M11x purchase advice please

Hi im interested in buying a netbook and i love the looks of the m11x and the fact i could do a bit of portable gaming. I would use it mainly for common tasks but also a bit of gaming and dont mind if not on highest settings.

I have my xps 17 for my main gaming but a 17" machine is not in the slightest portable. I have some questions about the m11x:

1. Are the r1, r2 and r3 models externally identical? (same chasis etc)

2. Which model would you recommend for my needs? Is the r1 still good?

3. Are there any model specific related problems?

4. Are dell outlet models damaged or have been used before? Would you recommend them?

I want one mainly for the looks and portability factor but the price is so high still, i live in rip off britain unfortunately so a r1 is atleast £500 from
the dell outlet. With a core 2 duo su7300, 4gb ram and 320gb hdd. And ive found the same spec on amazon new http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004R9PZ32 good offer? And does it come with 1 year warranty even tho you buy it from amazon?

Greatly appreciate any comments or advice

 

I bought a 'scratch and dent' r3 from Dell Outlet and it came out to $1058 after taxes. The laptop is literally in perfect condition, not one scratch or dent. The only downside is that it didn't come with any accessories other than power adapter and cord. Had I bought it from Dell as a 'new' laptop, it would have cost me $1582 after tax, after $160 savings that Dell is presently advertising. I sold my r2 but I kept the box, original packaging, cloth sleeve, and the spare charger.

Ultimately, it is up you on deciding how much you would like to spend. I went to the r2 because I was in a similar situation as you. I had a Gateway FX 17" gaming laptop and I hated taking it out of the house because it was so heavy.

I would recommend at least getting an i5 r2 because it will utilized a bit longer than the Core 2 Duo if you plan on keeping it long term.

 

The R1, R2 and R3 models all look identical, with the exception that you can get the R1s and R2s in black and silver finish, while the R3s come in black and red soft touch (sort of a rubber feel coating, doesn't attract finger prints like the R1 etc).

I've owned a R1 and R3. R1 has an issue with the hinge design, but Dell has said they will fix that for free. R3 has no real problems, it is just REALLY loud when under load in games.

R1 had the best battery life, but the cpu wasn't quite punchy enough for my liking. R3 fixes that and it will play pretty much any game with varying results, but all together playable.

If you're seriously into gaming, go with an R3. If what you want is a machine that is capable of some gaming, but will mostly just be used as a netbook, go with the R1.

 

Yes i think the r1 would suit my needs and save me some money. Does that amazon deal i posted look ok? And would it still have dells 1 year warranty? As it says its new.

The only thing putting me off the r1 is the fact knowing the hinge will brake even tho dell will fix it when it does. Unless they've already included the new hinge in the latest r1's?

 

Kinda, same basic chassis, but the r1 has a VGA output while the r2 and r3 dont.

 

Thanks for your help guys i think i might just wait and save up for a r3. To bypass the hinge problem, as i simply cant buy a r1/r2 knowing the hinge will break even if dell will fix it.

 

It sounds like a hairdryer!

 

From what I understand, they are identical. I cannot speak for the R3 model (which may have a slightly different hinge design.)

A lot of people ask this question, and for me personally... the M11x really needs the newer Core i processors to shine. While the core2duo is no slouch, there is a difference in performance. If you do light gaming, or don't mind playing games on low settings, the R1 is still a good workhorse. My point is basically: The M11x is an underdog as it is... get the best one you can afford to get the best performance. I personally would save up the extra money and go for an R2 or R3 if you can afford it. The performance of having that better processor is really going to let your M11x shine.

I assume you're talking about the hinge issue that plagued the R1 and some people with R2's. I have an R2 and have had no hinge issues whatsoever. No matter what model you get, if you get a bad hinge Dell seems very willing to fix it quickly (at least that's what they told me when I called)

I'm guessing you're talking about refurbished M11x's ... and of course, this is an issue that people feel very passionately about. It's really a mix, you never know why the laptop was refurbished in the first place. You don't know if grandma bought one and decided it was too flashy for web browsing, or if little timmy overclocked the jesus out of it and burned out components. Regardless, Dell reconditions the thing so it's definitely in working condition. I would be sure (if you decide to go refurbished) to get as much information about warranty/replacement plans that you can, and get the most protection that you can. You don't want to be stuck paying out of pocket if something goes wrong. My opinion is that if you can afford to buy new, buy new. That's just my .02

These laptops are, in a word, gorgeous. I used my laptop in an airport a few weeks back while on a trip, and I got tons of comments from people. The lighting looks amazing, and it's very customizable to your tastes. I also like the build quality of my M11x.... it's got that rubberized texture, and it feels solid. I love this laptop, and I know that my next laptop will be an M11x.

Now my personal opinion is that anytime you buy from someone that isn't Dell, you're taking a risk. If the laptop is used, you want to find out if there is a valid warranty on it. If it's from Amazon, find out Amazon's policy on returns. What you do is up to you, but trust me when I say you don't want to be in a situation where you've got a broken/defective laptop on your hands and no one to go to when it happens. M11x's are not repair prone, but my experience is that you want to have as much protection as possible. ... These are expensive pieces of hardware, and if you're like me, your entire life is on your computer. You want to protect that investment. Of course, that means spending extra money, but my philosophy with Alienware is that you want to be budget conscious, but don't cheap out on the protections. My personal advice would be to buy directly from Dell, I would not buy through Amazon or a private seller, especially if you're going to be spending a bit of money. - That's my .02

 

Thank you for a in depth response. I agree with you on protection, warranty etc, ideally i would want to buy direct from dell but if i bought from amazon or ebay then i would definately make sure there is a warranty included and also research their returns policy.

I wish the dell outlet would tell you whats previously happened to the machines to be refurbished as you said it could of been used for web browsing or it could have had a meltdown. Even if they say its had the hinges replaced that would incline me to buy it more knowing i shouldn't have to go through that problem again.

 

Don't get the M11X for looks. I fell for it and now it's my main computer

You're lucky you're living in Britain, over here an average M11X costs $2080 NZD dollars.

I suggest the M14X if you value gaming over portability, if the other way around, pick the M11X.

What games are you going to play?

If you have the money, do not buy a refurb. I suggested the M11X to my friend and he got a refurb that had shocking quality.

Go with the R2 or R3.

 

I heard refurbs are meant to be overall good quality? I guess it can depend what you get.

I would be using it more for portability than gaming so a m11x would be better
for me than a m14x i think.

 

Okay, so M11X all the way.

It is a draw of luck if you get a refurb. You might get a good one, you might get a dusty one.

What tasks are you going to do on the machine?

 

Mainly common netbook tasks like browsing the net, creating docs and some gaming (obviously games which need the m11x's power)

 

My birthday is coming up, and I'm really considering buying the default $700 m11x on the Alienware site.

To boot, there's a $100 coupon that will last for the next few days for the m11x that might convince me to buy it before the 28th: CNET Exclusives Alienware M11x - CNET

 

wow the default m11x on the uk site is equivalent to $1,466 (we only have the r3)

Is that the R1/R2? If its the r3 then definately buy it.

 

That's the R2, but the i3 version, which decent.

The i5/i7 R2's are much better due to overclocking abilities, but for 599$, can't really complain.

599$ is a great deal nonetheless.