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Just cancelled my M-5550 order - Page 2

post #21 of 34
8/14/06 at 10:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coolone
I'm personally very unhappy with how Alienware has been handling this. I ordered the laptop over a month ago, and they still hadnt started building the thing. I do IT, and the fall semester is coming up fast.

So I guess everyone else who is clogged up just moved one spot ahead in the queue. HP is sure looking enticing right now.

Try reordering it w/o the screen. The base price has now dropped to $899.00.

From what I've been reading, the WideXGA 1280 x 768 is more than adequate.
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post #22 of 34
8/14/06 at 11:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoHack
Try reordering it w/o the screen. The base price has now dropped to $899.00.

From what I've been reading, the WideXGA 1280 x 768 is more than adequate.

Adequate for what is the question. If I were to only use this machine to game, then it would be more than adequate and really quite good. But since I will also be using it as a my primary work machine as well, I simply need more pixels on the screen. The WUXGA may have even been a bit too much, but for working with multiple documents on screen would have been a godsend. Since I don't always have the option of bringing a nice external monitor with me, the 1280x768 is simply inadequate.
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post #23 of 34
8/15/06 at 8:22am
Just my 2 cents...working with multiple documents on the 15.4" screen at WUXGA (or WSXGA which is what I have) sounds nice, but is only practical for those with very good eyesight. The text is just too small for me...other than for page formatting purposes. I do find it handy when using photoshop to edit multiple photographs, but that's about it. Definitely going with a lower res next time around.

And - to the original poster upset because AW was taking more than a month to get the new laptop to him/her. Think about it this way - how would someone feel who ordered the current m5500 a month ago, and then found out the new one was out? Probably not be a happy camper. SO---from a marketing standpoint, the question is --- "do you tell the customer the new one is on the way?," or do you try to sell out current inventory and spring the new one on them????

This doesn't excuse AW from misleading marketing if they say a new system is will be availalbe in 7-10 days and it takes more than a month, but that's a different issue.
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post #24 of 34
8/15/06 at 12:50pm
From a marketing standpoint I would let customers know about the upcoming models to help build anticipation. In the meantime I'd order a moderate price cut to move profitable inventory out the door faster. Of course, I'd also be careful about overpromising since that's a very common and very serious marketing failure. Generally you can blame it on someone else, but that's simply poor behavior.

Thankfully Shazza I have very good eyesight. the 14 inch 1400x1050 will not be overly taxing either. But I'll look again at alienware in the future.
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post #25 of 34
8/15/06 at 6:25pm
Alienware doesn't let customers know about upcoming models except in rare cases. The reason can be non disclosure agreements with manufacturers on new products, or simply because people won't buy current models if they know a new one is right around the corner.

AW does market upcoming stuff when it's big, like the SLI notebooks, and their own development products like the old video array and video module tech in the 5500 (766).
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post #26 of 34
8/16/06 at 1:10am
They're not alone in that either. As a smaller manufacturer (although did anyone see the latest Dell commercials? One of the comptures shown is an AW) they're not as expected as major manufacturers to have the latest and greatest as soon as it is released. But otherwise their people simply say "we can't and don't comment on any upcoming products." That was the literal response I was given when I asked about upcoming dual core notebooks (since I was considering ordering a 5500) the day before the dual cores were announced.
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post #27 of 34
8/16/06 at 4:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RIT
They're not alone in that either. As a smaller manufacturer (although did anyone see the latest Dell commercials? One of the comptures shown is an AW) they're not as expected as major manufacturers to have the latest and greatest as soon as it is released. But otherwise their people simply say "we can't and don't comment on any upcoming products." That was the literal response I was given when I asked about upcoming dual core notebooks (since I was considering ordering a 5500) the day before the dual cores were announced.
The announcement of the m5550 came out just under 2 months after I ordered my m5500. I was upset at first as I really see the benefits of dual-core in my college work, but I got to thinking about it: I have a unique 15.4" lappie in that it can switch between the GMA 900 integrated graphics, and the nVidia 6600 when I want to fly combat flight-simulator missions over Europe.
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post #28 of 34
8/16/06 at 9:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mb67
The announcement of the m5550 came out just under 2 months after I ordered my m5500. I was upset at first as I really see the benefits of dual-core in my college work, but I got to thinking about it: I have a unique 15.4" lappie in that it can switch between the GMA 900 integrated graphics, and the nVidia 6600 when I want to fly combat flight-simulator missions over Europe.

That is true and it is still a very nice notebook. I wish that more notebooks came with such a feature since it is marvelously useful while travelling. I don't need a 256 MB graphics card to watch a DVD on a plane! In theory you could also upgrade your card since it is MXM, but I expect that may take a while.
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post #29 of 34
8/16/06 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RIT
That is true and it is still a very nice notebook. I wish that more notebooks came with such a feature since it is marvelously useful while travelling. I don't need a 256 MB graphics card to watch a DVD on a plane! In theory you could also upgrade your card since it is MXM, but I expect that may take a while.
If I need to, I could upgrade the card. I'm not that much of a gamer for now, so I'll leave it alone...
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post #30 of 34
8/16/06 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mb67
If I need to, I could upgrade the card. I'm not that much of a gamer for now, so I'll leave it alone...

I wasn't questioning either your ability or intent to do so. My comment was regarding the availability of the new cards. It is my understanding that they're in short enough supply that upgrading may take a while to get the part.
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post #31 of 34
8/16/06 at 11:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RIT
I wasn't questioning either your ability or intent to do so. My comment was regarding the availability of the new cards. It is my understanding that they're in short enough supply that upgrading may take a while to get the part.
That wasn't the intent of my post. Sorry if it came across in that tone, as it is early in the a.m. for me here when I posted and I'm not fully awake until I've had my java at work.
Anyway, you're right about upgrading: I haven't heard much in the way of upgrades for the m5500.
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post #32 of 34
8/16/06 at 5:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mb67
That wasn't the intent of my post. Sorry if it came across in that tone, as it is early in the a.m. for me here when I posted and I'm not fully awake until I've had my java at work.
Anyway, you're right about upgrading: I haven't heard much in the way of upgrades for the m5500.

No worries. If it is MXM, it is probably the same slot as the 7600, although that has been labelled as MXM2 in some places.
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post #33 of 34
8/16/06 at 7:40pm
There's more to it than just that. A link from an earlier thread. http://www.mxm-upgrade.com

Should help
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post #34 of 34
8/16/06 at 10:13pm
I thought that there might be, but I haven't done too much to look into it. Thanks for the useful link.
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