CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (USD $)	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Non-controlling Interest in VMware
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	$ 18,166,776,000	$ 20,692,000	$ 3,816,681,000	$ 13,659,284,000	$ (92,617,000)	$ 762,736,000
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2010		2,069,246,000
Stock issued through stock option and stock purchase plans (in shares)		18,423,000
Stock issued through stock option and stock purchase plans	224,347,000	184,000	224,163,000
Tax benefit from stock options exercised	147,810,000		147,810,000
Restricted stock grants, cancellations and withholdings, net (in shares)		2,950,000
Restricted stock grants, cancellations and withholdings, net	(45,962,000)	30,000	(45,992,000)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)		(33,051,000)
Repurchase of common stock	(868,065,000)	(330,000)	(867,735,000)
EMC purchase of VMware stock	(38,000,000)		(33,944,000)			(4,056,000)
Stock-based compensation	226,222,000		226,222,000
Impact from equity transactions of VMware, Inc.	(51,087,000)		(69,846,000)			18,759,000
Change in market value of investments	15,287,000				12,365,000	2,922,000
Changes in market value of derivatives	4,206,000				4,206,000
Translation adjustment	19,143,000				19,143,000
Reclassification of convertible debt (to)/from mezzanine (Note 4)	29,363,000		29,363,000
Net income	502,554,000			477,148,000		25,406,000
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2011	18,332,594,000	20,576,000	3,426,722,000	14,136,432,000	(56,903,000)	805,767,000
Ending Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2011		2,057,568,000
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	19,927,122,000	20,489,000	3,052,932,000	16,120,621,000	(235,009,000)	968,089,000
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011	2,048,890,000	2,048,890,000
Stock issued through stock option and stock purchase plans (in shares)		15,145,000
Stock issued through stock option and stock purchase plans	180,189,000	152,000	180,037,000
Tax benefit from stock options exercised	143,182,000		143,182,000
Restricted stock grants, cancellations and withholdings, net (in shares)		3,330,000
Restricted stock grants, cancellations and withholdings, net	(47,675,000)	33,000	(47,708,000)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	0
EMC purchase of VMware stock	(39,993,000)		(34,485,000)			(5,508,000)
Stock-based compensation	203,043,000		203,043,000
Impact from equity transactions of VMware, Inc.	78,535,000		930,000			77,605,000
Change in market value of investments	24,959,000				24,464,000	495,000
Changes in market value of derivatives	10,034,000				9,867,000	167,000
Translation adjustment	14,986,000				14,986,000
Convertible debt conversions and warrant settlement (in shares)		32,345,000
Convertible debt conversions and warrant settlement	(702,000)	323,000	(1,025,000)
Reclassification of convertible debt (to)/from mezzanine (Note 4)	15,679,000		15,679,000
Net income	625,979,000			586,842,000		39,137,000
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2012	$ 21,135,338,000	$ 20,997,000	$ 3,512,585,000	$ 16,707,463,000	$ (185,692,000)	$ 1,079,985,000
Ending Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2012	2,099,710,000	2,099,710,000