M11x Hinge/Screen touching Keyboard Discussion (R1 & R2)

Dell won't do anything about this issue. in order to fix a design flow like this, you will either need to completely redesign the hinges or use a different material for the case/LCD. Either way it is not likely to happen and too expensive to do, might as well just do a whole new line of laptops or something or a new m11x model, R3 maybe?

If i had known about this, i would have not bought mine knowing that i will have to send it for repairs every 6 months or so.

Btw i have asked this before. The hinges post of the old area-51 m15X was a sticky. Why this one is not sticky? This is important information for new buyers to be aware...

 

Good Question. Perhaps should PM a Mod

 

I have a couple questions, sorry if they've been asked, I'm not going through 500 posts on my iPhone.

1st, are the hinge problems noticible right off the bat? I've only spent about 30 minutes with my system, but after my initial inspection, I found now visual flaws, and no noises or pops.

2nd, does Dell take back full returns within the first year normal warranty? I'd rather just return it and order a new one every time than deal with the hassle of dealing with service techs, or the risk of getting a refurb unit.

 

1. Nope, nothing will seem wrong at first. A lot of us have had the hinge starting to squeak after like 30-60 days. It seems like total breakage comes after like six months.

2. Nope, the full-return policy ends in 21 days, IIRC (something under a month, anyway).

 

1st, in most cases the problem developed over time. From a few weeks to 3-4 months or more.

2nd, Dell will only accept a return if you are within the return period for the country where you reside. 30 days in Canada and 21 days in the US, not sure about other countries. After that they will repair your system as many times as it takes until your warranty expires. They may eventually exchange it altogether after they have fixed it a few times, your mileage may vary on this as it is to their discretion.

 

correct +10char

 

It's actually a pretty simple swap out if you can get them to just send you the screen!

 

Yeah I'll ask to do the swap myself - that wasn't my concern. My concern was that the problem will develop on the new one as well, since it's a build problem.

I'll have to think if there's any way of reinforcing the hinge system without actually voiding the warranty.

 

has anyone here NOT had any problems with hinges- say over 3 months? I'm just trying to get a better idea of the extent of this issue because it is alarming if Every single M11x has had this issue. It would also be hard to belief that dell will continue to tolerate every single M11x being sold then sent for repair within to next few months. R the problems only related to M11x models produced earlier on?

thx

 

So basically when I get my m11x today I should open and close the lid a billion times, to replicate 6 months worth of opening/closing, and if the hinges break just get a refund and buy something worth while?

 

Since the hinge issue is a problem that develops with time and the M11x has less than one year in the market, it is hard to know if all machines have or will have this problem. I particularly don't think so, but I do think that this problem is affecting a more than tolerable number of machines (more than what could be classified as random rare cases). What we know so far is that:

- Some people with old machines (some with machines from february) don't have any problem (at least not yet, hopefully never).

- Some people with new machines (some with machines from july) have at least noisy hinges.

- Some people with noisy hinges don't present faulty hinges (at least not yet, hopefully never).

- Noisy hinges with gap between the plastics covering it are a red flag.

- This problem can affect both R1 and R2 models.

- Alienware/Dell is aware of the complaints and is changing whole screens under warranty, but so far not a word regarding recalls or solutions. Not a word about the number of machines with faulty hinges either.

So, it is hard to figure out much... The only (sad and lame) conclusion is to reserve some money for extended warranty or... cross fingers, I guess.

 

In regards to my most recent failure seen here - http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/5156/081010004001.jpg - I like to directly attribute it to the tech, cheers though, i called yesterday about this time and had it replaced today already =D - As he was working through it he noticed he forgot to put a screw in which ultimately caused it to fail, new screen working properly opens and closes with no rubs!

 

I am thinking whether I should get a replacement? My hinge touching the keyboard.

 

Most do touch the keyboard, so getting a replacement screen won't necessarily fix it. And given that most do it, I don't know if Dell even considers it faulty.

 

Just got mine. So the hinges seem okay. Screen touches the keyboard around the WASD keys which are kind of bowed upwards, I guess the keyboard is warped. Might be why the led lights don't shine through with an even brightness throughout the keyboard. Not impressed with the poor build quality but this ulv i7 is pretty fast, surprised me.

 

The keyboard isn't warped (not bent permanently, I mean); there just isn't a screw in the back to hold it down on the left side, so that side sticks up higher. The lack of evenness of the LED lighting is integral to the design (unfortunately), not an issue relating to the wave in the keyboard.

 

Hey, I just notice there is finger print and water mark on my screen, what does yours look like?

 

So I just got mine yesterday and was extremely pleased with it until I noticed a few things. The hinges were misaligned and the monitor was twice as far away from the keyboard on the right side as the left side. The keyboard was noticeably higher on the left side than the right side. Felt like running my fingers up and down a hill. Last issue was that one USB port was very loose. A flash drive plugged in would be wiggling around causing it to constantly disconnect and reconnect. So sad I waited what felt like an eternity for this

I did call support though and they're going to send me another one to replace this. Hopefully won't be as bad a build.

 

I'm getting a tech round to switch my keyboard, hopefully it won't be bowed after that. I don't like the way the most important keys for playing FPS games are all squidgy :/

 

It most definitely will be bowed still. There is no screw on the left side to hold it down, while there are two on the right side. It will take a design change to fix the problem, not a keyboard replacement.

 

Do you know why there isn't a screw to hold the left side of the keyboard? is there some hardware component that's blocking?

 

It's been awhile since I took it apart, so I can't picture it precisely if things are in the way, but the fan, heatsink, and motherboard are on the side without screws (scroll to 6:00 in this video to see what's there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeqQQU_PWRg).

When I took it apart, I considered ways to run a screw through, but ultimately I decided not to try anything because the keyboard's back is sealed in plastic to prevent modest amounts of spilled liquid from reaching the motherboard, and having had that save me in the past, I didn't want to poke a screw through it, since that would effectively ruin it.

 

This thread has pics of the setup some pages back.

 

How about a small yet strongly adhesive piece of double sided tape?

 

I think the super thin 3m stuff would work. Easy enough to try it for those having a problem.

After a service visit my left side was sticking up. I thought it was some "M11x" curse after reading the forum(s) but as it turns out the tech had not seated the left side of kb properly. First glance it looked ok but after a short while it got worse and I checked properly. All better now.

To defend the tech he was very careful and other than the kb did a great job.

 

The CPU and GPU components are directly below that area of the keyboard. There's really no way to run a screw.

 

[off topic rant]

So after much thinking I decided I could not, would not deal with Dell again. The lack of customer care shown by their complete silence on the hinge issue is really telling of how much they value customers. Alienware is supposed to be a top brand yet Dell sems intent on assimilating it and handling it not much better than their Inspiron line (no offence to Inspiron owners intended)

The latest Vocalabs Customer Service Survey shows an overall satisfaction level of 42% for Dell...

Apple's lead over Dell, HP in tech support grows larger | Electronista

I cannot keep the M11x as it is only a matter of time before the hinges breakdown which will results in having to call Dell. On top of that I would have to give Dell hundreds of $ (that's not going to happen) for an extended warranty just to make sure the unit is covered when the hinges break.

The M11x is going on sale a soon as my new system is configured. I decided to go with a 13" Macbook Pro, yes the GPU is weaker but in the end that's not a show stopper for me.

[/off topic rant]


I've seen quite a few posts in the last couple of pages about fixing your hinges. Any modifications to your hinge support system will void your warranty. If your hinges breakdown your best option is to call Dell as they will fix your system while under warranty. Since the M11x only went on sale in February most systems should still be covered by the default 1 year warranty.

 

i'm not surprised that Apple is rated top for customer service. Heck, they are willing to fix my limping mac that is out of warranty for free because it's a "known" issue.

 

Yeah, it is horrible the feeling that you can have a problem at any moment. How is your hinges right now? Very bad? If not (yet...), maybe you should just wait and live one year with that and get something better later. In one year, after dell/alienware warranty is over, you will be able to get an apple with improved specifications.

Because of fragile easy-to-break designes, I stopped buying Sony.
Because of hinge problems + poor customer service, I stopped buying Lenovo.
This is my first Dell... any problem and I will go with Asus or HP... I am running out of options here

I don't really like Apple because they are too much exclusivist for me.
(and I like screws! )

 

The hinges on my M11x are fine at this time. The lid must not have been closed more than 10 times... Better to sell it now and maximize how much I can get back. The Macbook pro is already purchased, got it yesterday from the Aple sore.

There's 10 screws under the new macbook pro...

 

@Rhodan,

Even though I'm not a big fan of Apple, Macbook Pro 13 is my alternative as well. It just seems that for a portable laptop (11"-13") Apple has by far the most normal build quality. Everything else I have seen just plain sucks compared to MBP13. I'm not a fan of their OSX either (sigh...) but again... I'd prefer my laptop in 1 piece after few months of usage.

The super-reflective screen that I shave myself in front of I can handle, cleaning the grease every time I open the screen I can sort of handle as well... but laptop falling apart every 4 months ... uh! But if I'll have to take it apart every 4-5 months and replace the entire screen myself (even tho I AM PAYING for the warranty), it makes absolutely no sense. If I get pissed off enough I'll do the same as you.

 

The problem again is the plastic backing. It's only sealed at the edges, so it can pull away from the keyboard anywhere else; i.e., it's not tight against the keyboard. Pressing tape to it where it should be will just pull it away from the keyboard. One would need to take it off to use double-sided tape. If removing the plastic is not a concern for you and the tape is strong enough, it should work.

 

good call corwinicre

As for Mac warranty/service - it hasnt always been so well recvd. Ditto for just about anyone. This Dell/AW hinge thing is crazy though

 

Does your guy's R2s have these rubber stoppers? If so do they keep your screen from contacting your keyboard? Just got mine today so its all new!
http://i34.tinypic.com/dwasud.jpg

 

Yes, all M11x's have just the one pair of bumpers.

The fact that the hinge and LCD panel sits so low in the back prevents rear bumpers from being used. That, coupled with the tendency for the WEASD key area tending to be raised in a lot of cases, leads to a much greater than zero chance that you're going to have keys contacting the screen.

On another note, it would appear that the right edge of your M11x is warped a bit. Perhaps it's only the depth of field and the slightly out of focus aspects in the photo you took that makes it look that way, but to me it looks like the gap between top and side looks uneven. It should be /very/ uniform.

 

ya know slickie, you're absolutely right! It is raised and when I press it it it gives a plastic clicking sound.

What should I do? I didn't notice it until now but it is definitely not flush, the other side (left) is.

 

i nominate slikie for hinge problem correspondent

 

Forget that! start a lawsuit.

Headlines : "Customer forced to buy extended accidental warranty for piece of mind "- According to resources, Dell fails to recall Alienware laptops on falty hinge issues.

I mean .. comon!.. how many pages and pages and months is this going to keep going?

Lawsuit!

Dell/Alienware had plenty of time to deal with this issue.. get it over with!. who cares.

The way laptops are comming out..

The Envy 14 looked very nice. ( not comparing ) but it's up to par with looks.. and quality of case and monitor. It is modern.
Why the issues with ' the best ' Alienware? Ok they got there looks.. but why not fess up?

Sue them.. get it going. enough is enough.

Better Business Bureu.. post it in the forms.. and let others know what BBB file number you started.. so they can add to it.. Force Dell to be responsible..

Take controll of your lives or they will controll your life.

 

There are clips that run along that edge. When you're replacing the palm rest plate it's simply a matter of pressing down to pop them in. It should /not/ take a lot of force. If that doesn't feel like it's going to work, and you're not comfortable attempting to tear the unit down to see what's wrong the, I'd recommend contacting Dell. Photo's always help them to understand.

 

Do you even own an M11x?

 

Sad to see no comments from Alienware yet.

BTW, we should stop blaming Dell for this - this is an Alienware machine, their reputation is the one on the line.

FWIW, my m11x began making very quiet popping noises when moving the screen, I wonder if it will get worse.

 

It's been over a month since the last time someone from Dell posted in this thread... That's beyond sad. Dell has no incentive to come forward with this. If they admit to having put a fix in place then everyone will want a replacement and potentially less people will purchase an extended warranty. By maintaining silence they stop people from asking for a replacement until the part is broken and leave them little choice but to purchase an extended warranty even though the issue may have been corrected. Come on, this is the company that is being sued for allegedly selling over 11 million faulty PCs...

Alienware is just another laptop line owned by Dell. Dell is fully responsible for the current issue.

Wow, that was my 1000 post.

 

Like I said in one post.. It will end up in mediation where they (Dell ) will end up paying out pennies on the dollar.

The first persons to act win.

Reputition is where it is like a kick in the nads. Lawyers and mediation is just daily routine with these people. That is part of business.

I just think, they need to specifically change it where it automatically comes FREE 2 year accidental coverage ( If one is saying , dell will cover the hinge providing there is no evidence of it being dropped ) well there are tuns of posts of people saying after xx amount of days, this issue happens.. Even on Dells website.. just after the return policy they had an issue and couldnt get any resolution due to ' normal wear and tear '.

 

agggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

My replacement arrrived a couple of hours after they took my old one away today. Great I thought not without laptop for anytime but.......
Its worse than the first one!. I am so angry its hard to put into words. Surely if someone returned their laptop with a problem a note would pop up in the manufacturing plant in China to say make sure the replacement is A ok not just to send another standard production line one.
I see a lot of talk of people doing there own home repairs as obviously some of you are pretty tech savvy...I aint.
I paid for a premium laptop and got rubbish. I dont expect to have to take it apart to fix it myself.
My affair with the M11x R2 is over and I am going to be demanding a full refund. Its plain to see it has been badly designed.
Photos attached.
Now to give someone at Alienware a call and give some one the riot act

Rant over

 

OMG!
i thought that alienware was a high quality laptops like apple... i`m importing it here to Brazil... so i will not have support for it

 

They are, it's just that the Alienware Dev team didn't think that the hinges would be an issue. :/

 

Yah .. I have spent about a month reading issues with these Alienware laptops.

What gets me.. Every laptop will have some issue.

BUT!,

It still is not resolved.. It is a poor quality issue..
I am going to another brand..

Look at the photos.. Look right above the heat vent.. how the lower half of that hinge looks distorted.. There is obviously a stress issue there.

Plastic molding does not look like that.

Ask then for compensation for being a Beta tester for there product.

This is a BAD investment if you are not severly computer savy, somewhat of a mechanic on electrical devices, to fix the issues that are in this M11x yourself if you wish to do so. ( and void your warranty )

Not to mention have the time in your life ( maybe retired ) to deal with these issues .. reading up on M11x complaints and GREAT User resolutions, takes a LOT of time for you to fix yourself. THEN Dell puts forth updates or what not.. if ever done.

 

Deep down I dont really want a refund!. I have spent over £100 on mouse/external DVD/carry case etc. I just wanted both M11x's to be in good order when they arrived. I like lots about it but I cannot get over the fact I have been sent 2 with the same problem, and its a problem that is routed in the design of the machine.

 

I know what you mean.. Unfortunatly you will continue to do so.. Read the over 150 posts on the matter.. they still have issues..

I was going to ask one person if the second unit was the same constrution.. IE the photos they put on this website of what it looks like broken.. but seeing you sent yours out and got a new one with worse issues.. then they are just sending out another box of the same batch..

I thought they would have simply constructed a new case for the weak area of the three nubs holding that the one side of the hinge metal support screws into.

Again, it looks like they just sent you another defected batch.

They aren't going to change this.. it is over seas.. they probably have container ships of these models that they will just send out as a replacement.

It is also interesting that right over the heat vent is the distorted plastic case for the hinge.

 

very pinky