3/10/2004
It's late on a Wednesday night, and I'm sweating bullets pouring over last minute benchmark reports of the FX-51 Ultra and the P4 3.2 ghz chips. After an exhausting and agonizing selection process...I finally settle on the AMD chip. BUT WAIT! What video card??? I'd planned Radeon 9800 XT all along, but last second doubts make me think about the 5950 since Alienware says they overclock it exclusively for their machines!!! What should I do????
After pouring over some more benchmarks and reports, I finally go back to the 9800 XT and decide to go with my gut instinct. I'm sweating bullets as my finger hovers over the mouse button to submit my order. I call the wife at work one more time to make sure it's ok with her AGAIN. She confirms.... I click.... "Thank you for your order". I recieve an email explaining I should contact customer service to confirm my order via phone. It'll have to wait until morning. Sleep was hard in coming... I was buzzing with energy after having finally ordering my dream machine -- Alienware at last!
My order:
Case: Alienware Full-Tower Case (420-Watt PS) - Cyborg Green
Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-51 Processor with HyperTransport Technology
Heatsink / Fan Unit: Ajigo High Performance Heatsink / Fan Unit for Athlon 64 Processors
Motherboard: ASUS SK8V - VIA K8T800 Motherboard
Memory: 1GB Corsair XMS DDR SDRAM PC-3200 Registered ECC - 2 x 512MB Module
Video Card: ATI RADEON™ 9800 XT 256MB 8x AGP w/DVI & S-Video
Video Cooling: AlienIce™ Video Cooling System - Fusion Red
System Drive: 160GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 Serial ATA RAID 0 Array
Optical Drive One: Lite-On 52x32x52x CD-RW - Black
Floppy Drive: 3.5" 1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive - Black
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 - 6.1
Network Card: Integrated 3com® Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
3/11/2003
Like a zombie I peck away at my keyboard at work. Oh! It's after 9 already! I pick up the phone and get Alienware on the line. They confirm my order, explain the Phases to me, and I hang up. I immediately run to the web site for my first of many Phase checks -- Phase 1.
Throughout the working day... I periodically check my Phase status, and one magical time it jumps to Phase 2. It was a rush... and like a gambler it only encourages me to check phases more frequently. Alas... no more movement on this Thursday. I resign myself to an early night's rest so that tomorrow might come with more Phase changes..... or will it have NO phase changes? The thought chills me to the bone.
3/12/2004
Earnestly clicking on the refresh button this morning nets me nothing but repeated Phase 2 viewing. Payment Processing. Payment Processing??? You HAVE my payment! Just bump me to Phase 3 if only to make me feel better!!!!!!!!! My delusional and excessive compulsive clicking continues to knaw at my soul like a piece of jagged glass lodged in my side! MOVE! MOVE I BEG YOU!
Suddenly I swoon from my chair! Phase 3 is here! Phase 3 is here! I shout it out to my office mates like the famous ride of Paul Revere!
HOLY COW!!! Lunch comes and goes...and I yearn to return to the office to check the status of my order once more. I'm resigned to the fact that it has moved once today and will move no more.... But alas!!!!!!!!
It has jumped to Phase 9!!!!!!!!
3/15/2004
After the longest weekend in recorded history, I'm back and waiting with the refresh button... mentally urging my Phase to advance! They have all day...they could get it out the door by tonight if they really tried! I'll mentally urge them to do so.... *projects my thoughts across to Miami FL*
I bet some guy is just getting in to work now at 9:16 am and is checking his email and getting a cup of coffee before resuming work on my machine.
A new week...and a renewed patience on my part! We'll see if it lasts into the day....
3/16/2004
It's now been 2.5 days in Phase 9. I love seeing movement, and I hate not seeing any movement at all.... I would expect a delay in the quality control phase, but should it really take very long to actually slap the parts together? Certainly not 2 days!
I'm like a parched and dieing man in a desert called Phase 9....with no water or civilization in sight!!!! Dragging myself inch by inch over the endless dunes of despair!
TO BE CONTINUED.....
It's late on a Wednesday night, and I'm sweating bullets pouring over last minute benchmark reports of the FX-51 Ultra and the P4 3.2 ghz chips. After an exhausting and agonizing selection process...I finally settle on the AMD chip. BUT WAIT! What video card??? I'd planned Radeon 9800 XT all along, but last second doubts make me think about the 5950 since Alienware says they overclock it exclusively for their machines!!! What should I do????
After pouring over some more benchmarks and reports, I finally go back to the 9800 XT and decide to go with my gut instinct. I'm sweating bullets as my finger hovers over the mouse button to submit my order. I call the wife at work one more time to make sure it's ok with her AGAIN. She confirms.... I click.... "Thank you for your order". I recieve an email explaining I should contact customer service to confirm my order via phone. It'll have to wait until morning. Sleep was hard in coming... I was buzzing with energy after having finally ordering my dream machine -- Alienware at last!
My order:
Case: Alienware Full-Tower Case (420-Watt PS) - Cyborg Green
Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-51 Processor with HyperTransport Technology
Heatsink / Fan Unit: Ajigo High Performance Heatsink / Fan Unit for Athlon 64 Processors
Motherboard: ASUS SK8V - VIA K8T800 Motherboard
Memory: 1GB Corsair XMS DDR SDRAM PC-3200 Registered ECC - 2 x 512MB Module
Video Card: ATI RADEON™ 9800 XT 256MB 8x AGP w/DVI & S-Video
Video Cooling: AlienIce™ Video Cooling System - Fusion Red
System Drive: 160GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 Serial ATA RAID 0 Array
Optical Drive One: Lite-On 52x32x52x CD-RW - Black
Floppy Drive: 3.5" 1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive - Black
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 - 6.1
Network Card: Integrated 3com® Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
3/11/2003
Like a zombie I peck away at my keyboard at work. Oh! It's after 9 already! I pick up the phone and get Alienware on the line. They confirm my order, explain the Phases to me, and I hang up. I immediately run to the web site for my first of many Phase checks -- Phase 1.
Throughout the working day... I periodically check my Phase status, and one magical time it jumps to Phase 2. It was a rush... and like a gambler it only encourages me to check phases more frequently. Alas... no more movement on this Thursday. I resign myself to an early night's rest so that tomorrow might come with more Phase changes..... or will it have NO phase changes? The thought chills me to the bone.
3/12/2004
Earnestly clicking on the refresh button this morning nets me nothing but repeated Phase 2 viewing. Payment Processing. Payment Processing??? You HAVE my payment! Just bump me to Phase 3 if only to make me feel better!!!!!!!!! My delusional and excessive compulsive clicking continues to knaw at my soul like a piece of jagged glass lodged in my side! MOVE! MOVE I BEG YOU!
Suddenly I swoon from my chair! Phase 3 is here! Phase 3 is here! I shout it out to my office mates like the famous ride of Paul Revere!
HOLY COW!!! Lunch comes and goes...and I yearn to return to the office to check the status of my order once more. I'm resigned to the fact that it has moved once today and will move no more.... But alas!!!!!!!!
It has jumped to Phase 9!!!!!!!!
3/15/2004
After the longest weekend in recorded history, I'm back and waiting with the refresh button... mentally urging my Phase to advance! They have all day...they could get it out the door by tonight if they really tried! I'll mentally urge them to do so.... *projects my thoughts across to Miami FL*
I bet some guy is just getting in to work now at 9:16 am and is checking his email and getting a cup of coffee before resuming work on my machine.
A new week...and a renewed patience on my part! We'll see if it lasts into the day....3/16/2004
It's now been 2.5 days in Phase 9. I love seeing movement, and I hate not seeing any movement at all.... I would expect a delay in the quality control phase, but should it really take very long to actually slap the parts together? Certainly not 2 days!
I'm like a parched and dieing man in a desert called Phase 9....with no water or civilization in sight!!!! Dragging myself inch by inch over the endless dunes of despair!
TO BE CONTINUED.....
