Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 04, 2012	Jul. 30, 2011	Aug. 04, 2012	Jul. 30, 2011	Oct. 29, 2011
Components of comprehensive income
Net income	$ 169,768,000	$ 219,935,000	$ 472,049,000	$ 683,867,000
Income from continuing operations, net of tax			472,049,000	677,367,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(2,045,000)	1,455,000	(5,686,000)	7,614,000
Change in unrealized holding gains (losses), net of taxes, on securities classified as short-term investments	1,334,000	(113,000)	447,000	11,000
Change in unrealized holding losses, net of taxes, on securities classified as other investments	0	(116,000)	(558,000)	1,000
Change in unrealized losses, net of taxes, on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges	(2,062,000)	(5,155,000)	(5,168,000)	(2,512,000)
Pension plans
Transition obligation	0	(2,000)	(1,000)	(4,000)
Net actuarial gain (loss)	1,240,000	980,000	2,381,000	(1,175,000)
Other comprehensive (loss) gain	(1,533,000)	(2,951,000)	(8,585,000)	3,935,000
Comprehensive income from continuing operations	168,235,000	216,984,000	463,464,000	681,302,000
Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax			0	6,500,000	6,500,000
Comprehensive income			463,464,000	687,802,000
Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(7,724,000)		(7,724,000)		(2,038,000)
Unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities	346,000		346,000		695,000
Unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities	(403,000)		(403,000)		(641,000)
Unrealized (losses) gains on derivative instruments	(3,481,000)		(3,481,000)		1,687,000
Pension plans
Transition obligation	(118,000)		(118,000)		(117,000)
Net actuarial loss	(23,374,000)		(23,374,000)		(25,755,000)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	(34,754,000)		(34,754,000)		(26,169,000)
Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities classified as short-term investments
Unrealized gains on securities classified as short-term investments	450,000		450,000		22,000
Unrealized losses on securities classified as short-term investments	(491,000)		(491,000)		(600,000)
Net unrealized losses on securities classified as short-term investments	(41,000)		(41,000)		(578,000)
Comprehensive Income (Textual) [Abstract]
Unrealized holding gains (losses) on short term investments, tax	319,000	17,000	90,000	1,000
Unrealized holding gains (losses) other investments, tax	0	62,000	300,000	1,000
Unrealized gains (losses) designated as cash flow hedges, tax	344,000	783,000	757,000	334,000
Fair value of investments with unrealized losses	1,357,500,000		1,357,500,000		1,899,400,000
Gross realized gains on sales of available-for-sale investments			1,300,000
Gross realized losses on sales of available-for-sale investments			$ 100,000