Dell has
launched a new website where users can submit and vote on ideas for
new products and product enhancements.
The mechanism behind the new IdeaStorm service is similar to
that of social bookmarking services such as Digg.com and
Del.icio.us. Each user can submit ideas to the service. Other users
can then vote and comment on those suggestions.
Users in the first few days of the service urged Dell to more
aggressively promote open source software. A suggestions that Dell
should "pre-install Linux " to cut the price of new PCs attracted
more than 45,000 over a three day period.
The second highest ranking suggested recommended that the system
builder provides users with an option to have the OpenOffice
productivity suite preinstalled on new systems, attracting more
than 25,000 votes in 2 days.
Users also backed up complaints about the massive amount of trial
or sponsored software that come bundled with new systems such as
trial subscriptions for internet provider or browser
toolbars.
Dell chief executive Michael Dell unveiled the service on
Friday.
"We are at our best when we are hearing directly from our
customers," he said. "We listen, learn and then improve and
innovate on what our customers want. It's one of the real
advantages of being a direct company."
Dell currently supports Linux on its servers, and offers a set of
three desktop computers that come pre-installed with Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 4. It doesnt offer any Linux laptops, but sells a
few models without any preinstalled operating system. It doesn't
support OpenOffice.
The computer maker promised to provide to use the website to keep
the public informed on ideas that it plans to implement and will
post updates on its IdeaStorm website.
