Stockholders' Equity and Stock Compensation Plans (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2011	Oct. 03, 2010	Sep. 27, 2009
ESPP
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 10,582,000	$ 10,178,000	$ 9,392,000
Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP")
Stockholder's Equity and Stock Compensation Plans
Shares purchased	246,000	208,000	163,000
Weighted-average purchase price (in dollars per share)	$ 21.30	$ 22.87	$ 20.53
Cash received from exercise of purchase rights	5,249,000	4,733,000	3,343,000
Aggregate intrinsic value	926,000	892,000	590,000
Assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model
Expected stock price volatility (as a percent)	38.00%	38.50%	68.20%
Risk-free rate of return, annual (as a percent)	0.30%	0.50%	0.40%
Expected life (in years)	1	1	1
ESPP
Stock-based compensation expense	1,000,000	1,300,000	1,000,000
Unrecognized compensation cost	300,000	300,000
Accumulated amount by participants to purchase entity's common stock	$ 2,800,000