Future for Alienware

Just for the hell of it, I thought it would be fun to speculate on what Alienware will do, or rather SHOULD do in the future. Here are my ideas:

- This is a small one and I'm sure they will do it soon anyways, but they need to change the monitor hinge (especially on the M11X). A lot of new laptops, like the MacBooks do that thing where when the screen opens, it fully covers the back of the base. It's not a big deal, but I think it's makes a big difference and would make their laptops look sooooo much sexier.

- Transform the M11X into the M13X (or make a new 13' model altogether). I like the M11X, but that screen size is giving me pause. Plus, with the added space they could make the laptop thinner or/and increase battery life. Also, they need to ditch the ULV processors. The ULV Cpu's and the 11' size are the only thing stopping me from selling my M17X.

- I also think they should re-imagine the M15X. Instead of making it the little brother or cheaper option to the M17X, they should focus on making it more portable and lighter. Bascially, a cross between the M11X and the M17X. I want them to make a true MacBook Pro Competitor (with a much much much better graphics card of course). IMO, Apple and Alienware have the best design approach to their laptops. The problem is that Apple sucks at gaming and the Alienware's hurt my back and aren't that portable (although my M17X gives me 3 hours of battery life). The M11X is nice, but like I mentioned before, the ULV processors are a problem. If Alienware can do that, easily the best laptops in history.

 

Agreed on the 3rd point.

 

3rd point, I agree, to an extent. I think AW can fit the M15x goods into a smaller thinner chassis, but not by much. Take the Area-51 m15x for example, it's close in width and length to the MBP. I'm sure now with the metal chassis, they can fit the hardware into something similar and not have the hinge/overheating issues. But, as we learned before, you don't want to make something too small and incapable with a extremely high-end card. But, then again, the M15x and M17x were never meant for portable gaming. That's why they introduced the M11x, to lure in college students or people on the go that want something powerful yet portable.

 

m15x is i no way a macbook competitor performance wise it's lightyear a head

 

hmmm MBP vs Alienware I can do this. look at it from both companys design theory. Apple has the advertising department design a sleek looking machine that is primarily aesthetics and then had the engineers see what they can build into that frame and form factor. They desigh from outside in compromising cooling, performance, upgradability, repairability and durability for looks, feel and glamor factor. Dellienware designed the AW series from the inside out, performance and features first THEN see what they can build it into.

agreed, heck my Acer 3820TG is ahead of it ( I own MBP's as well and barely use them anymore ) the only thing Apple can lay claim to is a better touchpad and really ..... how many of us do serious work or game on a touchpad?

best screens, ya not a chance, 17X and workstation laptops rule here especially the 8740W with a better IPS screen then the Apple Cinema Display can boast.

I will agree with you to a point on your third point the 15X should be a different machine than the 17X and not the smaller brother, but as for point one, yes fix the hinge but DONT compromise our cooling and features and upgradability. If I want sexy I will take my wife out, If I want to actually work or play on a computer I will certantly forgo the looks of it for the meat underneath.

 

Don't care for ultra-mobility, like my DTRs.

A refreshed M17x to take on the Malibal x7200 would be sweet.

- Intel® Core™ i7-980X Extreme, 12MB L3 Cache, 3.33GHz (Desktop CPU)
- (12GB) 12288MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 3 SO-DIMM
- Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 480M 2GB GDDR5
- IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
- 17.3" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED Backlit Display (would of preferred their VEDA's 18.4" screen though)


Drool

 

Addressing your third point, the MacBook Pro really doesn't suck for gaming. The two year-old model in my signature can still get respectable performance with fairly close to maximum settings. (the only downside being most games are still only playable in Windows, and dual-booting and Windows in general is annoying.) The m15x really can't learn anything from the m11x, they're both a similar size minus the screen size. Alienware could try to make to make the m15x thinner, or offer a model similar in thickness and performance to something like the HP Envy, and have an all-performance model like they do mow.

 

It's this simple,

- If you want a lightweight, over-priced, mediocre spec'd system with a very narrow visioned OS (my opinion), for pretty much all general lightweight purposes, you get a Macbook. If Apple isn't your price range, plenty of other middle of the road systems that offer lightweight, long battery life and mediocre specs.

- If you're after a high-performance system designed for gaming and all other heavy-duty purposes, you get an Alienware or some other purpose designed system.

Honestly I see the 3rd point being this, a comparison of a Dodge Ram V8 2500 Heavy Duty truck compared to a Honda Civic V4 coupe. Two different class vehicles, just like two different class systems, at least when you say "competition for a Macbook Pro".

From a technical stand-point - you cannot have the magnitude of performance offered by these class systems in a Macbook feature list. High performance chips need air to breath and operate, you don't get that in a tiny condensed chassis. Having high-end, high powered chips in a frame requires lots of power, so battery life is a no go unless you made such big capacity batteries.

That said, if they could make them a little lighter, maybe even a little bit thinner, great. In my opinion, out of all the competitors out there Alienware offer the thinnest and lightest for the Gaming or "heavy duty" class system, so we're not doing too badly.

The hinge idea is great, but at the same time, I've seen NOTHING but hinge issues with Mac laptops. The current ones in the Alienware M15X are well done, not ugly, but not as slick as a Mac, but I'd rather have longevity and performance than a cosmetic.

I guess the point of my comments toward the Alienware competing with a Mac is you can't have your cake and eat it too. This is why Alienware took the best specs a Trick'd out Macbook Pro can offer and stuck it into a tiny m11x frame.

 

I think that's the job of the Studio XPS Dell line.
Remember, AW is strictly Dell's gaming line.

Plus, they went back in performance since they went with the 330M instead of something stronger. The 9600M GT is actually stronger than what the current MBP offers, lol.

 

Yeah exactly! Thays what I meant to say that the plug position needs to be changed from the side to the back. I've tried out my friends m15x and I was scared to use it with my legs crossed because I too felt the plug was gonna snap or atleast bend; plus his inner wires are starting to show where the wire meets the plug and wire to power adapter

 

Eeek.

My Inspiron 1520 was my laptop for a long time. always loved majority of the ports were on the back (power, two USB).

 

Switchable graphics options in their gaming laptops (m17x and m15x) either via Optimus or Sandy Bridge. That'll be the boost that could even the gap between Alienware and Apple. Combine it with superior ventilation via Asus, and you have the best gaming laptop. Oh, and keep the RGB LED. Anything less is a failure.

 

I agree with the assertion that the M15X outpowers the MBP. However, I don't think it offers a great value in general (no offense to M15X owners). To me it makes sense to just go for a M17X for a bit extra or go for a refurbished M17X (like I did). That will always be the "screw the size and weight" and go full on performance and it should be. (As long as they don't go to far. Honestly, a lot of these high end laptops seem stupid. They are laptops after all, and if they aren't even the slightest bit portable, why waste money on them, when you could just as easily build your own desktop)

The market has shown a clear need and desire for laptops that are truly portable, have a long battery life, and a good weight. I'm only 24 years old, and I'm starting to have back problems

Just look at how many MBP's Apple has moved recently or even how many M11X's Alienware has sold. I might be wrong, but I think that's the first thing they have ever made a commercial for.

My problem is that the light and long battery laptop in the market today doesn't matchup with my performance desires. Macbook Pro Gaming is really not that good. I like the M11X gaming, but I don't like its small screen size and ULV processors. And even for the few computers out there that do have the specifications I need, they just look awful....super ugly.

I can't own an ugly laptop, and a lot of them really are. The studio xps' used to be ok, but Dell cut that line and replaced it with these new super ugly models. (have you guys seen those?... ugly right?) I don't understand why so many laptop manufacturers have this need to curve the front (and sides...like HP) of their laptops. It makes no sense. I think only Apple and Alienware have avoided doing that.

 

hunt the business class laptops and workstation units, unless I NEED my crossfire in my M17X I game mostly on an Elitebook 8740W it has a radeon 5870 equivelant in it so does the job quite well

 

RGB will most likely be in the R2/R3 whatever you like to call it. The new XPS 15 has it, so it's most likely be in the next generation.

And @ the guy who said Asus had a superior venting system. Asus doesn't have a superior venting system, it's significantly worse... Asus guys brag about their 76C temps w/ IC Diamond I have a budget paste, AS-Ceramique, and I get around 73C max. I'm sure with IC Diamond I could pull off a sub 70C 20-minute long furmark run, though my temps start dropping after 12-15 minutes.

 

Wait... wha.... what exactly should Alienware get from Asus? Switchable graphics in m17x? What for... ?

 

switchable graphic would be cool but cooling from asus LOL? meaning they should learn how to over heat thier laptop

 

ive been catching up on my thread searching and found out that the XPS 15 has B+RG meanings its 92-95% of the adobe gamut whereas RGB screen is 120%(from what I've read off other members) all becuase its due to the shortage of RGB SCreens, so hopefully we will get better screens but even if we do end up getting the B+RG screen it will be way better than the WLED becuase i think it covers more or oless around 75% adobe gamut. Some people even say its 65%. so who knows I guess as you suggested we will be getting SOMETHING in the next revisions hopefully.

 

if anything I want to be able to transplant my DC2 screen from my Elitebook to my M17X

 

whats a DC2 screen?

 

DC2 = Lag
Gaming no likey lag.

 

sorry but im still abit confused as to what DC2 is. and if i understand correctly and its a lag screen then how is that good to put it into the m17x?
please excuse my stupidity im a bit slow today

 

It's an HP IPS panel called DreamColor2. It has colors slightly better than the Dell RGBLED backlit TN, but with superior viewing angles and slower response time.

 

Thank You, that completely clears up my confusion I just realized how awesome it would be to have an IPS panel rather than the RGB, how could i forget about IPS Panels, so no possible way to have an IPS Panel that has faster response time? or am I getting way ahead of myself IT is the future isnt it? we still have around 3+ months till we hear about any new revision so could be likely that they come out with something really similar.

 

the lag isnt bad for many of us. well that and I dont actually game on my AW but used to use it as a graphics rendering station, and for photo editing.

alot better actually Akimox, and I have the 8740W and an M17X and there is still no comparison. go see the 8740W review by akimox

 

Wouldn't be surprised if Dell were to offer that as a 3rd screen option on a future M17x. Honestly the panels are often worldwide available, and these days easy for any manufacturer to add to their "options" list. Some may prefer the color, some may prefer the lower response, either way you've gotten a customer who wanted a particular feature, and made the one thing any maker wants, a customer.

As for future AW - note that Sandy Bridge looks to debut in the first few days of January

 

Yeah the lag ain't all bad, but I'm sure there's a definite difference. It's like the difference between a 1khz polling rate mouse and a standard 125hz mouse, some will notice a HUGE difference, others not so much, but there IS a difference. I'm sure that a DC2 will attract more pros in the field to get the M17x as an alternative to a workstation though, so Dell might look into that.

 

Alienware always has the winning edge in gaming, they're created only to gaming, in the computer world if you can, game you can do all the rest. The only thing I really don't like in m15x its the thickness because it really doesn't look good at the alienware current laptop design.

By the way, I know it's really a noobish thing but I don't know what it's the IMO pcs, really what is it?

 

IMO = im my opinion

 

not sure if its just me or not but i think if they start to try and cram M15x components into a smaller case they will be screwing up just like dell did with the XPS did we ever see a M1530 untill after they decided oh we will try to make a xps cheaper for ppl that want somethign mroe portable i personaly think that the M1330 and M1530 where the worst Laptops Dell made whyll they produced those models

i think the M11x would not be around unless dell did not want to make something for ppl that wanted mini books wich they should turn into a table because well i think alienware should just have a tablet model and not a mini book like that
but at the time evyerone was making those 10 inch notbooks so alienware dell decided go with a 11 inch make customers happy

I think they could have put more into the M15x like a HDMI port and not just a DVI port
also room for a second hard drive

 

on the contrary i think the M1330 and M1530 were one of the best designs Dell has ever came up with, extremly sturdy and great specs, theonly thing at fault was the GPU in the M1330 becuase it was nvidias fault but if they offered the same exact chassis with updated specs i would pick itup right away. Im actually using a M1330 rightnow till i get my M15x.

But I agree on one point you made, that if the M15x specs were cramped into something smaller, they would screw it up somehow, i think the specs are really great for a m15x of that size, and they picked the perfect size, since everything is set to run at optimal level. If they cramped those specs in a smaller machine that means they will have to sacrifice SOMETHING, whether thats battery life or design quality or fan size and for the latter that means having a cooling issue and that leads to hot over heating laptops. the way they have designed the m15x is so it stays COOL unlike other machines out there even whilst gaming or heave duty stuff.
the only way that i can see the m15x getting in a lighter or a thinner chassis is if they come up with a brilliant cooling system. end of story. it all depends on the cooling system.

 

One of the reasons i hated those to models was the casing My Mom had a m1330 and she has the same problems

i had the M1530
and well if i ever put it on my lap or knee to just sit and surfe the web on the couch the case would bend not crack but bend and then the thing woudlnt sit right on a table it woudl rable

the palm rest well it woudl fad all the time because of the aluminum it was made from would rub out wher eyour palms sit

if your GPU went it was the entire board that had to be replaced

the hinges where tempormental i think they had to replace the hing on My 1530 and my moms 1330 like 3 times each over a 2 or 3 year period

the only thing that i thoguth was reliable on it was the finger print scanner and only if you licked your finger before you scaned your finger lol

 

how ever i think it would be cool to offer more color options then just the 3 of these they do offer

also i know it make it heavier but a Anodized Aluminum for the 15x also

 

to each their own now lets try to stay ON topic instead of drifting off. I like having people share new ideas and thought so close to a new m15x revision, esepecially 2-3 months ahead of time, so AW or Dell has time to look through and find new ideas to implement in their next models to do two things; 1: make their customers happy and increase customers 2: make their product more open to people of other interest than only gaming. i know several people who want a PC like alienware but turn it down due to the screen, only because of the type of work they do, small things make a huge difference. if alienware do make this change, then instead being GAMERS specific and all rounders, they can reach out to other interest groups.

 

I don't think Alienware should take the M15X parts and cram it into something smaller....not at all.

I think they should take the M15X, put in a less powerful graphics card, then make it slimmer, lighter, and the better battery life. It shouldn't be a "top of the line" card. I think it should and will be better than what Macbooks and Envy's have, but it doesn't have to be all powerful.

It really doesn't make sense the way they have it now. It's powerful, but its not as good a value as just getting the m17X.

The way I see it:

- M17X the way it is now and usual upgrades (better hinge and if they can make it lighter would be awesome, but not necessary)

- M13X, basically the same as M11X with bigger screen and regular processor. Same GPU

- M15X, the in-between laptop. Combination of battery life, light weight, and decent GPU to make the best all-around laptop in the world.

 

see now thats something cool to think about, itstead of redesigning the m15x to be smaller thinner, its better to build a new smaller laptop from scratch. One thing that really really put me off the m11x was the bezel around the screen. nothing else, with that much bezel it already is a 13" size, its a bit of a downside for me for AW, the amount of bezel they have, i just think it looks a bit weird, but hey thats personal preference . But i realize why they do that, because thats how big the chassis is so it has to match the size.

but a m13x would be best since that is one of the most common sizes and it can go up against other competitors like the VAIO Z ( in terms of size with that powerful GPU) and i think there is a lenovo thats similar in GPU power

 

Macbook = Ford, Alienware = ...well, just see my avatar.

 

Corrected for accuracy