What users want in the M18x R2

Hello everyone,

I create this topic to gather what user (or prospective users) wants to find in the future m18x R2.

IN RED what's absolutely needed (Point known to prevent the purchase of m18x)

Evidently no need to say that we always want the best CPU and better GPU configuration. It is obvious and D/AW has been well understood.

I'll update this first post with what you want.

HARDWARE
1) Optimus and/or iGPU/GPU 's(SLI or CF) switch without reboot pain
2) RGB-LED or IPS RGB-LED @ 120Hz 3D screen (Nvidia 3D vision 2 with Light Boost)
3) Bigger screen that fit 16:10 natural ratio at 1920x1200 reolution
4) Matte/Anti glare screen for all type 60Hz and 120Hz (And not a matte paper sticking to add !)
4b) Look at that anti-glare glass : http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/invisible-glass-could-reduce-display-glare-fails-as-food-in-t/
4c) Look at that high-resolution Lotus glass :http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2395434,00.asp#fbid=kLDVIar-dcD
5) No ghost keys when using keyboard (Allow 3 simultaneous key pressed)
6) No flex Keyboard (particularly in the center).
7) 2, 3 or 4 all copper heatsink option for the CPU & GPU
8) 2 THUNDERBOLT port replacing the Displayport and the very OLD VGA ouput.(THB is fully compatible with DP)
9) Only USB3 port and at least 6 port, and located on the left side (because of the problem using the mouse).
10) Better front camera
11) JBL speaker (that apparently sound great better)
12) Easy way to access component (RAM(4 Slots), GPU, CPU)
13) A tray loading optical drive.(No CD stuck and the ability to remove it to put more HDD / SDD )
14) A docking station (with an integrated cooler)
15) Blue-Ray Burner
16) Change the 4 pin jack setup for the fans, they are too fragile.
17) Integrate Fingerprint reader
18) No contact between the screen and the touchpad ring when lid is closed
19) A small LCD screen to view all temperatures, speeds and memory (GPU, CPU, RAM, SSD,...), integrated or external USB version.
20) 4.0 bluetooth
21) HDMI 1.4a and a bit more "firmness" and-Adding a set of features i.e recording
22) Better RAM options, like 4x4Gb 2133Mhz @ 9-9-9-27
23) Optional full-sized keyboard to consume the space occupied by TactX keys.
24) Dedicate button to control the brightness
25) Fn Key or button to set the screen on/off
26) Do an AC connector at 90° so that it's parallel with the laptop.
27) Do the AC connector has a much better clip to avoid unwanted disconnections. (Maybe a slide-lock)
28) Dust filters, easy to remove and wash for a better protection of the hardware.
29) A Firewire port (often used for the effect pedals, or music interface)
30) More Keyboard layout options (wirhour Tactix, without numpas, with mor larger touch, ...)
31) Easy GPUs interchange, by mean of a slot in which we can plug/unplug GPUs. (allow Quadro or similar and CF/SLI 4 Gamers + big upgradability) ( more info here)


COSMETIC & SERVICES
1) Much better (and transparent) manufacturing & pre-sell/packaging testing QC (Quality Control)
2) Total user fan control
3) No dead pixel assurance
4) Control the color LED on the Alienhead on the back.
5) More of the AW stuff done in hardware so there don't need to be 70-90 processes running just for the cosmetics.
6) Capabilities to choose a color only for AWSD (QWERZ version ) and to have a separate colors for function touch like F1 to F4 evidently if it's possible the capabilities to choose the color for each different key would be the top.
7) CPU & GPU Artic Cooling repasting service
8) More color option for the body of the m18x (Lunar, Yellow, ...)


SOFTWARE & Issue to be resolved
1) No more Aero bug (Last OSD update resolve this )
2) OSD more quik to load and stop
3) Do something for the Nvidia Throttling (DEll actually work on it, and there's already a good évolution with the last vbios )
4) Macro keys working 100% of the time
5) No DPC latency
6) No 3D Prototype Overlay


I await your wishes

PLEASE VOTE on IDEASTORM :
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000008ZaWAAU

feel free to use the IdeaStorm vote link where you want (signature, facebook, forums, ...)

 

Macro keys working 100% of the time...

 

I add it, but what's up with maccro Keys ?

 

Matte screen be it 60 or 120Hz /nuff said.
Oh and:
Tray loading optical drive.
No more proprietary chargers!!

Who agrees?

 

Sometime it works and sometime I got an error message, my macro software closes and I must reopen it to get it works.

 

OH YEAAAH Matte screen, ow could I forget that !!

I add your request to the first post

To others do not hesitate to say what you want, even if it is already included in the first post

 

Is that an issue that only you have ?

 

The windows Aero bug fixed

 

#2 for me. the RGB LED screen in the 17x R2was unbeatable and looked absolutely fantastic. But, some of these should be automatically fixed by AW, like #4 and #5.

 

@EtownsFinest
I add it

@3demons
Yes I think like you and now i separate two table of wish, one for "issue" and one for new hardware

 

4 graphics card

 

@Mobius
yes and wheels for transport

 

Wings FTW

 

And an antigrav systems

Don't you think this tread should be sticked on this forum ?

 

Control the color LED on the Alienhead on the back.

 

Add it.

I create a "COSMETIC" table

 

RGB screen at 1920X1200 or hight, and a nuclear Power generator.

 

@Admins,

I think this thread should be pinned in my opinion because I think he has a reason to be easily accessible for those just discovering what the m18x is and on what he needs to improve to approach the perfection and also it allows for a possible Alienware visitors to see what users think and want for the m18x R2.

No ?


Anyway thank you for all the great job doing on this forum.

 

@bumbo2 "1920X1200 or high"
Is that serious ? (Don't really know what's possible and if it's really a good idea on à only 18" screen)

 

Alienware language keyboard , lol.

most important is Aero Bug.

 

RGB matte and glossy screen option(would love the matte one)
3d screen option
JBL speakers(something similar at least)
HD+ camera
Option to change the color of alienhead

 

Free trade-in option for current M18x R1 owners.

 

@BlazeGAj
Can you explain this :
JBL speakers(something similar at least)
HD+ camera

What is JBL speakers ?
What mean HD + camera ? A better front webcam ?

 

no dead pixel, thamn today i discovery two dead pixel on my m18x!

 

Aero Bug fixed

 

hexa sli/xfire graphic gpus each with 3 gb of memory

 

Dell XPS 15 has JBL speakers and they are awesome. Best ones in a laptop. Shoould put something similar quality in M18x. Especially with that sub-woofer it will soound amazing.(Although nothing compares to external speakers but thats to be expected)


Ignore the camera bit. I guess I was going for a better megapixel camera. Although it's not really that important comapred to screen and audio quality.

 

The screen would be the biggie. I don't really care if it gets an antiglare coating or not, or if it's 60Hz or 120Hz (although they might as well offer a 120Hz 3D capable screen since this thing has the top GPUs you can get in a notebook so having that hardware capability without the screen to use it IS kind of dumb), I just want a REAL RGB LED screen with ~90% gamut or so.

I'd want a real keyboard. Not the lightweight thin plastic junk we have now. The old Dell laptops had a better quality keyboard than this. Heck, I think a lot of laptops that had tapered keys had a better keyboard than this. I want real square keys. Full size keys too. Not chiclets, ever. Use the extra quarter inch of space around the keyboard to make it full size instead of the 90-95% size it is now. I feel ridiculous owning a notebook that is this big that has such a cramped keyboard.

I want at least SIX USB 3.0 ports. don't even bother making any of them USB 2.0 anymore. Two on each side and two in back, though eight ports total with four in back would be even better.

I want Ivy Bridge CPUs, and preferably Kepler GPUs (though it's looking like the 600M series will just be the third gen Fermis) I suppose I could live with 660M/670M/680M options even if they are third gen Fermi. And yeah, fix the dang Optimus if you're going to offer it. Don't make me have to reboot just to switch back to the graphics card when I never told the thing to shut off the GPU and go to integrated graphics in the first place.

I'd also like to see more of the AW stuff done in hardware so there don't need to be 70-90 processes running just for the cosmetics.

 

Ok I add :
JBL speaker (that apparently sound great better)
better front camera
no dead pixel assurance
Only USB3 port and at least 6 port.
Add more details on the keyboard line
more of the AW stuff done in hardware so there don't need to be 70-90 processes running just for the cosmetics.

Thank you all for detailed wish

More we just ask what's important more the impact of these thread is better.

Wish you that I set a red color on what's the absolute need things ?

 

Please add lightning around USB connecters - especially when using in low light room cannot plug in USB device without using a torch !

 

@notebear
buy an usb led light

 

@Anentropik
Can work, but then you use one usb port - maybe my eyesight is just not the best...

 

I would like get a better keyboard, G73-like ^_^ I don't like so much the Alienware style.

 

Boo .

 

Ditto. That sums it up for me.

 

"I would like get a better keyboard, G73-like ^_^ I don't like so much the Alienware style."

-1 rep....

 

I removed the part concerning the "G73" Keyboard because more people don't want that.

continue to give your wish here

I continue to ask Administrator (never answer here) to pin this thread on the top of the forum (for reason evocate in previous post)

 

Easier way to replace ram without remove keyboard , I dislike current R1's ram where it installed , sometimes the panel around keyboard might break easily when you remove it.

 

Or mor simply give a better way to remove keyboard

But I think that's is a part of Dellienware to make money and they probably like to make a difficult access to the RAM .

I add that

 

I like the keyboard. It's actually one of my favorite keyboards I've ever used....

I would like the disassembly process to be easier, particularly the lifting the palm rest/keyboard frame... thing. Is there some special tool I should be using?

 

Maybe rob a feature or two from the new razorblade. Not really a fan of the "thin" thing, at least not in forsaking performance, but that LCD / touchpad thing looks cool, like it should be an Alienware thing. Also the fact that it is on the right of the keyboard rather than center bottom seems like it would make the touchpad alot more useable (sorry lefties, don't really care about you).

 

Hum i totally dislike the "LCD / touchpad", I will never look the keyboard when i'm playing and it also get away the numpad that i need.

I think also that there's enough light on the keyboard it can probably be annoying in the dark.

Also imagine that each application have to support this features and i'm pretty sure that this feature will not be so much supported.


Anyway thank your for posting your wish here.

 

I color in red in the first post, what i think is absolutely needed.

 

Now that's mean, lol.
While i like it on the right i wouldn't give away the numpad for that.

Nobody for a tray loading optical drive?

 

@KAtalan_2003
Can you explain why a tray loading optical drive is better ?

 

Well, for one you don't have to take everything apart including your slot loading optical drive if a CD get's stuck inside since you have the pin hole to open the tray and free the CD.
And second try to convince a slot loading optical drive to have a small CD, some accessories come with a small driver CD and when your laptop is everything you have then you're stuck.
So i'd say tray loading OD > slot loading OD

 

Personally i'd rather have a larger drive bay for expansion with no ODD (I suspect removing the ODD entirely and adjusting the chassis to match would allow room for 4 internal drives)

Man.. 4x 256GB Vertex 3 Max IOPS or (equivalently fast SSD solution at the time of it's availability), drool I've only used my ODD to install stuff, I suppose if I had a blu-ray drive I might use it more (doubt it) - but for the installation I could easily mount things on the network from another machine or buy an external ODD w/eSATA or USB connection.. and keep it stuffed in a bag/drawer for the rare times I would need to use it. While the 4xSSD RAID0 would be amazing at all times Sadly, I think it would be approaching bus speed limitations at >2GB/s..

 

keep slot load drive but make it easier to get disc out if it gets stuck. make it so you just take bottom cover off then take additional panel off slot drive to get to disc.

Second and an absolute must before I will buy a M18x (I really want one extremely bad)any revision is a lcd on par with or better then the M17x R2's RGB. The high level color fidelity is addicting.

 

OK I add it

But I think a tray loading optical drive, have to take more place and perhaps it make the m18x more thicker. I also appreciate the fact that the bay doesn't open when I take the laptop (that happen often when I carry my old laptop)

But no CD stock inside and a capability to set more HDD/SSD are very nice idea !

Thank you for great comments.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT materials. M18x is supposed to be TOP of the line. I don't see why usage of carbon fibre was taken into consideration...

It'll be nice to see the return of Lunar Silver. More color options would be nice..