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Customer Feedback Wanted

post #1 of 81
2/12/08 at 3:46am
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

First of all: How do I make this thread sticky? With that out of the way, thanks for taking the time to read this post!

For those of you who know me, I need no introduction. For those who don't, my name is Kevin O'Neill, and I'm moving into a new position within Alienware's Product Group managing peripherals and software. I am currently managing Alienware's desktop products and will transition into my new role through the remainder of February.

That being said, I'd really like to know which types of products you - our customers - would like to see more (or less!) of, and which products we don't currently make available that you would like to see. This includes items in our system configuration pages as well as our Gear Shop. For example, which items did you look for but could not find in our system configuration pages when you purchased your system, and which items would you like to see in our Gear Shop for purchase as an Alienware customer?

Please be as specific as possible and provide reasons wherever possible for your requests/suggestions. For example, a response stating, "I'd like to see more brand X 27" LCDs available" is okay, but I'd like to know why - why 27" and why brand X? The most important bit of feedback I can get with any request/suggestions is why the particular something is important to you.

Remember, I'm looking for feedback on both peripherals and software, so input is welcomed for anything from Linux to LCDs, from keyboards and mice to disc authoring software, from games to headsets - you name it.

You're feedback is appreciated, so fire away!

Thanks.
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post #2 of 81
2/12/08 at 7:42am
I think only the mod can make it a sticky. Maybe you should pm him or her and ask. But that is a good idea you have there.
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post #3 of 81
2/12/08 at 8:02am
I would like to see upgrades and original optional hardware components available through Alienware rather than having to track it down on Ebay or other sources.

Example: I recently purchased the Area-51 M5750 Laptop. I would like to upgrade it to M5790 specs which would include the ATI X1900 video card and the Intel T7600G processor. Instead of being able to purchase from AW, my only option seems to be a vendor over in Europe (pay in Euro-dollars) for the video card and I still haven't been able to locate the processor.
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post #4 of 81
2/12/08 at 12:56pm
Hmm, An option for all M9700 owners to upgrade to the M9750 at a minimal cost to the customer. (I was told my system was upgradable, and now Im told I stuck with it they way it is)

An Alienarmor case that could fit the powersupply and a 17 notebook would be awesome, I love my case I have now and that would be it even better!

Jake
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post #5 of 81
2/12/08 at 4:57pm
For my next desktop, I'm gong to be looking at 42"+ lcd tv/monitor combo's. The prices on some of these lcd's have really come down lately. It would be great to be able to purchase something like this from Alienware, along with a great set of speakers (ala ALX speakers from Klipsch) so you can get a full on "home theater" or entertainment setup directly from Alienware.

Regarding software, it would be great if AW had an automatic update setup that would work through "my hive", so you could one click an update button, and it would recognize the hardware in your system, and automatically update the drivers for you.

Of course this would require AW to keep drivers updated, which is an issue for me. Driver support, or more specifically video card driver support isn't what it should be for a gaming computer company. Vid card driver support for the m9700 is non-existent, so it's good for us that Laptopvideo2go.com is there, or I'd not have been able to play bioshock or Crysis on my m9700... Most new games now recommend a specific driver or later, that puts customers that use the old 8.4.7.4 drivers in a bad spot.

The m9750 will be more of a challenge for people to find vid card drivers due to the SLI chipset, so I'm hoping AW will put more effort into getting newer drivers out.

I would also like to see some deals with companies like Lavasoft to offer real time spyware monitoring and removal.

Oh yeah, and congratulations on your promotion big guy, you've been with AW for a long time and it's good to see long time employees rewarded for their efforts...
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post #6 of 81
2/12/08 at 5:15pm
I personally would like to see more color choices (besides silver and black) for laptops. I realize that you can't keep several colors in stock due to inventory purposes, but it would definitely be worth the wait for colors like White, Martian Red, Blue, Plasma Purple, etc. One of the reasons (for me anyway) for purchasing an AW laptop was to stand out from the crowd with a performance-oriented laptop, and a good way to express oneself is to offer more color choices.
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post #7 of 81
2/12/08 at 7:20pm
I agree with mb. It would be nice to bring back the blue,green, chassis.

Another thing that's been bothering me is the lack of driver support from Alienware. I don't want to have to go to a different website for a computer that I spent a ton of money. Please update our drivers for us since newer games require sometimes better drivers and fixes for us to game. After all, Alienware is a gaming computer company. And Nvidia isn't responsible for Laptop manufacturers.
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post #8 of 81
2/12/08 at 9:00pm
Create an "Alienware Outlet" like Dell's.
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post #9 of 81
2/12/08 at 9:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rube View Post
Create an "Alienware Outlet" like Dell's.
There is an Alienware store in a mall in Florida somewhere... Also, you can check Alienware's eBay store, it's called "Alienware Outlet", believe it or not...
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post #10 of 81
2/12/08 at 10:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
There is an Alienware store in a mall in Florida somewhere... Also, you can check Alienware's eBay store, it's called "Alienware Outlet", believe it or not...
Well, the eBay store is kind of a joke; they only offer 90 day warranties. And Alienware won't allow you to extend the 90 day warranty even if you offer to pay for it. Give me a "real" outlet where I can add accessories and add a 3 year warranty.
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post #11 of 81
2/13/08 at 12:43am
Dell closed all their Mall Kiosks btw. It was no different than ordering online.

Plus when they went back into the stores like Best Buy, Staples, and Costco why keep them open.

And yes not to change topic I would like to see colors back again.
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post #12 of 81
2/13/08 at 12:55pm
Drivers, colors and drivers. No point in being on top of the hardware if you don't have the software to utilize it. I have the m9700 SLi and I'm still on 84.something when the rest of the world is in the 180+
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post #13 of 81
2/13/08 at 1:01pm
The Dell kiosk near me is still there. Maybe it will be gone soon!
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post #14 of 81
2/13/08 at 7:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rube View Post
Well, the eBay store is kind of a joke; they only offer 90 day warranties. And Alienware won't allow you to extend the 90 day warranty even if you offer to pay for it. Give me a "real" outlet where I can add accessories and add a 3 year warranty.
Have you seen AW refurbs? They're sometimes listed on their site, and I believe you can get full warranties.

If you want an Alienware with accessories and a 3 year warranty, buy one. AW doesn't have the volume, or the low end hardware that Dell sells, so they don't sell warranties like Dell, they sell high performance computers.
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post #15 of 81
2/13/08 at 11:12pm
Customizable chassis colors like Voodoo PC,
Better customer service, and a longer return time, or maybe a higher trade in value.
And possible raise the "200 point" to "300 point" inspection(Work harder on finding problems).
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post #16 of 81
2/14/08 at 1:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
Have you seen AW refurbs? They're sometimes listed on their site, and I believe you can get full warranties.
I saw that they just started showing m9700's & mALX's as re-certified/refurb. Strange that the 9700 allows you to add a warranty, but not the mALX.

I understand your comment about AW's volume compared to Dell, but have they ever offered an accidental damage option? Seems like other small OEM's offer it; nowhere as cheap as Dell though.
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post #17 of 81
2/14/08 at 2:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rube View Post
I saw that they just started showing m9700's & mALX's as re-certified/refurb. Strange that the 9700 allows you to add a warranty, but not the mALX.

I understand your comment about AW's volume compared to Dell, but have they ever offered an accidental damage option? Seems like other small OEM's offer it; nowhere as cheap as Dell though.
Probably they still have more parts for the m9700's as the m9750's are still for sale(not refurbished).

EDIT: My 200th's post!
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post #18 of 81
2/14/08 at 3:44am
an accidental damage option on all systems would be great. more colour choices, all the usual stuff.
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post #19 of 81
2/14/08 at 10:53am
Colors like back in the day.
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post #20 of 81
2/14/08 at 11:56am
I plan on purchasing the upcoming m17x and the #1 thing Alienware could do is ensure me I have upgradeability in the future and provide options for at least 3 years. The graphics card is the first thing to become outdated on a notebook and the manufacturer is our only hope of an upgrade option. I currently own the 7700 and upgraded from the original 6800 to a significantly faster 7900 gtx. This extended the machine’s life another 1.5 years (still playing new games on max). This required a motherboard replacement and power supply upgrade. I talked to customer support and managed to cut the cost in half.

#1 Upgradability Options for Mobile Systems
#2 Upgrade Discounts for Alienware customers (especially those with current warranties)
#3 Driver Support (can always find elsewhere if necessary)

A final request: Allow knowledgeable customers to overclock their machines while under warranty. I have had the 7700 for over 3 years and overclocking is very important to extend the life of my machine. I currently overclock the CPU 5% and GPU > 10% and my temperatures are well within manageable levels. (As with m17x, if I buy the extreme processor (with unlocked multiplier), I would expect a BIOS that would support it.)

Thanks for taking the time to consider our requests.
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