Using an Alienware in Public: Tips to deal with Alienware-hating trolls and bullies

It all depends on self confidence...

Most people wouldn't be caught dead (and I mean DEAD) in a WWE t-shirt in public; I'm apparently a good looking guy which therefore gives me confidence that I'm not a 'typical' wrestling fan therefore couldn't readlly care if people have thoughts.

My point is, you HAVE an Alienware so flaunt it. Just be careful of people eyeballing it a BIT too much fella.

 

i LOVE this line !!!!

 

And yet they're the same ones that spend all their free time looking up 'dirt sheets' and whining about the storylines.

Possibly the same for Alienware, those that rip on it the most are probably the ones that are the most fanatic about it secretly... where no one will ever know. Pretty sad really, everyone should be proud of the things they enjoy... so long as they aren't, like, ya know, illegal, or harming other people, or themselves.

 

So, I ordered my first system about a week ago (an M17x R4) after a few months of research & debate and I proud to have chosen an AW . I looked at all the competition and for some reason I kept coming back to Alienware. I am not sure exactly why but mainly I feel like (besides them being cool computers) by owning one you belong to a select and passionate community (you guys). Anyways, back to the main point of my post...In my research on different forums I have found countless examples of Alienware hating trolls. Even some of my friends at school (who are smarter with computers than me) talk smack about Alienware. I feel obligated to defend the brand being a soon to be owner and help put a stop to the discouragement of possible customers and also shut my friends up because they are basically bullying me at this point . I have constantly brought up the fact that one can haggle with the sales rep and lower the price by 20% but my friends and the trolls keep coming back with the "OVERPRICED LED's CRAP!" stuff and it just frustrates me. So, some of you veterans have any advice on dealing with these BULLIES?

 

This is a recent issue the forum is having. It's not your fault.

And oh yeah, those people are just jealous

I too thought Alienware was overpriced until I did some research. Turns out I could get one for not that much more than the competition. That's why I ordered the one in my sig a few days ago.

 

If they're bullying you then they're not your friends. It's OK having a laugh and slagging one another off but if it's going that far then you're going to have to look at your social circle.
Saying that, it might also help to not be smug in your choice - I'm getting that from your saying joining a "select group" by buying an Alienware, which by necessity omits your friends that don't have one, normally people react negatively when placed in that kind of position. It's just a computer, albeit an expensive one, that it sounds like you're continually justifying to all and sundry. You happen to like the look of it and feel you got decent value in the purchase while others may agree or may not, why is that such a big deal ? Is it possible your friends are treating you the way they are as a reaction to some new found sense of superiority they've detected ? Do you go on about it all the time to the extent where they're acting this way just to get a break from it ?

As an aside my wife thinks my m18x looks great but there's no way she'd have paid out for one herself, while my brother thinks it's an overpriced LED garnished PoC - none of this bothers me and I don't feel any need to justify it.

As far as internet trolls go, some people respond negatively because they're jealous, some will follow the herd while some others will believe that they are ugly LED fitted cr*p. That last one is as valid an opinion as anything else. The only way to deal with the others is ignore them - you'll never win them round nor convince them otherwise as they simply respond to you in an attempot to cause annoyance/irritation while gaining amusement from any futile attempts to convince them otherwise. There's little point arguing with these idiots, they'll just drag it down to their level and beat you with experience.

 

no..no..no...sir its actually quite the opposite! I brought it up once, the fact that i'm getting an alienware, and my friend and the other kid is more of a colleague bring it up at least once a day and totally out of context. I might have went to far in calling it bullying but i feel the need to defend my $2000 expenditure but your right now that i think about a couple of my other friends think AWs are cool...Im just falling victim to human psychology to only pay attention to the negative feedback and overshadow the positive.

 

My gaming friends (if you can call them that; they're pretty much internet trolls) make fun of Alienware all the time, even myself. Take it with a grain of salt. Sometimes we even say things like "Alienware, the only way to play [this game here]."

But when they hear me out for my reason, it's a valid reason to get the laptop. The desktop is way overpriced, but there's no other gaming laptop out there except for the Alienwares. Until you can order bare parts for laptop the way you can order stuff off of Newegg, then there's no way you can compete with the capabilities of a desktop. If gaming is your thing, then an Alienware is overpriced. But if you're gaming on the go, than there's no competition.

And then just say it proudly, you can't get trolled. I always say it, "Sponsored by Alienware."

True gamers actually recognize the power of the laptops.

 

hi well im sort of in between i acshaly like the look of alienwares and there specs are good and haggleing prices down isnt to hard but ive just had to many friends buy one then have it fail in someway and dell is quiet lowsy at customer support in all i do think your friends are just jelous but dont talk about it as if your better then them because really its a laptop not a way of life . PS im a supporter of alienware not dell kinda weird XD dells customer service could use some work but there laptops i have to say are quite nice

 

ok lol great points...

 

Ive noticed that the prices between AW and other competitors isnt that far apart like $100-$150(after haggling). For the past month Ive researching laptops and finally decided today to order a m17x. It was very annoying to take time to research the pros and cons only to find people bashing AW due to price and over exaggerate them.

 

It's likely all based on an underlying sense of jealousy. Plus, it probably gives them pleasure to taunt you if your reaction is noticeable. Alienware delivers superior gaming laptops and better warranty support than their competitors, and those people are simply exposing their ignorance.

So, what kind of systems do they have? If yours is superior, you can take an equally immature path by taunting them about their anemic computer systems and ridiculing their poor purchasing decisions. If your Alienware is more powerful than what they have, perhaps you'll find an opportunity to demonstrate the superiority of your system.

Alienware veterans don't burn calories caring about the opinions of others. They are irrelevant. At the end of the day, all that matters is your own satisfaction with the Alienware. You don't need to defend the brand... it does that well enough without any help. If you start constantly bragging about it to the point of being obnoxious and laugh at all of their insults, they'll grow tired of it. These imbeciles are not your friends. Recognize that they are losers and find more intelligent people to hang out with. If they ask why you don't hang with them any more, you can let them know you don't socialize with losers.

 

once you get into the 2k or more price range, I have found there is usually only about 50-150 dollars between AW and the competition, even supposedly "cheap" systems like sager, and most other gaming laptop brands don't come with a back lit keyboard (and if they do, most can't change color). where alienware really shines is in the graphics card department. they arn't #^%$%^ about letting you put in anything more than a medium level card (unlike asus), and if you can stand the heat, your going to be able to play at desktop level performance.

 

Just wanted to mention pretty much all the high end 17" gaming notebooks do have backlit keyboards(msi gt70, sager 9170, samsung series 7, asus g75) and your also able to change the colours excluding the Samsung series 7.

You're right about the price difference being minimal though. A sager 9170 with identical specs that I got with AW would of cost me $2049 and AW cost me $2150 and thats including a 3 year extended warranty.

 

I get confronted by this all the time, and not only computers. Cars and other things also.

This is my solution.

First, get it into your head that 'best value for money' is not the way -everyone- thinks. Do you think billionaires look for best value for money? no

Do you think a Bentley is good value for money? Of course not. You're paying far more than the sum of its parts and the time taken to construct it.

Do you think Versace or D&G or Prada is value for money? Hell no. They mark up the price 1000% over the rest based on the label alone!!!

There comes a time when if you have enough money, you can afford the luxury of Nicest and Best. And this is usually far far from value for money.

Alienware is premium. Alienware is very nice. And you can argue that Alienware is also amongst the fastest in its class of portability/size/weight. So they can never play the 'inferior performance' card.

So, respond to them with 'Hey, I can afford to waste a few extra hundred dollars to have the nicer, cooler version even if it is no better in terms of performance. It is the Bentley of laptops. And in the end, you wish you could waste your money on one too.'

I managed to 'win' one such conversation by answering everything he said with 'YEAH, BUT.. it has a f**king ALIEN on the lid that LIGHTS UP. I dont care how much more it costs, I just want THAT!!'. After about the 5th time, he conceded I was right.

And if they're wearing designer anything.. glasses, shoes, shirts, anything.. point out they're being a little hypocritical given they could have bought far better value versoins.

-Tristan

 

Kick their asses if they are mean to you. Bullies are tough till confronted for real. Or, just kick their asses anyhow whatever the situation. Preemptively.

You can also always say "I am very sorry you cannot afford a laptop I own". This also works with anything.

 

Yeah.... if you can afford an Alienware, why not upgrade the cpu, gpu, ram, memory, and make it a sager.... oh wait... and now its cheaper...:wink:

To OP, when u buy an Alienware u are buying the brand name and the fancy case and i think thats the main reason why ur friends are making fun of you.

let me post a few stats to illustrate further.:wink:

Alienware m17x

3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 675M
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
512GB SSD SATA 6Gb/s
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230 With Bluetooth 4.0
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit

final price $ 3724 (without any discount)


Sager NP9170s

Intel Core i7-3820QM 2.7GHz, 8M L3 Cache, 22nm, DDR3-1600MHz, Quad-Core Mobile Processor
NVIDIA 675M 2048MB GDDR5 DX11 Compliant with Optimus Tech
16GB (4 x 4GB) , PC3-12800, 1600MHz SODIMM
Samsung 512GB 830 Series SATA III 6Gb/s Solid State Drive
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 2*2 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth V4.0 300MB Total Bandwidth
Notebook Black 8X DVD+RW/CDRW Combo Drive
Windows 7 Home Premium
+
MYTH Professional Monitor Color Calibration
IC Diamond Thermal Compound
Lifetime Phoenix Upgrade Plan

Total Price:$ 2,767.55 (without any discounts)


Sooooo u basically paid 1k for the alienware brand If i am your friend i will laugh at you too..:laugh:

LOL at this post....

1st. its not a 50-150 dollars price difference... u need to x10 that value..

2nd. most 17 inch laptops comes with a back lit keyboard

3th. Alienware is also notorious for having insanely loud fans that doesnt even cool that well...

4th. Not to mention whenever u will have "GAMER" written all over ur forehead whenever you bring out your laptop.

*edited for wrong information

 

9790?
What planet are you on?

assuming you meant 7970. M17X was one of the first to announce and receive it wasnt it?

 

oppps typo
btw when did m17x offer 7970m?

edit: ahh just checked and realized they do in fact offer 7979m

 

For that particular configuration. Factor in that anyone who knows anything about tech will upgrade the RAM and hard drive themself (as Dell does charge a lot for their upgrades) then the price difference is smaller. Factor in that you can get a significant discount by asking the right person, then the price difference is much smaller. And then there's the fact that the AW has better build quality and a better warranty.

Actually, it is if you play your cards right, as I've pointed out above. When I ordered an M17x R3 a couple of months ago (cancelled it because I wanted the newer machines) the price was at most £200 more than its competitors, and this was in the UK where the machines are heavily marked up. And of course I can justify that £200 with the better build quality, better warranty, and of course the looks.

From what I've seen, not many offer lighting customisation to the extent that the AW machines do. Even if they do, well, the AW's no worse in comparison is it?

I didn't know any manufacturer could stock GPUs that won't be released for about two years.

In all seriousness (and assuming it's a typo and you meant 7970) then the M17x R4 was one of the first systems in the world to have it available, and the M18x R2 now has 7970M CrossfireX available after going through driver qualification (which has delayed the CrossfireX 7970Ms for most manufacturers as well).

Last time I checked, the cooling in modern Alienware machines is excellent and has been for a few years now. Any cooling problems out there are due to faulty hardware or a poor thermal paste installation, something that happens with every manufacturer.

And maybe they are loud, but that's also true of any gaming laptop in existence (presuming you don't classify 'good cooling' as 'just below the thermal limit which is often over 100C').

Some people consider that to be a good thing. Certainly in my opinion, what's the point of having one of the most powerful notebooks on the market if it doesn't look like more than an average (oversized) office laptop? I'd compare it to a supercar; would you buy a supercar with a 6-figure pricetag if it looked like a run-of-the-mill Ford Focus?

 

the **** are you talking about? I was basing #1 on some builds I did with both that resulted in only 50-150 difference and would play most current games at max settings. Only 8gb of ram, and no SSD (adding more ram or SSD will cause the AW price to balloon, but neither of those are really needed, and even if you ad them, its still not "10 times" as much...)

Maybe I was overstating a bit about most not having back lit keyboards, but it is true most can't change color like an AW's can if any.

9790?!?! LOL, a mobile one of those would outdo even the most powerful desktop cards today... because it probably wont exist for at least 2-3 years . If you meant the 7970, you are sorely mistaken, AW has had those as an option for the m17x r4 since it came out, and they just added a duel 7970 config to the m18x r2 build lineup. and once the 680's are out they will probably add those to. Asus, sager, and the others are left in the dust using 670's.

correction, the m14x had heat problems, in fact the fans sounded like a damn 747, but thats because it was the first of its product lines generation. Now that the r2 is out many of the previous generations issues have been fixed (including fan noise to a certain extent). I don't know what you mean by "the fans don't cool that well" they cool just as well as any other laptop fans do. However its always good to get a cooling pad for a gaming laptop, regardless of the brand. The only reason an AW might get hot in comparison to another brand is because you can get AW laptops with higher end graphics cards, which use more make more heat. (but add to performance)

whats wrong with being a gamer who doesn't mind other people knowing that he games? Is your self esteem so low you aren't comfortable knowing strangers know you like playing with pixels?

You are one of a multitude of brand bashers that have clearly never owned an AW laptop.

 

i guess u have said it all

All in all, Alienware is a good option only if u haggle with the sales rep and upgrade the ram yourself :yes:
p.s. on a curious note... doesnt changing the ram void the warranty or something? read it somewhere :rolleyes2:

 

With most manufacturers, it would. Not with Dell/Alienware. This is one of the big advantages about Alienware, Dell will let you do whatever you want with your laptop, the warranty will not be void unless you actually damage something yourself (and even then, you can just pay for the repairs and then your warranty is valid again afterwards).

Of course, the warranty wouldn't apply to any parts you install yourself. You might also want to keep the original parts to put back in if it does need to be sent off for repair or replacement, but in cases where Dell sends a technician to your house for repairs (which should be every case except where the system needs replacing) then leaving any of your own parts in should be fine.

So you can see this is a nice bonus, compared to say, for example, the Razer Blade where the warranty is void if you simply open the machine (even if you don't touch the components after opening it). I used the Blade as an example there because it's the first that came to my head, and while other manufacturers won't be quite as strict (most will probably let you open the damn thing for things like cleaning the heatsinks), Asus and Clevo and the like might not let you replace the parts without voiding the warranty (although I don't know for sure myself). I don't think any laptop manufacturer out there is as lenient as Dell.

 

I am biased against Alienware due to all the problems i got from my M15 and yes i am self conscious enough not to bring it to my college lectures

Dang now u just persuaded me into considering an alienware instead

 

Come to the dark side

Anyway, if you're talking about the old area-51 m15x (the one that was sold by Alienware before Dell started producing and selling the machines instead), yeah, that machine was riddled with faults. If you bought it around 2008 or early 2009 then it was the old m15x. That thing had massive hinge problems and massive cooling problems if I remember rightly. As for the more modern M15x (not sure when it started production but it was probably late 2009 or early 2010 if I remember rightly) maybe you just got unlucky with a poor system. It happens from time to time.

I would say, these machines probably aren't suitable for college lectures (except perhaps the M14x). I personally plan on leaving my M18x on my desk 24/7, and taking a tablet or something like that into lectures if I need to take notes on a computer system.

 

Considering the sheer amount of lighting on an Alienware, would it not be more correct to suggest he 'come to the bright side'?

On another note, I think Dell's customer service is the best I have experienced in any industry ever. And that alone is enough to make me pay more. Desktops are easy to fix myself but with a laptop that is locked in to proprietry hardware, I want to know the after sales service is there and prompt.

In the space of ONE order, dell has done this for me:

1) Called me immediately to discuss lack of availability of the colour option I wanted

2) Updated me to a higher priced system ($700 higher list price online) when the version of the R3 I ordered became unavailable

3) Cancelled my order and immediately opened a new order the day after the M17X R4 was released upon my request, still no additional charges

4) upgraded the processor to second best IVB so I wouldnt get a clock speed decrease, still no additional charges

5) upgraded me from a 6990M to a 7970M because I insisted on getting AMD as per my original order, STILL NO ADDITIONAL CHARGES

6) refunded an incorrectly supplied second power adapter

7) phone called me every step of the way. Even every time I emailed, I had a phone call within an hour to discuss my email and make sure I was happy with everything.


And in the end, the estimated delivery of the system barely changed from that of the original order. It was built and shipped to my country within a week.


Pending good reliability, I cant imagine not having an Alienware in the forseeable future. I hate most companies for one reason or another but I love dell! This is the third dell system Ive ordered new and perhaps the 5th or 6th that Ive owned and Im blown away every time. Ive never seen a company strive so hard to make customers happy.

-Tristan

 

If you ever need to use the warranty on a Sager/Clevo, it will most likely be the last one you ever purchase. Dell/Alienware is the only manufacturer that offers a decent warranty on gaming laptops. Regardless of brand, there are going to be issues with high performance laptops that ordinary laptops never have. If for no other reason than they run hotter and see far more severe use, it's not very smart downgrade your purchase just to save a few bucks on a cheaper model from a competitor because you'll end up living a nightmare when the day comes to have it fixed. And, it would be an exception to the norm if that day never comes.

 

I suggest that you take this as a life lesson: You are going to find people that believe things different from what you believe. You are going to find people that have entirely different views regarding things that you may see as clear cut. You are going to be given the choice of allowing yourself to fall into the pattern of attempting to crusade your virtue against them, or to understand that all you'd be doing is spending time throwing turtles into a pond.

 

Well, have computers become the new pissing-match?

I'm actually getting the Alienware because they offer a powerful machine the is different from all the rest. I'm getting the Nubia Red and will use it proudly in my design sessions I do with clients. If the extra wow factor cast more, good!

The fit and finish on these machines is top notch. Looking at the other brands mentioned in this thread, the look kinda cheap and poorly built.

These die-hard gamer friends you have sound like real jerks. As someone else said, it's just a computer. If it makes you happy, that's all that matters.

 

I like the way you think.

 

I usually don't get crap from my friends as they own asus systems, and even when I had my 460m installed and had pretty much the same internal hardware as my friends did, I always got better benchmark scores. After I snagged a 6990m for cheap and installed it those g74/g73's can't even touch me anymore.

 

Please let me apologise for making inaccurate conclusions.
Sounds like you know exactly what's going on. Wait until it arrives and make a point of demo'ing it to your supportive friends, will make the green eyes of the other two get even bigger. Maybe if they see your laptop up and running they'll change their mind.

 

Ahhh, I apologize too. I was going to originally suggest the your friends were just passing on information they have heard to help you not make an expensive mistake, but the subject line made me think it was more than friendly advice.

You should not be disappointed with your system. Every manufacturer is going to have issues, I mean they all use basically the came components and laptops cram a bunch of stuff in a small space, then you carry it around.

But I still stick by my statement about being happy with yourself. I remember reading a post this past week about someone getting their AW and it made the giddy as a schoolgirl. I believe it, they are fun and exciting. Enjoy

 

No problem.

Yep only about 19 days until the ETA...my patience wears thin! CANNOT WAIT!

 

This common AW hating attitude is whats kept me from buying one until now.

 

I wonder if being hated makes us eligible for special government assistance programs subsidized by the haters?

 

What the haters don't realize is that AW has sold more gaming laptops than any other brand. We are a silent majority... and we are watching...

 

If someone gives you strife for having one of the best gaming laptops in the world. Just say:

"I have this Alienware, it's a beast, it can play any game on the planet, it's a great investment and I cherish it dearly. Now, your rude, and stupid enough to badmouth one of the best computers on the planet. Have a nice day!"

 

I'll be using my M17x R4 for my post grad classes. I paid enough for it, it's gonna get use, even it does mean carrying a brick around.

 

Computers are like guns. The bigger and more powerful they are, all the better. Here are a couple of my favorites from a recent email.
I think they are fitting for Alienware owners and capture our passion for power.

 

Ok...I guess if you would like to put it into those terms it makes sense...lol

 

Now THAT is how it's done!

 

HA... Next thing you know, we're in AW meetings... (take on AA meetings)

 

what about the keyboard ghosting problem on all AW variants? i've kept hearing about them.

 

It's one of those things that matters if it affects you. For a MMORPG addicts, an external keyboard is recommended. This is not limited to Dell/Alienware laptops, but the haters need something to justify their silly little rants. I think many hardcore MMORPG players use external keyboard and mouse anyway.

Folks that do not play MMORPG games, or prefer using an external keyboard, will find it irrelevant. I've never run into a situation where ghosting mattered based on my system use. I never use an external keyboard with my M18x, but I also never play MMORPG games.

It's not a big secret or anything: Dell | Level 3 Engineering Docs. But, the Alienware haters seem to find some comfort in the notion that they are exposing a hidden defect that is unique to Alienware laptops, LOL.

If the haters only knew how little regard we have for their thoughts and opinions, some of them would never say another word because the humiliation would be unbearable. Some of them probably would want to curl up in the fetal position and die. There will always be a group of hopelessly ignorant self-indulging haters that derive great satisfaction from reading their own rubbish in forums. While they are worthy of our pity, any amount of effort to assist them with mitigating their ignorance is a waste of calories. Doing so is tantamount to casting pearls before swine.

 

not just for mmorpg, but all games that uses wasd to move around.
and its not hidden defect when you can't s+d+sb, other than that i and many gamers could probably ignore the other "ghosts"

and external KB is not an option for me.

truly this is very disappointing, i was very excited to actually 80% decided on buying a new m17x-R4 (never owned an AW before) instead of the other competition, and to find out this small yet critical flaw is frustrating.

 

ASDF and WASD works perfect on my M18x. It's the multi-key combos that some MMORPG gamers actually need that don't work properly. In the past 20+ years of being a PC gamer, none of the games that I enjoy playing rely on a combo that is not available because of ghosting. The day might come that I encounter the limitation in a game that I want to play, it just hasn't happened yet.

This is not considered to be a hidden defect, although it is sometimes presented as such by people that want to be seen as an expert bringing enlightenment to the world. It's an openly acknowledged limitation that affects many users, including many that don't own Alienware laptops.

The good thing is you know about it now. It would be more frustrating to buy an inferior product from a Alienware competitor in an effort to avoid the problem, only to find out it has the same issue that the Alienware haters conveniently forgot to mention.

 

...Tee hee

 

I was going to qoute that same paragraph:

"If the haters only knew how little regard we have for their thoughts"

So true. Anyone can say anything they want, but all you have to do is open that lid up and it will make you smile everytime.

I originally thought the LED's were too much and that I'd just turn them off. Well, I like them, they are actaully functional (except the fake grills and the logo) and on all the time. hmmmm

I do wish you could turn the track pad LED off without having to go totally black. I can find the track pad without the outline.

 

From the dell tech thing..

Solution:

1. No need to replace parts to address this issue. It is recommended to avoid using fail combo keys in the list while playing games.



Does anyone else laugh when they read 'fail combo'??

Yeah, try using the 'win combo'