Give Dell a Piece of Your Mind

Kudos to Dell for this intriguing new experiment: Dell IdeaStorm, asking consumers for ideas about what they want to see in Dell products, then throwing those comments open for voting by other Dell users (and potential customers).

The idea is simple: Using a very Digg-like interface, anyone can leave a comment about what they want from Dell ("Lime green laptops now!"), then people who agree with you can vote for your story by clicking the "promote" button. Give it a spin and you'll catch on quickly. You won't be able to comment unless you create an account, but anyone can read the ideas on display and even vote on them.

To date (and IdeaStorm just launched late last week) there are over 1,000 ideas on the site. Many are duplicates, but some interesting fodder has risen to the top through the voting system. In rough order, here's what Dell users want:

• Linux (and other open source offerings), either as a standalone option or dual-booting with Windows.
• Nothing. Dell is famous for its crapware-loaded machines. How about offering a "clean" installation? (In fairness, this is already an option on some Dell machines, but you may have to call to get it.)
• More RAM. I have to agree that 512MB is pitiful for today's memory-hungry operating systems. Stepping the default up to 1GB makes sense in 2007.
• Ending overseas tech support. You know why.
• Webcams on laptops.
• Go green. A call for environmentalism, which Dell has already shown a commitment to.
• Quieter PCs. Frankly I'm impressed by how quiet current machines are, but I know there's always room for improvement.
• Put microphones back on laptops. In the era of Skype, this is a no-brainer. I have a microphone port on my Dell laptop... but does Dell think I tote around a mic with me all the time for the occasional audio need? This is a 10 cent addition, max.
  

Like I said, fun stuff (and some great ideas), but it really opens the door for Dell to start listening to its customers in a major, unprecedented way. I'd love to see other companies follow suit, but for now, chalk up a point for Dell. Now let's see Dell follow through with some of these suggestions...