M14x portability question

I've been reading this thread quite a bit about the m14x. I'm still trying to get a good feel for its bulk. To me, that means a combo of its actual dimensions and weight. I think the m11x might be smaller than I would like. My greatest concern is weight. I spend several nights a week on the road, and want to be able to play on the road. I like high settings, but am not overly worried about that. As long as I can play games coming out in the next two years. So I travel alot. Would you guys consider the m14x portable enough to haul around week after week, or is it too heavy? How would it compare to the Asus g53sw, or maybe a Sager 8130/8150 as far as traveling with it? I'm mainly looking for subjective feedback. Without actually having one I can pick up, its hard to tell just by the #'s.

When I was at microcenter a few weeks back, I lifted a m15x, and it was definitely too big and heavy. The m11x was nice, but I would prefer something a little larger. I think the m14x might be it. I understand it is heavy for its class. What would you guys say? Thanks for the help!

 

The M14x is a great alternative to the M11x if you want a larger system. In the end you have to decide the level of gaming/performance you want. This should be your first stop - once you identify this factor, move on to size requirements.

 

Well the M14x is around 2.5 lbs lighter than the m15x but 2lbs heavier than the M11x. I personally think its very portable, the weight is a non issue, but then again I thought the m15x weight was easy to carry when I tested it in store. And in terms of the dimension it's not that much bigger than regular 14inchers, even smaller in width compared to some.

 

I carry my m15x around everyday on campus and find no problem with the portability. All my books are online so m15x is my book.

m14x with being under 7lb would be great for portability. Its no Toshiba Portege 800 series but easily a acceptable weight.

If you want something that has a bigger screen size than the m11x I would go with the m15x. Base system should outperform it by a noticeable margin.

 

The M14x while thick, is a lot more compact. It's not big at all. It is heavy, but because the width is so small, you don't notice the weight as much.

 

I've actually been working the other direction. I've been looking at getting a laptop for some time. The 14" notebooks I've seen at Best Buy, Costco, etc seem much easier to bring along than anything larger. I am currently on an Asus netbook, so I can't play much of anything right now. I can barely play Plants vs Zombies. Its ok if a laptop is sort of heavy, and I realize that is highly subjective. But at some point, you just have too much stuff you are carrying. Living out of hotels can really suck! I know the 555m isn't real powerful, but I think it will be enough to satisfy. Plus the alienwares are really attractive units. Keyboard backlighting is important to me, and optimus is nice to have.

 

I would say either would be fine now, peformance-wise, for what you want. In two years time however the M11x is probably going to struggle. For this reason alone I'd opt for the M14x.

 

Then the 14x is a great choice for you. I have the 11x and while I love the portability of the system (I mainly use it as a netbook *gasp*), I would enjoy a larger screen.

 

Thanks for the input! I also need to go to the alienware website and see what the return policy is. From the what I've read here, it is really good. If I order an m14x, and find it is too large and want to go with an m11x r3, do they do that?

 

Of course. Please do review the following though, before making your purchase -

Dell Terms of Sale, License Agreements & Policies | Dell

Usually, they are pretty good - they want you to be happy. If you have access to the Dell Member Purchase Program via your employer, school, organization - definitely order via this route.

You can find more details here -
http://www.dell.com/content/segmenter.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=6099

AAA will also get you in if you are an AAA customer/member.

 

DashTrash--I think the key question is what screen size do you want and what will you be doing with this computer? I had the m11x but found its really just a netbook with one crazy fast GPU.

From my experience when I returned my m11x Dell was very helpful and nice about their return policy.

 

I am with AAA, but the discount from my employers epp didn't seem very good. Maybe 5%. I'll check it again later tonight when I have time again. That was using a link the company provides, and a code when you have it in your cart. I haven't actually talked to a rep yet. It sounds like I might be able to get a referral from the forums here. I'll probably call when I get home Wed morning, see what it looks like. I appreciate the help!

 

I think size wise is pretty good (neither too small nor too big) but weight is on higher end. I had the same question myself so I went to BestBuy and found a laptop of similar weight to get the idea of feel and weight. You might want to do the same

 

5% from EPP is actually not that bad. Many only give 2 or 3% off alienware.

 

i think the weight will not be a problem. I used to take dell 1520 everywhere. And the weight is similar to m14x. So m14x will be fine.

 

Thanks for all the prompt and helpful info! I am going to start working on a deal on the m14x. Now I have to decide red or black. I thought I saw a thread on that. One thing I did notice that might be a bummer in high light conditions is the reflectivity of the screen. Usually, those screens look better to me when its dark. I think most of my usage will be in darker conditions, so no real issue. I'm getting excited about joining the alienware club!