What users want in the M18x R2

So what's the point in carrying the laptop with you if you're not going to get a battery?
As for the cooling part i doubt it will make a difference.

 

Y'know what I'd like to see on the M18x: dust filters.

It seems rediculous that laptops don't have these that you can remove when you're not using the machine, hand-wash the dust out of them, and then put back on to protect the grilles from attracting particles. At the very least they should also sell spares of these so people can swap them out. Earlier this week I had a maintenance callout to fix some components and there was some sheen of dust inside; every month I hoover the grilles to get rid of most of it, but filters would stop any getting in at all and protect laptops for years...

Again, make it with the M18x as a test, before making them for all Dell/Alienware laptops.

 

@Hyncharas
Excellent Idea ! I addit
28) Dust filters, easy to remove and wash for a better protection of the hardware.

@katalin_2003
If I carry my laptop I don't use it when I'm in movement, so I plugg it where I go and for that I don't have to carry à huge and Heavy batteries.

 

@Anentropik
You may want to have the filters somewhere higher near the top. I doubt it would be really expensive for Alienware to add them to the M18x R2.

The only caveat of my idea is the shell-template would have to be altered to prevent them looking out of place, as they would be panels that clipped on via latch-points surrounding the exhaust and GPU grilles. As a result, they would be incompatible with the R1 chassis that doesn't have any points like that...

I suppose Dell could offer a "shell-replacement" as part of the warranty, however, if people were prepared to pay to have the changeover performed on their equipment. That would probably only cost £50.

 

Some one may have already said this, and if so please forgive me, but as goofy as it sounds the ability to change the light color of the frigin alien head on the lid.

 

Filters arent that good of an idea since you are severly restricting airflow causing the notebook to overheat. It might work if Dell added stronger fans that can suck/push (depends on where you place the filter) enough air through the filter.

 

Er no, if there are dust filters it means dust stops getting into the machine.

Plenty of Dell/Alienware desktops use them; why should laptop users have to suffer because manufacturers can't be bothered to invent them?

 

Desktops have more, bigger and stronger fans. The notebook fans are small.

You can easly test it just put a thin sock directly in front of the air intake and see what happens. At your own risk!

If you prop up the back of your notebook the temp. drops a little right? Thats how critical and sensitive the airflow is on notebooks.

 

Also desktop fans and the current notebook fans use different ways to push air.

 

I'm not saying a notebook cooler isn't useful - I even use one myself - it's just laptops attract dust magnetically when they're switched on. The option of dust filters provide the ability to allow a cooler to push air in but keep dust out.

Another way to look at it is how the armed forces use laptops like Dell/Alienware in the field; the most common is particulates from sand and similar, dense materials. If people aren't given a choice, how do you know they won't take the option unless they are provided with it?

 

I know the reasson behind it but now your talking about a cooler to push air in.

What we want is the notebook fan to suck enough air in, with the current cooling system it wont work, well it will keep the dust out but does not provide enough airflow to keep the system cool. And if it could the fans would be at full blast all the time.

You need a certain amount of airflow, with a filter you are restricting the airflow because that filter has a certain amount of resistance you have to overcome to keep the system cool so you need bigger/faster or more fans to suck in enough air to keep the system cool.

Another thing is maintenance, how often? Since the filters will be very small the frequentie of changing them will be high. If components got damaged cause of heat due to clogged filters who is responsible?
Like I said put a thin sock in front of the air intake, monitor your temps and fan speed.

I really like the idea but I dont think its doable in such a small formfactor.

My native language is not English so its kinda hard for me to explain.

 

Well the alternative I had to dust filters was pitched on IdeaStorm, but there was mixed interest in that. At the time I didn't know what M18x was going to get connections for, but not having a 5.1 soundcard in it. So I thought about a docking station for Alienware laptops that provided some additional UBS 2.0/3.0 connections, had a built-in Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium and speakers to provide 7.1 and some AlienFX lighting - but what it also had was a thermoreactive cooling system. I even had plans to have HDMI connections as on the M18x to allow support for the smaller laptops.

All Dell/Alienware laptops are the same; expelling hot air from the rear-exhaust vent and the GPU fans as heat is generated by components. Basically the way this works is the air is captured by the docking station via extractors, filling a thin compartment with sealed containers of the compound, while rising heat from the sound system below this is added to the cooling process. Due to the thermoreactive gel, the heat actually creates a chemical reaction and causes them to generate a semi-refrigerated effect underneath the CPU, GPU, the memory rack and hard drive bay. With the cooling system sandwiched in the middle, the resultant effect is the targeted areas are kept cool from the very heat generated after it's been extracted and converted, while any gaming you're performing is output in true 7.1 surround.

Of course now the laptop has connections for a 7.1 headset, but it's still all just an intenal software solution. The "Therliminator" docking station would be designed for the M14x to the M18x and what's demanded by a desktop replacement is proper, hardware-quality sound... they probably won't build that peripheral, either

 

Dear Anentropik and all aliens out there,

May I suggest to add to the list of wishes... a much better training, less 'machine answering' like, of the techs?

Yes, I know: maybe I sound like a naive idealist, but I wanted to reflect on the 'painful experience' of chatting / dealing with the techs that so many are complaining about.

After the example gived in this forum by Dell-Bill_B we can believe that it's possible!

 

I think the quality of their technical support is a separate issue from the R2.

 

Sorry mate but OLED dose not stand for ( Optical Light Emitting Diode) it's actually OLED ( organic light-emitting diode)

OLED - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OLED Components

 

1)Cover glass for the screen seems like a very good ideea. My x7200 screen looks so flimsy without it, and if you press it a bit, you have the feeling its going to break down.

What i would like in the R2, and if wiil have this, it will be my next laptop
1)2560x1600 rez. cmon 1080p is old school now. I want more, i need more. And with the latest gen sli 28nm 100w cards, it will be a piece of cake gaming in this rez
2)120 hz screen. Not necessarily for 3d but because i heard it makes a huge difference. im not a big fan of 3d. But having a 120hz 2560x1600 IPS panel, i think there are very little chances we are going to be offered that.
3)Please add another hdd slot. The laptop its so big it can easily fit 3 even maybe 4 2.5" hdd. Since the x7200 a 17" chasis fits 3, why not fit 4 in the m18x wich is bigger and surpass it all the way. That paiered with 4 time oCz octane 1TB will make one hell of a storage rig.
4)This is very important. With the next ivi bridge cpus, and next gen nvidia, please give us optimus for sli. If you do not play, the sli subsystem is powered down, thus allowing the usage of the laptop plugless for more than 8 hours. This is also good for power consumption when not gaming.

I suppose more could be added, but these should not be to hard to do, and would improve the value tremendously, esspecialy if the m18 r2 chassis would be full metal something mg alloy or something.

 

Not at all my pal... it can be part of it as a welcomed improvement... or is it not?

 

Re-training Dell's support staff, the thousands and thousands of them, is a little bit out there. This thread is about changes specific to the R2. This issue could be brought up in regards to any Dell product. It's out of scope.

 

I have seen many ppl having different keyboard needs.
Some want full size, the hell with the gaming buttons.
Some want gaming buttons as is now.
Some may say those are not enough.
Some would prefer a desktop like layout, i bet.
Some would also prefer the split in 2 model keyboard optimizied for typing.

Obviously you cannot please all of them.
But what if you could ?

Why not make the whole keyboard region replaceble?
One would stick it out, sort of like you stick out a video card out of the pci express slot.
And one you do that you have easy acces beneath to the memory slots and mini pci express ports.

Create in the sticking slot a proprietary port that is connected to the mainboard through a pci express x1 buss and also some more power than it is required for a normal keyboard just so that one can create future keyboards that have some features that would draw more power.

Standardize this ''thing'' that one can take out and change, and offer different options for different user.

Make it a little bit thick, perhaps 1 cm thick or so, so that you have place for future developement.
Thus one could offer.
1)Original m18R1 keyboard
2)Full size keyboard with numpad
3)Keboard with more gaming keys
4)Keyboard optimized for typing split in 2 regions
5)Various types of mechanical keyboards
6)And perhaps as keyboard technology advances, and it gets cheaper, OLED LCDs for each key, that would cary symbols that would change according to need.
FOr instance you could have something like this implemented Optimus Maximus keyboard
where the image on the keys changes according to selected in windows language, or according to specific games.
For instance, the buttons WASD would become arrows in a FPS with only a small W, A,S,D displayed in the corner of the arrow.

Thus you would kill 2 bunnies in one shot.
Allow for open customization of the keyboard, and give easy acces to ram and pci express slots.

ANd since this is a pci express based connection of some sort, one can add on the keyboard space different other things, like mini lcds, or fingerprint sensors, or whatever.

Thus everyone would choose the keyboard according to his needs and his budget of course.

That would definetly be something worth of the alienware name, since no laptop on earth has so far such an option.

Constructive comments are appreciated.

 

@All
Please excuse me for time between my last response and this one, I'm extremely busy.

I just want to say that there's no hierarchy for the wishes in the OP, only red one are really better than the others, after that the number in front of each line is here only to facilitate the reading.


@SOS4DELL
"A much better training, less 'machine answering' like, of the techs?"

Sound great but it's not the concern of m18x R2, perhaps you should put this great Idea on IdeaStorm (I will vote for this !)

@Byatles
Don't forget this is a laptop and there's no need for a capability of upgrade for the 10 next years.

1cm more thick !!! Whoo i think the actual thick is at the max, more it would be à desktop If you can accept 1cm more you just have to buy a desktop keyboard and put it on your laptop, don't you thonk so ?

The Idea about an easy way to switch regional keyboard is great and I think it could go on the line that demand a better access to the under keyboard RAM slot. (I will add it when I get time)

I have to go, see you next time

 

I say these M18x wants are the same for any other laptop maker out there.

 

That is non sense, my friend.
Its like saying there no need to have the gpus via a different card, and it should be built in every mainboard.

But we do have gpus on cards and we can switch them as we like, and we can choose them as we please.

 

@Anentropik
I can understand that people will want to replace a desktop within 2 years, but for a laptop it's downright insane, particularly in the current economic climate. Fortunately the M18x have the options necessary to purchase a modest spec and upgrade as-needed, which is all I'm asking for from a sales standpoint. If the laptop didn't have that already, I probably wouldn't be interested in it.

@Bytales
Anything Razer has showing off the OLED keys is a more up-to-date outlook at what we should expect from such a keyboard; the Optimus Maximus is a dinosaur and shouldn't be referred to again. I'm also not keen on options for dozens of different keysets anyway. A standard backlit, an expanded backlit with macros and then a fully-OLED layout should be what Dell/Alienware should focus on, as these provide the best choices depending on what people require for functionality...

Any further options than those three sound rediculous and hopelessly expensive for effective marketing. If people still aren't satisfied with those choices, they can buy an external keyboard!

 

Dear Anentropik,
As I promised to you in the past (see @ http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/607421-what-users-want-m18x-r2-35.html#post8063261 and http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/607421-what-users-want-m18x-r2-36.html#post8063375 ) I did my best to find the little non-resident program that allow to control the screen brightness... it still works in Windows 7 perfectly: "Change Monitor Brightness using DimScreen Freeware" ( Change Monitor Brightness using DimScreen )

Hope it's good 4 you until Dellienware resolve the issue... ;-)

 

I want an R2 as a replacement for the POS they have me using at the moment <_<

 

dell did solve the issue...it's amd who as to implement it. which they havent yet.

 

speaking of what i want.
all usb 3.0 ports with native 3.0 speeds from bios.
2 of those ports to share with esata 3.0 ports. since esata is still faster than usb 3.0. and it doesn't need drivers to operate from boot.

this should be in red.

 

Agree! ( but not instead of Thunderbolt )

 

of course not!

 

And connected to the actual SATA controller not USB!!

 

Whooo I'm too much busy and I cannot follow this thread correctly,

Can somone compile all the ideas with short sentences for the OP.

Keep in mind that what is in red is only what that can prevent you to purchase an m18x R2.

And I don't want to go too much deeper in specs, the wishes must be much generic as they can.

Thank you all for all your great Idea !

ps: SOS4DELL excellent thank you for the brightness app link !

 

but of course!
usb 3.0 is cool and all, but it's not better than esata. that's for sure.

 

Anyone with an AMD-powered M18x with brightness controls that do not function needs to try this utility. It works! +1 Rep to SOS4DELL... Thanks, buddy.

 

this app works on any computer set up. very nice.

 

Dear Mr. Fox, it is a pleasure (and an honor) to be able to contribute something, even so humble, to the true brilliant minds that populate this forum and from which I learn so much every day. ( But, indeed, the praise should be directed to the author-developer Mr. Nirmal Balachandran, I just surf, hunt-search and found )

 

Mmm (Hyncharas tips his imaginary hat):

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Display- ASUS VG278H

27ins, 1080p resolution, 120Hz, NVidia 3D Vision 2... NVidia LightBoost. Apart from the size, imagine all that in the R2!

 

Great! Then just add a crucial ' matteness' ( or at least antigloss or non-reflective), WQXGA (2560x1600 [ or, if we are already 'there', why not WQUXGA 3840x2400...]), major pixel density much further than 300PPI ( with pixel size @ only 11¼ μm...?), 'back to the (lost) future' with 16:10, and we can still go further into the imaginary hat... until we find... the rabbit!

 

Hate to put a damper on everyones enthusiasm but it seems there will not be an R2. AW will be going back to 17" and possibly 1200p again. If true I'm hoping for ips display and at least dual cards.e

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

 

Are the M18x sales that bad? Outside US they are because the price is 1.5x the US price for starters.

Do you have a source??

 

Sad but not catastrophic... Anyway let's hope they will take in consideration "what the users wants..." in any future model.

...and me too Brutus, hoping for a 1200p RGB-LED/IPS with (at leats) dual cards

 

That would be great, IMHO. But what makes you think that 1200p is coming back?

 

WHHHOOO What for a bad rumour !!!!

Please Bill unconfirm this information

 

There's no official word on this yet so no need to panic

 

So, anyway... any leaks on new aliens landing at the forthcoming CES?

edit: Or is it 'out-of-topic' to ask?

 

False. Point blank. Someone gave you bum scoop, Joker.

Dell does not comment on speculation or unreleased products. However, I will say we have no plans to discontinue the M18x program.

 

THANKS BILL!!! That are good news...

Now, what about "what the users want" in the... next landing alien?

 

That would be up to the Alienware product planners. I work with a different team of planners (CSMB- Vostro, Inspiron, XPS). I just help AW out with external comms because they don't have a role similar to mine staffed and dedicated to their products. I know the AW marketing guys at least are watching this thread and the IdeaStorm post, so they hear you.

 

Thanks for chiming in Bill, I was worried that Dell was gonna drop the m18!

Namaste. I celebrate the place where my code and your systems become one.

 

Thanks again Bill, good to know that 'they' do not have anyone similar to you; so, for the meantime (if you don't mind we anthropomorphize you)... you're their/our 'adopted' alienized-terrestrial...

 

I would imagine discontinuing a flagship model and reverting to a previous one would be a HUGE no-no.....afaik, tech always moves forwards and not backwards.....heck, we will probably have 20" laptops at some point that are ultra light with the same or more "grunt" we see right now with the m18x...

I think the problem or reason behind the current m18x not having an 1200p rgbled is simply down to costing issues as there probably arent many manufacturers of that type of screen. Maybe it was looked at for R1 but for cost issues, was ruled out.

Who knows what may be around the corner.....