Area 51 m15x - Is now the time to jump with both feet?

I just picked up a Area-51 m15x for under $2000.00, the prices have come way down and with the processor and graphics refreshes the performance is up from all of the reviews. With the selected GPU and Processor I should get better battery life without giving too much up in performance. So if you have been thinking about it, now is the time to jump. I chose the 1440x900 because I will use this for work as well and I cannot deal with the font size on my Dell 1530 1080p. Now if it will just get of of Phase 8 and ship already!!!!!!! Check out the specs below....

Design & Display: Silver Ripley Design
Display: 15.4" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Clearview Technology
AlienFX®: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - Blue
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
Memory: 4GB« Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
System Drive: 320GB 7,200RPM (16MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Keyboard Options: AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard – Exclusive Design
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista® Edition
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Personalized Nameplate
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m15x Protective Cloth Sleeve
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m15x Keyboard Diagram Overlay
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m15x Smooth Mylar Touchpad

 

I'd spend some time reading the various m15x issues threads in this forum section first, and then buy lots of warranty.

 

I personally wouldn't gamble with the m15x hinge issue still lurking. It's definitely buyer beware at this point.

 

I am currently writing this on a aluminum macbook which is itself a marvel of engineering. But so is the m15x. I have done as much research as possible on the m15x and I am aware of the hinge issue. I do have a few things to say however. Given that this is the first generation of developing the laptop to their own specifications, as opposed to outsourcing to Clevo, I think the engineering effort was very good. The heat issues alone with running these components in a 15.4in platform is a major obstacle to creating a portable platform such as the m15x. Given all of the issues that can come up in these scenario's I would think that the hinge problem is a minor cosmetic issue that occurs from the flex associated with opening the lcd screen from a corner as opposed to the center of the screen. I will definately check it out and post when I get it however.

Cheers All.

 

talk about kicking a dead horse....

 

I am a bit surprised that so many informed people would latch onto this issue. It appears to be a small problem in the realm of things. Given that I see tons of recommendations for 15.4" laptops that are crammed with parts that are of such high wattage and heat dissipation that they should be in a 17" minimum, if at all. I guess if you can't physically see the problem than it doesn't exist I want a portable laptop that can travel daily to a hotel and to the office. You know work in the office, blow off steam with a shooter at night without carrying a notebook cooler etc, which forces me to carry the size and weight of a 17" anyway. So after tons of research it came down to a macbook pro or the alienware m15x and since I primarily use the windows platform for work the alienware it is! And right now it is cheaper than the MBP while still having top notch performance.

 

personally I would upgrade the ram yourself to save some cash. But im sure with your research you know about this. I also researched the entire time I was saving for my lappy. check the sig.

 

Ei, looks like my specs but with radeon 3870 instead of 8700M GT and 7200rpm HDD instead of SSD. Will be very interested if you run 3dMark and PcMark on your machine.

Congratulations on your buy, by the way!

And in regards to all the problems - I think the problem lies more with the users than the hinge. You don't treat silk like you would wool, right? But that's just my personal opinion...

 

yeah... it was a 150 difference, didnt feel like dealing with the hassle of ordering the ram, I was lazy. I did notice that if you wanted 8GB it is cheaper to get it with the system than to buy it yourself however... simliar quality ram is about 700 for 2x4GB and it is $550 add on to the base 2gb system. The prices are really dropping at alienware.

 

So let me get this straight, you posted a question asking what we thought, and now you're telling us that we don't know what we're talking about and that you're ignoring what we say?

Awesome.

If you already know what you want, why bother? Unless you're trying to get some justification or something, which doesn't seem to be going well.


In any case, you obviously want to buy a m15x so you might as well.
I, for one, will lol if you post a problem thread about it.

 

I already bought mine, the thread is about whether it is a good enough deal to recommend to all as a great time to buy. The biggest issue on all of the threads is this hinge issue. The other problems have either been corrected or are typical problems that occur in any production run. In regards to the hinge issue , IMHO, I think it is a non-issue. If you google any brand and broken hinge you will find that this occurs with all laptops. Most people put their laptops in soft shell bags with the hinges facing the bottom. Every time it is placed on the ground it receives stress on one of the corners and eventually they break and you don't typically notice until you take it out and open the lid when stress is put on the fracture and it cracks or breaks off.

 

Hey jdeclue, I think you made a good purchase! There are always going to be people that criticize someone's purchase! Just look at all the positive and negative car reviews! Opinions vary widely but what's most important is your happiness with your purchase.

I'm sure when you get your m15x, you'll love it! Congrats and enjoy!

 

Yeah I am just having fun on here! lol. I am frustrated with the wait on the laptop so I am blowing off some time here. I found this site when I was researching the m15x and was surprised to see so many opinions.... figured I would throw in my 2 cents.

 

I wish you no ill. Congrats on your purchase, and I hope things go smoothly for you.

But we're way beyond the point of calling the hinge a "non-issue", or blaiming the hinge damage on user abuse. Sorry, but it's true, whether it's swept under the rug or not.

Another topic just popped up....

The horse is still breathing.

 

I'm with you on the hinge issue, it's more cosmetic than anything. Yes the computer is expensive, but nothing is perfect. Guess it depends on the person though, some people value cosmetics very highly for laptops.

But if all else fails...duct tape fixes everything

I got mine for under $2000 as well, and the price was very comparable to other laptops with similar specs. One big reason I chose this over some others is port placement. I use a USB mouse, and I saw too many laptops with USB ports way up at the front, which is amazingly inconvenient.

And, well, the m15x has pretty lights lol

 

only because you refuse to let it die.