Alienware laptops in professional settings

I'm thinking about an M14x as my next computer. Thing is, I use my laptop for work in addition to being my own laptop. I'm an attorney (don't hold it against me...I've got kids and thus bills to pay and mouths to feed), so I take my laptop to depositions, to trials, etc. ANd then off-work, I use it for personal use and gaming (whoever said gaming laptops don't make sense never had to spend a week in a dead-end town on a business trip...what else are you going to do in the evenings?). So I had a few questions about the Alienware on the work side of things:

* Loud and inconsistent cooling fans can be a real distraction in a small conference room. If I'm not doing anything but word processing and accessing PDF files and light internet usage (WestLaw, a legal research website, which isn't graphics-intensive at all), can I expect the M14X's fans to stay off or quiet, or will they cycle up to a louder pitch from time to time?

* How easy is it to deactivate all the AlienFX lighting save keyboard backlighting? It'd be fun to have that lighting at home, but I could see others complaining about the "unprofessional distraction" in a work environment.

* How stabile is AlienFX on a day-to-day basis (i.e., not when I'm messing around with reinstalling Windows, etc)? I've heard some complaints about it crashing, and I didn't know if that could happen while I was just typing away furiously trying to get down everything important a witness is saying (read: catastrophe).

* Has anyone in here used an Alienware in a white-collar environment? Does the unique case design draw attention/questions/comments/raised eyebrows, or do people who don't know/care about gaming machines just look at it as just another laptop?

 

The fans thing you can't really control. If the room is AC-ed and you are not playing games randomly then the fan shouldn't be too loud.

It's really easy for the AlienFX. Just create a profile where every zone is black except the ones you want lit up and load that profile each time.

Pretty stable, my AlienFX has never crashed even when I was reinstalling Windows.

Not used it in that environment yet but I may get to later this year. If you turn off all of the lights it gets pretty discreet, at least the M14x would. Without lights, it doesn't have much flash (in black).

 

Shouldn't be an issue. Most of our developers used to have high-end Dell XPS laptops with the lights and everything, because they were the most powerful major-manufacturer laptops you could get at the time and they needed lots of RAM and CPU horsepower. Those would equate more to bringing an m18x into a meeting.

 

I was thinking about the same thing. The one thing I find it not acceptable in a professional setting is the fact that logo on it is an alien head. Fans noise shouldn't be too loud and you can set the settings on it.

 

I am an IT guy for an engineering company and use my laptop at work everyday. If I get a comment at all it is a compliment on how cool it looks. I would recommend sticking with black or silver colors if you are using it for business. I had a Astral Blue M9700 back in the day and my boss used to make fun of me for it. But it was a great looking machine.

AlienFX can be turned all black like Fred said. But I leave mine on always and often change the colors at work. It's honestly not bright enough to be a distraction. In a lighted room, you can barely tell my keyboard is illuminated. I don't do any color morphing though. Don't want to bring a Christmas tree into the office.

Fans can turn on even during light internet surfing but really aren't that distracting unless they go full blast (which normally only happens under heavy load). With my laptop, I just have to make sure no one is sitting directly across from me. They will experience a considerable warm front with dual fans blowing on them.

The M14X will be different because of the lack of 2 cards, but I would definitely use it at work if I was an attorney. If you turn off AlienFX it will look like a normal laptop. But you'll know the difference!

 

I don't think the alien head is that big of a deal. It's a logo. All computers have them. You don't see anyone complaining about a white laptop with an apple on it. Those look more childish than any laptop I've seen and they are all over the business world.

 

As an attorney, I'm guessing the two light up alien heads might be the biggest detractor for your (I am assuming a few things) workplace settings.

As an E.Engineer, I do get some comments (from managers and boss), noticebly that it's near double ugly (false vents on the front, angled front), however most people don't seem to care. Others think the alien head on the back is cute.

 

The alien head on the lid barely lights up and you can make the alien head above the keyboard turn off.

 

"barely" is subjective

"barely" was also enough to get a negative comment from my boss. Luckily, I'm young enough to get away with an "ugly" laptop.

 

The alien head on the back of the screen isn't my biggest concern. If worst comes to worst, I figure I could just slap a piece of black painter's tape over the alien head on the back of the screen. But if I couldn't prevent the entire computer from lighting up like a Protoss Lamborghini, that would be a bigger problem

But it sounds like AlienFX is pretty stable during day-to-day use, and the fan isn't objectionably loud unless you're gaming (and I'm not so brazen as to play games during meetings/conferences). Sounds like I could make it work

 

Your boss gave you a negative comment because of the laptop you choose to use?

Man, are people really that ignorant? I'd tell him to shove it.

 

I never understood how/why people would be afraid to use an AW in a business setting. Hell, I used my R3 in my office for a couple months.

Could care less what anyone thinks. And if anything, I got compliments on it.

 

It could be worse, you could get an Asus G53 and people will probably ask you if they can use your portable fax machine...

 

Well, I'm a surgeon, currently using m11x r2. So IDK whether I would fit into the description of 'white collar' environment.

I do rely on my laptop alot to give lecture, join conference w/ other staffs and sometimes to inform the patients regarding their illnesses and the procedure we would perform on them, so basically I have three kinds of people that would see me w/ my laptop:
1. med school students and interns:Got the most raised eyebrows and catcalls when I pulled the lil' beast ; most of them think I'm cool since it is extremely uncommon for an attending having alienware for their notebook, some even ask me how I tweak my m11x (I usually direct them here )
2. The staffs, that is, my colleagues (fellows, professors, and residents): they usually stare for a moments before realizing I'm presenting with an m11x. some older staffs who so ignorant to gadgets would exclaim "Hey, is that a new Mac?" due to the fact that alienhead logo lighting of m11x cannot be customized other than white (thus, for this niche, whitish light logo is similar to Mac).. well, it got me annoyed.
3. Patients; usually don't care, save for young adults that would exclaim "Whoa, never thought to see AW in doctor's office.. What game do you play, Doc?"
for childrens and toddlers, I usually turn on the lighting and face the monitor towards them while I examine them (usually they become more cooperative this way)..

So far there's no problem using this laptop on working environment basis..
and I DO agree with half-eaten apple logo being more childish than glowing alienhead..

 

LOL, you sir are awesome! I am a hopeful surgeon myself, in the process of currently studying for my board exams and hopefully get into a surgical program in a few months My m11x R3 is not making it easy to focus on my studies though

 

You can disable the two alien head lights... right click on the Alienhead in the system tray, then uncheck "Keep status zones on during go dark" and then disable AlienFX either with clicking on "go dark" or the [FN]+[F11] (or which F key it is, may be different on other AW systems)

Then you don't see a single light on the system, it's all dark.

 

Not on the M17x R3 if i'm not mistaken, the alien head on the lid takes its backlight from the screen backlightning, idk about the M11x R3 and the M14x.

he wished

(Jealous!) people like this make me sick, they should concentrate on their job and not make stupid comments on people that don't use those ... macs

 

Amici, for your board exam, it's easy to focus, just think what will happen if you don't pass (I'm eternally grateful alienware haven't made this when I was in the process of taking my exam)

btw, I don't get it, are you studying for surgical board exam or to apply to surgical?

couldn't say it better than you did Katalin. Is it just me or everybody in this forum has issue(s) with Mac?

Saosin, what happened after 'couple of months' in work with R3? Did you swap it with Sager for work?

 

I'm still studying for my medical board exams Here, we take our licensure exams in August, then we can apply for a residency program of our choosing a month or so after that, then if accepted, work starts next year in January LOL yeah, that's the best motivation I have right now, I don't want to do this again, I've already studied more than I ever have my whole life and I'm nowhere near finished

 

Lmao.. or if you have a clevo or sager.. if you shut the lid you might get a "Could you move your briefcase ... where's the handle?"

 

I don't think in a bright lit room (which most office are), the light at the logo would be visible, it's not as big as, say, and apple

 

I use mine at work all the time. I do presentations for Franchises and do graphic work on it. I get so many compliments about it. My boss was a bit skeptical about it at first, but after our first presentation with it, and the compliments we got about it (to bad dell doesnt have a referral program!) he never said a word about it.

The only bad thing about it is... On trips, Im the one who has to carry it, no way will my boss lugg this 11 lb machine around thru airports!

 

I use my M17x-R2 for work exclusively. I get comments all the time from co-workers on how big it is.. customers too (i bring it to customer sites for demos/presentations)

So after the initial immediate nerd-cred, off to work and no one cares...

 

I am the IT Director for a good-sized company (700+ employees).
I utilize my new Alienware M11x exclusively for work and play. I travel a lot to conferences and to our 8 different national locations, and absolutely love it. In the hotel room the gaming aspect really comes in handy. Being 35, I don't go out and hang at bars, clubs, etc. as much...I just like to relax in the hotel room(s) nowadays.

It is not too noisy, lights are easy to switch off, etc. I went with the toned down Stealth Black model instead of the red this time around for a more subtle look.

I was previously an IT Director for a medical facility, and I utilized a RED M17x, and was great. I did get a lot of looks at conferences and such.

You won't be disappointed, and good luck. Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions, concerns, etc. Be glad to help.

--Chris

 

lol so true.

 

good to hear.

 

Where can I get this aforementioned Protoss Lamborghini?

 

sorry, its currently being overrun by Zerg.

Try again later.

 

Thanks everyone for all the feedback! I think when I'm ready to buy that I'll go ahead and just get a black M14x. Setting aside the case design, it offers what I want more than anything else out there, and with a black case and AlienFX turned off, it doesn't sound like workplace use is a serious issue.

Most things are, it seems.