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About me

My posting summary

1 to 7 of 7

My comments

• Same experience as the author - painless, simple. No problems. Only downside was the interminable lines. No sooner would one person get assisted, than the Apple employee handling iPhone requests would randomly go to someone else not even in line. In reply to: "One month later: The iPhone 3G sales experience"

  August 19, 2008

  0 replies

• Likely the names mentioned in the article above are final. GeForce GTX280, GeForce GTX260. In reply to: "Preview: Upcoming graphics chips from ATI, Nvidia"

  July 3, 2008

  0 replies

• If this supports full HTML web browsing, is Flash support going to be included? That has been the downfall of mobile browser after mobile browser, including the iPhone. Will this be any different? Please reply. In reply to: "RIM makes a Bold BlackBerry debut"

  May 13, 2008

  0 replies

• What about the cooling systems on this beast? It's got to be an important question, and not one I see being tossed up to the Alienware folks... could we get an answer? In reply to: "Alienware pushes 15-inch gaming with the m15x"

  January 9, 2008

  0 replies

• Must we give you an example!?
  I posted my review in the same place you posted yours! See the revised and professionally published version below (without pictures - for pictures, copy and paste the following link into your browser:
  http://www.geardigest.com/2006/12/12/alienware-area51-m5550i-notebook/ )
  
  "After fighting a losing battle with a Toshiba notebook that was a "lemon," I began a search for a new notebook computer. Key factors in my hunt were performance and predictability. After careful research, I chose to purchase an Area-51 m5550i notebook from Alienware.
  
  When I ordered, they said that the status of my notebook build would be updated online daily and an email would be provided as well. When status updates were not posted to the Alienware website, I emailed a status request to them in the middle of September (halfway into the wait period.) They responded in 24 hours and gave me a detailed update and estimated dates for the next phases. The estimates were accurate and the system arrived only 2 days later than the original estimate provided by the sales representative.
  System Specifications
  
  I ordered with a budget in mind, not a typical Alienware offering. I was looking for a moderately performing notebook. When the Intel Core 2 Duo came out, it brought pricing way down. My system was configured as follows:
  
  * Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (T5500) at 1.66 GHz
  * 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz (2 DIMMS)
  * 256 MB nVidia Geforce Go 7600
  * 15.4" WideXGA 1280 x 800 Display
  * 80 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive
  * WUXGA 15.4" display with a 1920x1200 resolution
  * Windows XP Professional
  * 802.11a/b/g WiFi adapter
  * Built in 4-1 card reader (SD / MS / MSPRO / MMC)
  * 8x Dual Layer DVD±RW / 24x CD-RW
  
  I figured that the low processor clock speed would be fine, considering the reviews I had read regarding possible heating issues. The configuration I got would cost around $2000 right now because of pricing changes, but my total ended up at a little over $1700.00. That is the same price I paid for the "lemon" Toshiba that I bought in 2005.
  
  I took the day off from work to pick up my computer, since Alienware said I had to sign for the package. It came right before 4:00 pm, and I got right to work. The box was large, and Alienware threw in a beautiful leather bound quick start guide, that included recovery software and support instructions. That was beyond my expectation - it was nice.
  The notebook itself was quite a bit smaller in width than my old 15.4" Toshiba. It also weighed about 1.5 pounds less. The computer was shiny to the point I was almost afraid to touch it. The packaging was secure, but I had no problems getting the notebook out of the box.
  Performance
  
  I wasn't totally impressed with the performance of the computer right out of the box. I downloaded and ran 3DMark05 in default mode and got a score of 2100. Frame rates were slow and I was not happy with the quality of the display. I did a little digging, and found a hotfix from Microsoft that enables dual core support in Windows XP. I installed it and ran 3DMark05 again. I got a new score of 3201. After that I looked at display settings and found I could run a preset display setting optimized for 3DMark05. After changing to that, the benchmark score went up to 3433. I tried running PCMark05, but it did not produce any scores.
  The computer runs on the warm side. I knew that when I bought it, and purchased a cooling pad. You can see it in the photos of the m5550i. I use it every time I try and run a demanding project or game. The warmest section of the computer is in the right-hand palm rest area. The computer runs really fast on standard install tasks and even photorealistic landscape generation. I use a program called Terragen [http://planetside.co.uk/] for that. The audio quality is far better than I expected, but lacks low range definition. High end and mid range sounds are great. The computer's "subwoofer" doesn't help.
  
  I like web browsing on this computer. I can view just about any website without having to scroll to the side. The most impressive thing about the Alienware m5550i is its multi-tasking capabilities; the best I have ever seen on a notebook. I installed two games simultaneously, at the same time as running a download of Vista RC1, and a conversation via Windows Live Messenger. There was NO system lag at all in the process. The only noticeable difference was that the actual install processes for the games went a lot slower due to the load on the hard drive.
  
  When I began using the system, I thought I would try the Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter demo. The game auto detected my video card. When I tried to play though, it was impossible because it was so jerky. I went into the game settings and tried to lower them, but the gameplay was still so "sticky" as to be unplayable. I play other games as well such as Battle for Middle Earth II and Age of Empires III. For those the playing experience was drastically improved over the old Toshiba.
  
  Battery life is disgusting. I unplug it from the wall for less than a minute to move the computer, and the battery indicator goes from full to 97%. The battery depletes pretty quickly on standby as well, for when I got back from work on 10/11, the battery was at 41%! The computer had NOT been used, and there was nothing attached. It is a 6 cell battery (not manufactured by Sony) and there were no upgrade options when I purchased the notebook - there are now.
  
  Conclusions
  
  I would say that the Alienware Area-51 m5550i is a great buy, but if I were to do it again, I would change to a higher processor speed because it would help increase system speed at this point more than a memory upgrade. The biggest downside is a dead pixel in the lower left of the screen that Alienware will not replace. The dead pixel according to an email I received from them is not in the center of the screen and therefore not repairable. See below:
  
  Response (Alien 4) 10/11/2006 03:42 PM
  
  Dear Mr. DeJarnette,
  
  Thank you for contacting Alienware.
  
  After checking our dead pixel policy, unfortunately, we need to inform you that we cannot replace your LCD screen. As per our dead pixel policy, there should be a bright or dark spot in the center of the screen (quadrant # 5), or a bright or dark spot in the red line surrounding the center quadrant (it counts as being part of the center quadrant).
  
  For further assistance regarding this matter, please contact our 24/7 Technical Support Department at 1-866-287-6727, option 2.
  
  If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  
  Thank you for corresponding with us.
  
  Other than that, this is the best performance/dollar buy I could find anywhere and I am not sorry I went with Alienware. I like the fact that most of the components can be upgraded. I can switch to an 802.11/n standard when that becomes available on a miniPci card for notebooks. I can change my hard drive, and can also upgrade memory from 1GB to 2 GB. The computer's card reader also makes something like a PDA seem a lot more attractive, because I can move files to and from a device very easily. In fact, that is how I got some of the photos I took onto the computer." In reply to: "Alienware to Blah"

  February 21, 2007

  0 replies

• Just to let you know
  Alienware by default sells this particular model with a 6 cell battery (so they could mark it as uber mobile) but there is a 9 cell available. They sell it for $67.20 if you call technical support, and if you are nice (like I was) they might give you a discount on that (I got 10% off of the $67.20). The battery is $99.00 on their website... It pays to call them up. Battery life will be drastically improved by the upgrade. In reply to: "good computer."

  February 21, 2007

  0 replies

• Correction please
  I have one dead pixel on my m5550. Alienware requires dead pixels to be in the center of the screen - divided into 9 quadrants. Only the quadrant marked "5" will be considered for repair. The reason is the screen is not manufactured by Alienware and so they follow the manufacturer's guidelines. The guidelines are 1 pixel in quadrant 5 or 3 dead pixels in the screen as a whole. If the computer is sent to a repair center for any reason, they STILL will not fix the screen.
  
  Side note: tech support is able to bargain. They told me that I would have to pay $260 to assess the computer to see if it was my fault that it was damaged, but when I argued, they waived the fee and so I bought a memory upgrade from them instead. They gave me a 10% discount on that upgrade. So Alienware is not all bad. Just their customer service. In reply to: "Terrible Customer Service! Dead pixels policy is 3 pixel or no repair!"

  February 12, 2007

  0 replies