Ideastorm - Ditch Alienware 14 and replace with 15.6" thin & light competitor for MSI GS60, Razer Blade and Mac Book Pro

Please support my idea on

Idea Storm

Hello,

As the title suggests I'll get straight to the point.
Because Alienware 14 is so thick and heavy the 14inch screen on it seems pointless. Discontinue Alienware 14 and make a 15.6" thin and lightweight Alienware laptop that has similar portability as the MSI GS60/70, Razer Blade and Mac Book Pros but can match or outperform the MSI GS60/70 because they have GTX860m and GTX870m thus they are the most powerful thin and lightweight out of the 3 mentioned brands.
If Alienware pulls this off it would really give them a run for their money.

And regarding the design it off course has to look on par or even better than the mentioned 3 competitors above. Don't make it look imature but subtle like the current Alieneare 14, 17 and 18 but maybe even better.

Thank you for your consideration.
John

 

Also started a thread on the same lines. It is in my sig. The more they hear the same problem the better it is. Pls vote for it too.
Thanks

P.S.: I already voted for John's idea.

 

They already make that. It's called the XPS 15. It has a QHD+ 3200x1800 display and it's an awesome Ultrabook. Granted, it only has a GT 750M, but 860M and 870M are less potent than the now old and obsolete 680M.

Instead of ditching the Alienware 14 they should make it a mini-beast that functions exactly the same as the 17 in a smaller footprint. They should take advantage of the bulk and make it more powerful than the MSI, Razer and Mac Book Pro ever dreamed of being. No point in Alienware releasing another average system like those models... Keep the Alienware 14, use an MXM module for GPU (something the other mickey mouse options are also missing if my understanding is correct,) add massive heat sinks and fans, and release it with 4930MX and 880M, 15.6" QHD+ 3200x1800 display (should fit in the same space if they use up the hugely wide bezel space that is currently being wasted) along with the 330W AC adapter used for the 18. Then it would be something truly special. If they go thin and light it will just be another mediocre "gaming Ultrabook" with components that just barely get the job done. A system that uses BGA mounted CPU and GPU should not qualify for Alienware branding, and BGA is the only way to fit things into the inadequate Ultrabook form factor.

 

@Mr. Fox

With the shrinking die size (better efficiency) every year and the already big trend of thin and light, Alienware must consider the supply and demand and move with the evolution otherwise we all know what will happen. Although I like thin I don't like light. If Alienware can make a sub 1 inch yet solid and powerful notebook then they would be going in the right direction.

Ask yourself Mr. Fox, if there was a notebook as described above but was producing 10fps less than the single fastest gpu notebook but without the thickness wouldn't that be extremely appealing?

Sooner or later the Alienware 17 and 18 will have to go this road too. And if it looked ice cold and stealthy, professionals will use it too. Then Alienware will have a broader audience and again we all know what that means.

 

Did you have MXM gpu's and non soldered CPU's in mind for your proposed Idea?
That's would be my deciding factor with any laptop at the end of the day. I don't like the idea of having to dispose of my machine when I'd like to upgrade.
Anyway, I'm not trying to troll your thread. That was a genuine question.

 

Since it's Alienware then off course I'd expect MXM GPU & CPU. And it's possible for 1 inch factor. I am not expecting fastest GPU of that time but maybe 2nd or 3rd best. Sacrificing 10-15fps for thickness.

And Alienware should try to do this first as they are Alienware.

 

If that were possible I'd like to see it happen. Of course if the 14 simply had MXM GPU that would be an awesome machine IMO.

 

If they would drop in an MXM GPU in the 14, that would be a huge step in the right direction. If they could do this in a relatively thin form factor without sacrificing performance too much, I think they would have a real winner.

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I love the 14" form factor, I found the size is optimal for my use
I've owned a 15.6" laptop and it's too big to comfortably fit in a normal backpack
Why go for a 15.6" when the trend on the market is towards 14"? I mean most of the manufacturers out there make 14" these days
msi has stuck at 15.6" and 17" models for their gaming series but last year they added the ge40
razer blade is 14"
gigabyte p34 is 14"

gigabyte stands as a good example here
they have p34 and p35 (14" and 15" models) out at the same time and they are both thin and light and hella beasts
but from what I perceive the p34 is the more regarded one

So I doubt ditching the 14" model is a good idea. Alienware had a 15" M15x in the past but it's discontinued after the first gen. I don't think it was a reckless decision.
I do agree that if the gpu on Alienware 14 can be made to be a mxm, it would be awesome
It would make a great advantage over the competitors (like asus rog and razer, which upgradibility and maintainability are terrible)
Even though I love my alienware, I actually think the new razer blade and rog machines are better....razer has slimmer form factors and rog has better thermal and less emission
But if I can swap out the gpu in my alienware, I don't care about the thickness and weight! I can upgrade the gpu, at least to a next gen corresponding model if not higher, like many of you guys did with your 17/18 inch machines. So I don't have to be annoyed by how much more powerful the new maxwell 860m over my 765m

 

Rather than making a mediocre ultrabook style machine they should keep the 14 form factor and as the others in the thread have stated and focus on maybe getting an mxm slot in there for full upgrade capability. To make it slimmer they would have to do away with the CPU socket like the competitors you mention have done which makes it more difficult to upgrade in the future. You are also missing the fact that the BGA cpu's are less powerful than the socketed ones as they are deisgned for lower power consumption.

 

In theory what is maximum required thickness for a non BGA CPU and MXM GPU notebook? I'm talking mid or higher mid range GPU.

 

The Ultrabook specifications change with each generation, but the entire concept is built around compromises focused on form factor and power savings, as opposed to gaming and high performance being the primary goal. For instance, the specification now includes touch display where it did not in the past.

It also should be mentioned that there is no need for any OEM to adhere to the Ultrabook specifications unless they want Intel "certification" and for those focused on performance neither Intel's nor Micro$haft's blessing is important. At the end of the day, giving discriminating customers what they want is more important than having the blessing of Intel or Micro$haft. People that make buying decisions on that basis have their priorities out of whack. They either get suckered by gimmicks or they don't really have a clear understanding of quality or performance, because Intel and Micro$haft certification guarantees nothing except the probability of achieving a standardized level of mediocrity.

Going thin and light presents challenges and requires compromises simply because of space limitations. There has to be an element of compromise relating to performance in order for thin and light to work correctly. That could change someday, if and when something smaller and more effective can replace the ordinary heat sinks and fans we have today. But, based on what we have to work with today, smaller, thinner and lighter always translates into less performance. There is no way around that. An MXM slot and CPU socket takes up more space. The more powerful the components are that occupy those spaces, the more robust the fans and heat sinks have to be to accommodate them. This requires adequate space (more bulk) to work effectively and doesn't support the concept of thin and light.

Alienware has (at least historically) never been a brand that openly caters to compromise. To some extent they do by offering different sizes of machines with varying performance capabilities, but everything they market revolves around the concept of high performance. They have often been appreciated for the fact that they tend to ignore standards and do what they perceive to be in sync with what customers that value their brand want the most. Because compromise goes against what the brand represents conceptually, it only stands to reason that the typical performance enthusiast shopping for an Alienware probably does not have compromise written down anywhere on their shopping list. There could be some folks looking at smaller models that do, but anyone that is truly serious about performance does not want to hear about compromise.

There is nothing inherently wrong with shopping for thin and light machines built around compromise (i.e. Ultrabook) if that's what one actually wants to buy... the only observation offered here is that it's not what the Alienware brand stands for. If Alienware shifts their priorities, they are going to lose customers in droves and leave a gap that no other brand can fill in terms of both performance and build quality. It would also compete with the XPS lineup, which isn't a particularly good idea. That kind of product would be really horrible for customers that abhor compromise, and for those that want it there is already the option to buy an XPS 15, Razer or other models mentioned. These products readily available, in a saturated market no less, as a purchasing option for those that value compromise.

The XPS 15 is a gorgeous machine and it is built like a brick house. Rebranding it and tweaking the trim to make it look like an Alienware would accomplish absolutely nothing. Like any other thin and light alternative, it's not going to win any speed contests. But, it does a reasonable job of playing games as long as you don't get too carried away with setting the graphics options as though you were running a high-end (680M, 780M, 880M) GPU.

Ultrabook Standards | Wikipedia

Ultrabook 2 in 1 Convertible The Device of Choice | Intel

 

You have to remember Alienware is a subsidiary of a larger company, targeting a specific market of people, and designing/manufacturing/distributing a very specific type product. There's not really any reason for Alienware to ditch the AW 14 to compete with other companies because Dell already does (e.g. 13" market, etc.). I suppose this is debatable, but hopefully you see the point I'm trying to make. Also, replacing the 14" with a 15.6" would decrease sales of their 17" lineup. That's partially why the M15x no longer exists.

 

You know, anyone that wants a MSI GS60, Razer Blade or Mac Book Pro should go buy one. It's kind of humorous how people that buy machines like that often show up in forums looking for ways to try to make those thin and light machines perform as though they are not thin and light.

 

There's at least one post a day with one of them complaining about heat/throttling issues.

 

Just to throw my two cents in the ring.

I came to Alienware from a Clevo re-brand and I came because I wanted the most powerful computer I could get in that screen size; in my case 17". I came knowing that the computer was going to be heavier than the opposition but hoping that it would outperform the opposition and would keep performing for hour after hour, month after month. So far, other than a couple of small problems, Alienware have exceeded my expectations.

To me the Alienware brand stands for performance with little or no compromise. If you want the power and are prepared to put up with the weight - buy an AW and if your not prepared for that then buy something else.

Can the 14" be revamped and improved....... I honestly don't know because that size has never really interested me but I think that AW should make it as powerful as the size permits and don't worry about thin and light. Can you imagine Ferrari making a little electric town car to compete with Honda? I can't because in my opinion they are two completely different markets.

 

Problem is, the 14 isn't thin and light and doesn't perfrom better then the competition either. The competition has put 870ms and 860ms in much thinner and lighter for factors. So the 14 sucks in almost every way.


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You could simply have both?

 

Yes, I could. But why? If you already have a serious performance beast like a 17" or 18" Alienware and an ordinary "disposable" laptop or tablet for thrashing, web browsing and email, etc... wouldn't an expensive mediocre "gaming Ultrabook" just be a waste of money? I suppose if I had tons of discretionary cash to spend on something unnecessary, I could do that. I'm not knocking anybody willing to settle for a thin and light machine that can do some reasonable gaming if that's what they want. It's just not "Alienware-Grade" for a machine to be a lackluster performer with soldered on CPU and GPU and I hope they never produce any more junk like that. They already have a 14 that does that with the GPU. Fortunately the CPU is upgradable, but the competitor machines (unless I am mistaken) are BGA on both. Alienware should instead beef up the 14 with a PCIe slot for MXM to turn it into true single-GPU beast like a 17 only smaller (for those that want smaller) and leave the mediocre product manufacturing to their competitors.

That's just my opinion... ultimately, they'll do whatever they want whether customers like it or not. The weaknesses of the new 18 is a case in point on that.

 

I wasn't saying "you" should I was just inferring one could as I have for a school laptop as found in my sig. But a very nice explanation regardless.

 

As I said I have no knowledge about the 14" but I disagree with the thin and light approach at the expense of performance for an AW machine. If what you say is correct, and I have no reason to disagree with you, then AW need to up the ante. They should be leading the pack not following along. If AW's concern is that the 14" form does not allow adequate cooling then scrap the 14" and go to 15".

That is my opinion anyway.

 

If/When nVidia release their 870m and 880m Maxwell replacement it would be great to see them try to put the AW 14 on a diet and compete with Razer and MSI. It doesn't need to be a freaking 10mm thin. Make it thinner and lighter like an inch thick, and do something creative like Aorus or Lenovo did with SLI. The 14 just can't compete the way it is now. So many laptops can perform as good as or better and are much thinner and lighter.

 

Yep. It's outclassed in every way.

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They could leave the bulk and put it to excellent use and literally destroy those other options mentioned. Put a 4940MX and 880M MXM module in it, along with massive heat sinks and more powerful fans and they would have a real winner... a "mini-17" of sorts. Just plug in a 330W AC adapter from an M18xR1/R2 or Alienware 18 and you'd be ready to do some serious stuff for a 14" monster. This would be a product that actually lives up to the Alienware reputation.

If they go BGA it will be a loser even if it performs well. Being stuck with the CPU and GPU that are soldered to the motherboard is not a good product design for any brand from a enthusiast's perspective... very stupid and a good reason for enthusiasts to avoid the product altogether. Unless you like spending a LOT more money on a new machine every year or two instead of simply upgrading components, in which case it might not matter. It also increases the cost of ownership outside the warranty period because the prices for motherboards with integrated CPU are GPU and typically higher than one with sockets and slots. But, if you're OK with the idea of spending a ton of extra cash to buy a new machine every 12 to 16 months instead of slapping a better GPU in it, maybe that doesn't matter. The thought of paying good money for something that can only have the RAM and drive(s) upgraded really sucks as far as I am concerned, and it doesn't really qualify as a "beast" in my mind.

 

Yeah I totally agree with this. But then it would make their 17 inch much less attractive. I think they had their line up correct with the m11x for portability seekers, m15x for performance seekers, and m17x with sli for the true enthusiasts. Seemed perfect to me and I think Alienware did much better financially when they had those lineups

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As someone coming from previously owning an M17x R2, then an M18x R1, I went down to having to use a Toshiba Z830 Ultrabook. Of course, that WAS thin and light, but the "feel" of it was horrible in comparison to the previous build quality I had become accustomed to with my Aliens.

I now own an Alienware 14, and I can agree and disagree about a lot of points raised in this thread. My only complaint, really, as pointed out, is the fact that the GPU is not upgradable - unless you swap out the entire mobo (which I am about to do shortly on mine) which kinda sucks. MXM should be a standard across all Alienware machines for upgrade purposes. When I think about the brand "Alienware", I think of being able to chop and change and upgrade my machine easily, not being limited to what I can and cannot upgrade. We should not have to swap a mainboard to keep up with newer GPU's because Alienware is, afterall, a GAMING brand and I imagine a lot of owners/buyers do not want to face the inevitability of having to buy a new computer to keep up, gaming performance wise.

I imagine Dell could easily ditch the optical drive on the 14, redesign a board that would incorporate MXM easily. That would give the flexibility that we associate with Alienware notebooks - the option to upgrade is paramount to most buyers, with the exception of those who really do not mind having to buy a new machine every so often. I guess some people will take that approach, but it would be nice to not be forced into that route.

Thin and light? - ermmmmm.....no thanks. Anyone wanting thin and light should go and buy thin and light and repent at leisure. Again, there is something special about a small form factor machine that is built like a mini tank, with hard aluminium lid, thick as a book and weighty enough to make you think that it is no ordinary laptop inside. my 14 feels extremely well built, solid and dependable. Maybe it's just me, but having that kind of build quality is somewhat reassuring and is a preference over and above having thin and light, which I generally associate with fragility. I think most Alienware owners have a certain affinity to their machines because they ARE built like tanks - swapping to something "flimsy" is not my idea of good. Others will obviously disagree. I've heard/read that machines like the MSI Ghost GS60 with a GTX870m are hitting crazy temps in the mid 90c's.....translate that into a thin aluminium notebook? - hot, hot, hot, mama!!

15.6" ? - again, if you change the 14 to be bigger AND with MXM, it's just going to detract from 17 sales. I imagine Dell already thought of that and opted for 14" for those who still want a mini alien and do not want to lug around a 17 inch machine.

I don't think there is a cat in hell's chance that Dell would try and do SLI on the 14 like Lenovo. It would again foul up the line up. Imagine having a 14 that potentially would be more powerful than the model above it? - sales would start to drop on the 17 if they did that. Also, IMHO, having a GPU that pops out the side like an ashtray is a bit tacky and I don't think it would be possible to stick two MXM cards into a 14 inch form factor. I'd think that the "pop out" GPUwould be prone to accidental damage quite easily - think about all those people who possibly could have accidentally broke off their extra GPU in the heat of the moment when their laptop falls off their lap!!!.........

As for the 14 itself, I am actually very impressed with it, on the whole. Great screen, decent enough performance from a small machine, it has that typical "Alienware" feel.........just refresh it with MXM, Dell....it'd be brilliant then instead of just great.

IF Dell wanted to do something "Alienware" that IS slim and light, the form factor should probably be even SMALLER than the 14. Perhaps an Alienware 11 that DOES have soldered on GFX. Perfect for those who want extreme portability and a bit of gaming on the go. It could be styled along the same lines as the current line up but made to be slimmer. Maybe not wafer thin, but thinner and lighter with a wafer thin lid and display.....kinda like an Alienware netbook, if you like. Again, I guess it "could" detract from sales of Dell's non-Alien line up, but there will always be those who want Alienware, just as there will always be those who don't.

Bottom line for me is that Dell shouldn't ditch the 14 in favour of thin and light - just make it better, though, in terms of flexibility to upgrade.

My two pennies anyway.....

 

I agree and understand. But it seems the M11x was quite popular. They could make the CPU upgradable, but I know GPU is something that would be nice to have upgraded too. I just feel like they have stopped pushing the limits. It would be cool to see a 13 or 14 inch though with an MXM GPU.

 

I get a similar sad feeling. It's extreme disheartening. I won't bite though... I'll just walk away from "high performance" laptops that can't be upgraded instead of eating the one-shot wonder poop that gets dished out. I'll go to a Chromebook and a monster desktop anchor (as much as it makes me ill to think about that) before I accept mediocrity from companies that bill themselves as sellers of gaming laptops. Homey don't hang with liars.

 

Give me an alienware with switchable optimus, 15.6" IPS display (1080p and 3k options), triple heatpipe CPU cooling, large GPU cooling fan with MXM module, styling like the current 17 and a 240W PSU Then it would be extremely hard to say no. It does not need to be light, just more compact than the 17 (get rid of the optical drive while you're at it and give me 2 2.5" HDD bays or 1 2.5" HDD bay and 2x M.2 slots.

 

Well its nice to see as far as a 14 goes, everyone agrees a MXM gpu is the way to go.

 

Yup... now comes the real test. Is Alienware paying attention, and are they going to do something about it? I doubt it... they should have already known better and not done it as a BGA in the first place. There's a big disconnect between what they want and what enthusiasts want and really shows in the current product line. That, or it is a social engineering experiment to see what level of mediocrity will be tolerated before it hurts their wallet.

 

Unfortunately I think you're 100% on the money there.

 

MXM GPU on the Alienware 14 is very unlikely in the near future considering that the Maxwell variant of the GTX860M only ships as a BGA package. (What was Nvidia thinking ?)

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I was under the impression that Nvidia were doing two different SKU's for the 860m, one being MXM and one being BGA. If that's the case, I don't see any reason why the 14 couldn't opt for the MXM variant with a re-designed board etc. Of course, the question would be if Dell can be bothered to make the 14 accept MXM cards or wether they take the easier route of yet another soldered on option which sucks big time for upgraders.

Leaked roadmap mentions GeForce GTX 800M series - The Tech Report

 

The thing is, the MXM variant of the GTX-860M is a Kepler GPU while the BGA variant is a Maxwell GPU. The Maxwell GPU will require a lower TDP (draw less power) and produce less heat, which makes it better suited for a portable solution.

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Ahh, I see. Yeah, you're right: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...60m-2gb-maxwell-vs-gtx-860m-4gb-kepler-2.html

Still, it'd still be a good move for Dell to move the 14 onwards by allowing use of MXM cards. Probably doubtful, given the small form factor making it more suitable for the maxwell variant of the 860m. Better still, redesign the 14 for an 870m/880m and we'd all be over the moon! LOL

 

Yep.. I would honest to god go for a AW 14 if they had a MXM slot and a 330w PSU option. It would be an absolute pocket rocket.

 

You can already use the 330W AC adapter with the Alienware 14 (and 17), so they only need to add the MXM option and not mess up something else in the process. There is a member of our community that owns a new 18 and a new 14 that uses his 330W AC adapter for both machines.

 

330W PSU for the AW14? Why in God's name would you need such a massive PSU for a single GPU? 200-220W should be more than sufficient not to mention more portable. 330W is for the SLI config.

 

I'd imagine a 240w PSU would be more than sufficient for a single MXM gpu, even if coupled with an extreme processor.....that's the size of the larger PSU for the 17 right now, yes? - I don't know if overclocking the heck out of both GPU and CPU on a 17 maxes out a 240w supply.......

 

Yeah being a big pig and overclocking the CPU and GPU will make the 240w PSU squeal.

 

Unfortunately, 330W is not enough for the SLI machine with 780M or 880M and Extreme CPU. Actually, it was not even enough for 3920XM and 680M SLI (about 500W draw with extreme overclocking). It just became more inadequate with 780M/880M than it already was. The 330W AC adapter length and width is essentially the same. It adds about 1 inch to the thickness of the AC adapters, so I don't really recognize an impediment or meaningful change to the portability of the system on that basis. The minor bit of added bulk is totally inconsequential in my mind.

Unless you like running everything stock or just a moderate CPU and GPU overclock, anyone with a mobile Extreme or desktop K/X CPU installed in a laptop with 680M/780M/880M SLI can forget about using a single AC 330W AC adapter. The Clevo P570WM, Alienware M18xR1/R2/18 all need the dual adapter setup to do anything truly impressive. I'm not keeping with Clevo trends for the models below the P570WM, but that probably also applies to the P370WM (?) or whatever the current model number is for the SLI beast with a mobile XM/MX CPU. If that model's BIOS has been unlocked well enough to run 4.5GHz or higher, the 330W adapter won't have enough power to effectively overclock 780M/880M SLI @ 1100/1500 and higher.

No, that is not accurate if you have a 4930MX and 780M/880M. The 4930MX at 4.5GHz pulls 130W+ and just one 780M/880M with a heavy OC pulls about that much. So, considering the 240W can push a little past 240W it is borderline in the best case scenario. I actually consider it inadequate and it will likely not hold up to extended use being pushed to its functional limits on a frequent basis. The 330W will provide some headroom. A Haswell mobile Extreme CPU or Haswell K/X desktop CPUs are absolutely sloppy power pigs that are anything but efficient despite how these Haswell turds have been marketed.

 

Well, considering a potential draw somewhere in the region of 260w+ when totally maxed out on gpu and cpu means the 330w would be the way forward for a 14 with MXM. Of course, there is no validated extreme cpu option from Dell for the wee little beastie, although I have seen a thread where someone has tossed one in.....not sure how successful that has been for that individual or wether or not it is overclockable to 4.5Ghz+ and able to remain viable, I don't know.

Edit, found it: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...lly-running-i7-4930mx-cpu-alienware-14-d.html

It'd be great if Dell offered a 14 with MX and MXM options, toss in a 330w brick and that'd be one hell of a monster in a small package.......we can dream, right?

 

500W!? SLI 880m with i7-4810MQ draws max 315W I can see maybe an extra 50W but that much more power bust really be cranking up the voltage to draw 500W.

 

Oh yeah... definitely. It is not difficult at all to exceed 500W. My M18xR3 with the CPU at a modest 4.3GHz and 780M SLI 1125/1500 @ 1.137V it is more like 560W. It can draw over 600W from the wall with GTX 780M SLI with the 3920XM @ 4.8GHz and a higher GPU OC. At 1175/1500 or higher @ 1.200V my dual 330W AC adapter mod is not enough juice to power both GTX 780M. It is only enough for me to power one at that GPU overclock level.

Even with 680M SLI it was about 520-530W at its maximum CPU and GPU OC. Here's a video demonstration with moderately high overclocking that I put together not too long ago.


<iframe width='853' height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7CoeOq-lkdY" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

The P570WM with 4930K or 4960X will undoubtedly draw more power than my M18xR2 does, as would the Alienware 18 with 4930MX if they had not placed a crippling power-handling limitation on its motherboard (the CPU alone draws 130W+ at 4.5GHz and higher). I don't have one to play with, but I could imagine that the P570WM might be able to draw around 700W if you gave it the opportunity to do so.

 

With such high power draw, we need a power source adequate enough to deliver....

 

Hey, and it's still mobile!

 

Yup, ha ha... fits in a backpack and goes everywhere I do. Totally mobile. Just like that big truck in the picture that Brother Stevie posted.

Don't step in front of the moving truck or my Alienware beast unless you want to get killed, LOL.

 

330w is barely if not enough for my 780ms when they are pushed and that's the cards alone.

160w GPU + 70w CPU leaves nothing for anything else.

 

Alienware need to stop screwing around. It's not really complicated. Their latest laptops look great, in my opinion the best looking laptops out there. Keep that and simply produce a 15.6" model with a great screen. That's all. Nothing else is needed.

It's embarrassing when you wanna buy a $3000 laptop , but the only screen options available are the same garbage you get on a sub$1000 laptop.

Seriously, fire whoever has been making these retarded decisions and hire somebody with some common sense. The best and the most expensive laptop has to have the best screen. All of the computing power ends up as a picture on the screen. It is the most important part of any computer. 15.6" is the best size to power and display/resolution compromise, so to have 14" and 17" and not 15" was another idiotic decision. Extra high resolution screens are useless on laptops smaller than 15" , you have to rescale it anyway otherwise you won't be able to see anything ( if you have a pet eagle or a hawk they may ).