Alienware Area 51 m5500 notebook reviewed
While Alienware is a name commonly spoken in any high-end notebook discussion, its managed to mingle in less elite crowds by offering more financially manageable options. The Area 51 m5500 is a mid-range laptop with all the "prestigious styling cues" associated with the company, but lacks some of the bleeding-edge hardware found in the upper-echelon offerings. Reghardware's review model was actually a scaled-down version of the current machine (albeit with the same price), but it still performed fairly admirably. The finalized units will receive an Intel Core Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, either a Mobility Radeon X1400 or a GeForce Go 7600 with 256MB of RAM, 100GB SATA HD, a DVD-playing CD burner, a 15.4-inch display sporting a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire connector, and the standard wireless suite (WiFi and Bluetooth). The subtle beast faired well considering the tame innards required to hit the £899 (and up) price point; the biggest gripes came from the weak battery life (1:30-2:00) and the rubber grips atop the lid that "added unnecessary weight," but it's possible the bragging rights you'll gain would far outweigh any extra pounds they add. If you're scouting a gaming laptop, there's definitely a world of options, but if you need that element of extraterrestrial distinction to set you apart from the rest, the m5500 will be landing in August.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Phree @ Jul 24th 2006 10:13AM
Ummmmmm.....the m5500 was released quite a while ago. This looks like the m5550.
Pumpkin @ Jul 24th 2006 11:37AM
Yeah - you are right. That is the Area-51 m5550 because it has Core Duo.
yuppicide @ Jul 24th 2006 11:51AM
What's with the "£899 (and up)" crap?! Alienware is a US company, so is Engadget, and so am I. Please post price in US currency.
nial @ Jul 24th 2006 1:46PM
A ~$1600 laptop without a DVD-R drive?
Mert Torun @ Jul 25th 2006 1:14AM
It looks much like my Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo-M except for the alien ribs on the lid
Simon @ Jul 25th 2006 9:13AM
Now this is what i am talking about, this is a stunning looking laptop and with the name Area 51 it is very seductive indeed.
Mike D. @ Jul 25th 2006 11:45AM
Well not sure about the new M5550. I have the old Intel version and here is my take on it. 1st and foremost, the battery life is dismal, I think even with the beefy video card turned off and the Wifi turned off I get about maybe 6 hours total time. With the card and the wifi on i get about 2hours tops. (Also as another note, do waste your money on Media Center edition). Several drivers are not compatable with Media Center and unless you got a card with a tv tuner to do DVR recording. The machine is powerful and runs very smooth. I got a 2GHZ Centrino with 1GB of RAM and a 128MB Nvidia 6600 GO card for my laptop. My biggest complain of all was the finish on the laptop. I will admit, it gets a lot of use but I have had it since March, and the finish where my wrist sits is wore off already. I just think for the money I should of had a more durable laptop. I guess I should of just saved money and bought a Dell. At least I know what I was paying for.