Warranty work in Canada

Howdy!

Just wondering if any Canadians in here have had warranty work done on their M15X? Where did you ship it to? What were the shipping costs?

 

very probably Miami, Fl. as for the shipping costs, i think there's a configurator thing on FEDEX' website. might even be covered by warranty though.

what's your problem, btw?

 

Hey whizzo...No problems yet...guess that is because I don't own the M15x YET I am doing alot of researching before I buy, and this is something that needs to be a part of the "Buy/Dont buy" equation.

I have a multitude of questions, and have been reading many MANY posts about the AW rigs. I am aware that there are issues with the M15x....is the 9750 more stable (system/casing etc)...what about the M17x?? Does AW offer theft insurance as part of their warranty?

 

the m9750 is outdated, i wouldn't recommend it. the m17x has, to date, earned naught but praise for it's build quality and very good cooling system.

 

m15x is a great system if you want portability as well as power. But if you combine power with compatibility you are going to see a number of issues. However AW have been doing quite well in trying to help. Myself, I have had no issues with my m15x to date. And it's doing great.

The m17x has had no problems from memory, and it's a really great system

People saying about the m15x being too hot - it's really not. My cpu is at 46 degrees and its been on for 8 hours, on my leather sofa.

 

Thanks...I will avoid the 9750 (every pc i have ever bought has been "entry-level" or "Middle of the road" systems) I want my next laptop to carry me for more than a year or 2....BTW, I am not a gamer...not even Solitaire From reading several forums and reviews, I am concerned about the volume of the fans on the M17x system.

Can you define "combine power with compatability?"
How long have you had your M15x?
Can the M15x be used on my lap without causing 2nd degree burns??

 

wait, why you considering AWs then? what are you gonna use the laptop for?

 

Well most laptops you see with this spec (8800gtx, 2.5ghz, 4gb ram, 320gb sata HDD) will be in a 17 incher. And portability - 15inch, because 17inch is NOT really portable.
I've had my m15x just over a month.
Yes it can, it's not even luke warm at the moment. Near the touchpad is only just warm (on the right side, where I rest my hand) and on the left it's cold.

If you're not a gamer, there are many more thinner and lighter laptops that will suit your needs better

 

that's where the HDD is btw. and with a notebook cooler, you can drop the HDD temp to just 30°C, which is barely noticable.

 

Editing high-def high speed vids...Similar to the stromotion effects that were seen quite frequently during the Olympic coverage.
Go to youtub and search for STROMOTION.

I know that an AW system is overkill today....but as the software develops over the next year or two, I will still be "hardware capable." This laptop is more of a business investment that a hobby investment (god knows i already have too many hobbies )

 

To be fair if you're looking for upgradeability and performance... the m17x is the way to go. Especially seeing as it will be used as a business product so it's doesn't have to be really portable, only to and from home to work...

m17x is the way to go, though im not sure if the single quadro outperforms 9800gt in SLI...

 

ooh that's some pretty cool stuff. yeah i guess then the m17x makes sense

 

Well....my "work" is not a usual office. Could be a hockey rink today, baseball diamonds tomorrow, and then to the gymnastics club next. Where ever my customer practices/performs/competes is my office. So do i need portable as in "light/easy/compact to carry on the bus"...no. Do I need portable as in "take it to filming location and set-up for 6 hours"...yes!

With the extra power of the AW system, I can easily set-up a decent sized display monitor for the client to see (what i want them to see) their video and not be standing over my shoulder seeing my working screen.

 

Hmm, the question is will you be near power sources, if not the m15x will be ace for you! I get nearly 7 hours (with lights, wifi, bluetooth turned off and brightness on display slightly dimmes, and intergrated chip). And I get 3-4 hours on everything max. This is of course with the Smart Bay Battery.

The m17x you can still move around fairly easily to all of those locations...

 

the power supply availability is my biggest concern. I can use a gas generator for power while at a baseball park but not inside at a gymnastics competition.
FYI..the video work that i do is streamed live to my puter via firewire...most times it is 1 camera, but can be a second camera as well. (I need to see what my options are for a second firewire port on the m15x)

 

and where does the power for the cameras come from? also, seeing how gymnastics competitions are usually indoors, and all (more or less) new such facilities have wall sockets, i'm sure that a bit of extension cord is all you'll need.

 

Hey whizzo...power for the cams come from their own batteries. There are some that need an external power supply, but i don't have those just for the same reason regarding portability.
And yes...working indoors might (and i emphasize MIGHT) have an outlet nearby for an extension cord...but so many variables become involved ie how long of a cord will be needed; people tripping over the cord (liability issues)....

 

fair enough. in that case, the m15x with an extra Smart Bay battery (or even two of those) should do the trick.

EDIT: also, i believe the m15x can be ordered with a 9-cell "normal" battery (instead of the standard 6 cells). you might want to look into that as well.

 

Yeah I forgot you can have more than 1 smartbay battery, and keep swapping lol. Yeah buy a few smart bay batterys, and swap them as they die. Also opt for the 9cell, it will give you an extra hour I reckon. So that will give you a minimum of 6 hours battery life I reckon (everything full), but optimised you will have a good 10+ hours

 

Are these batteries available from only AW, or can I get them (probably cheaper) from the web?

Thanks for the info and insight from everyone. Awesome support forum!

Since there is some "build talk" right now maybe someone can clarify for me the difference in the screen options. I need to know which is the best for no glare/reflection. Since I work outdoors at times, my regular laptop becomes almost useless due to glare... Am i better off with the XGA+ or the UXGA? I know 1 is a matte finish, but am not sure which one it is

 

Batteries are only available from AW im afraid

And no problem

the 1920x1200 is the matte finish one

 

Where are they on the website? Looked and looked but could not find it How much are they?

Thanks for helping with the screen choice.

Do all SMARTBAY accessories need to come from AW?

 

They aren't on the website, you have to contact AW seprately to buy them. If you buy your laptop first, and then order your batteries separetly you get a discount which brings them to ~$60 apiece. If you buy them with the laptop it costs ~$90 apiece

You have to be a SmartBay accessory from AW. But you can buy a SmartBay cage and then add your own HDD (2.5") into it. But you can't do this for batteries.

Hope I helped

 

Maybe you can give us your budget for the laptop? If battery life is a major concern, there are other brands you can consider if gaming is not one of your priorities

Try and check out which brands offer warranty support there in Canada

 

Its shipped to Newmarket Ontario and the shipping is free! But takes forever!

 

Thanks 'mate

For my budget, I am trying to keep under $3000 (canadian dollars, eh) :smile:

SInce somethings like RAM and DRIVES can be bought 3rd party for less $$ I can keep the price down.

 

I'm with you. I know alot of people tell me that since im not a computer gamer (console gamer:GEEK don't get alienware. I already know I could get a sager for cheaper but, call me crazy, sepcs arn't the only thing I look for when looking for a laptop.

However I am upgrading the RAM myself to save a bundle

If you are also planing on upgrading yourself get 2 of this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145172

 

I'm not a huge gamer, but the alienware is for me. It looks cool, battery life is ace and the power is immense!

Seriously good buy

 

Canadian here.
I sent in my laptop for repairs and they assured me that it would take only a week to repair since it'll be repaired locally. But it has now been over two weeks and still they haven't started the repair.

I suggest that you call ahead and ask them to check that they have your parts before you send in your unit.

I've had the worst customer service experience with AW. Since the day I ordered my laptop I haven't had one good conversation with AW on the phone where problem was solved. They never know their ****, they tend to lie/make up stuff if they don't know the answer to your question.

Their Machine's are alright (couple of flaws) but their customer service makes me wish I hadn't gotten involved with Alienware.

just thought I'd let you know. But some people haven't had any problems with the machines or the CS.

 

Thanks for the help guys/gals. I will have to really mull this one over for a while.

 

I've shipped to the Ontario station. They're incredibily lazy and one of the factors that I did return my m15x. They do not do half the things they're told to do. Infact mine had issues witht he chassis warping and poor thermal paste for both the cpu and gpu and they only did the thermal paste for the CPU and skipped the rest (had light issues and stuff too). I had to send it to the Miami FL station for afull refund.

 

Canadian here as well. I've had nothing but good service from AW so far.
They followed up on my order and made sure everything was working ok and that I was pleased with my purchase.

My m17x is still going strong and I love it, it's the best laptop i've owned hands down.

Luckily I havent had to send it in for warranty work, but I am assuming it is similar to dell, in that they have a canadian centre to ship it to instead of the U.S.