Poll: Who Wants MORE Metal From AW?

agreed. The M11x is a great concept device, but the poor screen, poor CPU and other quality issues still relegate it as a niche product.

I love love lower cost as much as the next red blooded American, but you got to get the product right. And in my opinion, too many laptop makers are still leaning to this side of cheap materials to really make their products stand out. That is why Alienware is so popular: when they do it right is DOES scream quality, and part of that equation is the proportion of metal in the chassis.

 

To expand on this, just look at macbook pro's. People pay top dollar for an underperforming system with a flashy OS because it looks and feels nice. Macbooks are revered for their fantastic build quality because they are a unibody aluminum design. There is a reason Apple sells Macbooks (plastic ones) so cheap while the metal Macbook Pro's cost a premium - because they look and feel the price you are paying. Take away metal on an AW and it may still look better than a Clevo but feel as cheap as an Asus which kills it for a lot of us that expect more.

If people are so worried about the weight, then don't buy the M17x. Get the M11x and carry that with you instead.

 

weight is always a factor when considering notebooks for mobility, however, the durability and sturdiness of metal designed chassis are just MUCH too favorable for me and i would rather my 11 inch notebook weigh 5 pounds versus 3 lbs and have very cheap plastic parts.

 

I agree that at least the m17x should be a high end metal notebook , come on if you are looking for mobility you don't buy a 17 inch laptop

 

I don't think I could be happy with any laptop that wasn't metal after first owning a W90VP and now an M17x. Everything else feels inferior and cheap to me.

 

Well, at least I can be the proud owner of the last ever Metal Alienware M17x laptop. Increases the resale value a little maybe? I dunno.

 

It would be a shame if they plan to replace the aluminum with plastic for the shake of profit...
Weight reduction sounds like a cheap excuse to me.

 

exactly.. Its like a company telling you that they are going green.. That just means more cost passed on to end user/client ect while they improve profit margins lol

 

I agree, to me it looked worse in person than it did in pictures. I also messed around with one at Best Buy and my god what a brutal screen (the 900P one)... It looked so disgusting and dull compared to my RGB LED. I feel sorry for anyone who buys that particular Best Buy model.

 

I agree that the 900P screen really sucked badly, it was horrible compared to the 1080P screen of course, but my precision's LG RBGLED pukes on everything else i own.

 

it's why I boughtone in the first place = no metal means I go back to the precision line

 

Correct, it would not. I feel strongly about this because there are fewer and fewer niche products out there. Companies are now targeting the AVG consumer and the product is BS everytime.

Budget gaming laptop, budget video card, budget super low cost processors. I wonder when these consumers realize the sacrifice they make when you try to save a buck.

IF there was a 17" version of the M11x chassis and it was an all plastic body I would look elsewhere because there are plenty run of the mill plastic body laptops out there that can play games.

If anything, Alienware (or Dell) would be stooping down to a lower level and being put up against competition that would force them to lower the quality of the entire line.

Best example: Cheapest, lightest weight, gaming laptop I know of, Asus. It's full of squeaks and crackles and feels super flimsy when I pick it up/open it. Not to mention the screen twisting when it opens.

BUT it's CHEAP. SAVES $1!! Still plays games!!

If that is the case, then this is my first/last Alienware laptop ever. Dell really is ruining it by bringing the Alienware down several notches just to turn it into another "cash cow" for the avg consumers. That group of buyers is ruining everything.

 

AW need to stick to their roots. If this is true, then that video where they talked about how they are still in control of their own decisions is BS, cuz I smell Dell all over it right now. Might as well just get a clevo if they plan on abandoning metal chassis.

 

Metal is cool, but it had to be cutting deeply into profit margins.

Give them a chance. There's such a thing as high quality plastic, such as what Clevo uses.

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's all I have to say.

 

Clevo plastic isn't high quality. I'd say intermediate at best. The W860 has a lot of flex in the palm rest area.

 

Lenovo uses a high quality plastic in their W (and maybe T) series but I'm not convinced there as well, you can look at the review in my sig, there's some very annoying flex and creaking in the system.

 

I agree the IBM thinkpads were so much better built even with the higher plastic palm rest.

 

Judging by what HP/Voodoo did with a 13 incher, the machine will be the price of a M17x, and have the performance of a ION netbook.

The machine still weighed 3.5 lbs or so with a removable battery.

 

With a lack of metal I'd just spring for a Sager. 3 HDDs, destop CPU, and decent GPU setup. Always like the 3 HDD idea.

 

Yeah i like the 3 hdds myself, tri ssds!! lol So are you ever going to get a R2 DR650SE?

 

I could definately work with tri SSDs . Talk about some speed. Actually with 3 HDDs I might go with an SSD boot/app drive and dual 750GB HDDs. Now that would be a beast.

I don't know, I want to, but will they ever release 5870s?? lol
Right now I have everything for the R2. 920-xm CPU, dual Intel X-25M 160GB SSDs, 8GB 1333MHz RAM, and a Cryo LX under the bed. It's all collecting dust. Actually the 8GB is in the M11x for the time being.

 

I knew you weren't going to pay all that money for 8 gigs of ram from dell lol. A lot of people lately have been playing with the M11x lately i am probably going to check it out today at best buy or tomorrow. Damn dual 160 ssds, How much did you pay for the 920-xm? You know the 940xm is coming out i believe with 3.2 ghz standard idk really. the 920 is enough though since its 2ghz and overclocks to 3.2 ghz anyways. Its so stupid why dell is taking forever to release the 5870's.

 

What is Composit material made of. I know the bottem of the space shuttle. It a type of Styrofoam that dont overheat but glue on the shuttle. I seen the Styrofoam tested with a very hot touch.

Please let not forget the m15x that had the geforce 8800 gtx and 9800gt that had the screen issues due to overheating. Of so called composite materials.

 

Yea, the R2 will probably be the last laptop I buy for a few years, especially if AW goes plastic. I already have close to $2K in stuff for it. Although if it can take a newer CPU i'd spring for it.

AtolSammek, Carbon Fiber is made of of tightly bonded carbon atoms that are well aligned crystals. Basically they are used to form a sort of yarn and woven together to make a sort of fabric. Exceptional stength and since it's not as dense as steel, it is also a lot lighter. Although it's strong, it can also be very brittle at the same time.

 

Please post facts. I mean the m15x and m17x have listed a type of plastic vs metal and Most did not like the m15x due to overheating and screen cracking. My m17x ran fine but not sure if it would have the same issues. as the m15x of the last model. Most agree it sucked.

 

I love the metal body, If Alienwares next line is plastic I'd rather buy a macbook Pro, run windows on it and reduce my gaming expectations than ever own another plastic laptop.

 

burn it from the inside. With Bootcamp MBP's don't run too cool resulting in overheating issues even with the poor graphics card and a 35W CPU.

 

Guys, the metal thing weighing more than plastic is crap... Remember magnesium, titanium are all metal weighing less than most quality plastics. So make a titanium M17X and forget the weigh, add in quality build, amazing feeling of touch and looks, etc...

 

Also, place a few more powerful fans and the system will be able to lift off

 

And don't forget an increased price. Dell wants AW to go more mainstream, while maintaining a healthy margin. Metal has to go.

 

whether or not you agree with said dell objective, you should run and put your flame suit on now for even suggesting that around here, lol!

 

Yes metal and titanium...

Thoughts of the computer bean counters...
1. The reason most(manufacturers) do not want to use metal is the cost of replacement. Meaning that if you drop yours and bend the metal then we have to replace it if you have the accidental damage warranty.
2. We could sell the accidential damage warranties for a bloated price...
3. If the case was made of plastic as most are then when it breaks and the owneris out of warranty they have to flip the bill for the replacement plastic or buy another one.
4. How can we out-source the making of the metal cases to China or Japan where the environmentalists do not have a say?
5. Plastic is way cheaper and the cost to produce from recycled makes it even cheaper so that means more bucks for us.
6. We have to build into the computers short lives so the buyers will come back and buy anothe one , just like the car manufactures do.

Wow my head hurts..

lol

 

People let not forget the frist m15x (note Not M15x) They came out with 8800gtx or 9800gt. Every other tread on this forum from 2008 to 2009 was about the hing breaking Problem due to heat on the plastic. Kinda like Glass if heated and cooled so many times it will Crack.

For me Something that Help Asorb Heat to cool the system is better.

 

What about a big classy copper system casing? No temps over 38*C

 

My vote goes for - keep the metal or use HARD plastic, not the flexible stuff.

Actually, screw it - go for polystyrene!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene

Possibly the worst material imaginable for a laptop

 

LOL Polystyrene that would be one epic laptop! I think AW should just stick with metal to keep its image and uniqueness, along with its quality. I'm sure a lot of people would rather spend a few hundred more for a laptop that's worth a few thousand, but have a top notch quality product that doesn't break and looks and feels very sturdy. I wouldn't mind it for like m15x to lower the price, however m17x should stay metal.

 

but i wish they make the weight down. when i got my m11x, i was really surprise with the weight because it is really heavy compare to other 11 inch that i seen and hold. i did bought myself the acer ferrari one 200 and by sheer comparison the m11x is lot heavier than the acer ferrari but ferrari pales in comparison with the m11x. i am really loving my m11x but i wish they shave off the weight and the thickness of the m11x

 

I rather have the metal version.

Most people that get the m17x don't move it around it that much. So no point of making it lighter.

 

Build quality is important to anyone paying a premium for a laptop, i definitely don't want flexible soft plastics to rear its ugly head in the AW lineup. The M11x is an example of perfect build quality for the cost - Hard plastic built on the foundations of a strong metallic base.

 

I have look at two laptops the m15x and m17x. Both are the frist gen of the M15x and M17x.

Both made of the same plastic I hope. I am unsure.

The m15x had problems screen and cracks. But it was due to heat. Heat and plasic was not a good mix. This was in 2008 2009

The m17x frist gen with the geforce 8800gtx and 9800gt. Same card. It did not have cracking or anything and was lighter then the M17x. But I think over time issue would been on the secondary gpu. It did not have a good supply of airflow. Becuse airflow came from the top not the bottem.

What I might see in a new gen of M17x as plastic and airflow from the bottem is the same Issues of the m15x becuse the plastic will get warmer then it should and it can not handle it.

What I see is this. Metal on top of the laptop will draw heat better then Plastic. Over time plastic will act as glass once it get to a point it will Crack or warp.

 

The only reason I am looking outside of business models is because the AW laptops are built like a business class notebook. Plastic laptops run hot and feel cheap and flimsy, and to be honest who pays for a $2k+ laptop that is made of cheap plastic? I know I wouldn't.

 

MOOOORE METAL \m/.

 

I wonder when we'll see these new chassis. Maybe Q4?