The future

Hi all. So I'm just sitting here thinking about the state of Alienware compared to what they used to be and to other OEM's. Now that they 18 is once again no longer available, do we really think they won't come out with an upgraded version at all. I saw that MSI has released a version of the Titan with gtx 980 sli and I just find it hard to believe Alienware can afford to not release a comparable VR ready 18" laptop. Seems they would have to just to stay in the running so to speak.

Putting BGA or soldered aside for the moment, is it really possible that they won't even try to compete at the high end anymore? Would be nice if someone from Dell or Alienware would just come out and say yes or on on this. I guess the silence says something but at the same time, the timing of the 18 not being available would seem rich if indeed they ate planning an upgraded version with the full gtx 980's. Just wondering what people really think because as much as I get the feeling they won't, I still don't see how they can't.

 

Simple. Judging from all outward appearances, they simply do not care about offering the best or hanging onto the performance crown any more. Their focus is selling Latitude, Precision, XPS and Inspiron and Venue tablets to the sheeple that really have no understanding of what high performance notebook means. Or, maybe they are just hell bent on lowering the bar on that definition.

It wouldn't surprise me all that much to see the Alienware brand shut down entirely in the near future. It takes commitment, effort and money to be the best, and that stuff seems to have started drying up when they went 100% BGA.

Interest in VR represents another niche market and anything more than status quo seems to be a bit of a stretch for them now. Speaking of lowering the bar, it is also a really sad state of affairs when a crappy BGA turdbook (MSI Titan) is being used as a measuring stick for high performance notebooks. Why not use something legit, like a Sky DLX7 or X9E (or a generic Clevo equivalent without any excellent @Prema firmware to make it more awesome)?

Anyhow... I thought we already had a thread like this one... How far Alienware has gone backwards

 

Yeah, I guess I should have posted there but didn't think about it at the time. I just happened to see an article about the gtx 980 SLI Titan and my first thought was just a few years ago, this article would have been about Alienware on the front lines releasing a laptop with desktop like cards in SLI. And I agree, I can see it being phased out or sold off which creates an interesting issue with warranties.

 

Notebook and Desktop replacement are not the same thing. No way in hell would I ever call those massive things a "notebook".

@Mr. Fox All I EVER see from you around here is just *****ing and lamenting. Why the hell are you even here? Does this give me free reign to go to other forums for which I don't own and just casually bash at those brands? Because damn for a mod your posts are annoying as **** to read, and all you ever do is push other brands. Are you paid by them or something?

 

LOL.. Actually, ROFL.

You should have known over the past 7 or 8 years that I was an Alienware fanboy. I wasn't paid by Alienware and I'm not paid by Eurocom. Well made, fully serviceable, extreme performance notebooks are something I am passionate about. Alienware used to make awesome stuff like that which was worth shouting about, and I did... all the time. Big, bold, heavy, super-powerful and awesome in every way. But, now they don't any more. I haven't changed... and, I'm not going to. Unfortunately, they have.

Pretty simple really. I had to find a replacement for them... and I found it. I'm making sure that people that share my interests know there is something good out there so they don't think they have to settle for crippled BGA toys if they don't want to. Just spreading the good word about better choices for those that want better. And, almost every day I find at least one person that did not know and they are thankful about being enlightened about superior options. And, it was that way when I was pushing the Alienware brand, too.

I still have an M18xR1, M18xR2 and Alienware 18, and my old M17xR2 is with one of my boys. Seems that the only people that have a problem with my posts are the people that are OK with the wimpy new stuff. Some seem to take it personal, even though my opinions apply to everything made that way, not just Alienware. I'm just really sad Alienware lowered its standards so much, that's all.

Don't expect me to be quiet though. I've got nothing nice to say about BGA garbage, and I never will. People that don't like it are under no obligation to listen. Just like I don't listen to any of the excuses for BGA being acceptable. We are totally different types of customers, but Alienware no longer serves customers like me. They have nothing to offer that is acceptable. I'm disappointed they don't, but thankfully, another company does.

 

By definition since they are portable notebooks consisting of battery, LCD, chassis, motherboard, fixed keyboard, it is a notebook. Notebooks come in different shapes and sizes. The fact that I can throw my M18x into my backpack and go to class is testament to it being a backpack.

We have free right to bash whatever we choose. This is the internet, not state controlled media in North Korea. Be mindful, this isn't blind bashing. There are serious concerns, facts, and backing this up. It's not just fanboy bashing.

 

Well said Mr Fox.. Also as I always like to say Death to BGA!

 

Eh, ultimately, he's just a guy with an opinion, you don't necessarily have to agree with him. His opinion doesn't really sway me to buy the other brands, I'm happy with my Alienware, and will continue to be so until they give me a reason not to. I do agree that most of these Desktop replacements really probably shouldn't be called a notebook. I'm currently letting my friend borrow my old Clevo so he can finish writing up his dissertation and we have a good laugh about how huge it is and is completely useless as a portable machine. But to get back on topic, I think Alienware will still be around for a while, but they won't compete on the high end. I don't think there's any profit there for them.

 

Well , we all know that Alienware always come to the dinner table very late, just like how they were late to the 980m release. Like myself , i'm an alienware fan boy. I love alienware. As i have mentioned before , we should wait and see what Alienware has to bring to the table before we can do a final bash on that brand. My final decision on Alienware is going to be after what they bring next. If I don't like it , I'll move on just like @Mr. Fox . In the meantime , i'm going to make the best use out of these two 18" alienware that i currently have.

 

yup, I created that thread wondering the same things..

It is very possible, they're hard into RnD right now, and doing a new chassis, they have the name sake, as long as they do not ruin the brand they could come out with almost anything. I bet they're just waiting on VR and DX12 further implementation. I give them until 2 months after Pascal, i.e we shall revisit DELL/Alienware in September.

 

They have the skill, but the question is whether or not they have the will. They could be #1 again if they actually wanted to be. They're going to have to do sockets and slots, everything unlocked, and knock it off with the crippled firmware crap for starters, so I will wait and see how it shakes out. I do like surprises better than disappointment. Only time will tell.

 

Hopefully they come back with something good. The E-Gpu isnt a bad concept expecially if you want a lightweight notebook for work/college and just want the seperate GPU for home gaming but its not something everyone wants. I like the M18x simply because it has everything built in. Having a new model with the same setup as the old m18x and the option of using egpu would be fine for me. Would mean not having to replace the internal GPU after a few years.

 

I have told them this several times before the reps packed up and went off this board. The recipe for success is very, very simple, and probably very cheap too. just take the M18x R2, update the motherboard chipset, socket, BIOS, etc, add the eGPU port, and LEAVE IT BE. It was a perfect design. But Alienware decided they didn't like what they heard on this board and disappeared altogether, like ostriches sticking their heads in the dirt.

 

Even easier and better, skip the proprietary and speed-crippled GA port and add Thunderbolt 3 in the spot used for HDMI input or VGA out... far better solution than either of those options, and higher bandwidth for universal eGPU. They would do well to use something other than Recon3Di as well. Even an el cheapo Realtek audio chip would be better... at least in terms of reliability.

 

A modern r2 clone, upgradable, unlocked and unhinged with a 120hz panel and I'm in. Take my money.

 

The Maxwell support for the existing Ranger & Viking is broken, new machines are cripped. But If they realize the mistake they made (ASUS, MSI makes better than them now) they will offer a true performance machine, considering their current standing the chances are very slim to none...Only time will unfold. An M18x R3 would be perfect.

 

They have been trying to give us crippled laptops for a while, though. Think back to all of the goofed up things like 580M vBIOS throttling crap, etc. But, at least we could fix their nonsense back in the day. The Ranger and Viking were crippled and they blocked us from fixing their mistakes. I don't want an updated R2 equivalent for 2017 if that means it would carry the debilitating limitations like the Alienware 17 and 18 that are write-protected and engineered to under-perform (i.e. inability to utilize the combined output of multiple AC adapters). That just ain't right. If they're going to cripple it and block us from fixing their mistakes, then there's no point in them burning any calories on it or us carrying any optimism about a better tomorrow with the Alienware brand. What they did with Secure Flash and power handling limitations on the 18 was inexcusable. That is was left that way in spite of our vehement protests is unforgivable.

 

- a better tomorrow is Right Here Right Now -
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Right Now, Time Is Having Its Way With You
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Is there any rumor of a refresh for alienware laptop?

 

There will be no refresh till new AMD/NVIDIA GPU's come out!

 

Brother Fox's passion is what drove me to buy my old m18x r2. I will never fault a consumer for knowing what they want and not settling for less. I wish more people shared his passion and enthusiasm. Unfortunately I didn't know about the sky x9 before I built my desktop. :/

 

Consider the M18X-R2 a legendary beast.

 

My M18x R2 is my absolute favorite computer, period, ever. I'm making every effort to keep it relevant.

 

The M18x R2 is the world's best looking laptop and the best of Alienware's machines. Period.

Dell nerfed the brand and the chassis aswell, the worst corporation ever, gone full private a.k.a full retarded with this new BGA, castrated, crippled filth.

 

I still have mine, haven't decided if I want to keep it for memories or sell it/part it out. Sucks that I couldn't replace it with a worthy successor.