To be, or not to be worried....

I am entering college next fall and have my eyes set on the m11x. I am good with the specs of the r2, even hopeful for a r3 by august, however, I am still concerned with a few issues, specifically the size...

1) The screen size: Too small, hurts your eyes? No doubt I plan to buy an external monitor for at home, but hours in class taking notes or typing up a paper.... will this be an issue to worry about, especially since I just started wearing reading glasses and get slight headaches? I am used to my 17'' gateway, so I am quite worried of the downgrade. And I am not in a position to go and check out the size at bestbuy. Any and All advice welcomed.

2) Keyboard size: Is the keyboard too small, especially for man like me with large muscular hands . But seriously, anyone have issues with the keyboard in typing or gaming?

3) Are the speakers on par with larger sized laptops? I have pretty decent speakers, and even though I use headphones generally, will I be able to hear anything from the m11x even if there is noise around me?

4) This is just for the lolz... : Anybody with the m11x in college ever turn heads in class or the local coffee shop? Soft Touch Black or Lunar Shadow? TBH, anyone care to explain both of those too and the general build quality?

Man I typed way too much, don't think I will get many responses, but all the help is welcome. Feel free to add anything extra or your 2 cents/sense/scents? Thanks a bunch,,

 

New owner, but let me try to answer.

1) It might take a day or two for your eyes to adjust, but after that it's fine. I am in the same boat, wear glasses, easy headaches and I am fine now. They display (at least mine) is quite crisp, and as long as you are not trying to look at it from a great distance, I think you'll be fine once you adjust.

2) Same thing, use it for a couple days and it's fine.

3) Better than any laptop speakers I've had. I was quite surprised at the quality. They are not gonna compete with a full setup, for what they are, they are quite good.

4) Can't answer this one yet, have not really gone anywere in public with it yet. I got the Black model myself. You are going to see different responses about the build quality. When it's done right, I think it's very solid. However, the one I got had 3 build issues, and they are sending me a new one as a replacement. My son has one and it was just fine right out of the box, so I am sure mine was more of a fluke.

I love the thing. It's small enough to easily carry around, but not a netbook. Games run great, and I feel the performance is good all around.

I have the R1, but I think your questions still apply.

 

Hey, I'm an engineering college student right now.

1) While the screen isn't gonna hurt your eyes, it's gonna take some time getting used to. My desktop at home has a 22 inch monitor, so the 11 inch took a bit for me to adjust to, but it's nothing that's too hard to read or take notes on.

2.) Keyboard is great, I have rather long fingers, but my friend with large hands had no problem typing on it.

3.) They're decent speakers. I do use my headphones on it more though.

4.) YES. In my Engineering classes I've gotten a lot of questions about it. Soft Touch is essentially a softer material, I don't know exactly what it is, but it doesn't attract fingerprints as much as Lunar Shadow which is a metal like case.

 

Excellent reply, thanks. Exactly what I am looking for. Still wondering whether or not the black/lunar shadow is best for me.

 

1. the screen is definitely small; however, i have a 24" monitor with my desktop, and i'm still fine with the smaller screen when switching over to the laptop. as for straining to read things, i would say that for most applications, you'll be able to adjust zoom/size with pinch/spreading on the touchpad (or holding CTRL + scrolling on a mouse). i have found that i tend to increase the font size in Chrome by one setting on most sites. that said, it doesn't mean that you'll need to scroll left-to-right on most sites that are optimized for 1024x 768 or whatever.

2. the keyboard is, obviously, also smaller than what you'll be used to. i've only had my M11x for 6 days and i'm still getting used to it, but for the most part, i got the hang of it after an hour or so. the layout of home/end/pg up/pg dn/etc buttons on the right is what usually trips me up still. from a comfort standpoint, the keyboard isn't too cramped, but again, you wouldn't want to be writing a novel with this keyboard. the typing feel, to me, is great. it gives good feedback and keeps up with me when i'm typing at 120+ words per minute.

3. the speakers are plenty loud enough.

4. i have the black glossy (R1) and fingerprints do linger on the case after awhile. prints are not as visible with the silver, obviously. if you buy an R2, i believe the exterior finish is matte and it wouldn't be an issue for you. as for build quality, there are some little things that people notice. bigger than expect gaps along the edge of the monitor part, the obvious problem with the hinge deteriorating within a year, and i think one person posted about a gap on the base near the bottom front lighting a couple days ago. it does feel bullet proof when you unbox it, though. as for me, i'm taking it very easy with the hinge.

i bought my M11x sight unseen, but it sounds like you might want to go and test drive one at best buy or something. there are many compromises with the M11x that people just cannot get past, so if you're one of those people, you'd be better off checking it out in person before taking the plunge.

 

I see, do you think fingerprints are something to worry about if I were to get the lunar shadow? I am going into engineering too

 

1) As others have said, the screen is small and will take some time getting used to. Weather or not you will have headaches, nobody knows although I don't think the screen is terribly small and it doesn't hurt my eyes.

2) Oddly, the keyboard is great and is a joy to type on. Might take a day or two to get used to typing although that's normal at least for me with every new laptop.

3) They're good speakers...for such a small laptop. Don't expect the best though.

4) Definitely. Especially since everyone has the bland mac and a lot of people have never seen an Alienware.

 

1. i have no problem at all going from my 23" desktop monitor to my M11x.

2. the keyboard is one of the best ones ive ever typed on. keys are a tad smaller than a normal keyboard. but not noticalble unless you actually measure them.

3. the speakers suprized me a lot! they actually have ruber surounds. and are able to produce the lower freq. because they actually extrude.

4. this laptop turns heads.

 

Hell yea. Thanks for all the replies guys. And @someguy, would you recommend to me the lunar shadow? And alongside that, do you have to deal with an army of fingerprints?

 

if i had the choice id go with soft touch black.(my brother has a R2 with it) but the R1 only has the (glossy) cosmic black and lunar shadow. lunar shadow is nice. doent show finger prints as much as the black.

but i love the ruberized feel of my DroidX. feels like it would never slip out of you hands. the lunar shadow is nice but soft touch is so much more durable.

 

I have an R1 and it's an awesome notebook for a college student.

 

Haha thats what I am going for. If anybody else reads this I have a follow up question. How are the lights? IF unplugged does the keyboard still appear to glow bright or slightly dim? And what about if you are in a lighted room?

 

I went with the lunar shadow. and i like it. i just like way the alien head glows against that color. and it does seem more metallic and i kinda like that. Also i dunno about the soft touch but i like having two colors lunar shadow in the back and bottom and black on the inside.

Everyones answered most of ur questions so i'll jump to the lights.

If you dont change any of your settings, then your lights will stay exactly the same. Even if i set it to pulsing, or changing colors, it just keeps doing what it was doing, tho it expends a lot more power from your batteries. After playing around with it a bit, i have the power settings set so that if i unplug my m11x it automatically kills the lights in alien FX. it helps with battery life.

The lights themselves are pretty bright, but its just backlight so it wont do more than catch a few looks when the lights are on. though, i remember one time when the professor turned off the lights for a few slides, and it was blatently obviously that blue was glowing from my laptop for everyone behind me, i had to quickly kill the backlights cuz my laptop was glowing pretty bright @_@.

 

I manage to owned all 3 colors and i recommend the Lunar Shadow over the other 2 blk ones, Cosmic Black is a fingerprint magnet while the soft touch black might hide the fingerprints better than the cosmic blk but it will show a lot of scuff marks and smudges like your finger oils.

I only recommend Soft Touch Blk for its rubbery feel

I recommend that you highly avoid the Cosmic Black like the plague especially if you are going to use this on the go and touching it all the time.

I highly recommend the Lunar Shadow since it hides all marks most of the time and the color of Silver/Titanium makes it look high quality and some kind of an alloy chrome color. Pics on the internet doesn't do it justice, you need to see it in person to actually experience it

 

lol thanks bench. Man... First I was with the lunar shadow, than convinced to try the soft touch stealth black. Now i have no idea, gotta try my best to see the lunar shadow in person i guess.

 

Stealth finish is extremely easy to keep looking brand new. I've had mine since mid-June and it goes with me back and forth to work every single day. During the course of a typical day it's bagged about 8 times and carried with me on-site constantly. Not one single scuff mark. It's a surprising durable finish, unlike the 2 Think Pads I've had.

 

1- Small screen, you will need about a day or two to get used to it. Actually is a great screen besides that is VERY glosy when you are outdoors (Seriously, when I'm outdoor in my school sometimes I see nothing on the screen, just my reflection) .
2-Such as the screen, you will have to get used to it. Great keyboard, no flex and awesome customisable lights. My only complain is the painting, after about 3 months, you will start to see the oil of your fingers on the keyboard.
3-Speakers are excellent for my uses, but acutally my alienware is always connected to my JBL external speakers, if not I'm using headphones.Acutally I have no complain with them.
4-Most people have told me things like "THAT LAPTOP LOOKS INSANE" or " SERIOUSLY, IS THAT A LAPTOP? BECAUSE IT LOOKS AWESOME !"and things like that. Everyone get in shocked with this laptop... Maybe 'cause here in mexico (Specially in my school ) pple have only mac's, and this is the only Alienware . On the other hand, some pple (No more than 10) have told me things like "Men, that laptop looks like a Toys-R-Us toy" or "Emmmm, crappy design". Anyways, pple seems to like mine...

(1 & 2 - I put a the reflecting thing such as the oily keyboard thing just to make you know because i see most pple are forgetting that part. Anyways you will not even care when you get it)

 

Alright I see. So the Soft touch is durable, which is defin something I am going for. @slickie, what kind of bag/sleeve do you use? I was curious if the neopreene sleeve for the m11x would do it justice, hopefully it would be something easy i could just slip into my backpack. If so I prob wouldn't have to worry about buying a carrying case if i can just fit the ac adapter in the backpack as well.

Any suggestions for a bag/carrying case anyone?

And the m11x does not look like a toy whatsoever

 

I would recommend the neopreene sleeve. it fits perfectly, though it is so tight that u have to be careful when u use the zipper cuz it can chip the edges of ur laptop @_@. i learned that the hard way. But i wont take the laptop on the go without it in its sleeve. its like, clothes to a person, lol.

The laptop itself fits fine into a backpack, but most of the bags i put it into the laptop seems incredibly small and it might move around in there, thats why i still recommend the sleeve.

And i see you leaning towards the soft touch, so its time to be flaming and trolling to convince you to go lunar shadow.

teh lunar shadow is da best and da soft touch can suck it.

(just kidding)

 

Haha I honestly don't know. How about both soft touch black and lunar shadow . Im honestly set on either one, just haven't decided my top preference.

 

I have no problem with the screensize, took me a day or two to adjust to the size, now i just have trouble with switching back to bigger screens. I use it for college aswell, and i really like the size and mobility of it.

It took me a few weeks to adjust, but now i really enjoy it. Especially for games like WoW, because the buttons are closer to eachother its faster to use keybinds

The speakers can be really loud, i hardly use them though. I prefer using a headset.


I turned alot of heads, but most people dont know the brand so.. I took the Soft Touch Black, because erm.. Lunar shadow is 2 colors..

General build quality is pretty good. I had my doubts buying it, because of the "hinge" issues.. i dont have that problem so.. overall i really like the laptopbut if I had to make the decision again, i would save up another 500 euros for a m15x . But that is only because it has better hardware..

 

Most of the time it gets bagged in my Timbuk2 messenger bag. It has a corduroy lined laptop section that helps to protect the finish pretty well, thus I don't think a sleeve is necessary in my case.

The problem I've had is that the messenger bag sits on my hip when I'm carrying it and bounces. During the day I travel from client to client, so the notebook gets a lot of carry time in the bag. This leads to the lid being compressed enough that it eventually led to the keys leaving permanent scratches on that horrid plastic screen. I recently had the LCD assembly replaced due to those scratches and have started using an insert again (I got lazy after the first 2 months) in order to prevent the same thing from happening again. My RadTech ScreenSavr should be here any day now...

I also use a MacTruck that I bought from RadTech. The MacTruck fits into the messenger bag easily and is a great way to protect the M11x. It's probably not for everyone though due to the added form factor and weight. For me it's great and I'm probably going to start using it more often in order to prevent the compression issue.

Lastly when I need my camera gear at work I bag it in my Kata 3n1-22. Great camera bag with a comfy laptop compartment.

 

Absolutely not - it is small since it is portable, but it is quite easy to use. The display is rather crisp and sharp - colors and viewing angles are a whole different story, though.

None at all - the keyboard feels great and is quite comfortable. The fact it is backlit is a major plus as well.

I'd say they are on par, and better than the speakers of some larger ones. Moreover if you would be able to use a good HDMI monitor with decent inbuilt speakers, connected via the HDMI port - the sound would be very, very good.

I do not go to the college - yet the local coffee shop is pwnd. The laptop really looks very impressive, and it would surely attract attention.

I saw both Black and Lunar versions. I own the Black m11x, looks somewhat better to me.

Fingerprints tend to happen - yet those are very easily removed with the help of a microfiber cloth and a bit of a cleaning solution, e.g. LCD cleaning liquid.

The build quality is great - the laptop is very sturdy and feels remarkably solid and pleasantly heavy. But. There is one single problem involving the display lid hinges, which completely negates everything else about the build. It seems you are informed about the hinge issue already - yet if it is not the case, you might want to do some research and analysis before you purchase the laptop.

I use an Elecom Zeroshock laptop case - which is very nice and offers reliable protection - yet I won't advise it to you, since it is a good bit too large for the m11x, I would prefer something smaller.

 

Thanks for the last few posts. Guess I will have to look into other carrying case choices, but I will keep that for a later date. Since you guys are very helpful I will ask a few more questions lol.

Yes, I am informed of the hinge issuse, and how it should be fixed with the r3, and even out of warranty dell will repair it for you.

Are you able to view the screen effeciently even under bright light/ bright sun? If so, is the screen protector on the accessories section of the m11x order screen a good choice or does anyone recommend an alternative?

And I briefly read about how when the screen is closed, it is possible for it to get scratched by rubbing against the keys. Is this true, and any solutions to this.

Much appreciated everybody!

 

I'd say - more or less efficiently. The plastic protecting the screen is very reflective - nevertheless the screen is definitely usable in bright light or even sunlight. Not comfortable at all - but usable.

Yes, it is true yet the solution is extremely simple (slickie88 mentioned it already in his post just before mine). The laptop is shipped with a large piece of some synthetic cotton or whatever inserted between the keyboard and the screen. Keep it and use it in the same manner whenever you close the lid - that won't let anything happen to the screen. Be careful that no abrasive particles such as sand or tiny pieces of nutshell get onto the surface of the cloth though .

 

Um, I don't remember there being a piece of fabric between the keyboard and screen when I got my m11x, perhaps it was only added for R2?

 

That's odd, since there should be one - mine is an R1 as well and I definitely have it.

Anyway - there are a lot of different tricks to replace the protective inlay. For example, I use a fancy lens/glasses cleaning microfiber cloth - looks nice and serves the case well. So you can insert pretty much any smooth piece of fabric between the keyboard and the screen - provided it is not too thick.

 

The white protective fabric ships with both the R1 and R2. Not sure about refurbished units. Whatever you use, make sure it's as thin as possible. The Kabuto, which I bought primarily for the purpose of an insert is too thick (1.2mm) IMO. The RadTech ScreenSavr on its way to me is half that and shouldn't cause any stress on the hinge.

 

lol, alright thanks a bunch