If you could change one thing about the M17x, what would it be?

If you could change one thing about the M17x, what would it be and why? Personally I would add another RAM slot. I know lots of people say even 8GB is excessive, much less 12GB, but other systems offer 3 slots, and Alienware is supposed to be the best. Also in my "profession" lots of RAM is a high priority, and portability is a must so we can't use desktops.

 

I would make the entire chasis metal and get rid of the plastic palm rest. I'd also get rid of the capacitive buttons and replace them with true buttons that have LED lighting around them (so alienfx still looks nice) and have them placed up front like the M1710 had. Last, I'd make the touchpad smooth and functionally better than we have now.

 

Except volume. Use a scroll wheel, and have a mute button.

 

Haha, well one thing is not enough for me

But if I could change one thing, I would probably change the trackpad, and make it out of glass (like Macbook Pros) + multitouch!

 

Multitouch FTW!!! While they're at it, why not make the screen multitouch, and 3D?

 

make it flipable 1 more time to make it more portable

 

smooth out the right and left side of the keyboard, the chassis digs in to my wrist.

 

I miss the logitech LCD from my m1730 I wish I had that back sometimes even if I did just user the clock and timer, I found myself using it alot before.

 

More metal (at least the palmrest), better touchpad, fix/improve the touch sensitive keys.

 

Metal palm rest, better touchpad, better speakers, and none of that capacitive button nonsense.

 

Production date......................
On serious note, +1 on the chassis, my wrist hurts after a bit of use. Is it possible to keep 3 fan and keep the noise down? I wake up my whole family when I'm gaming at night time. and +1 on the touchpads for the buttons. I keep cleaning it after using it once b/c it leaves my finger print.

 

Wow aikimox way to steal my thunder

 

Better speakers? Lol, do you want a 9+1 in there?

 

Hmm, that is a tough one. The problem is that there are so many things I would want to change, such as:

- Make a full metal chassis, all around.
- Make a good, large touchpad for mobile use.
- Include an IGP on the motherboard (such as the GMA 4500 in the M11x) for low power use
- Add a Logitech LCD like on the G15 series, as was on the M1730
- Add 6 G-keys on the left side of the keyboard to make use of the extra bit of space
- Make the heatsinks much longer and a little thinner in an attempt to provide better cooling while making the laptop thinner overall
- Add in a power supply that can actually fully supply power to the laptop, with quite a bit extra as well for overclocking/turboboost (say, in total, something like 300W)

And now the start of the 'fantasy' improvements that would likely never happen.

- Add in a Bose high end speaker system including subwoofer as an optional (and likely expensive) extra

- Create a new MXM standard capable of outputting 125W, with two on the board, and a new ATi mobility card that actually has 1600 shaders to make use of that. (Obviously, this would need very, very large heatsinks)

- Create a set of new, very powerful fans capable of very high RPM while remaining fairly quiet.

- Make use of a bit of extra space behind the screen to add in two 940x1200 panels that slide out left and right, with a bezelless eyefinity capability between the three screens


If it was down to me, I'd probably add in the 'eyefinity' feature suggested above, to make the first ever laptop with an eyefinity display built in.

 

Dual slide out 1200P RGB LED screens.

 

I've basically suggested that already.

The problem is I doubt you could fit an extra full size screen in there. But because of the 'angle' used in the design, I reckon two 940x1200 screens could fit in there and slide out (along with the left and right bezels for bezel-less eyefinity). Basically, it'd become like a two 1200P screen eyefinity display.

 

I don't like your idea of two 940x1200 screens. Ever since I saw the Kohjinsha 10.1" laptop at the beginning of the year, with the dual slide out screens, it's been one thing I've really wanted to see on a high end gaming laptop. Designed just like that but 17" 16:10 1200P RGB LED with little to no bezel in the middle.

 

1) All metal
2) Have the touch sensitive buttons more responsive
3) Lazersharks hovering my laptop zapping all the dust that sits down on my laptop

 

I would change the price down by $500 or so ^_~

 

I would add in a third HDD bay. Then I can run SSD RAID 0, and have a large storage drive. Say 640GB or 750GB. Can this be accomplied by pulling out the optical drive like the M15x?

 

More Power!! Muahahaha!!!!!

 

Open up the bios more like a desktop system board.

 

I would have liked to see a 3rd Hard Drive bay (i'm a storage junky)

I would also have liked the heat sinks to be solid copper instead of copper/aluminum (though i might have a fab shop remedy this for me)

I would also vote for the all metal chassis... though the way it is now is fine, all metal would be better.

 

I'd go for a higher resolutuon screen in the cheapest config (1600*900) for people like me who don't want to pay €250 (for the full hd rgb led) more just to get a decent screen.
I'd also like them to get rid of the glass screen cover, it can't be that hard to make a screen matte and still make the entire thing look good...

 

I am still looking for a solution to this problem. I have been putting a cloth over the chunk of aluminum as a stop gap. It really does feel horrible having a piece of metal digging into your wrist. The right side of the keyboard isn't the problem for me just the left. My watch sits right on top of the chunk of aluminum that is raised above the palm rest. I have to take my watch off to avoid scratching either the watch or alumimun.

The next thing I would change is that rediculous honeycomb touch 'bad' (pad) that feels like sandpaper.

Also I think Alienware should stop focusing on wallpaper and avatars and make some serious inroads in gaming. I am surprised no one has come out with a 3'd lap top.

As far as display goes I think a 17" with a hinged left and right panel that would create a wide angel display.

I really like the original Alien themed laptops that had the skin. The new design is great but it looks more like a mustang car than an alien computer. For inspriation that is exactly what they did, go to Detroit and look at cars and motorcylcles. I get that the design was to look muscle but I no longer get the Alien look. What they did was combine features of XPS and Alienware into a new style. Don't get me wrong I love the look of the m17x would just like it better if it was more ALIEN than Detroit. I think they should have gone to Sci Fi movies for inspiration rather than a failing automotive industry for inspiration. Perhaps they could offer customers a choice of skins?

I would also spin Alienware off as a separate company and allow it to thrive as a boutique brand rather than just another Dell line. I guess what I am trying to say here is that the flagship m17x and the brand are becomming too main streem and too mass produced.

 

If I was only allowed to change one thing about the system, it would be a longer cord from the power supply brick to the system. It should have been a minimum of 72" to start with.

If I was on the team for the next redesign, I would elaborate on previous comments & add a few of my own (in no particular order):

• If the m6400 & m6500 Precision Mobile Workstations can have 4 RAM slots, then the M17x should have them too.
• Quieter fans.
• Rubber bumpers on the touchpad to be thicker & moved onto the glass. I despise having to clean the screen daily because my wasd keys transfer a little oil onto it & my wife says they are in her way when gaming.
• A low power integrated graphics capability for the R2 also.
• An always working capacitive strip or replaced with buttons, preferrably returned to the front bezel location of the older 17" Dell notebooks.
• A multi-touch screen option, preferably with a tablet styled flip option.
• Rounded edges on the front or the middle bezel running across the speakers too, from corner to corner... especially the aluminum. Those corners really dig into my wrist after a multi-hour gaming session.
• Remove or widen the point on the front of the base so it will fit on a notebook tray better.
• More metal, less plastic.
• An option for better sound quality & controls (like the JBL audio now on some of the Studio series notebooks), including 3 additional speakers above the touch strip or above the screen & an internal subwoofer for built-in 5.1 audio.
• Independent colors for each of the alien heads, PLUS an alternate color for the eyes. (Example: green head, red eyes)
• More color options for the aluminum... especially another color shifting paint job like the Aurora mALX.
• Bring back a skullcap design option for the back of the screen, preferably with LEDs too.

 

Oh yeah if we are asking for dream things to change... a nice 120hz/240hz panel would rock.

 

I agree on the metal palm rest, the Apple-like touchpad, and integrated graphics.

A little thing: the battery indicator LEDs that are on the bottom of the laptop should be moved to somewhere more visible. Perhaps replace that useless Stealth mode button with a battery meter. And bring back a finger print reader like the M17.

 

I agree about the three hard drives. Make them able to fit 12.5mm drives so I can put two 1TB drives in and a SSD. An SSD and 2TB of storage in a laptop would be killer. Also fill all the empty spaces with helium to lessen weight (JK, that would make no noticeable difference) I love the tri-screen idea, especially if it was bezel-less. I think a liquid cooling option would be cool, but it would increase weight. And add a 256-bit RSA encryption chip.

 

I'm thinking of removing the blu-ray drive and replacing it with a caddy and a 1TB HDD, or maybe a 750GB on my R2. SSD RAID 0 + 1TB

 

Lol. These are all nice suggestions but I think we are getting into the realm of "What would you change in the M17x-R10 in 2015?"

 

We can wait 5 years. But sooner is better.

 

Why wait until 2015?
Doesn't your R2 show up in your system control panel as a M17X10 now?

 

I also want some USB 3.0 ports. Lots of them too. And an a special Alienport that transfers at 25TB a second.

 

i want a touch screen led panel so that i can get 100% headshots using the stylus in fpses

 

if i could change one thing about the m17x, it would have to be PRICE

 

If you open up the hard drive case it's stuffed with $100 bills. This only works on disk drives.

 

4 x DIMM Slots

Trash the Slot Drive and make it a Tray Load

Better Touch Pad

 

YES!!!! I would love that. I don't like slot loaders.

 

I would change how the headphone jack is on the right side. When I plug something in, and my mousepad is next to it, it restricts my movement.

 

It's funny because I love slot loaders. Tray loaders are so annoying and old tech... Slot is better, no broken trays while travelling...

 

If I could change one thing about the M17x, I would make it universally upgradeable(like desktop pcs). nomatter what mobile motherboard was out, you could simply swap out motherboard and componets and continue to use it and thus making truely futre proof.

 

- Battery Life

- Bass... must have bass

- 18" screen

 

Agreed, I hate tray loading laptops. Plus it takes away from the uniform look of the design.

 

I had 10x more issues with Slot Loaders, and I never had a CD/DVD destroyed by a Tray Drive

 

size and weight - make it an inch thinner and 5 lbs lighter... like the g73.

 

I've never once had a problem with a slot loading device. And if it failed, I'd just replace it, no big deal.

 

I had 4 changed in 2 years, and had 3 DVDs including one OS disk destroyed.

 

I would make mine not freeze whenever I plug it in/unplug it. Also, I would make the screen come back on after i close the lid. You know. Little stuff. Also, I would make the edges where your arms come over when you type less sharp. Those things hurt after a while. Trackpad is meh. Besides that I love it!

 

Trays... loaders....

But I ask you where is the Borg Edition skin...