Contractual Amounts Due under Leases (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Leases Disclosure [Line Items]
2012	$ 126,598,000
2013	108,242,000
2014	99,389,000
Thereafter	1,231,000
Total	335,460,000	278,400,000
Less amounts representing interest	(6,856,000)
Present value	328,604,000
Current portion (included in accounts and notes receivable)	123,896,000
Long-term portion (included in other assets, net)	$ 204,708,000

Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Present Value of Net Minimum Payments Current

No definition available.

Name:	emc_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsPresentValueOfNetMinimumPaymentsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	emc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Present Value of Net Minimum Payments Noncurrent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	emc_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsPresentValueOfNetMinimumPaymentsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	emc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	emc_LeasesDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	emc_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 16

-Subparagraph a(ii)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455398&loc=d3e45280-112737

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization, due within one year of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization, due within the third year from the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization, due within the second year from the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractually required rental payments due on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization, after the fifth year from the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount necessary to reduce net minimum lease payments to present value calculated at the lesser of the interest rate implicit in the lease (if known) or the entity's incremental borrowing rate (as defined) at inception of the lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 10

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 16

-Subparagraph a(ii)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 7

-Subparagraph d

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455398&loc=d3e45280-112737

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsInterestIncludedInPayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The discounted value of future cash flows under leases meeting the criteria for capitalization.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsPresentValueOfNetMinimumPayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant