-for 2 weeks i researched alienware/dell/hp/toshiba/sony for 3d-rendering & autocad work ..
-the below is an actual account of all my contact with Alienware
MJ-12m 7700 ordered 3/14/05
*****MARCH 14 conversation with alienware online chat****
Jose L.: Hi, my name is Jose L.. How may I help you?
You: HI
You: i have been looking at the www site and i have a question
You: about the mj-12m 7700
You: and the area-51m 7700 extream
You: when changing the display/case option to the wide sxga it also says includes "clearview enhanced display"
You: why does the mj-12m 7700 not say the same ?
You: and can the mj-12m get this feature ?
Jose L.: The systems are the same at the core so it should have that option
You: ok.. so its a mistake on the www site /
Jose L.: yes
You: second question.. on the area-51m 7700.. the nvida graphics card 6800 pro
You: is this the ultra version ?
Jose L.: No it is not
You: will the ultra be offered ?
Jose L.: We have no specific release date. When the card is available, there will be a press release on the main page.
You: 3rd question... if i get two hard drives not set up in raid..
You: can i turn on raid later ?
Jose L.: Yes however not view the website you would need to call Our Sales Department and speak with a sales agent they can be reached at 1-800-ALIENWARE (254-3692)
You: 4th question... does the 7-1 card reader, read compact flash or microdrive ?
Jose L.: compact flash yes i do not see microdrive listed
You: is this list on the web site.. i could not find it
Jose L.: No, that has not been added yet to the website
You: does it do smart media ?
Jose L.: Ok I did find the list it does offer microdrive -
* Compact Flash™ (Type I & II)
* IBM MicroDrive™
* Smart Media™ (3.3V)
* MultiMedia™ MMC
* Secure Digital™
* Memory Stick™
* Memory Stick Pro™
You: the www site says mar 23 for a ship date if i order today.. is there a way to get this quicker for an additional fee
Jose L.: Unfortunately no there is not
You: last question.... sound cards..
You: i assume there is an internal card no matter what..
You: what is this card ?
Jose L.: The onboard is Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with 7.1 surround sound
You: ok.. thats a check box on the ww site.. if i chose a different card.. does that mean i get both ?
Jose L.: Yes the onboard would remain
You: ok.. on more question...
You: there is only one option for carring case ,a backback
Jose L.: yes
You: will this 17" screen not fint into hard case ?
Jose L.: no
You: so other than the backpack.. there is no other carring option you supply ?
Jose L.: Currently that is correct
You: ok... thanks for your time.. you have been very helpful
Jose L.: Thank you for considering Alienware, have a great day!
*****MARCH 14 - i found and read - http://www.resellerratings.com****
- after reading i went back to the online chat
*****MARCH 14 conversation #2 with alienware online chat****
Kathleen M.: Hi, my name is Kathleen M.. How may I help you?
You: Im looking at the area-51m 7700
You: for the case/diplay type.. i like the "clearview"
You: however it says "may delay order" ...
You: how long a delay... and is this delay factored in allready to the esimated ship date ?
Kathleen M.: The estimated shipping dates are made based upon product availability and production time. The date is given to you when you place an order online or over the phone. When configuring a system, if you click on the estimated ship date you will see a break down of processing time, time to receive parts and production time. Please note that the estimated ship date stated is only an estimate, and may not represent your actual ship date. This date is based on an estimate of how long it will take to build your custom computer from the date that your payment is received in full. Your method of payment and other factors may also affect the estimated ship date. Alienware does not ship computers on holidays or weekends. Shipping usually takes 3 to 5 business days.
You: that didnt answer the question very well about the screen.. do you have this screen in stock ?
Kathleen M.: yes, look at the configurator
You: ok.. if yes.. then why would that delay the order ? as it is stated on the www site
Kathleen M.: Because its in limited availability
You: so by the time i order.. it may be out of staock ?
Kathleen M.: no
You: do you have any company statistics on how often you ship by the estimated shipping date? i need a machine quickly.. and this will help me decide on which company to go with
Kathleen M.: No we do not
You: where are you located at ?
Kathleen M.: We have 3 different locations
You: no.. i mean you personally.. are you in the US ?
Kathleen M.: Florida
You: ok.. im going to be honest here... i am very interested in one of your high end laptops... however i have read a ton of customer service reviews... the main complaint about alienware is that the build-time and shipping takes forever and never comes close to the ship date.. is this true.. can you explain this ?
You: http://www.resellerratings.com/selle...1.html#reviews
Kathleen M.: No, usually the estimated ship date is accurate.
You: do you bill when product is ordered.. or when the prodect gets shipped
Kathleen M.: as soon as you order
You: ok.. thankyou
Kathleen M.: Your welcome
You: wait one more.. how long of a burn in do you systems take before they are shipped
Kathleen M.: It has to go through 14 phases each phase takes 1-2 business days to proceed to the next one
You: no.. i mean what kind of testing do you machines go thrugh before they are shipped
You: are they just slapped togethere and shipped.. or do they get tested after they are built
Kathleen M.: It takes about a day thats where they install and test the software
You: what about a full-blown stress test where the machine is tested to its fullest capacity to make sure it doesnt overheat.. hard drives is ok.. video doesnt have any bad pixels.. etc etc..
You: do you do that ?
Kathleen M.: This is all overlooked in assembly
You: ok thanks
Kathleen M.: Your welcome
*****MARCH 14 ordered alienware MJ-12m 7700 @ 10:00pm by calling the 1-800 # ****
--specs--
[1] MJ-12m 7700
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support with Onsite Service
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 2
Case: Alienware® MJ12m 7700 Case with 17" WideSXGA+ 1680 x 1050 LCD Display with Built-in Camera - Xeno Grey
Motherboard: Intel® 915P Chipset Supporting PCI-Express
Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 530J w/ HT Technology 3.0GHz 1MB Cache
Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 533MHz - 2 x 512MB
Graphics Accelerator: Alienware® MJ12m 7700 NVIDIA Quadro FX Go 1400 with 256MB of DDR memory
Hard Drive: Dual Drive Configuration - Non RAID - 120GB (60GB x 2) 5400 RPM ATA100
Primary Optical Drive: 24x10x24 CD-RW / 8X DVD Combo w/Software MPEG2 Decoder
Secondary Optical Drive: 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW Combo w/Software
Floppy Drive: USB Floppy Drive
Modem: 56K Modem with V.92 Technology
Ethernet NIC: Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet NIC
Wireless Network: Internal Wireless 802.11a/b/g miniPCI Card
Digital Audio Hardware: Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with 7.1 surround sound
Optional External Displays: No Monitor
Optional Mouse: Microsoft® IntelliMouse Explorer 4.0 - USB - Saucer Silver
Free Alienware Mousepad: Free Alienware® Mousepad
7-in-1 Memory Card Reader built-in (SD/MS/MMC)
Parallel: One parallel port
Serial: One serial port
Video: One DVI connector
TV-out: One S-Video out connector
TV-In: Video-IN Ports (TV-Tuner required, not included)
Keyboard: One PS2 connection
Mouse: One PS2 connection
IEEE 1394: Two mini IEEE 1934a (4-pin) ports
USB: 4 Hi-speed USB 2.0 ports
Headphone: 1 headphone jack
Audio: 5.1 channel out (SPDIF) / Line-in, Microphone in
Infrared: Infrared port for Data transfer
Primary Battery: 12 Cells, 6600 mAH
*****MARCH 15 conversation #3 with alienware online chat****
Angie M.: Hi, my name is Angie M.. How may I help you?
You: i palced an order last night through the 1800# ... it has been stuck on phase 2 since that point... how long does it take to run a credit card # ?? it has been almost 24 hours
Angie M.: The phases do not have a set time frame.
You: no.. but it shouldnt take 24 hours to charge a credit card and get going
Angie M.: It could be possible that the database has yet to be updated.
You: can you check
Angie M.: It still states that you are in Phase 2.
You: i mean can you check if the card has been charged ?
Angie M.: I do not have access to that.
Angie M.: For more detailed information concerning your Order Status you may contact our sales department via phone at 1-800-ALIENWARE (254-3692), option #5.
You: ok
You: thanks
Angie M.: You're quite welcome.
*****MARCH 15 - i found & read - notebookforums.com - i wish i found it before the last online chat******
*****MARCH 15 Email from order_status@alienware.com @ 6:07pm saying i am in "phase 2"****
*****MARCH 16 conversation #4 with alienware online chat****
Jose L.: Hi, my name is Jose L.. How may I help you?
You: hi... i ordered an MJ 12m 7700 a few days ago..
You: i was wondering if that will come with a real winxp pro install cd
You: or something else
Jose L.: It is the full copy of win xp
You: ok cool.. thanks
Jose L.: your welcomr
Jose L.: welcome
*****MARCH 16 phase moved to "phase 3" @ 2:30pm approx (shown online)****
*****MARCH 16 Email came in from order_status@alienware.com @ 6:29pm saying i am in "phase 3"****
-the below is an actual account of all my contact with Alienware
MJ-12m 7700 ordered 3/14/05
*****MARCH 14 conversation with alienware online chat****
Jose L.: Hi, my name is Jose L.. How may I help you?
You: HI
You: i have been looking at the www site and i have a question
You: about the mj-12m 7700
You: and the area-51m 7700 extream
You: when changing the display/case option to the wide sxga it also says includes "clearview enhanced display"
You: why does the mj-12m 7700 not say the same ?
You: and can the mj-12m get this feature ?
Jose L.: The systems are the same at the core so it should have that option
You: ok.. so its a mistake on the www site /
Jose L.: yes
You: second question.. on the area-51m 7700.. the nvida graphics card 6800 pro
You: is this the ultra version ?
Jose L.: No it is not
You: will the ultra be offered ?
Jose L.: We have no specific release date. When the card is available, there will be a press release on the main page.
You: 3rd question... if i get two hard drives not set up in raid..
You: can i turn on raid later ?
Jose L.: Yes however not view the website you would need to call Our Sales Department and speak with a sales agent they can be reached at 1-800-ALIENWARE (254-3692)
You: 4th question... does the 7-1 card reader, read compact flash or microdrive ?
Jose L.: compact flash yes i do not see microdrive listed
You: is this list on the web site.. i could not find it
Jose L.: No, that has not been added yet to the website
You: does it do smart media ?
Jose L.: Ok I did find the list it does offer microdrive -
* Compact Flash™ (Type I & II)
* IBM MicroDrive™
* Smart Media™ (3.3V)
* MultiMedia™ MMC
* Secure Digital™
* Memory Stick™
* Memory Stick Pro™
You: the www site says mar 23 for a ship date if i order today.. is there a way to get this quicker for an additional fee
Jose L.: Unfortunately no there is not
You: last question.... sound cards..
You: i assume there is an internal card no matter what..
You: what is this card ?
Jose L.: The onboard is Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with 7.1 surround sound
You: ok.. thats a check box on the ww site.. if i chose a different card.. does that mean i get both ?
Jose L.: Yes the onboard would remain
You: ok.. on more question...
You: there is only one option for carring case ,a backback
Jose L.: yes
You: will this 17" screen not fint into hard case ?
Jose L.: no
You: so other than the backpack.. there is no other carring option you supply ?
Jose L.: Currently that is correct
You: ok... thanks for your time.. you have been very helpful
Jose L.: Thank you for considering Alienware, have a great day!
*****MARCH 14 - i found and read - http://www.resellerratings.com****
- after reading i went back to the online chat
*****MARCH 14 conversation #2 with alienware online chat****
Kathleen M.: Hi, my name is Kathleen M.. How may I help you?
You: Im looking at the area-51m 7700
You: for the case/diplay type.. i like the "clearview"
You: however it says "may delay order" ...
You: how long a delay... and is this delay factored in allready to the esimated ship date ?
Kathleen M.: The estimated shipping dates are made based upon product availability and production time. The date is given to you when you place an order online or over the phone. When configuring a system, if you click on the estimated ship date you will see a break down of processing time, time to receive parts and production time. Please note that the estimated ship date stated is only an estimate, and may not represent your actual ship date. This date is based on an estimate of how long it will take to build your custom computer from the date that your payment is received in full. Your method of payment and other factors may also affect the estimated ship date. Alienware does not ship computers on holidays or weekends. Shipping usually takes 3 to 5 business days.
You: that didnt answer the question very well about the screen.. do you have this screen in stock ?
Kathleen M.: yes, look at the configurator
You: ok.. if yes.. then why would that delay the order ? as it is stated on the www site
Kathleen M.: Because its in limited availability
You: so by the time i order.. it may be out of staock ?
Kathleen M.: no
You: do you have any company statistics on how often you ship by the estimated shipping date? i need a machine quickly.. and this will help me decide on which company to go with
Kathleen M.: No we do not
You: where are you located at ?
Kathleen M.: We have 3 different locations
You: no.. i mean you personally.. are you in the US ?
Kathleen M.: Florida
You: ok.. im going to be honest here... i am very interested in one of your high end laptops... however i have read a ton of customer service reviews... the main complaint about alienware is that the build-time and shipping takes forever and never comes close to the ship date.. is this true.. can you explain this ?
You: http://www.resellerratings.com/selle...1.html#reviews
Kathleen M.: No, usually the estimated ship date is accurate.
You: do you bill when product is ordered.. or when the prodect gets shipped
Kathleen M.: as soon as you order
You: ok.. thankyou
Kathleen M.: Your welcome
You: wait one more.. how long of a burn in do you systems take before they are shipped
Kathleen M.: It has to go through 14 phases each phase takes 1-2 business days to proceed to the next one
You: no.. i mean what kind of testing do you machines go thrugh before they are shipped
You: are they just slapped togethere and shipped.. or do they get tested after they are built
Kathleen M.: It takes about a day thats where they install and test the software
You: what about a full-blown stress test where the machine is tested to its fullest capacity to make sure it doesnt overheat.. hard drives is ok.. video doesnt have any bad pixels.. etc etc..
You: do you do that ?
Kathleen M.: This is all overlooked in assembly
You: ok thanks
Kathleen M.: Your welcome
*****MARCH 14 ordered alienware MJ-12m 7700 @ 10:00pm by calling the 1-800 # ****
--specs--
[1] MJ-12m 7700
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support with Onsite Service
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 2
Case: Alienware® MJ12m 7700 Case with 17" WideSXGA+ 1680 x 1050 LCD Display with Built-in Camera - Xeno Grey
Motherboard: Intel® 915P Chipset Supporting PCI-Express
Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 530J w/ HT Technology 3.0GHz 1MB Cache
Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 533MHz - 2 x 512MB
Graphics Accelerator: Alienware® MJ12m 7700 NVIDIA Quadro FX Go 1400 with 256MB of DDR memory
Hard Drive: Dual Drive Configuration - Non RAID - 120GB (60GB x 2) 5400 RPM ATA100
Primary Optical Drive: 24x10x24 CD-RW / 8X DVD Combo w/Software MPEG2 Decoder
Secondary Optical Drive: 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW Combo w/Software
Floppy Drive: USB Floppy Drive
Modem: 56K Modem with V.92 Technology
Ethernet NIC: Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet NIC
Wireless Network: Internal Wireless 802.11a/b/g miniPCI Card
Digital Audio Hardware: Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with 7.1 surround sound
Optional External Displays: No Monitor
Optional Mouse: Microsoft® IntelliMouse Explorer 4.0 - USB - Saucer Silver
Free Alienware Mousepad: Free Alienware® Mousepad
7-in-1 Memory Card Reader built-in (SD/MS/MMC)
Parallel: One parallel port
Serial: One serial port
Video: One DVI connector
TV-out: One S-Video out connector
TV-In: Video-IN Ports (TV-Tuner required, not included)
Keyboard: One PS2 connection
Mouse: One PS2 connection
IEEE 1394: Two mini IEEE 1934a (4-pin) ports
USB: 4 Hi-speed USB 2.0 ports
Headphone: 1 headphone jack
Audio: 5.1 channel out (SPDIF) / Line-in, Microphone in
Infrared: Infrared port for Data transfer
Primary Battery: 12 Cells, 6600 mAH
*****MARCH 15 conversation #3 with alienware online chat****
Angie M.: Hi, my name is Angie M.. How may I help you?
You: i palced an order last night through the 1800# ... it has been stuck on phase 2 since that point... how long does it take to run a credit card # ?? it has been almost 24 hours
Angie M.: The phases do not have a set time frame.
You: no.. but it shouldnt take 24 hours to charge a credit card and get going
Angie M.: It could be possible that the database has yet to be updated.
You: can you check
Angie M.: It still states that you are in Phase 2.
You: i mean can you check if the card has been charged ?
Angie M.: I do not have access to that.
Angie M.: For more detailed information concerning your Order Status you may contact our sales department via phone at 1-800-ALIENWARE (254-3692), option #5.
You: ok
You: thanks
Angie M.: You're quite welcome.
*****MARCH 15 - i found & read - notebookforums.com - i wish i found it before the last online chat******
*****MARCH 15 Email from order_status@alienware.com @ 6:07pm saying i am in "phase 2"****
*****MARCH 16 conversation #4 with alienware online chat****
Jose L.: Hi, my name is Jose L.. How may I help you?
You: hi... i ordered an MJ 12m 7700 a few days ago..
You: i was wondering if that will come with a real winxp pro install cd
You: or something else
Jose L.: It is the full copy of win xp
You: ok cool.. thanks
Jose L.: your welcomr
Jose L.: welcome
*****MARCH 16 phase moved to "phase 3" @ 2:30pm approx (shown online)****
*****MARCH 16 Email came in from order_status@alienware.com @ 6:29pm saying i am in "phase 3"****
Great Machine....would be nice to see some benchies for it later....... 
