Income Taxes (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 28, 2012	Oct. 30, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010
Components of income from operations before income taxes
U.S.	$ 381	$ 1,257	$ 787
Foreign	(65)	1,121	600
Income before income taxes	316	2,378	1,387
Current:
U.S.	74	290	463
Foreign	75	206	134
State	8	5	34
Total current provision for income taxes	157	501	631
Deferred:
U.S.	52	(95)	(160)
Foreign	(4)	(23)	4
State	2	69	(26)
Total deferred provision (benefit) for income taxes	50	(49)	(182)
Provision for income taxes	207	452	449
Reconciliation between the statutory U.S.federal income tax rate to actual effective income tax rate
Tax provision at U.S. statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Favorable resolutions from audits of prior years' income tax filings	(6.00%)	(6.90%)	0.00%
Effect of foreign operations taxed at various rates	(8.50%)	(8.10%)	(3.00%)
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	2.00%	1.60%	0.90%
Research and other tax credits	(1.00%)	(1.20%)	(0.30%)
Production benefit	(8.00%)	(0.80%)	(1.20%)
Goodwill impairment	47.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Share-based compensation	4.00%	0.40%	0.60%
Other	1.00%	(1.00%)	0.40%
Effective income tax rate	65.50%	19.00%	32.40%
Deferred tax assets:
Inventory reserves and basis difference	119	214
Installation and warranty reserves	27	31
Foreign tax credits on undistributed foreign earnings	0	112
Accrued liabilities	224	250
Restructuring reserves	23	4
Deferred revenue	36	53
Capital loss carryforward	0	4
Tax credits and net operating losses	111	39
Deferred compensation	41	21
Share-based compensation	51	49
Intangibles	12	10
Gross deferred tax assets	644	787
Valuation allowance	(46)	(13)
Total deferred tax assets	598	774
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation	(71)	(61)
Purchased technology	(190)	(86)
Undistributed foreign earnings	(93)	0
Other	(25)	(44)
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	(379)	(191)
Net deferred tax assets	219	583
Breakdown between current and non-current net deferred tax assets and liabilities
Current deferred tax asset	369	580
Non-current deferred tax asset	51	78
Current deferred tax liability	(1)	(1)
Non-current deferred tax liability	(200)	(74)
Net deferred tax assets	219	583
Reconciliation of gross unrecognized tax benefits
Beginning balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits	59	328
Uncertainties arising from the acquistion of Varian	76	0
Settlements with tax authorities	(16)	(314)
Increases in tax positions for current years	46	45
Increases in tax positions from prior years	53	0
Decreases in tax positions for prior years	(37)	0
Ending balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits	$ 181	$ 59	$ 328