Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2012	Jan. 30, 2011	Jan. 31, 2010	Jan. 25, 2009
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Domestic	$ 935,200,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, State and Local	826,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign	379,100,000
Net operating loss carryforwards	99,518,000	40,128,000
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Dates	2014
Deferred Tax Assets Tax Credit Carryforwards Other Foreign	5,100,000
Foreign Credit Carryforward to be refunded	4,500,000
Date of refund for other foreign tax credit carryforward	2016
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Other	1,500,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Research	314,200,000
Accruals and reserves, not currently deductible for tax purposes	109,245,000	14,997,000
Property, equipment and intangible assets	40,245,000	39,765,000
Research and other tax credit carryforwards	232,001,000	255,111,000
Stock-based compensation	38,177,000	37,701,000
Gross deferred tax assets	519,186,000	387,702,000
Less: valuation allowance	(212,285,000)	(148,016,000)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net	306,901,000	239,686,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities Intangible Assets	(53,120,000)
Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries	(329,679,000)	(275,509,000)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross	(382,799,000)	(275,509,000)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	(75,898,000)	(35,823,000)
India Tax Holiday	2,000,000
Undistributed Earnings Of Non United States Subsidiaries	1,290,000,000
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Federal	7,099,000	141,000	177,000
State	789,000	(511,000)	438,000
Foreign	7,630,000	6,827,000	6,966,000
Total current	15,518,000	6,457,000	7,581,000
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Federal	25,111,000	(3,063,000)	(22,013,000)
State	0	0	0
Foreign	(6,055,000)	417,000	866,000
Total deferred	19,056,000	(2,646,000)	(21,147,000)
Charge in lieu of taxes attributable to employer stock option plans	47,732,000	14,212,000	(741,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	82,306,000	18,023,000	(14,307,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Domestic	120,768,000	82,531,000	(105,793,000)
Foreign	542,628,000	188,638,000	23,499,000
Income before income tax expense	663,396,000	271,169,000	(82,294,000)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Income Tax Reconciliation [Abstract]
Tax expense computed at federal statutory rate	232,189,000	94,909,000	(28,803,000)
State income taxes, net of federal tax effect	2,302,000	(391,000)	(196,000)
Foreign tax rate differential	(142,071,000)	(49,585,000)	26,902,000
Research tax credit	(24,270,000)	(28,729,000)	(22,270,000)
Stock-based compensation	10,983,000	1,668,000	10,114,000
Other	3,173,000	151,000	(54,000)
Effective tax rate	12.40%	6.70%	17.40%
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	138,262,000	121,034,000	109,765,000	95,319,000
United States federal statutory rate	35.00%
Excess Tax Benefit Related To StockBasedCompensation	526,000,000
Domestic Country [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2021
Foreign Country [Member]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Income Tax Reconciliation [Abstract]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	200,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2013
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Income Tax Reconciliation [Abstract]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	31,000,000
GERMANY
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign	69,500,000
UNITED KINGDOM
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign	273,600,000
HONG KONG
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign	800,000
CANADA
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2013
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign	28,200,000
Other Foreign [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign	35,200,000
Othe state tax credit carryforward [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Dates	2026
California Research Credit [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Research	280,800,000
Non California Research Credit [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Research	9,900,000
Research [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Dates	2018
other foreign tax credit carryforward [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Dates	2021
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Other	600,000
State Research Credit [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Dates	2014
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Other	2,900,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Research	$ 290,700,000