Supplementary Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Nov. 03, 2012	Aug. 04, 2012	May 05, 2012	Feb. 04, 2012	Oct. 29, 2011	Jul. 30, 2011	Apr. 30, 2011	Feb. 04, 2011	Nov. 03, 2012		Oct. 29, 2011		Oct. 30, 2010		Oct. 31, 2009	Nov. 01, 2008
Supplementary Financial Information
Revenue	$ 694,964	$ 683,026	$ 675,094	$ 648,058	$ 716,134	$ 757,902	$ 790,780	$ 728,504	$ 2,701,142		$ 2,993,320		$ 2,761,503
Cost of sales	251,682	235,152	234,639	238,668	255,620	248,262	256,566	246,331	960,141	[1]	1,006,779	[1]	962,081	[1]
Gross margin	443,282	447,874	440,455	409,390	460,514	509,640	534,214	482,173	1,741,001		1,986,541		1,799,422
% of Revenue	63.80%	65.60%	65.20%	63.20%	64.30%	67.20%	67.60%	66.20%
Research and development	130,394	129,694	127,537	124,378	123,889	128,476	130,460	122,745	512,003	[1]	505,570	[1]	492,305	[1]
Selling, marketing, general and administrative	97,609	99,873	99,992	99,045	99,094	102,323	105,268	100,022	396,519	[1]	406,707	[1]	390,560	[1]
Special charges	0	5,836	0	2,595	2,239	0	0	0	8,431		2,239		16,483		52,465	1,627
Total operating expenses	228,003	235,403	227,529	226,018	225,222	230,799	235,728	222,767	916,953		914,516		899,348
Operating income from continuing operations	215,279	212,471	212,926	183,372	235,292	278,841	298,486	259,406	824,048		1,072,025		900,074
% of Revenue	31.00%	31.00%	32.00%	28.00%	33.00%	37.00%	38.00%	36.00%
Nonoperating (income) expenses:
Interest expense	6,391	6,459	6,890	6,682	6,079	6,159	4,078	2,830	26,422		19,146		10,429
Interest income	(3,627)	(3,506)	(3,967)	(3,348)	(2,183)	(2,395)	(2,197)	(2,285)	(14,448)		(9,060)		(9,837)
Other, net	(9)	49	(1,451)	(48)	396	206	(151)	41	(1,459)		492		(2,183)
Total nonoperating (income) expense	2,755	3,002	1,472	3,286	4,292	3,970	1,730	586	10,515		10,578		(1,591)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	212,524	209,469	211,454	180,086	231,000	274,871	296,756	258,820	813,533		1,061,447		901,665
% of Revenue	31.00%	31.00%	31.00%	28.00%	32.00%	36.00%	38.00%	36.00%
Provision for income taxes	33,337	39,701	48,555	40,704	47,473	54,936	54,930	43,214	162,297		200,553		190,440
Income from continuing operations, net of tax	179,187	169,768	162,899	139,382	183,527	219,935	241,826	215,606	651,236		860,894		711,225
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6,500	0		6,500		859
Net income	$ 179,187	$ 169,768	$ 162,899	$ 139,382	$ 183,527	$ 219,935	$ 241,826	$ 222,106
% of Revenue	26.00%	25.00%	24.00%	22.00%	26.00%	29.00%	31.00%	30.00%
Earnings per share - Basic (in dollars per share)
Income from continuing operations	$ 0.60	$ 0.57	$ 0.55	$ 0.47	$ 0.61	$ 0.73	$ 0.81	$ 0.72	$ 2.18		$ 2.88		$ 2.39
Net income	$ 0.60	$ 0.57	$ 0.55	$ 0.47	$ 0.61	$ 0.73	$ 0.81	$ 0.74	$ 2.18		$ 2.90		$ 2.39
Earnings per share - Diluted (in dollars per share)
Income from continuing operations, net of tax	$ 0.58	$ 0.56	$ 0.53	$ 0.46	$ 0.60	$ 0.71	$ 0.78	$ 0.70	$ 2.13		$ 2.79		$ 2.33
Net income	$ 0.58	$ 0.56	$ 0.53		$ 0.60	$ 0.71	$ 0.78	$ 0.72	$ 2.13		$ 2.81		$ 2.33
Shares used to compute earnings per share (in thousands):
Shares used to compute earnings per share - Basic (in shares)	300,679	298,445	298,130	297,788	298,910	299,616	299,923	299,218	298,761		299,417		297,387
Shares used to compute earnings per share - Diluted (in shares)	307,954	305,359	305,921	305,531	305,734	308,744	309,619	308,848	306,191		308,236		305,861
Dividends declared per share	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.22	$ 0.22	$ 1.15		$ 0.94		$ 0.84

[1] Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows: