The Conduit- Alienware Software Blog | NotebookReview

Game7a1 ?

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http://na.alienwarearena.com/forums...-software/the-conduit-alienware-software-blog
So, what do you think?

Game7a1, Feb 7, 2015

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Mr. Fox BGA Filth-Hating Elitist®

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I'm not a gamer (by their definitions on the flip chart) and cannot relate to most of that. I'm not interested in Alienware software, or a proprietary, resource-hogging third-party UI/overlay for navigating Windows with a gamepad, etc. Personally, I think it's kind of over-the-top nuts. Most of the performance enthusiasts I know prefer keyboard and mouse and some, perhaps most, hardcore PC gamers view the gamepad as being an input device for panty-waists.

Seems like Alienware is catering to children and teenagers more than mature adults that can afford expensive high performance toys and expect them to perform like expensive high performance toys rather than a portable game console. What they (Alienware) need to do is get their priorities straightened out.

Mr. Fox, Feb 7, 2015

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Game7a1 ?

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And what happens if they talk about BIOS, drivers, and overclocking? Would you then be interested?
When I see Software Blog, I think more than just the Alpha UI and Command Center. And at least they're talking about interacting with their consumer base. More steps forward with realizing the consumer's ideal version of Alienware.
It might be a fun read. It's just the beginning.

Game7a1, Feb 8, 2015

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If they talk about BIOS unlocks and mods, and overclocking, and follow that up with action instead of just talking about it I would certainly be interested. We've been talking about those things all along, but no action has ever been taken. We have been asking them to remove Secure Flash so we could unlock the BIOS on the 17 and 18 since they were first released, and we are still waiting for that to happen. Because it hasn't, both of those machines are crippled. We don't need more talk about that, we just need to see some action. Until that happens, there is nothing that warrants discussion. If we can't have what we want, the way we want it, then the party is over and we can all go home.

Mr. Fox, Feb 8, 2015

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Game7a1 ?

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March update. Nothing major. Just Command Center and Alpha-related stuff.
But there was something interesting about the Nvidia drivers (even though the main focus is on the Alpha, the content can be applied to the laptops).

NVidia Driver: I wanted this section to say “I have it IN MY HANDS.” But alas I do not. To clear up one misconception I have seen, Alienware does not make drivers for graphics cards. We do not use special drives for graphics cards. Our requirements are provided to NVidia and they craft the driver. Then our validation team makes sure there are no conflicts with the driver and our software/hardware. We partner very closely with NVidia to ensure our systems work with their drivers.

In the case of Alpha, the bug we found in November meant we had to turn off “verde support”. That is a fancy way of saying we had to opt Alpha out of NVidia’s development process until the issue was addressed. It has been fixed, but now we need to wait for NVidia to work through its queue to get to the Alpha Driver.

I am not blaming NVidia for our wait, as this is a normal part of making hardware/software. They understand it is a pressing issue and we REALLY want the driver. As soon as I have it and do some testing the driver, I will post it on Arena. Until then, the wait continues, unfortunately.[/QUOTE

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Game7a1, Mar 5, 2015

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Game7a1 ?

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http://na.alienwarearena.com/forums...onduit-alienware-software-blog-april-may-2015
April/May blog is up. A little something interesting about requests for Command Center features and software in general.

AWCC

I have three things brewing for Command Center. 1: A project to help you setup your computer. 2: A project to increase your performance. 3: A new command center. With these in mind, I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts. What is the biggest pain about setting up a new system (or when you blow away the OS and start over)? Getting Apps? Customizing the system? Restoring files? Downloading games? Restoring saves? Getting new drivers?

For performance, what tools do you use today when your system just isn’t running right? (I use Afterburner, HWInfo64, Fraps, GFE, Task Manager, and Perf Mon). What limitations have you come across? Have you ever found a really cool trick? Lastly, be honest, how many laptop users have forgotten to switch from Power Saver to High Performance and started swearing at the machine?

Is there something you wish Command Center did today that it does not? Do you want to control more than power settings? Do you want us to go the route of auto-creating Game Mode profiles for you? What about auto-loading the Game Mode when you start a game? How often do you change your lights? Ever created a lighting profile you wanted to share? Do you want more lighting effects? More lighting zones (Like 1-6 and WASD as a zone)? How often do you wish you could view AWCC controls // performance information from your phone or tablet?

Lots of questions this conduit but this is the time to start influencing where we take the software. The door is completely open to suggests, and as with Alien UI, your ideas will be incorporated.

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Game7a1, Apr 27, 2015

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Mr. Fox said: ↑

If they talk about BIOS unlocks and mods, and overclocking, and follow that up with action instead of just talking about it I would certainly be interested. We've been talking about those things all along, but no action has ever been taken. We have been asking them to remove Secure Flash so we could unlock the BIOS on the 17 and 18 since they were first released, and we are still waiting for that to happen. Because it hasn't, both of those machines are crippled. We don't need more talk about that, we just need to see some action. Until that happens, there is nothing that warrants discussion. If we can't have what we want, the way we want it, then the party is over and we can all go home.

Click to expand...

Talk is cheap. I'm still waiting for them to fix the BIOSes on their last three generations of Sandy, Ivy and non-BGA Haswell machines. Command Center isn't broken like the BIOSes. They need to get their priorities straight. Not sure why they would burn calories and waste resources on something that isn't broken when there is so much more important business that deserves their attention.