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Alienware digs itself a hole..

post #1 of 17
6/28/04 at 3:52pm
Thread Starter 
... and will lose many customers, again.

Read this
http://notebookforums.com/showthread...6&page=1&pp=15

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post #2 of 17
6/28/04 at 6:35pm
alienware lost me as a customer after i saw sager laptops .
cant wait till i get mine
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post #3 of 17
6/28/04 at 6:44pm
same here.. once i get the new creidt card from my mom im ordering

should be this week, WOOT
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post #4 of 17
6/28/04 at 7:11pm
I don't get it, can some explain to me, how Alienware is "dig(ging) a hole for themselfs"?
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post #5 of 17
6/28/04 at 7:22pm
Amir is making a comment on the fact that some of the older motherboards on Alienware Area-51m laptops may not be compatible with the ATi 9700 graphics module. However, as Alienware has made a promise to its customers about having upgradeable graphics technology, I predict that Alienware will provide those who need it with new motherboards, both to prevent custom disatisfaction, and lawsuits.
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post #6 of 17
6/28/04 at 8:08pm
It's tough because no company can be in the position to predict the future. With the information provided and research done, they felt the upgrade was doable and they marketed it. If it turns out to not be possible, pointing the finger at any particular group wouldn't be accurate. They at least deserve credit for attempting it and I am confident laptop video upgrades will be common soon, just the transition to PCI-X is one of a few things making it hard right now.

If everyone will remember the post I made the end of last year regarding why Sager wasn't choosing this path and the benefits of staying with a fixed GPU:
http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=10053
There was no way to know and I was only trying to show the other side of it.

It's very reassuring they're addressing the issue up front and keeping people informed.
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post #7 of 17
6/28/04 at 8:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by InitialXERO
I don't get it, can some explain to me, how Alienware is "dig(ging) a hole for themselfs"?
One of Alienware's biggest selling features is "Next-Generation upgradeable graphics card" on the Area-51 notebooks. Maybe not after reading Amir's post
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post #8 of 17
6/28/04 at 8:12pm
The other problem with upgradeable graphics cards is that the Area-51m won't be compatible with PCI-X video cards without a motherboard upgrade. This isn't really Alienware's fault though, as PCI-X was not supposed to hit the market so soon.
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post #9 of 17
6/28/04 at 8:46pm
It's not anyone's fault the technology is moving from AGP to PCI-E. If you thought by buying an A51m2 was going to not only allow you access to current cutting edge 8x AGP but also make you eligible for next gen PCI-E cards, you were definately reading too much into their advertising.

Example, if you purchased a motherboard that claimed you could upgrade to the next generation of video cards as they are released, but low and behold no more cards will be released of that type technology, it's not the mainboard manufacturer's fault. Sue the video card company for not making a new AGP video card.
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post #10 of 17
6/28/04 at 9:33pm
Melodis,

You are "right on"!!! The main problem with upgrade is "reading the futures" and then being able to be compatable with the requirements. Not a simple thing.
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post #11 of 17
6/28/04 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 
Bingo, and thats where they dug their hole. One of the biggest mistakes a company can do is promise customers something to make the purchase, and then back down on them. BIIIG no no
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post #12 of 17
6/28/04 at 10:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melodis
Example, if you purchased a motherboard that claimed you could upgrade to the next generation of video cards as they are released, but low and behold no more cards will be released of that type technology, it's not the mainboard manufacturer's fault. Sue the video card company for not making a new AGP video card.

huh?

sue the video card company because of promises that the computer manufacturer could not deliver on? yeah that one will get laughed right out of court.
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post #13 of 17
6/28/04 at 10:42pm
Alienware lost me as a customer due to their nifty price hike back in December. But that doesn't mean that I don't wish them well. I don't fault them for trying to bust out of the mold that most notebook makers are in. And I don't fault them for being at the mercy of ATi and nVidia- what can one do, really?

I'm just glad to see that they did their best to provide a service that no one else was providing and when it finally came to an end (for this generation), they were willing to stand up and explain to their customers what happened. I have an idea that they're just as frustrated as everyone else by the situation and are doing their best to make the transition to the new technology.

Going from AGP to PCI-E was bound to be full of growing pains. This is one of them, IMO. I'm sure they'll get things squared away eventually- just hope A51-m owners in the interim don't get "lost" in the shuffle.
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post #14 of 17
6/29/04 at 12:57am
I don't know what people are complaining about, I upgrade the graphics card in my notebook at least once a year. What's the big deal? (I buy a whole new laptop with new everything and sell the old one for a decent price, probably for a price difference quite close to the cost of just upgrading the graphics card on an alien.)
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post #15 of 17
6/29/04 at 1:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sonicwind
I don't know what people are complaining about, I upgrade the graphics card in my notebook at least once a year. What's the big deal? (I buy a whole new laptop with new everything and sell the old one for a decent price, probably for a price difference quite close to the cost of just upgrading the graphics card on an alien.)

huh? look on ebay buddy, you will not sell any lappy a year from now at a price difference equivalent to a video card upgrade from AW, even if you assume the high end of $300 for a video card upgrade
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post #16 of 17
6/29/04 at 8:38am
Thread Starter 
Sonicwind, thats great for you buddy, but not everyone has money to buy a new laptop every year. That's why so many young people bought A51m, so they wouldn't have obselete video cards in 6 months
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post #17 of 17
6/29/04 at 6:48pm
8790 Pwns A51
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