Dell continues retail push with colorful PCs
524370
The company announced nine new Inspiron desktops and notebooks and a notebook, all available in a choice of eight shell colors.
497268
Dell remains on top of the worldwide market, research shows.
557242
(InfoWorld) - The new team of leaders at Dell is weighing a request to give customers the option to purchase PCs with the Linux OS, instead of the default Windows, after thousands of users voted for that idea on a company blog. The idea appeared Friday on a company-hosted blog called Dell Idea Storm. CEO Michael Dell unveiled the blog Feb. 16 as part of hisÂ effort to reinvigorate the struggling company. Dell said he hoped to use the blog to collect users' feedback and improve customer service. Since then, company executives and department heads have been monitoring the site, paying closest attention to the ideas winning the most votes, Dell spokeswoman Caroline Dietz said on Wednesday. The most popular threads on Wednesday included demands for Linux-based laptops, consumer PCs that are not pre-loaded with unsolicited applications and requests for Sun Microsystems' OpenOffice applications instead of Microsoft's Office suite. Popular requests also included a preference for Mozilla's Firefox Web browser instead of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and pleas for Dell to stop routing service calls to operators in overseas countries such as India. Dell leaders have heard those ideas "loud and clear," and plan to post a statement on the blog this week explaining how they will react, Dietz said. But she warned that the company would judge ideas on more than just their popularity. "Just because an idea is number one or number two doesn't necessarily mean Dell will do it, but it does mean it will receive the highest level of attention," she said. Dell has already changed the blog rules to make the voting more accurate, after the site was flooded over the weekend by certain users clicking multiple times on their favorite links, Dietz said. Beginning Wednesday, Dell required users to register, ensuring that each person can vote just once for each posting. Another misleading aspect of popular threads is that each vote awards postings 10 "points," meaning that the Linux thread has about six thousand supporters, not the posted number of 67,703. The second-most popular thread -- the request for OpenOffice -- has 40,572 points, and a plea to avoid unwanted software applications has 27,476 points. Most other ideas on the 95-page blog have won only a handful of votes. Despite the blog's problems, Dell will someday decide to sell Linux-based PCs in their consumer market, experts say. "Look, they already have a strong partnership with Red Hat and Oracle to move Linux into the enterprise server space. I think what they're waiting for is some more compelling applications to show up on Linux for personal use. Think about what you use your laptop for -- it's usually office, games, music and Internet access. When all of these things come together in a consumer-friendly, seamless way there will be a case for Dell to adopt Linux on portables to sell to the masses," said Joe Clabby, president of Clabby Analytics. "My 84 year-old father-in-law only needs his PC for light word processing and for AOL access. He can get plenty of Linux word processors -- but where's AOL Linux? When the right applications show up, and when they are integrated, it will all come together," Clabby said. Fixing Dell's finances could call for such a bold move. Once a Wall Street darling thanks to its innovative "direct sales" business model, Dell has struggled in recent months with falling profits, anÂ accounting investigationÂ by federal stock regulators, a lawsuit by disgruntled investors, aÂ notebook battery recallÂ and finally the resignation on Jan. 31 of Dell's hand-picked successor as CEO, Kevin Rollins. SinceÂ resuming his job as CEOÂ of the company he founded in 1984, Dell has moved quickly to restore investors' confidence by ousting several long-time executives and replacing them with leaders from outside technology companies including Motorola and Selectron. Â
544416
In response to customer interest expressed through the new IdeaStorm Web site, Dell said it plans to unveil a new line of certified, Linux-loaded desktop and laptop PCs.
359493
NEW YORK, October 20  - Dell Inc (DELL.NAS) has strengthened its leading position in the global PC market with additional market share gains in 3Q04.
393727
By MATT SLAGLE DALLAS - Flamingo pink laptops, anyone? Computer maker Dell Inc. is hoping its image as a stodgy maker of desktop and notebook computers is about to end, and it's banking on some new color options and designs to do the trick.
119678
Intel-only Inspirons online for now, almost With almost mud-like clarity, Dell has explained the way it's balancing the availability of AMD-based computers between its online, phone and retail sales channels. But one thing it wants us to be certain about is that it remains committed to AMD product lines.â¦
569538
Dell began offering three systems with Ubuntu Linux installed on Thursday, in response to wide customer demand for such systems. Prices on the systems start at $599.
362333
Dell Inc. updated its line of slim consumer Dimension desktop PCs Tuesday with a multiformat expansion card reader, the first time such a feature has appeared in a Dell PC, a company spokesman said.
68547
(InfoWorld) - Dell Inc. is working on plans to sell PCs through retail stores in Asia and Australia, as part of a wider shift within the company away from using only direct sales. Dell will add retail channels for PC sales in India, China, Australia and Japan, said T.R. Reid, a company spokesman. Dell will continue selling PCs directly to customers in these countries, which are the company's most important markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Reid did not say when retail PC sales would start in Asia, but indicated the company is talking to retail partners in the region. "There's really strong interest on the part of potential partners," he said. The addition of retail sales representsÂ a major strategy shift for Dell. The company pioneered the direct sales model during the 1990s, eschewing traditional PC sales channels for the Internet and telephone hotlines to become the world's biggest PC vendor. Until recently, Dell executives repeatedly dismissed the idea that retail sales would help reach customers in countries like China, saying direct sales would suffice. Dell's long-standing aversion to retail sales ended this year with the return of Michael Dell as company CEO in January. In the face of a U.S. Securities and Exchange investigation into the company's finances and sliding sales that toppled the company from its number-one spot, Dell has looked to reverse the company's fortunes. Part of his strategy includes embracing the retail channel, which has proved instrumental in the recent strong performance of rivals such as Acer Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. On June 10,Â the first Dell PCs went on sale with Wal-Mart StoresÂ in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The company is now selling two desktop PC models through Wal-Mart, both of which are priced under US$700, based on plans announced last month. Â ADVERTISEMENTIBM Information On Demand 2006Industrial Industry Leaders, please join us at IBM's premier information management global event, IBM Information On Demand 2006, October 15-20, Anaheim, CA. More IBM business and technical solutions content in one place than ever before! Select from  over 800 sessions. Register today!
82766
Dell Inc. , the world&#39;s  second-largest computer maker, said on Thursday it will soon  start selling its laptops and desktops at Asian retail chains  and stores.
500205
'White box' PCs are expected to retain a big share of PC sales, even as brand name prices drop.
300716
SAN FRANCISCO - Dell Inc. continued to outpace the rest of the IT industry in the company's third quarter with sizzling growth in shipments, revenue, and net income adding up to the best quarter yet for the hardware vendor, the company said Thursday.
760748
PERSPECTIVE With yesterday's rollout of the long-awaited AMD-based Dimension E521 desktop line, Dell may very well have made available one of the best-performing value-class systems under $1,000.  But with the company facing a number of hurdles, how long can it afford to keep margins so low?
109219
By Ryan Blitstein, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.  Feb. 26--Dell is planning to offer desktop computers and laptops with hardware designed to work with the Linux operating system, according to a statement posted Friday on the company's Web site.
389517
Dell Inc. is expected to add a splash of color to its laser printer lineup Wednesday with three new models for businesses and home-office users.
308694
The PC maker expands its retail presence by offering a range of products at the office superstore.