It's time for AW to hear "OUR" voice again!

First of all, I'm not (yet) an owner of the M15x... But I am really eager to be soon!

I've been following this forum for over one month now, and obviously I've gone through all the problems, solutions, rants, praises, etc... about the M15x. Enough to say... I still want to buy it!

The thing that is holding me from ordering the laptop is, obviously, the GPU downclocking problem. A "solution" was put forward by Alienware and, as it is very obvious, it didn't solve the problems of over 30% of the people that have the M15x. So, if this solution didn't work for everyone, I think it's fair to say it is not a TRUE solution/fix, as you can't expect that those 30-40% of laptops out there are "defective"! They are close to half of the laptops out there (excluding people that don't report it or even notice it)!

One thing that the "community" did in the recent past, that really impressed me, was writting a letter to Engadget (and mass email engadget) to voice people's problems and to reach AW (as it is obvious, no matter what you tell, email, say to AW CS, is as good as nothing! They keep saying, when you contact them "It's the first time I've heard of this...".). I don't really remember who wrote that very fine letter, but I do think it would be nice to have it done again!

Everyone here is paying premium for a laptop that is not delivering what it's supposed to be dellivering and that it's poorly built... Most of the people here have been lied to, made wait for 2 months (after paying the laptop) to receive the M15x (after being lied 100 times to sooth everyone's highly paid (and deserved) expectations).

I think it would be a nice time, for the present owners (and people that already bought it but haven't yet received it after 2 months) that didn't see their problems solved, to put their voices together, write another "brutally honest" letter, with facts and objective, and send it to Engadget (or any other tech website that has a huge impact on "tech" society!).

This would help us in double... First of all, AW will be again forced to intervene and find a more convincing solution (and one that would actually work for the "other half" of people that didn't have their problems solved) for a very serious problem! Second, it would prevent future buyers of being mislead and to know exactly what's going on (people tend to read only the golden letters).

I am still quite seduced by AW and the M15X is the laptop I want to get... But having to end up with a laptop that is not up to what's advertised, it simply not acceptable!

Bottom line... Owners of the M15x... do something for you, and for the rest of the world! Fight for what's yours by right (well... you paid very well to have that right) and do the right thing! It's time to show AW (or any other corporation/company), that they have to give their costumers what they pay for!

Cheers to all, and hope to see all of you converging on this... to make this a better world!

M

 

well said milcs
i will try and reply properly when i get home from work.
jim

 

I was the one who ended up writing the letter to engadget adressing the problems that you guys have been having with the M15x. I would write another letter, however since I do not own the laptop I'm not sure if any of the moderators here will ban me or something like that.

If you get the okay from them, I'll gladly write another letter adressing the issues/concerns that all m15x owners have.

What I will do is get a bunch of people to PM me and I'll combine all of the issues / complains / problems into 1 email that I will post here that you guys can all send to engadget.

First you guys gotta make sure its okay with Chaz because I don't want to get banned

 

I agree, maybe this time it will be fixed as it should so we can use our laptop's without even thinking of downclocking.

 

milcs,

As you may know, since developing the new Bios for the m15x we have been testing each machine extensively for the downclocking issue before being shipped. We have no longer been experiencing this issue on our end, though it doesn’t mean it can’t be caused by something unforeseen down the road. Anyone still experiencing these issues should send an e-mail to [email protected]. If you believe there is any kind of correlation between the systems still experiencing downclocking, this will help us find it.

 

@Stone... Maybe I didn't thank you properly then... let me do it now! Thank you (I am sure I'm talking for all of the other owners out there that get this problem fixed and the ones who didn't as well...)!

To be very honest, I can't really see why you would be banned... This is not a childish rant, flamming unbased and hollow statement! It's based on true, hard backed up and documented problems! It's not someone that comes here and says "Let AW burn!" "Why?" "Ahhhhh... just because!".
We are a group of people that have or want to have the M15x (or that really think something fair should be done regarding this problem and AW shouldn't just walk away with not dealing with it in a proper manner) and just want to make sure that this problem is looked into and, once and for all, SOLVED!
Does being helpful and willing to do something and making something happen deserves a ban? Hell no...
We know you don't have the laptop, but we know you can put a decent letter together! If you collect "evidence" and facts from people that still have these problems and put something together (true and strong facts), I can only imagine it would serve good to everyone of us!
I hope you will find the "creativity" and patience to write it... If you do... well, you are the best!
Let me know and I'll help you in any way I can.

 

Dear Steve,

I do appreciate your diplomatic efforts to try and contain this problem... You are, for sure, reading this forum! So, I'm sure you will agree, that you are basically saying that the 30-40% of people that STILL EXPERIENCE the downclock (close to half of the systems... but for some unknown reason, you don't seem to detect any), are somehow wrong, making it up or imagining things! I remember AW mentioning several several times that you were not able to recreate this problem when the laptop was first launched... until you were forced to recognize it and try to deal with it!

On my side (the potential buyer that is hoping all the problems to be solved), AW and what was told on your behalf (and is said everyday by your CS staff), does not deserve any credibility, I'm sorry to say.

To quickly show you what we all mean... Just a newly added problematic laptop can be found here... New bios, coming directly from the UK to Australia: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=235506&page=4 (post #34)
And the list goes on...

So, I think you fast answer to another potential "riot" was amazing, but I think very honestly, it's sand you keep throwing at your clients! I do hope your costumers voices' are put together once again and you finally hear them loud and clear! This can't be tolerated any longer...

ps: As I already mentioned, I'm not an owner! I returned my Dell XPS M1530 to buy the M15x, when I came to this forum and realized all the mess up with it! I still want it... and I do HOPE this problem is fixed for good in a near future!

 

I'll repost in here what I just said in another thread - Alienware brings the criticism on themselves:

However, please avoid sensationalist comments like "ALIENWARE SUCKS!!!!" with nothing tangible to back it up. I haven't seen much of that thus far but for future reference, avoid it.

I'm not here to defend Alienware but I do manage these forums and I do maintain their image. If anything sensational and crazy comes from here the forum's reputation is on the line.
I am seeing some improvements going on with the newer m15xs being shipped. I'm not sure what you would accomplish by sending a letter to Engadget with regards to what Alienware would do. There's no way I could prevent any of you from sending one but for the reasons I stated, I don't see the sense in sending one.

 

actually, i in no way saw alienware-steve trying to ignore you. he is saying that the factory built m15x notebooks no longer have that issue anymore since they're fixing it at the factory. he said regardless of the update they sent out, the issue has a possibility to arise, meaning, their fix didn't help everyone.

if you really want to hit alienware and show that you demand the performance they advertise, DON'T BUY FROM THEM. why submit to imperfection, then complain about it? mass complaints about alienware don't matter to them if you're going to buy their product anyways. if you want to show them up, you have to purchase from their competitors, namely, the m15x rivals.

as for the peope who have already purchased and received this notebook, i would then suggest contacting and doing whatever to make face in the public eye about the notebooks performance versus advertised performance. i am in no way suggesting that people try to throw alienware out of business, but if you want to hit them where it hurts so they will perhaps listen to their customers, then you shouldn't complain about the notebooks and then drop 3+ grand on them. i am fully satisfied with my m9750; the only problem i have with alienware and that notebook was anoucement last year that it will be upgradable to the 8800mgtx, yet, now they try to deny such compatibility (and somewhat stand by their original statement which just confuses their customers as to what is true).

 

Dear Chaz,
As I'm sure you are aware, Alienware didn't admit to see a problem on the M15x until that article came out on Engadget! For them, ALL the units tested were perfect and they were all very shocked to hear the downclocking issue!
The same thing is happening now... true it improved for approximately %60 of their costumers! Did it for all? The answer is obvious, simple and short... NO! And it's perfectly backed up by hard proof and evidence. I'm sure you are more than aware that these are not single problems! Lots of threads, posts and "ink" were spent on several issues! From Costumer Services, to the Downclocking, to Wobbliness of the screen, touchpad problems, case cracking, just to name a few out of the top of my head!

Regarding the more serious problem, the downclocking, it was always my opinion that the "solution" they provided is not a solution... how can you explain that >30% of laptops still downclock? And please do not say it's because more than 3 out of 10 GPUs are malfunctioning.

Bottom line... I want an M15x... I want one working as it is expected to work (because if it's not and I decide to get a refund, I still have to pay)... and I want them to make things right!

If you have any suggestion on how to make sure they do something, please throw them away! That's what's the purpose of all this...

We can make things happen... we can make the "right" things happen! We have the power, and the right, to demand from AW what it was paid to them (and what we are being sold). We shouldn't just sit and wait for things to fix themselves out!

And that's my opinion!

 

I just wish Alienware werent so automated in their reply's.. Ive been saving for a long while to buy an Alienware lappy at a very high config, almost 4 years if I remember. I was even going to order it today. These problems from across the web complaining about Alienware service, standards and performance are just about the worst things I could expect and never did think would come about, but they have. In Alienware's favor the options for core have expanded and droped the price but only in what can go in not what goes in. Still this doesnt interest me because that's not the reason I would choose Alienware in the first place (low spec).

My point short and sweet is I hope one day Alienware find there roots and stop being so snoty about things. It's not even like it's a comany people love to hate. We love to love them but only if the price is right and it's been unsteady to say the least. Well done for fixing the rim lighting. Congrats on the bios update and driver's, but dont restrict your customers and be honest if you can't do something. Let us know where we stand and we will let everyone else know where you stand with gamers and the like who are your customers and your fans.

 

To add a note:

I don't want in any way to flame Alienware or get them out of business! I REALLY want to buy the M15x and I just want all these problems to be solved!
Maybe Levenly is right and I shouldn't buy from them... But I want the M15x! And I want AW to step up to their obligation/status and put their clients in the pedestal clients should be put on (sorry for the cheesy image, but well...)!

 

I'd say, if you're not buying the m15 for professional reasons (I mean you don't plan to use it for work) it is safe to "risk" a buy now. I mean, in the worst case (since you want it) you'll have to talk to them and get a new one if yours downclocks. I'm sure you can strike a deal like this with AW. The downside is that it might take time and shipping around to get the good one going. And then again you might be in the 70% lucky owners.
If you plan to base your whole computer "life" on this laptop, I mean work, games, occasional movie etc. then I'd wait. As I said before I have a lot of accumulated anger towards AW customer support (more towards the lack of a customer support in AW) but after two month I got the m15 and is working flawlessly. Never went over 88° while I was monitoring it and that was using the software suggested on these forums (same software on my desktop brings the gpu at 105° lol). We're still safe here since I use mac only for work and my girl has her own working computer so we're basically using the m15 for gaming and entertainment for now. Once 1-2 months will pass and the reliability test will be over my girlfriend will probably advance it to the work computer rank . If you're like us, I'd definitely go for the m15 if I were you, but watch out for those phone guys and don't belive anything they say lol .

 

I know where you guys are coming from because I have been in similar situations with other companies in the past. I went through an ordeal this past summer with a computer company I bought a laptop from. I spent more money than I ever had before on a laptop and it was by far the worst experience I have had buying technological products. The machine was defective, never worked right, and they refused to refund it. Took me two months to finally get a refund from the worst CS I had ever talked to. I'm paying them back by never buying another product from them and never recommending them again. Think about it - that company didn't just lose a $2,500 order - let's say I buy a new computer every 2 years. Over ten years, that's $12,500 they lost PLUS the lost business they would get from my recommendations. Yeah, it's pretty hard-hitting.

My view is that if you don't like a company or it's offerings, there are others out there who offer comparable products.

 

Let's put things this way...
This is not about me, my desire for this computer, or whatever...
This is about making things right!
In all honesty, each one of us ALONE can't do anything to a company like this! We are like 5% of their costumers, and the rest does not even know enough to bother! We TOGETHER, can make them change, come up with solutions, re-structurations, etc! When I think of it, this is nothing to do with "I hate AW!". It is the best thing I can imagine to do, to put AW on the right track! They should have strong costumers to build up strongly uppon a very active and powerful community and thus making themselves a stronger and wide spread company!

We can make things right... Are we just going to quit, turn our backs and say... "It's not up to me"?

 

I couldnt agree more Milcs. If Alienware didnt present themselfs the way they have in the past then we wouldnt be here talking about them now.

What other computer gaming manufacturer make's gamer's ooze with envy at the sight or mention of another gamer owning such a rig. As they say in their own words built for gamers by gamers. The name has slipped but only to those who follow it and yet why isnt it the best for our buck we all wonder.. Hell I even joined a gaming clan 2 years ago called Aliens to perhaps one day own an Alienware and be part of a clan with the same name roughly. Perhaps one day be sponsored by them when we league play, thats a joke but we all say it as if it where true... lol

personal reaons for my want of an Alienware system aside it's something we feel strong enough about like supporting a sports team.

 

This is no joke because I know of A LOT of people that put in an order for the M15X after Chaz's review.

 

Exactly where I'm coming at... It's great that Chaz made that review, it's great that it's all neon, flash and spicy colours... BUT... that's just misleading information! I'm not saying it's not true... I'm saying that if you go to AW website and their "Testimony blah blah..." The M15x is flawless! And it's far from that... AW won't care about the few of us, because nice reviews and all, will sell the M15x! If it's not us... it's no one!

 

you are completely justified in your complaints. alienware markets themselves as a boutique brand with the intent of selling to tech enthusiast customers. They pride themselves on skilled and helpful customer service, and there have been a lot of issues lately.

That said, I think your response to Alienware-Steve failed to take into account what he said. He never said that the users still experiencing downclocking were wrong, only that the issue wasn't occuring in the factory. He said that they are continually working to isolate and resolve the cause of the issue etc. etc.

Now you can question the validity of his response if you like. You can believe that he's merely trying to keep the peace and that AW isn't really doing as much as he says. You should not, however, disregard what he says completely, and respond to a statement he never even made. Just my 2 cents.

My m15x was ordered on the 24th and hit phase 8 today. my experiences with customer service have been consistantly pleasant, and i am very excited to receive the laptop. I also plan on making a review when I get it, so I'll let you know if I have any major or minor issues.

Calli

 

+1 milcs and stone,

im just in the same position like you milcs,saved my cash and im on stand by...But believe me there lots of ppl out there that are in the same position as we are,ppl that only read the forums instead of saying there opinion and not to mention the ppl that ordering with no clue about these issues (especially the downclocking) thinking they buy a flawless gaming machine..

Believe me what you guys doing is the right thing to do and Stone please start geting together that letter,what is happening here is for our and future consumers benefit,consumers who spend thousands of cash.

AW need to realize that they need to deliver products as advertized and start taking there customers more serius instead of using lies and b/s about the issue,this treatment is ridiculous...

 

@ Callidor... wise words! I'm not trying to judge or flame Steve's answer! Not even read between the lines or more or less...

For me that answer is as hollow as an empty can! I'm sorry, but that is honestly my opinion! It's basically to say... "Oh, people starting to complain is not good, so let's try to say something that doesn't say anything at all to make them see we care!". But what is, honestly, being done?

I would invite you to read the uncountable posts about downclocking (another long time user (shima) just realized that, even if he thought the problem was solved, it's not and he just had the downclock), look into the post about Who's problems got solved with the new bios and read through! It's 35% that still have the problem (and users that voted solved have been realizing that it's not). So you have over 40% of defective laptops being sold at the price of gold, and working like they were pocket calculators (sorry for the silly analogy... but it serves the point!). And I'm sure that the rest will, at some point, show the same problem! It's not an isolated case... It's becoming the general rule, unfortunately!

I sat here for a long time... reading and thinking about what to do... I want to buy the M15x and I want us to make sure AW is going to provide us with what we are paying from them! I think we should put our efforts together to make sure we are going to get heard and to make sure that we are going to get what we want! It's our money, it's our right... Why not fight for it? Why not voice it? Why not expose it to everyone that read excellent reviews and is going to buy a product thinking it's great when it's not?

Let's do something...

 

So what are we waiting for? We all want the problems to be solved. Who wants to order an m15x with a downclocking 8800m GTX GPU? I know, No one. So let's get our job done and complain. If we don't move, Alienware will never move. All they care about is their money. We have to show them that there is something wrong. If we didn't care or we didn't like the m15x we would just go with another brand and pay less but since we love it (at least I do), lets get it fixed. So come on, lets do this...

 

I guess I'll have to write something up for you guys then. Will anyone who wants their say in the letter please send me a PM about issues currently, and general complains. I need as many as possible or this letter won't happen.

 

It's over to Stone now... But I think he is a bit concearned with what moderators think! So... if all of the people that had a problem with Alienware (mainly focused on the persisting downclocking issue) could send a message to Stone, I'm sure he will be happy to put another letter together for us to make our voice heard!
What do you say Stone?

 

Cool... I think if you could also mention AW CS, waiting times and constant lies regarding back ordered parts, etc, that would also be very helpful!
Thank you very much for putting yourself to this Stone! You are the man...

 

Yea the only thing is I can't just say stuff. I need people to send me specific examples so I can back the information up if someone questions it. People need to send me examples of when stuff happened and how they knew it was so and so if you get what I mean.

So here is how a good PM would look.

Problem : Underclocking
Example : When I benchmark it it randomly slows down.
CS/TS Help : They were great and solved my problem... or... they have lied to me about the laptop and they were unhelpful.

I don't know I just don't want to be hit with another infraction.

 

Feel free to write a letter, but make sure for your own sake (so you are credible to the rest of the Internet) that whatever you say is backed up with facts and tangible information from real users.

Maybe an email to management or a snail-mail letter would be more effective?

Don't worry about me, I don't ban people unless you make some serious violation of the forum rules. Say what you want Stone, just keep it reasonable is all I ask.

 

We can also do some digging around and back everything up with pics and posts that are lying around! The thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=231459 is good!
Here you can also find pics to make the point http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=235506&page=4

The info is just there... For everyone to see!
Come on people... This will only work if everyone gets involved and makes constructive comments!!
Do not sit while you watch the Bus passing by... Get on it!!!

 

@Chaz... You are a quite good and reasonable moderator and helped people a lot! I think your comments are always quite fair, but in all honesty... do you really think that writing an email to managment would do any good? How many emails have been written to AW?

Anyway... I agree we should not just let ourselves get crazy with this BUT... there is more than enough evidence, pictures, statements, you name it! This is not about a person's credibility... It's only about AW credibility to the world!
More than 40% of people still have the problem... That sums it all up and says it all!

Cheers to all and thanks Stone!

 

At any rate I think it is worth it to send a letter to their corporate headquarters. I had a dispute with a company over some false advertisements about two years ago - sent a letter to their corporate center with all the evidence, and I eventually got a phone call back and they reconsidered my case against them (I had been on the phone with them for some time). They unfortunately didn't own up to the false advertising but I ended up getting some free stuff out of them. I didn't really care about the free stuff; what mattered to me was they cared enough to contact me personally.

It'd only cost 41 cents to send a snail mail letter.

 

@Chaz - I am being VERY careful about this letter. I am actually including good comments as well as negative comments. I want this letter to be not a 1 sided argument, but have both sides of the story. I was just sent a PM with someone who was taken care of very well by Alienware. I however, was treated very poorly by them. I am taking my time to write this and as I said earlier...

"I need people to send me specific examples so I can back the information up if someone questions it." So yea I'm not going to just say random things which is why I need dates from people.

Finally: This letter may not be written. If I do not feel as though I have enough tangible information or other information to back up the claims then I will simply just not write the email since I do not want my credibility questioned. Everything I have posted on this forum has been true, and I do not want to screw that up with an email. This isn't meant to attack Alienware, but rather let them know what they are doing right, and the things that they need to improve a lot on, and some of the current issues.

Oh and sorry Milcs but it is kind of about my credibility since I have tried to make a positive impact on these forums. I'm not posting something that I can't 100% back up.

Addition: I've read the forum rules and I've made sure that when / if I do write this, it won't violate any of them.

 

good luck, as I already sent mine back and have posted all my issues, i'm not going to regurgitate them on this thread, they're out there.

all i'll add is that alienware's common line with me was always "well its fixed and nobody else is reporting the problems.". heads.. in.. sand..

 

I guess, as fusioncon says, its all there... We just have to dig it from the several threads posted about it! I do really feel, very strongly, that if this is not made... nothing will change!

 

OK my eyes blurred reading four pages of things said in other posts. 30%? I really want to know how many individual issues there are and how many actually have the 15x. I wouold hate for this letter to go out when theres eally like 100 people (just a random number) on this forum and really, 8 of them is having issues, and those 8 had the notebooks before the AW guy said the new batches are working.
Some from what I read downclock at a lowe temp, others at a high temp. I bet alot of people here aren't gaming in a room at 70deg f. Most are at home in a room that might be 76-80+deg. And I bet that has alot to do with overheating. It shouldn't but it could.

 

Actually it will be hard to pull numbers to back this up. But about the "8 that got the notebook before", AW clearly stated that the only culprit in the overheating issue was the bios and they released a fix. There was no post that said that there was a faulty built that caused overheating. Thus 99% of the m15x out there with the latest bios properly installed should not have any issue which, from what I see on the forums, is not the case. I let a 1% off for those unlucky to get a faulty card/processor/memory whatever . And yes, it worries me too that different systems present different symptoms. We have 2 examples (if I remember well) in which the card goes to 80-90 and then fans kick in and then the card downclocks. Then there are 2-3 more that do not experience any downclock but the card goes to huge temps. I'll get back the day after tomorrow and I will do a 24 hours test and see what that gives.

 

AW guy(steve?) should as a matter of course be given mod to a particular post. People should contact him with the issue and he can put it in a list for us. To be honest, I don't know who has a system anymore. I maybe reading a post of a system downclock on multiple threads by the same guy.
If there was a locked thread the AW guy could keep up, then we know whos being helped. Its damage control at this point for them. I don't see any harm in doing this. Except now it can be accountable and they might not want that or AW steve may not have the authority to do that.

 

That's not a bad idea.

 

I think it is really important that we continue to voice our problems. I want to thank you guys for what you have done initially to get AW looking into the downclocking problem. I think we need to continue to push AW to improve and to finish what they've started!

 

It's a weird situation actually. Its not really overheating to say the least. Some people are getting it at 85C and some people are NOT getting it when their notebooks hit 105C.

 

Seems to me like it's still a BIOS/driver issue. They're not necessarily overheating (though they are getting FRIGHTENINGLY hot), but they're downclocking when they shouldn't be.

 

An obvious word of caution for the letter writing.. Don't go too far back in getting the numbers/stats/evidence or you'll hit posts from before the BIOS fix..
Just my 2 cents.. Always wanted to say that

Can an actual owner make another poll for performance/DC after x30 ? So we can get recent figures.. We can discuss the list of choices here if you want to fool-proof it..

 

I think what's important is to come up with a way to expose the downclocking more efficiently... Not with Atitools, but with something that stresses the GPU in a more real world situation, with increases and decreases of temperature and GPU load!
Appart from that... it's not 2 people, it's not 4 people... Obviously we don't really know the numbers and I think that would be very difficult to do! But there are lots of people out there (choey received his laptop recently and already experienced downclocking, for example) that do have the problem! And as ianiro says... it's not 1%, so you can't say it's a particular problem! You don't really need to be a genious to conclude that! Something is wrong and hasn't been done properly...
The question is... How do we untap the problem?
Regarding giving AW mod... I think that's really not the point! Obviously AW wants to keep it's image clean! It's like saying that a guy that is running for president will count the number of votes! Doesn't make much sense to me...

 

One more suggestion... If you want to know numbers for sure, maybe a thread should be created by M15x owners and, instead of a poll, each owner should detail their experiences (objective ones, as passionate ones in one way or the other serve absolutely no purpose). That would give us a clear idea of the number of owners on this forum that have the problem!

Obviously, and to stress it... I think it's really important to manage to get a test with some program that will really expose the problem! I think it would be important to collect evidences from people that still have the downclock to understand in what conditions it happens!

As Wraither says... Just my 2 cents!

 

I'll do that for you right now:

SPECS
System: 1440x900 display, X9000 CPU, 8800M GTX GPU (noted only items that have had supply chain issues)

DATES
Ordered: 2/17/08 (received by AW 2/18/08)
Received: 3/28/08 (39 days to build)
Decided to return for refund: 4/7/08
System returned: 4/10/08

ISSUES
One: Upon removing system from its protective AW sleeve, noted 1/4", deep-grooved scratch below AW logo
Two: Running FurMark for 1 minute causes the GPU temp to peak at 102*C; no downclocking
Three: Playing Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts for less than 10 minutes causes the GPU temp to peak at 99*C; no downclocking
Four: Lid creaks while opening and closing due to too much flexing in hinge design
Five: System and Vista gadget time and date not set properly
Six: Touchpad driver software reads "[EVALUATION COPY]"

AW CS EXPERIENCES
One: Never e-mailed regarding short parts until after I inquired about my order's status via phone. Even then, didn't receive one of those e-mail alerts
Two: Didn't receive order change notification until well after I requested the change
Three: Website production status does not track status in real time. If it's supposed to, it doesn't work
Four: Due to all the overheating and downclocking issues noted with the 8800M GTX, requested several times that my system build not be rushed and be tested for these issues. Fell on deaf ears, since the system arrived with the scratch and overheating GPU issue
Five: Only willing to compensate those who threaten to cancel their order; ignore those whose estimated shipping date slips multiple times and doesn't threaten to cancel
Six: Promptly contacted by Alienware-Steve via PM when reported overheating GPU on forum. Said CIT member would call me; didn't receive call until 2 days later. CIT member did not acknowledge that my issue was valid; needed the programs I used to stress and monitor the GPU, and screenshot of my 100*C+ temps, e-mailed to him. Was provided the wrong e-mail address by him, which resulted in additional delays. Returned the system before he had a chance to acknowledge the issue, so don't know if he/AW ever did
Seven: Once full compensation for return was approved, AW e-mail requested that I verify the address noted in the e-mail. There was no address noted in the e-mail (the space was blank), so I provided the address in a reply. However...
Eight: ...FedEx return label listed the wrong address. Had to e-mail AW support again to have them change the address

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
One: Stress and monitor the GPU for downclocking and overheating using a program like FurMark. Customers are not interested in benchmark scores if those scores are recorded right before the GPU downclocks or while it's on its way to 100*C+ temps. If the GPU's temp cannot be held below 90*C, fix it.
Two: Actually implement and use the so-called 200-point quality inspection system. Scratches, dents, and other workmanship defects are the easiest to catch when it comes to inspection and should be corrected before shipping. As they say, you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression, and workmanship defects are the easiest way to make a bad one
Three: Re-engineer the hinge design. The moment arm caused by opening and closing the lid is too high for the hinge and its surrounding mechanical components to handle without creaking
Four: Improve MRP system to reduce/eliminate parts shortages
Five: Improve CS knowledge and awareness of current issues

 

I'm going to keep giving my help... I'll compile people's reports!
Here is the first:
Choey, from Australia, just received a new laptop from AW Europe

 

I can't agree more milcs but the problem is no one is sending Stone information about the problem for him to make a good letter to send to Engadget.

Here is my graph of my old m15x. I will be getting my replacement tomorrow

 

Mag13 (thaks for the comment Mag)

On the Poll about whether new bios solved the downclocking issue:

Rexybaby987

 

I would also like to add another suggestion from my previous post a page or two ago...

I think we should ALL be treated to the 3 year warranty. I think this is only right. These temps, the downclocking and the fact that there are numerous problems this early on is a warning sign of failure to come. I think it would speak to AW for them to upgrade our warranties as an act of good faith and also a commitment by the company that they will stand behind their product AW if you throw in that warranty, I will feel much better about having this system for the long hall and it will rest the minds of the owners that the problems will be taken care of.

 

Thats a bit too much to throw in, in my opinion. Extending our original warranties from the day it all gets fixed sounds more right.

 

I don't think its too much to ask. This system has more neg press and "heat" (pun intended) than the 360 when it launched. The reason the 360 got so much attention is because it sells MILLIONS. This thing runs so hot, I wouldn't be surprised to see that there was a design flaw much akin to the 360. Microsoft basically had to admit it and offer 3 year warranties. This sytem will sell nothing close to that and therefore not get that kind of press. Extended warranties would be a good gesture and if it is "fixed" than it won't matter too much if they extended them or didnt.