DELL has recently launched the "Windows 7 Free and Easy Upgrade from Vista" program on select platforms. This promotion will enable Dell to be at par with their retail partners by letting customers purchasing a Dell PC starting October 5, 2009, to have Windows 7 installed on their PC by October 22. Below is Dell’s recent announcement:
Let Dell do the heavy lifting and upgrade your new PC to Windows 7 for you.
For those customers who are waiting for Windows 7 to arrive, Dell has a deal for you. Dell is expanding their upgrade program with a new option - the Windows 7 Free and Easy Upgrade program - which takes the hassle out of upgrading a PC to Windows 7 because Dell will do it for you. Now customers can purchase popular PCs like the Inspiron 15 or 17 laptop, Studio 15 laptop, Inspiron 546 or Studio desktop and Dell will install Windows 7 Premium on it before shipping.
As the program name implies, there are no additional charges associated with this. Dell’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to order a new PC powered by Windows 7 and get on with the daily business, and around Oct. 22, or soon after the new PC will arrive. Of course for those customers who prefer a do-it-yourself, Dell is still offering the Windows 7 Technical Upgrade program, in which a customer buys a qualifying PC with Vista Home Premium, Vista Business Pro or Vista Ultimate, and registers for the Windows 7 upgrade kit, which then ships within a few weeks of October 22.
Dell is looking forward to the customer’s feedback on this new option in our upgrade program, and depending on customer response, Dell will investigate adding additional PC models as well as expanding it on a global basis. Go to http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/windows-7-easy-upgrade?&s=dhs.
For more details, head over to the Direct to Dell blog: http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/.
DELL recently integrated their Alienware line of laptops to use hybrid graphics technology that enables switching between expansion graphics card (which is basically what is ordered by the customer) when connected to AC Adapter and integrated graphics card when the laptop is on battery power.
This new technology will automatically switch the laptop to integrated graphics when it’s on battery.
If you think that you’re missing the correct graphics card or you have the wrong graphics card installed on your Alienware M17x, try doing the following to turn on your preferred graphics:
1. Connect your laptop to AC power.
2. Hit on 'Fn-F7' key to toggle between integrated and expansion graphics. You may be required to restart the system.
3. Make sure that your BIOS settings are configured to enable hybrid graphics and integrated graphics.
The Alienware M17x uses hybrid graphics technology as a way to conserve power when you’re on battery mode.
When you in the integrated mode (laptop is powered by battery only), the nVidia 9400 graphics will be seen in the Device Manager, system performance will also be less on integrated and some applications and/or games which require intensive graphics solutions will not work.
Some DELL Studio XPS 1340/13 computers may report over-heating of the battery or shorter battery life.
DELL confirmed that the default preset on XPS 1340/13 has been set to "Dell Recommended" power plan. As a workaround to increase the system battery life, select the system power plan as "Power Saver".
DELL also advised customers experiencing the problem to
download and install the latest NVidia video driver A05 version (R215031.EXE) or above from Dell Support. Upgrading the BIOS to the latest version could also help alleviate the problem.
DELL released another update regarding reports of their Alienware M17x systems experiencing slow graphic performance when running graphics intensive programs. This is noticed when booting the system on battery power.
DELL explained that on booting the system thru battery power, the integrated graphics card is automatically enabled, disabling the discrete graphics card(s).
The integrated graphics card remains enabled even after AC power is plugged to the system. The system may only show the “Nvidia Geforce 9400M G” graphics card in Device Manager.
System warning message:
“System is operating on battery power. To maximize battery life, the system will operate on Integrated graphics.
If you would like to use discrete graphics, connect the AC adapter. Press
The solution to this issue is to enable the discrete graphics by doing the following:
1. Connect the system to AC adapter. Press 'Fn-F7' key to toggle between integrated and discrete graphics.
2. Choose 'Yes' to enable discrete graphics card on the screen prompting 'BinaryGFX' access detected.
3. Reboot system on AC adapter power. Discrete video card(s) will be listed in device manager.
Microsoft officially launched its own antivirus tool today after their Beta launch last June.
After the Redmond-based company pushed out a beta of Microsoft Security Essentials last June, enabling the software to be available to users in the United States, Israel (English only), People's Republic of China (Simplified Chinese only) and Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese only), Microsoft president for Server and Tools division Bob Muglia announced that the tool will be available for everyone today.
Previously known as Morro, Microsoft Security Essentials aims to provide basic protection from various types of malicious software, including viruses, spyware, trojans, and even rootkits. After today's launch of Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft will then completely discontinue OneCare, the company’s current security software that was released three years ago.
Even with Microsoft's offer of a free security suite that requires no registration, trial or renewal may sound like something that would threaten competitors, it seems like major rivals are completely unaffected by the product. Even when the Beta was launched, neither Symantec nor McAfee showed any sign of worry.
Symantec's Consumer division president, Janice Chaffin, explained that Morro is mainly a stripped down version of OneCare. "A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected," she told Reuters when news of the software came out last summer. McAfee confirmed that it remained confident in its ability to compete with "anyone who might enter the marketplace."
You can download MSE by visiting the download page here and be sure to let me know what you think.
If you think you’re better than your old clunky laptop docking station. You’re even better without a power cord sticking into your computer. And you’re definitely better than waiting for Windows to load-up just to check your e-mail. Well, of course, you’re an executive and you definitely need distinction. Here’s Dell’s answer to you.
Dell released their Latitude Z laptop on Tuesday to the upper elite. Dell claims their new Latitude Z laptop is the world’s thinnest (at 14mm) 16-inch laptop. Price starts at $1,999.
The new Latitude Z laptop comes with a slick, black cherry finish that makes it look black in certain light and burgundy in other light. It’s refined with a high-definition (1600×900) WLED display, a back-lighted keyboard, a 2 mega-pixel camera, solid state drives and carrying cases designed by Timbuck2 and Cole Haan.
However, the real magic of the Latitude Z is buried elsewhere. For instance, current laptops would require brute force and crunching noises before finally making their way into docking stations. Never with the Latitude Z.
The Latitude Z just glides onto a shiny and thin platform that charges the laptop thru an inductive charging system. The platform subsequently uses wireless communications to connect with a small, rectangular docking station that handles a connection to the office network as well as the monitor.
An executive trying to impress can just buy a wireless mouse as well as a wireless keyboard and then place the Latitude Z onto the platform, revealing only a one-cord wonder. Another impressive feature on the Latitude Z is also the ability to check e-mail, contact information as well as calendar and even browse the Web thru an instant-on software package.
The software fires up the moment you open the laptop and immediately connects right to a wireless network without having Windows to load.
Most of the users Dell surveyed spent 70 percent of their time working most in the instant-on mode. That should make Microsoft take note of that figure. It turns Windows into a clunky cup holder.
The new Latitude Z also has more features. You can just slide an identity badge (RFID) across the keyboard and the computer will automatically read it. The laptop utilizes the camera to check if a person is at the keyboard and will automatically lock down when the person leaves. The right side of the monitor acts as a touch-wheel allowing you to scroll through application icons and start applications just by rubbing your finger along the edge of the laptop.
Though the wireless bits and pieces really impress at first look however they seem more about form than function. Nevertheless, you still have to use a plug into the docking station even if the laptop already uses inductive recharging.
Todd Forsythe, the vice president of life-cycle management at Dell explained, “This is designed for impression makers and executives on the go.”
DELL released a workaround for an ongoing No Video problem with their G2410 or G2210 LED widescreen flat panel monitors. The issue happens when the computers attached to the LED panels resumes from sleep mode. Also, the said symptom is noticed when the monitor is attached to a nVidia graphics card via the DVI port.
DELL confirmed that their G2410 or G2210 LED monitors manufactured on April 15, 2009 or earlier affected of the said issue.
DELL's workaround:
*Connect computer to a VGA connection.
*Download and update the latest version of nVidia graphics driver from Dell Support.
There are a few requirements which need to be checked before troubleshooting Blu-ray movie playback issues using MediaDirect 4.0 on Studio Hybrid 140g systems.
*Ensure Broadcom Blu-ray accelerator card is installed correctly and accelerator card driver is A04 or above.
*Dell MediaDirect 4.0 Blu-ray 1.0 profile must also be installed.
-- Launch Dell MediaDirect 4.0, click "Home", select "Settings"
-- Click "About Dell MediaDirect 4.0". The Blu-ray version should listed as 3.5.xxxx
*Onboard Intel video driver A02 or above must be installed.
*High-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) compliance display is used.
Below are some of Alienware M17x Updates released by DELL recently. You may encounter any one of the issues however you may not find the solutions in any of DELL's community website. This is because these issues were gathered by DELL engineers right after the release of the said notebook.
Webcam Not Detected Problem
Explanation: The webcam is not detected in Device Manager. Therefore, applications that rely on it (like AlienSense and YouCam) do not work. The webcam is off by default. Press the [FN] + [F9] key combination to turn it on.
No Lights on Keyboard Problem
Workaround:
1. Create New-Advanced theme.
2. Discharge the system.
3. Reinstall OSD and Command Center.
External Display Ports not working with Onboard Video
Fix: [Fn] + [F7] to switch to discrete mode.
Reports of the Inspiron Desktop 546/546s freezing while playing media have been surfacing recently after the release of the said machine from DELL.
This issues are noticed after unplugging the headphones or speakers from the DELL Inspiron Desktop 546/546s system when media is played using Via VT1708S 5.1 channel High Definition integrated audio controller.
To fix this, follow the steps below:
Uninstall the Audio Driver :
*Click the Start button, then click Control Panel. Double-click the Device Manager icon.
*Click the plus (+) sign next to the Sound, video and game controllers category.
*Right-click the name of the driver to be uninstalled, and then click on Uninstall.
*In the Confirm Device Uninstall window, click to check 'Delete the driver software for this device' and then click OK.
*Download and install the latest audio driver A01 version (R219774.EXE).
DELL recently released a fix on their Inspiron Mini 1010 systems having problems finding their DW700 GPS Mini-Card in device manager.
As per DELL engineering, the card registers as "CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller" in device manager. Installing the driver changes the device entry.
To fix this, download and install the latest A01 GPS Card drivers (R217979.exe) from Dell Support.
Device Manager Illustration:
Before Installation
After Installation
Device Manager will update the respective card name after the installation.
Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard includes software for many printer and scanner models. This article lists software provided for printers and scanners. This software can be installed from the Mac OS X Install DVD, and updated by using Software Update (some models have software available through Software Update only).
To view the complete list of printer and scanners that are supported with Mac OS X v10.6, see below or use your browser's Find feature to look for a specific name or model number. If you cannot find a driver for your specific model, check the list to see if a driver is available for a series of printers that may include your model. For example, a printer with the model number 5070 might use the driver for the "5000 Series".
For more information about setting up and using printers in Mac OS X v10.6, see this article.
Source: Apple.com
