Alienware Community Feedback

Webcams - How do you use your webcam?

• Many notebooks come with integrated webcams. What do you do with your webcam? Are you: video chatting? Recording video? Using it in game? Or are you not using it at all?

I generally don't use my webcam at all. At the most it might be used for facial recognition and my current laptop has an HD webcam in it.

• How interested would you be in an integrated webcam that is certified for high performance video chatting?

Not very much but if you do just make sure it is a good quality one.

Thunderbolt - What would you do with Thunderbolt?

• Are you interested in having Thunderbolt on your computer? What would you do with it if Dell added it?

Yes. God yes. The whole point of me getting new laptops is to get new technology. Display port and storage devices. Don't leave DisplayPorts in the dark though if you do have thunderbolt in future laptops.

Battery
- Do you leave your notebook plugged in?

• How often do you leave your notebook plugged in even when it’s fully charged? Do you unplug it once it’s charged? Do you use it plugged in or unplugged more?

Plugged in most of the time. Rarely unplugged except in an emergency.

- Long battery life span or peak performance when plugged in?

• Batteries which offer 1000 charge cycles typically have less battery life during usage. Which is more important, battery charge cycles, or the amount of time you can use the battery between charges?

Peak performance.

RAID - Do you want a RAID SSD?

• How interested are you in a notebook with a RAID SSD?

My friend runs Raid 0 SSD but I think he is nuts. Raid 0 is actually not redundant at all (which is the point of Raid) but if a person has the $$$ then I don't see a reason why the option should not be possible.

 

1. webcam, never use it.

2. Faster port, yes that would be great. please include it in next revision.

3. I plug it in 60% of the time. Better battery life is still good for web browsing and working. plug is not always available. after all, this is a computer for work as well.

4. Never care about Raid SSD. option is too expensive.

extra note: Please consider to replace the fan with an ultra quiet fan that is also able to sustain airflow. It discourages many new buyers as the noise level is pretty high and end up going back to desktop.

 

Webcams - How do you use your webcam?

I don't use it at all.

Thunderbolt - What would you do with Thunderbolt?

I'm a photographer so I would love this feature. I'd use it with a compatible external HDD.

Battery - Do you leave your notebook plugged in?

My m17x is plugged in 95% of the time I use it.

- Long battery life span or peak performance when plugged in?

Depends on model. An m14x battery should offer longevity between charges since it'll be unplugged more often.

RAID - Do you want a RAID SSD?

Depends on price. I can live without it if need be.

 

Thunderbolt - What would you do with Thunderbolt?
Are you interested in having Thunderbolt on your computer? What would you do with it if Dell added it?

I would use a Thunderbolt port to run products like this: Sonnet - Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter
I've been wanting an Alienware for a long time but I need a laptop that can run my Firewire audio devices for live & studio production. I would buy an Alienware on the spot if it had a Thunderbolt port.

 

Webcams - How do you use your webcam?

Many notebooks come with integrated webcams. What do you do with your webcam? Are you: video chatting? Recording video? Using it in game? Or are you not using it at all?
Not much. I use it mainly for Skype with my friends and my family.


How interested would you be in an integrated webcam that is certified for high performance video chatting?
Definitely. It is how I use my iPad and iPhone front camera, too.


Thunderbolt - What would you do with Thunderbolt?

Are you interested in having Thunderbolt on your computer? What would you do with it if Dell added it?
One of the reason I was hesitated to buy M17x R4 is it does not come with Thunderbolt. I find this port to be very powerful and it can be used for more than just data transfer.


Battery
- Do you leave your notebook plugged in?

How often do you leave your notebook plugged in even when it’s fully charged? Do you unplug it once it’s charged? Do you use it plugged in or unplugged more?
Most of the time, I leave it plugged, even when the battery is full. I just don't move around the house a lot. And I prefer to utilize the dedicated GPU more.



- Long battery life span or peak performance when plugged in?
Definitely peak performance.

Batteries which offer 1000 charge cycles typically have less battery life during usage. Which is more important, battery charge cycles, or the amount of time you can use the battery between charges?
I think integrated GPU is enough when I'm not plugged. For this question, I don't know since my battery is still at 0 cycle ever since I bought it 2 months ago .


RAID - Do you want a RAID SSD?

How interested are you in a notebook with a RAID SSD?
Not really. It's just expensive and I don't really find it is good return for the amount I have to pay. 1 SSD + 1 storage HDD is the way to go for me.

Additional feedback
I would like to see you guys offer more option for M17x screen, I'm highly interested in less reflective screen, something of Macbook Pro Retina's caliber is definitely the way to go for me.

 

I own the M18x-R2

Webcams - How do you use your webcam?
Many notebooks come with integrated webcams. What do you do with your webcam? Are you: video chatting? Recording video? Using it in game? Or are you not using it at all?

How interested would you be in an integrated webcam that is certified for high performance video chatting?

1.well if you offered a HD web cam that wasnt crappy then yes id use it more.. but being my phones cameras better i use that..

Thunderbolt - What would you do with Thunderbolt?
Are you interested in having Thunderbolt on your computer? What would you do with it if Dell added it?

2.sure why not..

Battery
- Do you leave your notebook plugged in?
How often do you leave your notebook plugged in even when it’s fully charged? Do you unplug it once it’s charged? Do you use it plugged in or unplugged more?

2.plugged in most of the time

- Long battery life span or peak performance when plugged in?
Batteries which offer 1000 charge cycles typically have less battery life during usage. Which is more important, battery charge cycles, or the amount of time you can use the battery between charges?


RAID - Do you want a RAID SSD?
How interested are you in a notebook with a RAID SSD?

3. YES WE WANT RIAD>> ARE YOU CRAZY? MORE THE BETTER!


Now for the real options.. how come your not offering better sreens? you al ready know we will pay the higher price for a better screen..

Rumor has it your going to stop the m18x line is that true? are you going to go bigger? say a M20x or even a M24x 3 or 4 way sli? that would be awesome..
and unlocked bios's would be a great start..

Also portability for those that want it.. any hi performance option in the works?


well thanks for reading and a reply would be great..

 

Here's a new suggestion...

Make global warranty truly global. None of this ownership transfer rubbish when I'm just traveling...

 

webcam, almost never use it

thunderbolt, definitely a must have or will not purchase the next alienware till they have got it. own two 8 bay external raid enclosure and plan to get 8 bay thunderbolt/usb3/esata enclosure soon for fastest external transfer speed, over 15 tb of files i will need the fastest transfer speed possible.

battery, a 20-25 minutes battery is enough, imo they can shrink the battery for all I care on the m18x since I game, I use AC almost all time.

RAID, better built in hardware raid, current raid might bottleneck when four sata III SSD were to raid 0 due to haswell lynx chipset coming up providing 4+ Sata 6gbps ports.

 

I fell in love with the amazing design years ago and still loving everybit of it. However I would like to point out a ergonomic issue. When you play 99% of the time your left hand is at the a.w.d keys and your hand has a angle outwards away from the laptop. My palm/hand rests on the sharp corner, I dont know about you guys but that can be a bit irritating at times.

 

Webcams - How do you use your webcam?

• Many notebooks come with integrated webcams. What do you do with your webcam? Are you: video chatting? Recording video? Using it in game? Or are you not using it at all?

• How interested would you be in an integrated webcam that is certified for high performance video chatting?

I use an iPad to chat with family. As a result, having a webcam on my computer makes no difference.


Thunderbolt - What would you do with Thunderbolt?

• Are you interested in having Thunderbolt on your computer? What would you do with it if Dell added it?

This is something I'd definitely be interested in; I use a late 2011 MacBook Pro at work and have a few TB hard drives. Being able to utilize the greater speed would be fantastic.


Battery
- Do you leave your notebook plugged in?

• How often do you leave your notebook plugged in even when it’s fully charged? Do you unplug it once it’s charged? Do you use it plugged in or unplugged more?

Are you kidding? When making the purchase, battery life was the last thing on my mind. The only times I unplug it are when I'm putting it away for family visits or packing it away for travel. Even so, when I pull it out of the bag, it almost always gets juiced. If I didn't need to keep the battery in for reboots (having to press F1 to continue when your battery is dead is very fun - especially when you're working remotely and your system crashes), I would store it in the fridge.

- Long battery life span or peak performance when plugged in?

• Batteries which offer 1000 charge cycles typically have less battery life during usage. Which is more important, battery charge cycles, or the amount of time you can use the battery between charges?

See above.


RAID - Do you want a RAID SSD?

• How interested are you in a notebook with a RAID SSD?

Not very. Even with the cost of SSDs dropping on a daily basis, they're still pricey for me to consider running more than one in a given device. I have a 256GB in my m17x coupled with a 1TB mechanical drive. I might revisit the notion when the cost of a 1TB ssd is the same as a 1TB mechanical drive, but not until.