Dell Absorbs Alienware. Systems to be made in Dell Factories now

All hail the omnipotent WindyDays!

Dell's interest has nothing to do with a love for gaming laptops. The acquisition of Dell was made by businessmen with the sole intent of making more money.

Either they will succeed or they will fail. The gaming laptop market has grown by leaps and bounds in the last couple years with new small gaming laptop companies as well as existing companies getting into the gaming laptop arena.

There as so many more options from many more companies than there used to be.

If Dell succeeds with the A.W. line it will be because they have stepped up to the plate and are able to compete well with the competition which means we'll get a great Alienware/Dell product. If they fail, there will still be a lot of great gaming laptops by other manufacturers.

None of us can predict the future aside from the fact that the gaming laptop industry is growing in scope and technology which means good things for all of us.

 

LoL"

I mean, let's pray that Dell is not very stupid....(well if they will just read my post) but....i don't want to say this but...past performance is always a strong indicator of future expectation ~_~"

Finger Cross that Dell execs. don't f AW up...(FAIL!)

 

Mine are already crossed.

 

I mean, from a business person stand point.... i have no idea wth Dell is doing... Yes there are more competition in the business customer now and also the product cycle is relatively longer then regular customer, yet they should focus on that part..... instead of trying to get everything they think will "expand" their brand value....but end up getting things that are not(like AW)..... -_-....

I still thinks that purchasing AW is a bad move....

It is so wrong that....umm....imagine Ford bought Lambo...... Q#$@%#$%%#...
(just saying, it is not going to happen.)

 

"It is so wrong that....umm....imagine Ford bought Lambo......"

Volkswagon bought Bentley and BMW bought Rolls Royce so I don't think it really matters. Both are still functioning at the high ends of the spectrum.

I would be more hesitant to buy an Alienware now that Dell owns it. At least until I see some reviews by the few who willingly disregard Dell's terrible CS.

 

I only read about to page 3 (tl;dr) but am I the only who is more upset by the closing of roswell? I mean if your system breaks who can you call now? dell cs?

God this makes me angry. roswell was like the exception. I knew that if I had A problem I could call roswell and not be treated like I was just another dumb customer who "didn't plug it in". Roswell's employee's understood the computers, probably better then we do, (which is what ALL cs SHOULD be like) and could therefore provide the best way to resolve whatever problem you had. Now when I call dell * * I will have to CONVINCE them I know what my problem is and its not because I haven't upgraded my BIOS

Forget that the computers are now made in dell factory's. (unless you are in process of buying an alienware in which case you have every reason to reconsider what laptop you want)

 

Am I the only one who feels more confident about Alienware systems now? The current systems have had so many quality control issues, but Dell's quality control seems to be pretty good in my experience. Their warranty and damage coverage is also much better than anything Alienware has ever offered.

 

I haven't read this entire thread but my still ticking Dell is a good example of Dell quality. No probs for 2.5 years now. And their CS for their high performance (XPS) line is really good from what I heard, and will probably be shared with the AW division once the transition is complete.

Their complete care warranty is also really good and I should also mention they actually allow you to *gasp* transfer your warranty.

Duane

 

got this from Wikipedia, and its sourced to.

In 2006, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 25th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list, 8th on its annual "Top 20" list of the most-admired companies in the United States.[2] In 2007 Dell ranked 34th and 8th respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. A 2006 publication identified Dell as one of 38 high-performance companies in the S&P 500 which had consistently out-performed the market over the previous 15 years.[3]


This doesn't sound like a company with bad quality control, bad CS, etc. If they really were that bad then how on earth are they the 2nd largest sellers on computers? I just doesn't see Dell destroying Alienware like you are saying. And im sure that when they agreed to be bought by Dell, Alienware would have made sure there name would stay what it is.

Though I would be surprised if there CS sucks, pretty much all company's outsource to cut costs. The worst being Microsoft probably.

Best CS by far would have to be Asus. They are amazing 0_0.

 

I completely agree, I'm actually sort of in a sense smiling as I read this.

• 
  The one thing I love about dell is their on-site support. Not only do they personally deliver your replacement to your home, they install it in front of your eyes. Sure not everyone's a computer technician prodigy in the making, but that service insures relaxation through their service for people who aren't. IMO this was basically one of the essentials AW was missing, and if they had this in their deck of cards.... jackpot

(Instead of sending your m15x in for a hinge repair and wait months, take a couple of weeks and have one of those snazzy technicians come by your crib and repair it in front of your eyes)

I choose the m17 over the new macbook pro because I wanted to be able to upgrade my computer by the time I graduate college in 2 years. Mainly the fact that m17 allows quad core processors (which everyone should have in 2 years or so). I know a fair amount about computer parts and the latest trends in that criteria, so I was confident in buying a system that provides versatility than buying a system of aesthetics and mainstream hype. Sure an m17 is not your ideal college laptop, it's a beast in size, battery unplugged lasts an hour (very inconvenient for a student).. where as the macbook pro allows portability, ideal laptop battery life (3-5 hours); all at the same time without losing performance. I'd also like to note that I go to an art school so I'm basically an outcast, shunned by the mere sight of my "last gen" looking beast laptop in which little they know can outperform most of their mac bookies (Seriously though, I feel bad for my baby after looking at macbooks for 6 hours a day.. but I will not give into the urge)

But back to the subject, for a guy that knows a substantial amount of the best computer parts and what not... I have no technical experience what so ever, however provided instructions me and my screwdriver can go very far! I'm assuming time will only tell after practice over practice of taking apart and putting together my m17.

• Assuming that this dell on-site service will be implemented right away with AW, this will reassure that purchasing a desktop replacement powerhouse that will be upgraded (yes: i'd rather have a qualified technician put new parts in my laptop than myself) over a macbook pro that will only be up to date technology wise for 2-3 years until you have to fork over another 3000 buckoroonies for the newer macbook pro

(Wish me luck, practice sessions have started: my keyboard tends to become very sluggish during unexpected times after I hear a random 'usb has been discovered' noise [edit: my ehome infrared becomes unrecognized which causes my keyboard to become sluggish].. I feel that one of the controllers or w/e sorry I'm not a computer genius but I can confidently assume that one of my controllers or something in the keyboard is either dusty or what not, can be one of many problems to why my keyboard is acting retarded)

• Longevity, I don't know about you but their computers have been nothing but work horses for me (first desktop was a dell, my brother has an xps laptop). I got that desktop in 2003, sure its memory is crap but it's still fairly usuable (my parents use it now). And my brother has had his laptop since 2006, still works like a gem. Although his '03 laptop has nothing over my m17, his 5 hours of battery life I envy so dearly.

All in all, I wasn't planning to purchase another AW laptop and go into the direction of the dreaded apple (I'm an art student, it's convenient. flame on)... but the tides have been turned. I love what they did with the new Studio XPS 16, not only does it look fairly modern, the specs on it are more than above adequate (very doable) plus the average 3-5 battery life and slim light design. An AW with that design/portability with AW performance... I could possibly and completely stop envying macbook owners.

Patiently waiting upon Dell's direction with the AW, I may have to buy another AW laptop (w/ no regrets).


-----My two cents, sorry I had to bring up a macbook comparison... it's just been crawling in my skin ever since I started bringing my computer to school----

 

I have only been an AW owner for 8 months, and they were terrible.........The M17x is a nightmare and the CS is horrible. I have purchased dozens of Dells for my employees and have never seen the type of lack of care/understanding that AW has shown. All you need to do is look at current post in forums such as this and consumeraffairs.com, BBB, etc etc. to see my point. They may have been a good company in the past, but that is no longer. I based my selection on reviews and product history of old, if I saw the latest review/comment I would have bought a Lenovo W700 or something else. My M17x is in for service as I type (again), I hope the swap to dell was today. That way, I could talk to a reasonable firm who, if in 9 months were not able to provide me with a working laptop, would replace it (as I requested) or provide a full refund.
I am confident that Dell would not treat their customers with utter disregard as AW has recently. AW does not believe that a year of trial and error to correct a lemon is perfectly fine as that “is our policy”.
Is it possible that Dell realizes that AW is on a downward spiral with CS and more importantly quality and is forced now to step in?

 

"In 2006, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 25th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list, 8th on its annual "Top 20" list of the most-admired companies in the United States.[2] In 2007 Dell ranked 34th and 8th respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. A 2006 publication identified Dell as one of 38 high-performance companies in the S&P 500 which had consistently out-performed the market over the previous 15 years."

2006 and 2009 are different years completely. A lot can happen in a few short years.. or even months. Look at businesses like Circuit City etc. If you have to cut costs.. you cut them somewhere. CS is usually the first to go. Fewer employees due to cutbacks to handle more volume = terrible CS.


Also, From what I've learned writing research papers and publishing is that wikipedia is not an academic source of information. It neither lists how the figures were made or which companies are polled and how. Also, It doesn't contain any data sheets which could be biased etc. I wouldn't use wikipedia as the last source of information.

 

You cut out the first sentence I wrote where I said it is sourced in Wikipedia.

 

Right now I feel very fortunate to get one of the last true AW built m15x! Hopefully, when it arrives I won't be disappointed;-)

Detailed Results
Printable Version

Departed FedEx location
ORLANDO, FL

Shipment Dates

Ship date

Apr 24, 2009

Estimated delivery

Apr 30, 2009

Destination

ORANGE, CA

Home Delivery-Direct Signature Required

Weight
20.0 lbs/9.1 kg

Shipment Travel History

Details
Apr 25, 2009 9:08 AM
Departed FedEx location
ORLANDO, FL
Apr 25, 2009 12:50 AM
Arrived at FedEx location
ORLANDO, FL
Apr 24, 2009 7:20 PM
Picked up
MIAMI, FL
Apr 24, 2009 5:23 PM
Shipment information sent to FedEx

 

Well, everyone here is probably mad that the Roswell division has shut down. However, while Dell's normal CS service is horid, I have used the Dell XPS CS and they are much more knowledgeable and can actually speak english! I guess you can compare the Roswell Division to the XPS division. Hopefully Dell will create somethign similar for AW like the XPS CS (or revive Roswell!)

 

"You cut out the first sentence I wrote where I said it is sourced in Wikipedia."

I was saying there should be more than 1 source stating about how great the CS is. One source doesn't validify the sincerity of their conclusions unless it is backed up with data which you can analyze for yourself.

 

Hey wait a second, didn't Dell absorb Alienware, like 1-2 years ago? Oh, and no wonder why Dell still hasn't upgraded their M1730. The specs are good, but the design is at least 3 laptop generations old.

 

They did I believe in 2006 but now they are closing some of the AW factories and offices and moving to the Dell owned factories. Read the first post.

 

It's the same with Gateway-Acer-eMachines and HP-Compaq. All made by the same company. And I think Dells high end lappies are built pretty darn good. The XPS M1730, is really nice. Got a friend that has one and it is built very solid. We all know that the internals-CPU, GPU, WLAN, NICs are made by the same people. So even now when you buy a computer, your buying a name mostly. The only major difference on most computers is the MOBO. Yeah, it's a big deal if your a big Alienware fan, but I think Dell will remake the Brand, restructer, and Alienware(by Dell) will be better than ever.

 

Have a few more days of patience and your wish for a newer XPS 1730 will be exhausted... I can't say more, but I can assure you it's coming.

 

It would be smart for them to do that, now I will say that the Dell Pecisions and Latitudes that I have used in the past have been top notch so I will not bash them at all.

 

This can be interpreted as it's going away for good with no replacement OR there is a new one around the corner OR is it just too early in the morning for me to comprehend.

 

Number 2 Quicksilver

Sorry I can't say more as I'm still somewhat bound by confidentiality.

 

does that mean .. no pm-ing with the secrets too?

 

It means why would Dell "compete" with itself in this market when AW is already there. AW is without a doubt "THE" gaming/high tech arm of Dell and that for marketing reasons would leave Michael happy for now. All bases are covered!

 

We'll see...I wonder where does that confidence sprout from, though.

BTW, does the absorbing mean this forum will be integrated in Dell's one as a sub-forum?

 

no it wont im PM'in chaz and saying no

 

I don't think that's much of a secret but a more precise date (and specs) would be. I guess that's the jewel your holding on to. I wouldn't release that info either if I were you.

 

i would not take the chance lol

im just glad we have somebody that has CS

 

Yeah. Check it! http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1941376,00.asp

So if you own a recent AW you got a made over Dell, Huh?

 

I am very sorry...I don't mean to be offensive.but i must explain something here about cars.... off topic.
VW is not a low cost car manufacturer by all mean..... Their car is relatively higher in price comparing to Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, etc. So i don't think you quite understand the point here. and BMW is more like...not cheap Dell? Dell is more like Ford.

And please also understand that, VW do not alter Bentley production and design. Bentley cars are not assemble in VW plants.... Which is where the point is. I hope you must understand what you are talking about here is quite..umm...making no sense?

 

you missed the point again here. After the acquisition AW still have their own design ppl and their own plant for their lappies, so we still have the AW thing.

But until now when Dell decided to shut down everything, the AW from now on, you can say a made over Dell.

 

For what is worth, I just got off the phone with Alienware CST in Miami. I asked him specifically about what I have been reading online here and asked if there was a process in his market to move everything over to Dell.

He said he is not aware of such a transistion in the US. He did not sound like he was pulling my leg. He said that they ultimatly report to dell personel, they are still running fairly independent of each other.

 

Sorry but I'm gonna have to disagree with you there.

For quite a while now, if you made any decision that impacted Dell's bottom-line, you had to go through them for approval.

Need a new technician or CS agent? Call center director needed to ask Dell people about it.
Product life cycles? Pushed by Dell, whether ready or not.

So while the systems are made in Alienware facilities (until at least after this summer), Dell has been calling the shots all along.

So when someone complains of the m15x build quality, or the M17 stutter issue and pins this on Alienware while praising the Dell takeover, sorry but I have to LoL

 

I have to agree with the other posters on this one sneakyFspy. You are missing the point.

Although Dell took over A.W. in 06, they are only just now doing some restructuring for a greater world market and more efficiency.

Dell had nothing to do with the 15X. A.W. didn't even see the hinge issue coming and they didn't actually manufacture it. They should have done more to correvt things but that's a different issue.

I know some have had stuttering issues but myself and many others have had none. Again, problems with current models are still an A.W. issue.

Until Dell actually gets involved in the nuts and bolts of the making of new models, any problems are in A.W.'s lap.

Truth is, we are all doing nothing but speculating about what happens next.

The sky is not falling!:laugh:

 

Well that is your view Rob. But I can tell you from being in the trenches and working with these people, that we didn't have nearly as much independence as you guys think and there was a lot more micro-managing than it appears.

I agree that the sky is not falling, but your description of the situation is much too simplistic as far as product releases go.

 

I'm referring to your analogy being nonsensical. I believe Volkswagen makes many cars which are equally as affordable as a Ford. Check out jetta, rabbit, passat, GTI.. all of which are moderately priced. I know a few fords which are more expensive. Ford is by no means a terrible company. I believe they also make the ford GT.. it's considered a luxury car.

VW did alter Bentley's design. They kept the Arnage formula until they could slowly replace it with the continental, flying spur, etc. These are their new flagships. The last of the Bentley's are called Final Series. They are only available in a limited run.

http://www.automobilesdeluxe.tv/bentley-arnage-final-series/

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/auto_shows/2008_paris_auto_show_mondial_de_l_automobile_auto_shows/production_debuts/2009_bentley_arnage_final_series_car_news

As for the factory. Some are manufactured in the same factory, where special areas are designated for use by Bentley as in the Crewe Factory.


Basically what I'm saying is that the comparison is fruitless. VW did acquire Bentley and attempt to get Rolls Royce to expand their luxury lines. They failed to acquire the latter. So maybe Dell is more like Volkswagen except with terrible CS trying to acquire a Bentley. Either way they have terrible CS. And yes this is off topic.

 

no body cares about the bently we are talking about computers lol jp

 

All I know (in my simplistic view) is that no ammount of speculating and debating here is going to change how Dell proceeds.

Whatever Dell decides to do, then that is what they will do.

At that point, we will all be able to decide for ourselves if Alienware is a product we want to buy.

I like the A.W. brand, but if I think for a second that the product they offer is crap, I won't buy it. There will always be other capable options.

In the end, the market will decide if Dell has made the right decisions with A.W.

 

proably the 80 % of the world will never know the difference in dell and AW they will think they are 2 diff companys ...

im with sneaky, to me dell seems like its finger is in the pie.... if you buy out a company you dont just leave it alone ...

 

It's cool. I'm kinda neurotic about accuracy of information. I'm willing to see how this all plays out. In terms of design I believe Alienware will still remain top notch, however they carry over the Cs of the parent company. From what I've noticed is that they seem to be a generation or so behind everyone else for technology. Even the XPS line has fault with that.

 

alienware is not behind they do offer the fastest systems out right now

m17 with montevina
and m15x m17x with santa rosa

 

Properly overclocked M17 and ALX systems can take any machine out there and the odds are they will come out on top.

 

lol properly over clocked?

they dont let us overclock


not the Asus they are 20 points ahead in 3dmarks lol

dude sneaky P is up with you picture

 

Methinks a photoshoppy of Fear and Loathing. Got a good laugh when I squinted at it.

 

yep. the original is from the 1993 film of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, with Gary Busey's mug 'shopped in over Depp's face.

 

its nasty

 

Somethingawful FTW! The craziest things you will see today

1998 film whizzo

 

.... i want quick silver !!!!! lol

 

Yeah. I was just kidding. LOL. I rad the article and it CLEARLY states that AW is a subsidiary of Dell. That's cool.....