Yet Another AlienWare Tech Call

I won't lie - after reading the horror tech stories, like everyone else, I was hoping that I would never have to go through that. The day I received my machine though, the DVD drive wasn't working. Finally tonight, I had the time to call them up. The man on the line was able to "fix" my DVD drive - that is, just eject my Windows DVD because it was stuck in there and not Windows nor the Alienware media buttons were able to eject it. He asked me to remove the battery, unplug the power from the computer and hold the power button for 1 minute to reset the power something in the motherboard (Never heard of this technique, but it freed my DVD!)

So what did this do for me?

• Windows will NEVER load without a DVD in the drive.
• Startup Repair is busted. I select the option and it will bring me back to the same menu nonstop.
• With a DVD inserted, Windows Explorer consistently crashes on startup and any attempt to open My Computer.
• AlienWare OnScreen Display crashes whenever I push the Eject button.
• Did I mention that my DVD is stuck again?

The technician is coming on Friday. I hope to hell that I'm not plagued with the hardware replacement issues other people are currently suffering, but seeing Dell's pitching record, I bet I'm going to strike out. Till then, time to backup everything!

For anyone out there who is considering buying a m17x R3 and is hesitating because of issue topics, don't let this affect your decision. Trust me when I say the performance is insane and the build quality is beautiful. I plan on writing a review while I have the free time.