Goodbye Alienware

Well, I don't know where to put this thread as it could fit almost all the categories. I own a legacy m5500 (Pre-Dell), a M11xr1, M14X, and M15X so I guess it's appropriate to put it in the main AW thread. I am done with AW; the decision was not easy for me but after having problems with my M15X, M14X and now my M11X, it's time to say goodbye. I loved AW an awful lot (as evidenced by my purchases over the years) but as the old saying goes all good things must come to an end. Later and thanks for all of the support. Joker5150 helped me out so much it's not even funny. BatBoy, it's been a pleasure to be a part of your forums. Take care.

 

Why you selling?

 

just remember that all the computers are going to have issues don't matter what brand they are some has better quality control but at the end all are the same because the components are electronic also the demand kill the quality so if you go with a more popular brand you may get bad quality devices.

 

keep in mind that every laptop on the market has issues down the road.


Lol, Speedy, you beat me to it again, haha!

 

Consider Clevo/Sager for your high end desktop replacements and Alienware for your portables.

At this moment in time you wont beat Alienware for their smaller models although Clevo/Sager are attempting it again as people mention there will always be faults or features not included, no backlit keyboard on an 11 inch model. Epic fail.

I would keep the M14x if i were you. Sell the rest.

 

Agree , replacement is only the way to solve alienware problem I believe.

backlit keyboard is really important for gamers!!

 

I agree, most laptops have issues at some point... but I think Alienware's time is limited. A lot of competitors out there are making gaming laptops and gaming computers at a much better price. The time of overpriced Alienware machine's must come to an end soon. Just my 2 cents.

 

I assume you are referring to Clevo and Sager you might want to look at the new PEM models they are shipping all new models with a multicoloured backlit keyboard with a ton of fancy features.

See here. However their new 11 inch model wont have one sadly so yes epic fail on that standard a small gaming model without one is like a dog without a bone.

 

LOL, every time i read this thread, i just think, he will be back

but seriously, if you compare the price of a AW to a Origin, clevo/sager, msi or anything running a decent gpu, the prices are all the same, ive built my computer many times with different company's,
but the price point is almost identical every time, from 14in laptops to our 18's....
but nothing out there comes close to dell's warranty!! i bought my m17 r2 in july 2010, went through 4-5 5870 gpu's, then got a free upgrade to a m18 with 6970's less than one year later for all the problems . i have never heard of any other company doing full replacement and upgrade.
all im saying is even with problems every now and then, our spaceships preform when they need to, and look good doing it


Alienware for life, i will never look at another laptop the same!

and the forum of notebook review shows what the best is, everytime i come on, there is 150-250 people viewing the Alienware thread alone!! at all times.

 

I am sad to read this....

 

People will do what's best for them, but for a lot of n00bs coming here creating an account this month and spouting this stuff off is utter nonsense...Maybe spend more time reading this and other forums to learn what's the deal.

If you are patient, you can buy Alienware for 25-30%. That should put it below any other priced "gaming" laptop. I think someone posted in some other thread where a new company wanted 2.5k or something for something similar to an M17xR3. Was way overpriced.

I purchased the M14x in my sig for around 1k. Near 30% off with much better warranty.

Even if you aren't the patient type, you can buy with a little haggling for 10% off to 20% off.

A lot of the folks here came from Sager, ASUS and compared a lot of other machines (me included). In the end, the components are all Intel and Nvidia/AMD and compared to what you get, I don't think the competition is there yet.

Competition is great for us consumers so I would be glad if Sager ups their game, but all I see so far in their next version is a backlit keyboard and optimus which is over a year overdue already.

 

+1 dude I couldn't have said it better myself. The warranty plus the upgrade ability of these rigs really sold me.

 

Who? Asus? That's a huge joke. MSI? No threat there. Samsung?? Not even close. Alienware offers many aspects the competition lacks. These other brands are Kia's of the laptop world vs AW which is the BMW/Mercedes of laptops. People that demand the best quality, design, service and features will always pick Alienware. That is their core business and nobody has been able to beat them at it since their inception and it won't change anytime soon.

 

Just you wait until you try other laptop manufacturers and experience their warranty service, you'll be coming back to Alienware in a heartbeat

Alienware:
- Next business day on site technician
- Parts are sent to you within 2 business days
- Replacement of equal or better value are given frequently
- Remote diagnostic
- If first repair is giving you trouble after fix, technician returns to your home
- You pay no additional fees for anything
- Phone support around 5+ minute wait

Other (Asus/Sager/MSI):
- Mail in service (3-6 weeks at the repair depot)
- Parts are not sent to customers
- Replacements are very rare, almost non-existent
- No remote diagnostic
- If first repair is giving you trouble after fix, another 3-6 week wait via mail
- You have to pay one-way insured shipping to the laptop manufacturer
- Phone support around 45 minute wait

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You also get:
- Best keyboard on any laptop
- Best touchpad on any laptop
- Quality material
- Alien FX (best lighting on any laptop)

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You might think you're getting a bargain with other laptop manufacturers, but once your laptop fails, you'll realize that the bargain will soon turn into a nightmare - especially if it's your main machine and/or you don't have an alternate work/school laptop.

I've shared my personal experience many times on these boards and will do again:

MSI Warranty (keyboard)
- Waited 45+ minutes on hold
- Had to pay out of my own pocket to send it in to the repair depot
- Waited 5 weeks until it was returned to me
- Every time I called, no one knew the status of my laptop or why it was taking so long

Asus Warranty (3D emitter; Hard Drive)
- Waited 45+ minutes on hold
- Had to pay out of my own pocket to send it in to the repair depot
- Waited 6 weeks until it was returned to me
- Every time I called, no one knew the status of my laptop or why it was taking so long

Sager Warranty (n/a)
...as for Sager, they're the exact same as MSI/Asus, however I've been lucky and never had to use them.

Alienware Warranty (M11X Hinge)
- Waited 5 minutes on hold
- Item was mailed
- Tech was at my home 48 hours later

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There you have it OP.

 

Couldn't have said it better than Voodooi...A lot of people here spend gobs of time following up on tech in general and aren't AW fanboys. They've purchased other laptops from multiple vendors and some of the things AW does (such as upgrade to new tech) is simply unheard of from any other vendor. A lot of the other laptop vendors are just looking for the quick sale and if you can buy AW for the same price (this seems to be what everyone complains about which isn't even true anymore), why not?

Yes, even with AW, you can get a bad rep and bad service, but if you notice all the threads here and you follow up diligently, is polite, patient...they'll take care of you with something fair...even if your machine is 3 years old.

 

Spoiler

+1 just for the time and effort put into the post!

i have an Alienware and I am already wanting to return to them

 

For crying out loud... another one of these threads??? This is a technology forum; not a venter's platform.

Me too, LOL. Already been down the road with other laptop brands. I don't like taking a hit in the wallet when something I purchased doesn't do what it is supposed to, for as long as it should. When you have problems, you're pretty much on your own with the other brands. All the other so-called gaming laptops are inferior, and the support in other brands is downright pathetic. A warranty is only as good as the company backing it. Dell/Alienware is the only company that has decent support, and the only company that treats customers like they want to retain their business.

Couldn't have stated it any better. +1 rep

Thanks for the great examples, Voodooi +1 rep for you also

 

haha it looks to me more like a +1 thread so for all alienware users! +1 !!!

and for you Mr fox +1 for putting my quote into a spoiler for me because I am too bloody lazy

 

How Origin PC? They have full support based in the usa and there new eons now have a new look? Considering between Origin or Alienware.

 

I can imagine his reaction, i don't know the story behind his decision.
but in Europe the warranty is a pain in the..(don't know for the US)
I have been having troubles with my M17X R1 from day 1 and still up to today (i have it somewhere hidden in a closet not using it, it freezes every 5 min), i didn't stop me from buying a M14X and i like it, but they should help people that are buying products with issues just after launch.

I have written e-mails to Alienware US and they try to help me out, but with no efforts so far. if they really want to help people like us, let them send it back directly to the main office or factory and replace it with a updated system. a lot of Alienware customers are returning customers but this way you can lose them forever. and for me its not a matter of price but good quality is more important. (Use to pay big money for my AW's before) but i expect good service.

Before Dell took it over, i have been very satisfied with AW UK personal and quick. but here in Europe its a mess

 

I personally don't agree with this comparison.

Kia has come a long way and by far has a better deal over that of BMW/Mercedes. Better warranties and support from Kia in comparison to BMW/Mercedes while paying 60% less. Don't forget the proprietary issues that come along with purchasing a Bimmer or Benz.

Kia's are also a lot easier to work on than a Bimmer or Benz...

Just wanted to correct the inaccuracy of your post.

Better comparison:

Chrysler v. Honda

OR

Dodge v. Toyota

 

It's funny you would say AW is the BMW/Mercedes of laptops, since BMW and Mercedes both look good and fall apart and break ALL the time. I can't make a snide comment regarding alienware following suit as I've never owned one. having really great service is great, but not if the laptop costs many hundreds of dollars more than the same product somewhere else. Either way. I'll be purchasing the 14" alienware pretty soon

 

Actually that's not the case.

If you visit the official website, you might get that impression, though.

Buying New:
Haggling over the phone in the US can get you up to 25% off, depending on which discounts are available and which rep you speak to. Last year I shared a rep with around 100 NBR members and he was giving big discounts. An example is -500$ off (with gpu upgrade) the M18X and about 300$ off the m14x (i7/900). This is also US only (unless forwarded or picked up). Canada/UK/OZ typically get -10%~ ish.

Buying Refurbished (Dell Outlet US):
This is overall your best option. The items listed already have a discount applied to them and when big coupons come out, you save even more. Coupon discounts are random - it can be anywhere from 10-25% or a set cash discount on purchases over $_____. You get the same warranty as a new Alienware. Subscribe to the Dell Outlet US Twitter feed if interested. The catch with this is it's US-only (unless forwarded/picked up).

Buying Ebay (if international):
I've seen a couple good deals on ebay, such as a refurbished M18X for 1499$ with a 560m and full warranty/sealed. They go incredibly fast, too. Ebay is only good for people outside US/Canada since prices are spiked by Dell in their respected countries.

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After discounts, Alienware is in the price range as competitors (sometimes even beating it). You'll love your 14 when you get it. I've had mine for a few months and I'm still in "awe" everyday I use it because of how incredible it looks and feels. The FX in a pitch black room is just phenomenal.

 

My analogy wasn't meant to be taken literally. To put it simply: AW is a premium brand with premium design, quality, features and services. The competition has generic designs, inferior quality and service. The old adage applies here: You get what you pay for.

 

origin is an overpriced version of Sager. If you wish to go for a Clevo laptop, contact LPC-Digital or XoticPC. Aside from the custom paint jobs Origin has the exact same components. As for warranty Alienware is eons ahead of Origin or any other small reseller, hehe.

Exactly. I could still find 2-3 laptop models on the market (business sector) that come very close to AW in terms of quality and reliability but they all lose in terms of performance and features. If AW didn't exist I'd go for Precision or Elitebooks but never, ever even dare to consider Asus, Acer, MSI, Toshiba, etc.

 

Hah, lots of positive feedback on AW in here, so I I'll share my "fun" with my M14x. 2 dead motherboards of fun. Don't get me wrong, alienware is nice, but saying that such companies as Clevo and MSI are inferior is pretty far off. I loved my M17x R3, but the screen was sub par compared to my buddy's Sager. My M11x was great too.

I'll wait to see what AW offers this go round, but if they use crappy screens, I'll look elsewhere.

 

OK. It was nice at first, but this is starting to collect too much useless information. Thread closed.