Alienware m17x General information

umm... I dont think the m15x will be much more portable than the m17x... especially since it has the 8800M GTX, but of course maybe Alienware will suprise me along with many others and actually show that all our assumptions were wrong.

 

i don't believe the 15x is on a 15.4" frame. A 15" screen on a 17" chasis. I dont think that choosing not to buy a laptop based on aesthetics is a moot point at all,But I do see your point.

 

Is there any chance of including a built-in fingerprint reader like the XP M1530? That's one of my most wanted features, believe it or not...

Anyone here work for Alienware? Can I bribe you so you can add a fingerprint reader? O_O

 

Well take a look at these two pictures

m15x: http://www.engadget.com/photos/hands-on-with-alienwares-area-51-m15x-and-m17x-laptops-2/498269/

m17x: http://www.engadget.com/photos/hands-on-with-alienwares-area-51-m15x-and-m17x-laptops-2/498301/

The m15x is slightly smaller on the width.

 

I have just come off the phone with alienware uk and have been informed that the 15" will be the first model out followed by the 17" at a later date..

This also falls in with the ces pictures i saw somewhere were only the 15" was on display for the show not the 17" although i hope i am wrong as i am waiting for the 17" myself....

And for those of you bickering over $2500 dollars to $5000 dollars for your specced uplaptop just remember that in rip off britain that will probably be £,s for us.... I anticipate that for the spec i want with 1 8800gtx card i will be looking at £2500 which is $5000 to you guys!!!

 

The m15x looks kinda smaller, not just slightly smaller, if both display stands are the same width, I'd say an inch to an inch and a half smaller, which is good enough for me. KidProdigy, why would Alienware release two new laptops, 15" and 17" and make the 15" as big as the 17" just with a smaller screen? And yes, for me looks and design are important and some people think these look ugly, you can't really put that point across to other people and tell them the Sager looks better, because there are some like me that think the new AWs look AWESOME.

 

yep like everyother company alienware adopts their own conversion rate

that sucks about the m17x and hopefully there is an actual announcement next week. i just want value for money not so that i can play every game on max settings but in 2 or so years time if there's a game i like i can play it and im not sure that games released at that time will have support for dx9 cards like the one found in the m9750.

i know pictures dont do justice but pesonally the design looks a bit cheap the lights seem gimmicky and a little excessive which makes it look slightly childish and like a toy compared to the m9750. i dont like the silver and with the black in less than 24h at the unveilling event the black had ****loads of fingerprints under visible light and im not the sort of person that wants to worry about cleaning the laptop everytime i use it. so i either take the risk and get the m9750 and see whether they allow an upgrade or i wait for the m17x that will in no doubt be more powerful and offer more but i dont like. any rate i'll still just wait until next week before i'll decide.

 

I'm with you, I feel it looks like a toy. I mean there is no way I could take this to the office or even utilize its "mobility" because its look is so offensive. I wanted one of these until I heard the 15" is on a 17" frame (they had to do this for heat control issues) and the fact that it looks like a transformer on extacy didn't help. I'm not saying that consumers wont buy it, i'm just saying consumers over 13 shouldn't. Anyway to each his own.

 

oh by all means I personally prefer the Alienware too although I've been told the Sager also looks good. And I didn't mean to say that the 15" is as big as the 17", just like... really big for a 15" since it can fit the 8800M GTX. And they'd do that for marketing purposes, I mean now they can say that they have the only 15" that has a 8800M GTX even though it's abnormally big. Nobody knows the exact dmiensinos, so we'll see when it comes out, if it's not too bad, I might get one myself depending on how expensive the m17x is.

 

Maybe because it is a toy? Well I would sit in class with it, in the plane, in the bus, in the hall, everywhere, in the office too. It's not offensive, it's sleek, but that's your opinion. And how can the 15" be on a 17" frame? LOOK at the pics, the m15x is considerably smaller.

 

Your right, it is my opinion, but the 15x is on a frame BiGgEr than a normal 15.4" chasis. Will it be mobile?? Yes. Would I carry it around?? maybe to a rave. But certainly a 2500-3000$ piece of equipment is not just a toy. Anyway I'm not going to get into a debate about preferences/opinions. On the other hand the performance with a an C2E should be nice. This will make a nice laptop, but just not for me.

 

For a lot of people it will be a toy. I will carry it around to class and I will take it when I travel.

 

does ANYONE have any clue as to the dimensions of the 17". Is there not one person that didnt measure it at the shows its been shown at??

 

nope silly reviewers... why wouldnt you bring a measure... uggh... and do you guys think the 17x is coming out later than the 15x in the us?

 

im not here to discourage anyone on the system but i dont think you get what we we're trying to say. every gadget whether its a phone, music player or laptop is considered a toy but this machine actually looks like a toy to me atleast anyway. in my opinion they went overkill with the lights in some places they're just not neccesary. without the backlit the new designed keyboard looks effin ugly compared to other backlit laptops like the m1530 and personally it looks cheaply made and it looks like they are targeting it at a younger audience with this.

im not concerned with people i dont know but i dont think i could use this machine in front of friends and family unlike the m5550 or the m9750.
above all its not even about that its about the design and if im going spend that much money you can bet that its gonna have to look good.

 

the new ones dont look like a toy to me. it doenst seem much bigger, if any bigger than the 5550, its just more square

 

lol the 15" is not on a 17" chassis

and the screen is 15.4

so the only difference is 1.6" diagonally.
the 5550 looks more like a toy imo and ive seen them all first hand

 

Can you PLEASE give me info on the size of the m17x compared to the m9750. Is it bigger, thicker, wider, and if so, how much. Not as worried about weight.
I cannot find any dimensions

 

i havent seen them side by side, i have no idea

they're probably the same i would think

 

I know what you are trying to say: looks like a toy. I think we have already explored our differences of opinion. I wouldn't mind showing it to anyone, if you don't like the lights, switch'em off.

 

thats what i was about to say... switch them off. Even then the black looks pretty serious... Especially with the lights turned off it will look quite sexy but not childish. Theres really no point in arguing on its looks though. I love the look of it and im still gonna buy it. Even then NONE of us have seen it first hand except for roor andim taking his word for it.

 

oh yea the black looks awesome, and with the red lights, sh*t looks hot.

so not toy looking.

 

That was totally what I was thinking. I'm pretty sure that Alienware targets younger kids with their nice decorations which is why they can put such a high price tag on their products(kids are easily tricked). I mean, I know I was tricked into buying those Magic the Gathering cards when I was little, and now I feel like a total idiot when I think about it. The only problem I see is that it's harder to make kids tell their parents to buy such expensive toys...

Thankfully though, the prices have actually started becoming competitive so maybe Alienware actually is starting to market to gamers in general? Personally I think the Ripley design was introduced for that purpose. By all means, I don't mean to call anyone who likes the Skullcap or whoever has/wants an Alienware childish. In fact, I do want an Alienware but their prices are just a tad bit too much for me. I'll still wait in hopes of a reasonable price for the m17x though =]

and to contribute to the argument.. I think it does kinda look like a toy because of all the lights, but I still think it's a fairly nice looking toy, and I especially like those side lights.

 

I would like that Too
& im sure lots more would if we had a option of adding it

 

Sorry double post

 

macbooks look like toys.

the new alienwares dont.

you'll realize it when you see them in person

 

You can always turn off the lights. And leave just the AlienHead to lit. Then it won't look childish/toy at all, right? It's that simple.

 

What im more worried about than the fingerprints is.......
If they can make it "Scratch-Proof" that would help

i cant understand people complain about finger print marks
like the FBI is after them lol

all Stuff get slugy in time

 

yeah maybe CSI or something. I think it's because most of us don't want to wipe our laptops everytime we touch them. Which make hell lots of unnecessary works and it hurts the eyes too.

 

Hello All, I'm a long-time game developer - who has an Alienware m9750 on order (coincidently developed Schwa Pyramid, yeah, where is Bill Barker??)

The m9750 would be my first AW box - I still love building my own desktops; laptops have always been a closed world. I like AW's accessibility to components I want to change or upgrade - but will they deliver those upgrades (like the 8800)???

I have been following this m17x thread with strong interest. Primarily because IF the m17x comes out in the next couple months and the configurator prices are anywhere close, I'll probably cancel out the m9750 order (Jan 14 build) and order the m17x when it becomes available. I'd just rather be at the front edge of a product line, not at the end of one that may/maynot be extended. Waiting to have a next gen box may be the wise move.

On the lighting - the lid lighting looks nice. The keyboard lighting looks waaaay over-the-top (I disliked the Dell xps 1730 for that same reason). But it could be useful when one is working in the dark trying to find the F5, F10, F11 debug keys

I'll be at CES so I hope to learn something useful. At least I'll get a chance to see the boxes in person and know if I do wait with all of you for the m17x or let the m9750 order proceed.

 

These laptops will be nice and many people will love them equally as the amount that wont. Some people say its "toooooo" shiny or bright, thick and brick-like, it doesnt change the fact that it is whats inside that will make the difference. Personally i couldnt take it to work, or to class as I dont want to blind my fellow co-workers/students. On the other hand I'm sure it will be fast and run games well, but it WILL be bigger than ANY OTHER 15.4" laptop ever made, which really isn't a big deal.

 

if you're going to the CES can you like measure the dimensions of the m15x please =]

and I totally dont agree with whoever said macbooks look like toys. I think they look oh so very professional. I think the skullcap design doesn't look like a toy I suppose but it looks more childish to me. I still like it though.

 

Macbooks are too plain. No sense of individuality or style. At least to me. I think the skullcap design is nice because its really not over the top yeat it provides a little bit more style than other laptops.

 

I agree
No bobody beats the Alien Wiz lol

 

The Skullcap design is the reason we buy Alienware.

 

Absolutely. Well that the flashing lights, and the AMAZING hardware.

 

you'll probably want to wait. unless you really need a laptop asap

 

As stated earlier (actually in the 8800M thread), and like some others I would imagine, I am about to purchase a m9750; just waiting if the 8800M GTX will be confirmed as compatible/ available as an option;
o/w I will proceed with (& be happy with) an 8700M option (single or SLI)

In contrast to "Arkarch" quoted above (a fellow Las Vegan!), I actually find more satisfaction being @ the END of a product line; it is more satisfying to me to say this is one of the last m9750's made, time-tested & refined after multiple revisions and all the bugs ironed out, with max configuration ever offered - "the best one they made" (and now, they don't make these anymore....); the pricepoint is also going to be more attractive in a final mature version model (maxed out m9750 less than a year ago about $1000 more)

With a new model line, whether it be a laptop or an automobile, etc.., it is very frustrating for me personally to pay top$$$ for the first new model and then watch revision B, C, etc.. come out with improved specs, bugfixes, better/updated hardware, and subsequent better price ratio, all of which of course is the necessary progression and evolution of technology & economics. A newer version A product ironically seems to get older and more outdated quicker to me than a final previous model version E.

To me personally, the m9750 has the subdued, classic, iconic look (& feel even) that I find attractive, especially since I tend to hold on to my things a little longer.
I'm definitely not a "shiny/glossy/bling lites" person ! (which sometimes makes it tough living in Vegas .... ;-)

(Hoping for an 8800M option on the m9750 configurator page soon !!)

 

You raise good points.... but will m9750 owners feel passed by when everyone is talking m17x?

The more I look at both boxes, the more I am seeing the m17x as the Santa Rosa incremental upgrade to the m9750. Both machines look like they'll handle 8800's, have Raid 0 capability, and most of the desired ports and controls. The m17x gets you pathway into Intel's newer CPUs, sure; it has some nice lighting controls; and has something called Smart-Bay; but as everyone says, its also fingerprint shiny, will likely price premium, and no doubt have its own birthing issues.

I'll know in the next 24 what my choice is after getting an up-close look.

 

to MikeACmd, it's already been confirmed that the m9750 will have compatibility with the 8800M GTX. It was in another thread somewhere. And, you raise a good point, so I might have to consider the m9750 myself. The only thing I don't like about it is that the processors are so expensive to upgrade, and if memory serves me they are outdated.

 

It's not officially confirmed. Don't base your decision on the other thread. Wait until it AW offers it otherwise you maybe extremely disapointed.

 

you're probably better off waiting then spending all that $ on the 8800gtx card + the laptop

 

why oh why can I not just get a simple dimension on the m17x????????

I want to know the size of it. Why cant anyone get this out there. Why dont people care how big this thing is esp compared to the 9750

 

I hate to add any further angst, but as I read Alienware's website, it sounds like only the m15X will be on display. They don't mention the m17X.

 

Meaning the m17x will be out much later. So I'm just going for the m15x

 

because its not like we all carry around rulers with us.

its about the same as the 9750.

 

I actually do carry around a mini ruler haha. but its like a multi tool.

 

It looks good, more compact than I previously thought. By the way, why is there no talk of m17x? Is this indicating that it's not going to be available until around Feb/Mar? (They said Q1 2008 when announcing both notebooks). If that’s the case then I’ve got to wait a lot longer than I expected, given the fact that they tend to release things here in the UK a month after the US launch

 

well yea....theyre just launching the m15x for now...supposedly the 8800 is not sli ready as yet...so when it ready then they'll launch the m17

 

For what its worth, the Sager/Clevo 9262/D901C has been delayed until "late February" because of a problem with the 8800M SLI so its not totally surprising to hear about the delay for the m17X. If it is the same problem, it would seem reasonable to expect the m17x would launch around the end of February to the beginning of March.