dell takes over alienware production

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2343695,00.asp

the 2 factories of alienware are going to close and dell takes over the production process

 

Yeah I read this earlier today.

 

I see that as a good thing, for everyone. Except perhaps "patriots".

 

The internal memo that this article refers to was posted by a laid-off Alienware employee a couple of days ago but was removed, for obvious reasons.

Hopefully Dell doesn't F*** up our beloved Alienwares.

My condolences to all the A.W. employees that will be getting laid off so Dell can make more money. I'm sure the stockholders will be happy.

 

Yeah a company that has relatively high quality taking over production for a company that historically, has had relatively low quality. Hopefully they don't mess anything up.

 

You mean like when HP took over VooDoo?

 

Look on the bright side we should see better prices.

 

No, see. Cause VooDoo never made their own laptops. They rebranded companies that were already good, like Clevo.
And I would never consider HP "relatively high quality."
So no, not at all like that.

 

That's true, but if A.W. bacomes nothing more than re-badged Dell's then I'll be buying my gaming rigs elsewhere for sure.

 

I guess Dell has owned Alienware for a long time and this was the next logical step.

But yes, I really hope they don't mess it up as I like Alienware machines but don't hold Dell's in quite such high regard.

 

yes they have , btw HP and quality don't mix ....there like a collid

AW hopeully will keep its high standards and keep cutting edge top priority

 

I don't get your point. A.W.-----Arima, Flextronics, they don't make the chassis or guts either. Did you ever visit the VooDoo site before and after the takeover? Apples and oranges, it's not even a pale shadow of what it used to be.

And some people like me who actually own Alienware laptops don't consider Dell to be high quality.IMHO

 

no but they design it and produce it ....

 

Voodoo's only laptop (Envy?) is totally designed by them. just saying.

 

We don't know what will happen down the road, but hopefully Dell will have the wisdom to let A.W. retain control over design and features as well.

 

they have for years....... but who knows whats gonna happen

 

As an M15x owner, things can't get any worse quality wise.

 

I'm not defending Dell's products but have you ever owned a Dell laptop for comparison?

 

Two of my sons have the xps1530's and my daughter in law has a Dell. Hers has been problematic but my sons have been fine. IMO they just feel cheaply made (even if they aren't) and I don't like them. A buddy of mine has the XPS1730 with similar specs to my M9750. Same screen size, raid0, sli etc. but compared to the M9750 it's massive! If I was 12 I'd love the garish styling, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder; the one paying for it. To me, the Dell's feel like any other mass produced laptop. In the end it's everyones own choice and opinion that counts. In the end.............Dude, I'm not gettin a Dell.

 

Compare a Dell about the age of your M9750 with your M9750, not current stuff. I admit that Dell's quality has dropped significantly recently, but I still think they're better than most AW's.

 

My new M17 is getting delivered by Fed-ex tomorrow.

 

Isn't there a more appropriate forum for that?

 

My wife has an Inspiron 1730 (? or, maybe 1720? I forget...) just over a year old. To be honest, I was impressed - I had previously shared the view that Dell was second rate, but her laptop seems solid, has decent if not earthshaking performance, and looks pretty good. Heck, her keyboard layout had a dedicated numberpad - something I was intensly jealous of since my laptop at the time was lacking one. And hers has run pretty good in the time she's had it.

I even looked at a dell XPS for this last purchase, but ended up liking the options available on the M17 a little better. I'll have to let you know when my M17 arrives if I still like it more than the dell styling...

 

i got a inspiron 1720 right beside me and it feels like cheap plastic for the case but overall feel like a well built machine. and runs pretty good

 

I feel bad for all those who got fired. Especially the ones I personally know.

My best wishes to all of them.

 

I'm sure the quality of the Dell's are good. I like having a laptop that's not so mainstream. I spend more than half my time on various Navy ships that are full of Dell, HP, Toshiba or whatever the exchange has and the A.W. really stands out for both style and gaming prowess. It always generates a wow, or sweet, and thats how I feel about it too. The same goes for when I'm out on the local towns all over the world, people always ooh and ahh when they see it. Don't get me wrong, I don't have it for vanity, I just don't like feeling like I'm part of the heard. When I no longer have the uniqueness of a "specialty" gaming rig, then I will switch brands. I hope it will be A.W. for a long time.

 

Hm,.....i wonder if this correlates somehow with all the Alienware Price Drops we have been seeing as of late?

 

mehhh i think thats due to the release of better tech ... thier is no way they could keep selling the m17x at 2100 when the whitebook was just as good or better for 1400

 

Yeah, that really, really sucks. Personally I think this a good move for consumers though. We could look forward to better tech support. But, nothing beats the Roswell Crew!

 

Well I dunno about you guys but my girl friend and a few of my friends have dells (2 of them are xps). I really do not like the way they feel or look. And they have problems, A LOT! I have always loved desktops and have built my own for years. I used a Buddy's M17 when it first came out and fell in love. I never knew a laptop could be so kick . It performs and looks at least 5 times better then any other laptop I have seen. As far as tech support goes If you like talking to people in India that don't know about whats going on in your computer then yeah dells tech support is good lol. All I have ever had is great tech support from AW.

 

i feel the M9750 is much better quality than the dell's i've seen. not only is it extremely thin for a dual GPU C2D notebook, but it's also still relatively powerful.

i had a dell way back when in the early 2000's, and the notebook felt really cheap, though, i liked it. the M9750 is so solid in my opinion, and i'm sure the M17 is too! my friend has Dells 17 in XPS notebook (1730 or something?) and the thing is a behemoth!!

i can't comment on AW's tech support though.

 

As mentioned in the previous thread:

 

I have used Dell extensively for business machines, and I have had very few problems with them. I also own a pre-Dell Alienware, while my wife has an m15x. And they are all solid machines to me. I do hope that AW survives as a real entity, not a badge that gets slapped on the high-end Dells. And I hope the AW brand keeps some of the features that made it popular, including clean machines (Dells may be solid laptops, but every one of them gets a fresh OS install out of the box when I get one). Hopefully this will work out for the best.

 

It is possible to simultaneously retain high quality and outsource parts and build functions. It's also possible to ruin quality with outsourcing and efficiency. Alienware should know well if they strip away Alienware's commitment to keep up with the newest technology and keep the prices high based on the looks factor only they will lose not only alot of their customers but their shareholders as premium buyers will look elsewhere....

 

lol. I've seen the 1530s at Best Buy and I wasn't impressed with them. I haven't held an AW in over 5 years so I can't compare myself. My wife's inspiron didn't last past 3 years. My best experience with Dell is at the enterprise level and support from them has been excellent. I've always been a bargain shopper when it came to laptops and AW has never really had much as far as sales or coupons that make people feel they are getting a real good deal. Hopefully that changes now.

 

good news, dell will soon have xps alienware product lines.

 

My first Laptop was a Dell Insprion 9300, it is still going strong, but not for today's games.
This M17, love it. Not sure if it's the best deal but I would not trade it. If you're pinching pennies, get the Asus, or the gaming Gateways and with the money you save, buy a new one every or every other year.

I just want to know how the Dell restructuring will affect AW upgrades. I want to send my M17 in for an upgrade when I get back to the States then extend the warranty. Is my plan still viable?

 

I have used Dell PC's for years and have had no problems at all. If anything went wrong with the OS, just format and reload... rinse and repeat if required (",)

Same with my M17X really, she purrs like a kitten and doesn't get hot (81DegC after 4 hours of Fallout3 at full everthing and no loag at all)

All in all using the existing facilities should make for a better produced and faster production od units. It will also allow global domination lol

Just my 2p...

OB

 

I see this as a win win.

Optimize the work force. At a certain point, when you have two separate entities doing redundant functions, it makes sense to consolidate and streamline (especially in today's market).

Single manufacturing resources: Dell has much, much, MUCH bigger volume output capability than AW. This isn't to say AW is now going to spit out Dell machines, but shared manufacturing resources, especially with the faster, bigger resources Dell has, makes total sense. More machines, larger distribution channels, larger source of repair parts.

Here's hoping Warranty/Repair service is consolidated, as I've always found Dell service and support top notch.

I don't really see a negative here. AW still designs (or picks/outsorces) their designs and Dell's much larger, more capable manufacturing resources spit 'em out (or take OEM gear and fine tune it).

 

omg!
each and every time i had to do with dell it was more then problematic.

dont think,that this was such a clever move, it´ll help reduce costs, but why should i ever buy a alienware again, if i will just get a relabeled dell? people were only willing to pay the prices for alienware, as they were sold in a special market-segment for enthusiast from a company marketed as a specialist understanding the needs of gamers.
now get a relabeled dell from a massproduction company who usually sells me-too-stuff...

 

May be the pic up service from Dell or I should better say the on place repair will make our "Alienware Notebook Support" as good as it is with dell

Greetings
Julian

 

To say it is a relabeled Dell is just wrong.

AW still determines, designs/picks the design. They just use the much larger manufacturing facilities of Dell to spit out more machines daily, cutting down lead times and delivering to other supply channels.

You think they are just going to spit out "Alienware M1730 II - This time it's a Dell?"

Really?





Wait, am I defending AW? Oh goodness, the end is near....

 

I believe that anyone can see the outrage of voodoo pc fans worldwide with HP's Aquisition. Dell, being a company on the turn around, will most likely try and make ALIENWARE branded products available for the masses. Honestly, do you know how many people ask me, "Hey Alex, that's a sweet desktop... what brand is it?" By bringing these products into the spotlight dell will be able to truly take advantage of the great name ALIENWARE has and is going to have. Just my 2c.
-FirecatF7

 

now every one will know about Alienware and have one i liked being special and being one of the 10% that knows about them

 

Got nothing bad to say about Dell to be honest.

Got 5 of their machines, if something is broken it's replaced NBD.

This should be a positive change.

 

I think it is important to remember that in our case the changes were meant to improve our brand overall. I have been with the company since it was all in one building and I can tell you that everyone that was there wanted to grow and still keep making the best systems in the world.

We are gamers and yes as we grew we add new people from different areas and people became worried. Change is never easy, but the core stayed the same and even when there were hard times everyone pulled through because we really love what we do.

The news going around does not tell the tale. You have to remember that we always planned to expand and grow and perhaps the current economic climate advanced and or changed a few things, but it's not the doom and gloom people make it out to be.

Believe me when I tell you the core is still there, the gamers are still here and we make the decisions and Dell has been nothing but helpful. I worked at a few big companies before Alienware and this was not and will not be a collaboration were we are pushed to the side. Many of us are right here working with our new team members and continuing to improve the brand and the future is looking good.

Will there be changes, sure there will, but let me tell you this, even if one department changes or moves another is added to or created. Everyone has a chance to grow and improve and I can tell you that I and my team will continue to come to the boards and help just as we always have.

Right now I don't have a ton of answers, but in the coming weeks we will let everyone know what is coming and I guarantee you guys will like it. This isn't a press release, this is me letting you know that with Dell's help we are going to continue to show everyone why Alienware is the best in the business.

 

Really thinking it a good thing, my last 5 computers have come from either Alienware or Dell. Happy with both along with the merge hope to think operations and support will only improve with ideas being shared.

 

I think that's the million dollar question. If they end up going the relabeled-Dell route, then yeah, they're going to lose us.

...so, in my mind, that's a good reason why they won't go that route. I think they'll try to maintain the 'gamer's line' of systems, and keep the core of the Alienware idea going.

The question, of course, is will they succeed? I kind of hope so, as I've been an alienware fan since I first heard about them.

EDIT: oh, and after re reading the comment above from Laraque, I think it speaks well that there are Alienware folks here in the forums, and it's certainly nice to get the input from them. In a wierd way, it makes me feel more comfortable about the brand knowing they're around and occasionally chime in. I know, some view it as the 'party line' approach, but for what it's worth I like to see you guys around.

 

I don't expect this change will result in re-branded Dells but it would definitely be more beneficial for Alienware to make use of Dell's manufacturing facilities to produce their own chassis design instead of re-branding the Flextronics W840.

It wouldn't be a bad move for example if the M17x offered both ATI and Nvidia GPU options like the M15x does, and both the M15x and M17x lines got updated CPUs.

 

to update the cpus that require designing a whole new mobo

any way that was a pretty good answer from Alienware... kinda got me hopeful *inspiring*