Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Basis of Presentation (Policies)	May 01, 2011
Basis of Presentation (Policies) [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	*Basis of Presentation* In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim consolidated condensed financial statements of Applied Materials, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Applied or the Company) included herein have been prepared on a basis consistent with the October 31, 2010 audited consolidated financial statements and include all material adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly present the information set forth therein. These unaudited interim consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Applied’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010 (2010 Form 10-K). Applied’s results of operations for the three and six months ended May 1, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of future operating results. Applied’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday in October of each year. Fiscal 2011 contains 52 weeks, while fiscal 2010 contained 53 weeks, and the first six months of fiscal 2011 contained 26 weeks, while the first six months of fiscal 2010 contained 27 weeks.
Use of Estimates	*Use of Estimates* The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. On an ongoing basis, Applied evaluates its estimates, including those related to accounts receivable and sales allowances, fair values of financial instruments, inventories, intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, fair values of share-based awards, and income taxes, among others. Applied bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.
Revenue Recognition	*Revenue Recognition* Applied recognizes revenue when all four revenue recognition criteria have been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; seller’s price to buyer is fixed or determinable; and collectability is probable. Applied’s shipping terms are customarily FOB Applied shipping point or equivalent terms. Applied’s revenue recognition policy generally results in revenue recognition at the following points: (1) for all transactions where legal title passes to the customer upon shipment, Applied recognizes revenue upon shipment for all products that have been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment; the portion of revenue associated with certain installation-related tasks is deferred, and that revenue is recognized upon completion of the installation-related tasks; (2) for products that have not been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment, revenue is recognized at customer technical acceptance; (3) for transactions where legal title does not pass at shipment, revenue is recognized when legal title passes to the customer, which is generally at customer technical acceptance; and (4) for arrangements containing multiple elements, the revenue relating to the undelivered elements is deferred using the relative selling price method utilizing estimated sales prices until delivery of the deferred elements. Applied limits the amount of revenue recognition for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services, future performance obligations or subject to customer-specified return or adjustment. In cases where Applied has sold products that have been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment, Applied believes that at the time of delivery, it has an enforceable claim to amounts recognized as revenue. The completed contract method is used for SunFab^tm thin film production lines. Spare parts revenue is generally recognized upon shipment, and services revenue is generally recognized over the period that the services are provided. Applied elected to early adopt amended accounting standards issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) for multiple deliverable revenue arrangements on a prospective basis for applicable transactions originating or materially modified after October 25, 2009. The new standard changed the requirements for establishing separate units of accounting in a multiple element arrangement and requires the allocation of arrangement consideration to each deliverable to be based on the relative selling price. The FASB also amended the accounting standards for revenue recognition to exclude software that is contained in a tangible product from the scope of software revenue guidance when the software is essential to the tangible product’s functionality. Implementation of this new authoritative guidance had an insignificant impact on reported net sales as compared to net sales under previous guidance, as the new guidance did not change the units of accounting within sales arrangements and the elimination of the residual method for the allocation of arrangement consideration had an inconsequential impact on the amount and timing of reported net sales. For fiscal 2010 and subsequent periods, when a sales arrangement contains multiple elements, such as hardware and services and/or software products, Applied allocates revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy. The selling price for a deliverable is based on its vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE) if available, third party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. Applied generally utilizes the ESP due to the nature of its products. In multiple element arrangements where more-than-incidental software deliverables are included, revenue is allocated to each separate unit of accounting for each of the non-software deliverables and to the software deliverables as a group using the relative selling prices of each of the deliverables in the arrangement based on the aforementioned selling price hierarchy. If the arrangement contains more than one software deliverable, the arrangement consideration allocated to the software deliverables as a group is then allocated to each software deliverable using the guidance for recognizing software revenue, as amended.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	*Recent Accounting Pronouncements* In December 2010, the FASB amended its existing guidance for goodwill and other intangible assets. This authoritative guidance modifies Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if there are qualitative factors indicating that it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. The qualitative factors are consistent with the existing guidance which requires goodwill of a reporting unit to be tested for impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. This authoritative guidance becomes effective for Applied in fiscal 2012. The implementation of this authoritative guidance is not expected to have a material impact on Applied’s financial position or results of operations. In December 2010, the FASB issued authoritative guidance on business combinations. This authoritative guidance requires a public entity that presents comparative financial statements to disclose the revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combinations that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the prior annual reporting period. In addition, this authoritative guidance expands the supplemental pro forma disclosures to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. This authoritative guidance is effective prospectively for business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010. Applied will comply with this authoritative guidance in fiscal 2012.
Goodwill and other intangible assets	In December 2010, the FASB amended its existing guidance for goodwill and other intangible assets. This authoritative guidance modifies Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if there are qualitative factors indicating that it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. The qualitative factors are consistent with the existing guidance which requires goodwill of a reporting unit to be tested for impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. This authoritative guidance becomes effective for Applied in fiscal 2012. The implementation of this authoritative guidance is not expected to have a material impact on Applied’s financial position or results of operations.
Business Combinations	In December 2010, the FASB issued authoritative guidance on business combinations. This authoritative guidance requires a public entity that presents comparative financial statements to disclose the revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combinations that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the prior annual reporting period. In addition, this authoritative guidance expands the supplemental pro forma disclosures to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. This authoritative guidance is effective prospectively for business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010. Applied will comply with this authoritative guidance in fiscal 2012.