of the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world like the iF Product Design Award 2009, Red Dot Award for Product Design 2009 and Red Dot Best of the Best 2009. Several products from the sleek and stylish Adamo to the commercial line of OptiPlex desktops have won these coveted awards for their use of top of the line materials, innovation and premium craftsmanship.

This design emphasis doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about other things that matter to customers. Dell’s commitment to performance and features has not fallen by the wayside—we’ve won 46 editorial awards globally in the last quarter from publications such as PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, Engadget and PC Advisor UK to name a few.

The design focus continues to influence our reviews strategy as well. Earlier this year, we kicked off a lifestyle seeding program, where we’ve worked closely with publications that emphasize lifestyle over technology. As a result, Dell’s been noted in several publications and broadcast outlets like O The Oprah Magazine, People Style Watch, ABC News, Esquire and Travel & Leisure in the US as well as several others in China, Europe, and Australia…and there are many more to come!

While receiving awards and recognition is one thing, we understand our focus on design should be shaped by feedback we get from customers. As we continue to evolve Dell as a design company, it’s clear that style and personalization matters to a lot of you. We’ll continue our efforts to make products that stand out from the crowd. If you have thoughts on how we can do this better, please share them here or in the product categories on IdeaStorm.

Dell has been selling systems at Best Buy for over a year now and to say that there has been some confusion on support is putting it mildly.   Many Dell customers, like brlfqq and Ron Schenone, show examples of customers who were bounced around between Dell and Geek Squad when looking for support on their systems.  There were many times were both Dell Techs and Best Buy’s Geek Squad members were confused  over which company was to provide the limited hardware warranty and tech support on these systems so I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for our customers.

Thankfully, that’s all ended.

Customers that purchase Dell systems or monitors at Best Buy can get limited hardware warranty support from either Best Buy’s Geek Squad or Dell’s Technical Support.   If it’s easier for you to contact Dell via telephone, email or online chat, then that’s the option for you.  If you prefer to take your system into a store and have a Geek Squad Agent work on it then you can get support that way as well.  You can even switch between Dell and Geek Squad as your needs change.   Here’s a little more detail into the kinds of support options you have between Dell and Best Buy:

• Tech Support (based on our Limited Hardware Warranty)
• Payment Issues
• Returns
• Wrong / Damaged Parts

• Tech Support (based on our Limited Hardware Warranty)
• Missing Parts
• Reinstallation Media

System returns will be handled by Best Buy according to their return policy.  Normal Dell limited hardware warranty limitations such as data recovery, advanced software support, accidental damage, and out of warranty still apply.  For more details, go to http://www.Dell.com/warranty.  

One of the easiest ways to get support through Best Buy is to carry your system into one of their stores or you can take a look at their Contact Us page.  You can reach Dell’s Technical Support group by calling 1-866-955-2251.  Techs are available 24/7 to help you.

If you do purchase a Dell system from Best Buy you will want to register your system with Dell as soon as possible to make sure there are no delays in the event you need to contact Dell support teams.

• Go to the Internet and visit Dell’s Product Registration website at http://www.Dell.com/register
• Select the language, country, and retailer from where you purchased and fill out the online form.
• Once the form is complete, click Submit.

If you are unable to register your product online you can call us at 1-800-624-9896.  We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For customers purchasing a stand-alone Dell monitor from Best Buy you will need the PPID number for support.  That number is a 20-digit alphanumeric identification code printed on a sticker attached to the back of the monitor.  They normally begin with two letters and look like this:

Dell Technicians will be able to identify your monitor using that PPID code and determine whether your monitor is still covered by our Limited Hardware Warranty.