Why did Alienware nix the Nameplates?

This irks me. It's one of those "little things" that counted when I got my m17X and M14X. I absolutely loved showing off that my laptop had a name plate on it.
Both of my ivybridge alienware have my name engraved on its plate, which for me is a sense of ownership

But the new laptops?
Customized Features
Laser-Engraved Nameplate

You aren't allowed to customize the name plate anymore, its still there, just no longer can you add your name.

I don't understand this move,
they are still applying plates, they still have the hardware infactory, so why aren't they doing it? It makes little sense to me.

 

It was a financial and logistics decision. They did not do the customized name plate in the (China) factory, and they did not offer it to anyone outside of the US and Canada. So the systems were shipped to a central area in the US, then given the custom name plates, then shipped out to customers. It delayed shipments, and cost more in man power plus shipping. Stupid setup yes? (they could have just purchased an engraver for the actual factory)

Personally I don't really care too much, never really saw the name plate on my M11x R3. I always personalize in a similar fashion that you used (I used a custom sticker on the palm rests) Better to sell that way (just remove the vinyl sticker)

 

Sorry but nameplates were engraved at the factory, and the service was available in Australia as well.

From what I can understand there is a reason behind this. Resellers were buying base configurations and then updating laptops with better CPU/ram/gpu configuration. There is a documented case on NBR where reseller changed CPU to a QS/ES rather than an Oem one. Nameplate change has been done mostly to stop this from happening, from resellers to use non dell parts, ram/hdd.

 

The nameplate has no impact on resellers....

 

I'd be surprised if there were any reasons other than cost saving behind this. I put this in the same category as them revmoving the media buttons, and also taking away the alien head as the button power.

Being located in England the custom nameplate was not an option here, so not really loosing out. However, the alien head removal is a shame. Yeah, I know - quirky.

 

The new design all about cost cutting from the design to the packaging.

Sent from my GT-N7000

 

The nameplates were that extra little touch that made the old one special. 5150 is right it's all about cost cutting. I guess we should just be lucky they continued the line. It was touch and go for a minute...

 

I was told by a sales rep (back when I got my M11x) that they did not do the engravings in factory, and thats why they added to my build time (another week). He must have pulled that excuse right out of his @ss Some research shows that you are correct, and it seems that they offered it in English only countries (exception of French Canada)

 

Well, it has two screws holding it on. You can visit a local trophy shop and have them engrave it exactly as you wish. The finished product may look nicer and the character size, font and spacing will be something you can control. It should be relatively inexpensive to have it engraved.

 

Im gonna miss this as well, you would imagine with what we spend we would get extra features, not have them taken away.

Whats the point of going AW once all the extra features are taken away. Its a slippery slope and little things like the nameplate(lights, AW head, keyboard) are what make the customer feel unique. Not to mention the nice cloth that used to come with the laptop.

 

I agree with you, but if you spend 2,000 + in a laptop they should at least include you this amazing and unique features. You will still think that you got a namecard made by Alienware not a namecard made by the local trophy shop dude. Just my 2 cents.

 

They are taking away the microfiber cloth too? That sucks, I still use mine today, love that thing

 

Well a few things on the nameplates, outside the cost / logistics point, which is most likely why Dell gave it up.

As I mentioned this in another post, the only time I ever saw the name plate was when I first got the machine and times when I made repairs. It sits face down 99% of the time, so quite frankly although I was a bit surprised at first, after I thought about it... Yeah I wont miss it. On top of that, when reselling your lappy, I found having the nameplate a real real pain in the butt. Who wants to send a laptop to another buyer with your name on it (assuming it's not a handle)??

Also I really don't think they had blank nameplates anymore. I could be wrong. When I bought my m14x recently without engraving, it came with "m14x" engraved on it. So at the end you would be hard pressed to bring it to an engraving shop without making your mark next to that already there.

Finally to FranBunnyFFXII who started this thread. Honestly, I think the customed cover that you spent hours on is WAY cooler and shows its yours much more than simply a nameplate that you'll rarely ever see! Nice yes, but you have the ultimate customization that blows anyway any nameplate!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, the microfiber cloth for me is a bigger hit than the nameplate. First it was practical, and lastly I use it all the time. That's something that was both cosmetic and served a purpose, which I appreciate.

 

I never really got the nameplate. My little bro's looks like it says Nicnafl (originally Michael) due to wear and he's only had his M14XR1 for ~18 months.

 

I'm with Mr. Fox on this one, you can take it to a trophy shop and have it engraved. Otherwise, there is a way to be listened by our engineers and developers. Just submit your request on ideastorm.com and they'll review it

 

The nameplate was one of the many things I was excited about the system. Made the laptop feel more like mine (yep, dem possessive vibes right there).

 

The nameplate definitely adds to the AW boutique and bespoke type experience we've all come to expect. I see them taking it away as another -1 to Dell with this latest revision but in no way should it be a deal breaker for future buyers.

 

I guess I can see both sides of the story, while it is a nice feature to have I don't think I have really turned mine over and admired it at all unless I am working on the system and removing the bottom cover. I also have never been showing off the machine and flipped it over to show off the cool nameplate . From that stand point alone I can understand why they might not offer the engraving anymore. But while it does seem to be a staple for some people I think they should offer it to those that want it, perhaps you can ask at the time or order or phone in before your order is shipped to have one sent to you. When I ordered mine ( Canada ) it was not an option on the canadian website but I knew that it was an option on the US, so I phoned in and had them do we a nameplate up , no problems and they were glad to help. The nameplate actually got here well before the computer

 

I agree the name plate was cool but never saw it unless I would show it to a friend. The cloth cover now that I will miss. Liked it so much bought a couple extra because they wear out.

 

I really liked the idea of a nameplate, but like others I never looked at or showed mine off as it was on the underside. I'd *really* being interested in having something similar either on the palmrest or the display bezel. Something low-key and tasteful. Will be looking at options since I have access to engraving and laser cutting tools at the Dallas Maker Space.

 

I just recently bought my first Alienware 17. I personally don't care about a nameplate. Really the only thing I didn't like about the design is the on-off-button.
It just looks and feels cheap.
I would like a genuine metal button, and in a different shape. Doesn't have to be an alien head

 

if I were you Id also miss the media keys and removable battery, and the downgrade on the packaging as well.

 

The battery can't be removed?!

 

I think he meant that the battery used to be swappable without removing the base cover. The battery is definitely removeable.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II

 

Well that's not so bad, how much times do you remove the battery?

Thanks for the explanation.

 

I only remove my battery when servicing the laptop. If need be, I can stretch the battery life using integrated graphics. I can't really think of many use case scenarios where a second battery would be handy on such a laptop.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II

 

Its probably same reason you aren't given all upgrade choices on the laptops anymore in general, at most companies. They have these standard 3-4 configurations that you can tweek a little, but have to bundle all these upgrades at once. You used to be able to start at the absolute bottom config, then add what you want. The small companies do this, but Dell and others are trying to simplify it I'd assume for production and sales reasons.

 

If not mistaken this has previously been the case for newly released models. After the initial launch configuration options have increased

 

Pretty much the same for me, I don't take mine out during use.

 

.....and this is exactly what I did when I purchased my R2 and exactly what I will do if I purchase a new M17. The option was not available then in Australia so the first thing I did was remove the plate and wander into the closest watch repair place (they also did engraving) They did a great job with some really sexy flourishes.

 

Get the system itself laser etched

 

If you are a frequent traveler that likes to carry a spare battery for long periods without a connection to the grid, having to carry a screwdriver to swap batteries is not a desirable situation. I can only imagine the strange looks that would go along with that inconvenience on a flight or some other odd place to see someone pulling the bottom cover off of their laptop.

If you are an avid overclocker and you push the system hard, once you trip the AC adapter breaker then you often have to pull the battery to get things reset back to normal operation. If you don't, you will get errors messages at POST and/or the battery will not be recognized in the BIOS. Sometimes the system will not even stay turned on when the AC adapter is disconnected after this occurs without resetting things. So, for those that are in that situation having to remove screws to do something as simple as disconnect the battery, let the system complete POST and reconnect it, this is a problem.

If your an ordinary user/gamer then it's truly not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

I'm not sure what this has to do with nameplates, but since it was brought up I thought it would be proper to explain why this new cosmetic feature is less than ideal for some users. It would be cool if they replaced the screws with a latching mechanism of some sort (maybe similar to the battery latches of the past) and used thumbscrews or a quick-release latch for securing the battery at the next refresh. A wire-free pinned connection would also be neater. The new chassis design definitely has a cleaner look with the battery being covered up.

 

I am kind of torn, because while I liked the simplicity of removing my battery in the R4 I also like the idea of just not being able to see it at all because in all honesty I never had to take it out unless I was opening up the bottom which I only usually did if i was adding hardware or removing a HDD for something. I am also not a big OCer so having to do a reset with the battery out will probably never be an issue for me.

I will admit I am disappointed that I won't have a personalized name plate on the bottom but in all honesty I never even turn my computer over and look at it so.....I will still have the one from my R4 as I have a blank that I can put on it when I ship it back.

 

I really like the new plates a lot. I think they are very classy.

 

I definitely like the looks of the new ones, I just wish that my old one still fit as it is personalised

 

I was surprised when my latest R2 from the Outlet shipped with a blank nameplate instead of the standard "M18X". I'm going to think of something pretty cool for it and have it engraved locally.

 

Provided there is a blank nameplate on the bottom of my new one I will probably do the same

 

The custom nameplate was not an option in Canada either. But, like you, I really miss the alien head power button removal.

 

It wasn't an option on the website but if you called them they would order one for you

My R4 has customized plate and I live in BC

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

Me too! The Alien head power button really stood out. I am looking at the new M17 keyboard and it looks just so .......... vanilla?