How would you change Alienware's Area-51 m15x / m17x laptops?

Not to crack open a can of worms or anything, but we're honestly curious to see what the legions of Area-51 m15x / m17x owners would change about their machines. When launched, both rigs were fawned over for their top-notch specifications, but the m15x hasn't seen the warmest of receptions from its owners. As you well know, the 17-inch sibling just now started landing on doorsteps everywhere, and we're genuinely hoping that it doesn't present those same cracking issues as found on the aforesaid m15x. Beyond defects, we also want to hear what you'd change about a flawless m15x / m17x. Whittle down the weight? Change up the style? Swap out a few components? Go on and let 'er rip in comments below.

[Scott @ Jun 20th 2008 6:33PM]

Drop the price :( I'm poor

[Striker @ Jun 20th 2008 7:25PM]

Get a job at IBM and you get ridiculous discounts on Lenovo products. I'm typing this on my $2100 ThinkPad T61 that I got for $1360 with my Dad's employee discount.

[Viakenny @ Jun 20th 2008 7:51PM]

@striker: probably they don't have those at Dell.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 20th 2008 9:54PM]

yeah cut the price

[cyco @ Jun 21st 2008 8:09AM]

@Viakenny: well i used to work for SiTel/Clientlogic and we had 15% off the Dell product even thought we didn't had a contract with them at my location

[macserv @ Jun 21st 2008 3:05PM]

Include an extension for Firefox that blocks all of Livefire's ignorant, Mac-hating comments on Engadget.

Seriously, he's got a half-dozen replies in here, all with the same agenda.

[livefire @ Jun 21st 2008 3:39PM]

someone has to reply to all these stupid comments on engadget so I guess I have to do it

[iH8Engadget @ Jun 20th 2008 6:37PM]

Put Mac OSX AND put in in a MacBook Air case. :-D


(You know what? Just for that statement... I'm gonna help you guys out and Low Rank myself)

[johann @ Jun 20th 2008 6:53PM]

you think you're cute?

[retro77 @ Jun 20th 2008 7:05PM]

fail

[livefire @ Jun 20th 2008 9:34PM]

mac SUCKS

[Lamp @ Jun 20th 2008 11:38PM]

i love how a
"macs suck"
comment gets highly rated...

honestly?
how is that even justifiable?

[User @ Jun 21st 2008 2:44AM]

Lamp,

You can assume that Mac users are much less likely to view the comments on this story. Therefore, they aren't present to mark that comment down.

[Lamp @ Jun 21st 2008 11:21AM]

no, i understand that mac users arent here to vote it down.
what i can't understand is how any non-mac user can even think about voting it up.
unless theyre fine with being ignorant.
okay, i understand now.

[Nick Soapes @ Jun 21st 2008 2:54PM]

livewire sucks!!!

and make it thinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[livefire @ Jun 21st 2008 3:22PM]

thats what she said

[livefire @ Jun 21st 2008 3:32PM]

@ Nick Soapes id rather suck than live in my mothers basement

[ArsenyS @ Jun 20th 2008 6:39PM]

Drop down the price !

[HB @ Jun 20th 2008 6:40PM]

Change the logo on it from an alien to a glowing apple....oh and make it not suck.

[Lamp @ Jun 20th 2008 11:36PM]

im glad you think the logo is what sets macs apart.
kudos for ignorance.

[retro77 @ Jun 20th 2008 7:06PM]

fail

[roach @ Jun 20th 2008 8:02PM]

It would also solve OSX's heat problem when running on Apple made hardware.

[roach @ Jun 20th 2008 8:05PM]

It would also solve OSX's heat problem when running on Apple made hardware.

[livefire @ Jun 20th 2008 9:37PM]

dont put a glowing apple on it and it wont suck

[Rob Conway @ Jun 20th 2008 11:43PM]

this is why people hate us. and i even hate to put myself in your category, because i'm all about apple, but without the pretentious douche bag part.

i prefer apple because i prefer the OS, when i was still a windows user, i would have killed to have an alienware machine, and i still think they're high quality, gorgeous machines.

how about all of us apple "fanboys" stop making dickface comments on non apple related posts? and let the windows "fanboys" start the wars. then maybe we can start justifying the way we feel superior to them.

[livefire @ Jun 21st 2008 1:26PM]

You guys arent even superior to a cell phone os

[Seth @ Jun 20th 2008 6:46PM]

As a previous owner. Just returned mine after 2 months. I would change the case design/quality. Mine had case seams spreading apart. The screen creaked like a rusty door from day one. The touch controls were utterly useless. Other than that It could use a little weight reduction. The chassis quality was just not what you expect to get when you pay $3300. The gaming performance was amazing though.

[Rodrigo @ Jun 20th 2008 6:47PM]

just cut the weight and thickness to 1 inch, and you have a winner
oh yes... it would melt because of extreme heat :(

[telepheedian @ Jun 21st 2008 9:54AM]

How much does an inch weigh?

[Gilbert Tang @ Jun 20th 2008 6:48PM]

I would certainly lower the price and increase the quality of the design as well as the overall aesthetic of the machine.

[Chris Macdonald @ Jun 20th 2008 6:56PM]

yeah, for alienware the design is pretty lacking

[retro77 @ Jun 20th 2008 6:50PM]

Add my address to one of their shipping labels :)

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jun 20th 2008 6:55PM]

Make the first 100 000 FREE!

[Zack @ Jun 20th 2008 7:31PM]

Seth was exactly right. I had one of these POS laptops and returned it. Of course, I had to pay out the ass for it anyway... 15% restocking fee. The case pops, cracks, feels very cheap.

[bellevegasj @ Jun 20th 2008 7:06PM]

Lighter, thinner, less cheap looking. Have it dual booting with Linux and possibly OS X.

Do something we haven't seen before.

Get rid of the stupid alien. I'm not 13

[Striker @ Jun 20th 2008 7:29PM]

I'm even 13 and I chose a ThinkPad T61 over every other laptop, the design on Alienwares is just childish, but how else are they supposed to make it look like an alien, hence their name.

[Touchscreen Sucks @ Jun 20th 2008 7:38PM]

When a 13 year old says the design is childish then you know you got problems. Does anyone at Alienware focus group their stuff anymore?
I do not own any Alienware products because of their price/performance ratio. They are simply too expensive for what they deliver and since Dell has taken over it seems to have gotten worse.
Cracks in the casing? You have got to be kidding me!

[Varuna @ Jun 20th 2008 8:26PM]

OH and Apple makes you seen 25 huh ??

[Stephen @ Jun 21st 2008 2:54AM]

How are the designs childish? I'm getting an Alienware soon for college, I don't think it's childish. They have a fucking Alien head because it's called ALIENWARE, Macs have a Apple because it's made by Apple, Windows have a Windows logo because it's made by Windows, hell Linux even has a fucking cartoon Penguin. Would you call that childish? No. So quit complaining about the style. I don't give a shit if the thing was puke green and had a big smiley face on the side. It's a quality product, and that's all that matters. Also, two of my friends in college currently have the m17x and m15x, neither of theirs have suffered the overheating/cracking problems.

[livefire @ Jun 21st 2008 12:59PM]

@ Stephen Finally someone actually makes sense around here

[Peter D @ Jun 21st 2008 10:18PM]

ok, the designs aren't really childish, just ridiculously tacky. i'd take an asus f8sn-c1 over this anyday and its cheaper too (barely), but overall my problem with alienware is their prices have stayed high even though there has been a noticeable drop in quality since dell bought them.

[phanbouy @ Jun 20th 2008 7:01PM]

uhhh....did you really just post your phone number on engadget or was it some girl that never called you back?

[ishism @ Jun 20th 2008 7:04PM]

Doesn't Dell make these?
Seriously.

[retro77 @ Jun 20th 2008 7:05PM]

yes

[ishism @ Jun 20th 2008 7:14PM]

Thanx.
I thought so.I got me a dell inspiron 1720 with a geforce 8400m gs vc. I was surprised to find it plays new games in directx10 fairly well(low-mid settings). I should have saved up a little more and gone with the 8600m gt. Games would probably fly with that.
Anyhow its funny how people clown on Dell but drool over the alienware, and its made form the same guys.

Now don't give me comparisons like toyota/lexis and honda/acura.

[COM-4 @ Jun 20th 2008 7:18PM]

Yes, that's why it looks like a DULL.

[Ypoknons @ Jun 20th 2008 7:37PM]

No, they don't make 15" with 8800GT, so I don't see your point.

[retro77 @ Jun 20th 2008 7:55PM]

I got the 8600m GT in my XPS1530 and love it! Plays games awesome! The downside: it gets so hot it cuts out if I am gaming for hours and hours. I guess a forced break here and there isn't too bad.

I have a cooler, still not enough.

[Mike @ Jun 20th 2008 9:56PM]

Dell owns Alienware. They don' make them. Alienwares are still made in Miami,FL not Texas.

I own an m15x and i would definitely change the case. The thickness doesn't bother me to much but the creakiness and flimsiness of the whole machine should be fixed. Also those touch controls almost never work; especially the volume control. Gaming performance is amazing though so i can't be upset there. The speakers also also awful. you'd think such a thick and expensive laptop could house some decent speakers. they crackle on just about everything and have no bottom whatsoever.

[King Mook Mook @ Jun 20th 2008 7:06PM]

Liquid Cooling!