Proprietary Components

After reading the recent thread on proprietary parts in the Dimension 8100,
I would like to know how proprietary are the parts in current Dell
computers?

In the typical Dell P4 Socket 478 or 775 microATX or ATX or BTX tower system,
ONLY the motherboard is proprietary. Even though a Dell P4 motherboard has a
standard form factor, the connectors to the front panel (on-off-LEDs), front
USB, audio, and CPU cooling fan are proprietary. The foregoing is pretty
accurate for the Dell Dimension 2000-series, 4000-series, 8000-series, Optiplex
240/260/270, and Precision 340/350/360. I cannot comment on some of the other
models like the Optiplex 620 and any of the dual-processor capable systems,
because I have not ever had the opportunity to rip any of them apart.

Just like most any other brand name, the small form factor (SFF) Optiplex and
Dimension systems have proprietary power supplies and often used customized
notebook CD/DVD drives to save space... Ben Myers

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:07:58 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

After reading the recent thread on proprietary parts in the Dimension 8100,
I would like to know how proprietary are the parts in current Dell
computers?

Thanks. By their very nature I would expect laptops to be highly
proprietary. The desktops were what I was curious about.


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
In the typical Dell P4 Socket 478 or 775 microATX or ATX or BTX tower
system,
ONLY the motherboard is proprietary. Even though a Dell P4 motherboard
has a
standard form factor, the connectors to the front panel (on-off-LEDs),
front
USB, audio, and CPU cooling fan are proprietary. The foregoing is pretty
accurate for the Dell Dimension 2000-series, 4000-series, 8000-series,
Optiplex
240/260/270, and Precision 340/350/360. I cannot comment on some of the
other
models like the Optiplex 620 and any of the dual-processor capable
systems,
because I have not ever had the opportunity to rip any of them apart.

Just like most any other brand name, the small form factor (SFF) Optiplex
and
Dimension systems have proprietary power supplies and often used
customized
notebook CD/DVD drives to save space... Ben Myers

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:07:58 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

After reading the recent thread on proprietary parts in the Dimension
8100,
I would like to know how proprietary are the parts in current Dell
computers?

Yes, laptops are almost always 150% proprietary. Even more sometimes... Ben

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:35:09 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

Thanks. By their very nature I would expect laptops to be highly
proprietary. The desktops were what I was curious about.


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
.. .
In the typical Dell P4 Socket 478 or 775 microATX or ATX or BTX tower
system,
ONLY the motherboard is proprietary. Even though a Dell P4 motherboard
has a
standard form factor, the connectors to the front panel (on-off-LEDs),
front
USB, audio, and CPU cooling fan are proprietary. The foregoing is pretty
accurate for the Dell Dimension 2000-series, 4000-series, 8000-series,
Optiplex
240/260/270, and Precision 340/350/360. I cannot comment on some of the
other
models like the Optiplex 620 and any of the dual-processor capable
systems,
because I have not ever had the opportunity to rip any of them apart.

Just like most any other brand name, the small form factor (SFF) Optiplex
and
Dimension systems have proprietary power supplies and often used
customized
notebook CD/DVD drives to save space... Ben Myers

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:07:58 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

After reading the recent thread on proprietary parts in the Dimension
8100,
I would like to know how proprietary are the parts in current Dell
computers?

That's not entirely true (even discounting the hyperbole). The HD's,
memory, wireless network cards, and processors in many laptops are pretty
standard items now.

Clint

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Yes, laptops are almost always 150% proprietary. Even more sometimes...
Ben

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:35:09 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

Thanks. By their very nature I would expect laptops to be highly
proprietary. The desktops were what I was curious about.


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
. ..
In the typical Dell P4 Socket 478 or 775 microATX or ATX or BTX tower
system,
ONLY the motherboard is proprietary. Even though a Dell P4 motherboard
has a
standard form factor, the connectors to the front panel (on-off-LEDs),
front
USB, audio, and CPU cooling fan are proprietary. The foregoing is
pretty
accurate for the Dell Dimension 2000-series, 4000-series, 8000-series,
Optiplex
240/260/270, and Precision 340/350/360. I cannot comment on some of
the
other
models like the Optiplex 620 and any of the dual-processor capable
systems,
because I have not ever had the opportunity to rip any of them apart.

Just like most any other brand name, the small form factor (SFF)
Optiplex
and
Dimension systems have proprietary power supplies and often used
customized
notebook CD/DVD drives to save space... Ben Myers

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:07:58 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

After reading the recent thread on proprietary parts in the Dimension
8100,
I would like to know how proprietary are the parts in current Dell
computers?

Of course! Notebooks could not be built so cheaply otherwise. But almost all
the rest is highly proprietary, even among different models of the same brand.

It would be nice if some extremely knowledgable person identified the CEMs for
the various lines of notebooks. Then it MIGHT be possible to use spare parts
across brand names.

Some day, notebooks will have to become more standardized, just like desktops.

.... Ben Myers

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:16:57 GMT, "Clint" wrote:

That's not entirely true (even discounting the hyperbole). The HD's,
memory, wireless network cards, and processors in many laptops are pretty
standard items now.

Clint

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
.. .
Yes, laptops are almost always 150% proprietary. Even more sometimes...
Ben

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:35:09 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

Thanks. By their very nature I would expect laptops to be highly
proprietary. The desktops were what I was curious about.


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
In the typical Dell P4 Socket 478 or 775 microATX or ATX or BTX tower
system,
ONLY the motherboard is proprietary. Even though a Dell P4 motherboard
has a
standard form factor, the connectors to the front panel (on-off-LEDs),
front
USB, audio, and CPU cooling fan are proprietary. The foregoing is
pretty
accurate for the Dell Dimension 2000-series, 4000-series, 8000-series,
Optiplex
240/260/270, and Precision 340/350/360. I cannot comment on some of
the
other
models like the Optiplex 620 and any of the dual-processor capable
systems,
because I have not ever had the opportunity to rip any of them apart.

Just like most any other brand name, the small form factor (SFF)
Optiplex
and
Dimension systems have proprietary power supplies and often used
customized
notebook CD/DVD drives to save space... Ben Myers

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:07:58 -0400, "Sideshow Bob"
wrote:

After reading the recent thread on proprietary parts in the Dimension
8100,
I would like to know how proprietary are the parts in current Dell
computers?