Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Alienware m11x vs Macbook Air 11

peregrines said:
how can you even compare these two?
m11x is definitely one of the most ugly machines ever seen!
Click to expand...

While that may be true, a lot of people like to do work with computers other than just stare at them. For 600 dollars, the M11x isn't that bad of a deal at all.
 
impulse462 said:
While that may be true, a lot of people like to do work with computers other than just stare at them. For 600 dollars, the M11x isn't that bad of a deal at all.
Click to expand...

Had both. Still have the air 11. Have to say the m11x is a beast when it comes to gaming. And its battery life is really no joke. (r1)

And it actually looks a lot sleeker and cooler in person than in person for some reason. But it's thick as ****. And it weighs 4.5 lbs or something ridiculous.

The one thing that kept me from keeping the m11x even though I loved everything about it, was the screen. The screen is utter crap. So much crap that I was getting headaches looking into the screen for more than a few hours. 11.6" is already small but you couple that a really bad screen, bad viewing angles, color, etc. and its not a pretty sight.
 
kettlecorn said:
Had both. Still have the air 11. Have to say the m11x is a beast when it comes to gaming. And its battery life is really no joke. (r1)

And it actually looks a lot sleeker and cooler in person than in person for some reason. But it's thick as ****. And it weighs 4.5 lbs or something ridiculous.

The one thing that kept me from keeping the m11x even though I loved everything about it, was the screen. The screen is utter crap. So much crap that I was getting headaches looking into the screen for more than a few hours. 11.6" is already small but you couple that a really bad screen, bad viewing angles, color, etc. and its not a pretty sight.
Click to expand...

How does the M11x perform when gaming? (At native res, or do you hook it up to an external monitor?)

Was thinking between MBP 15" 2012, MBA 2012 and M11x. (M11x is slightly more expensive here - costs $1428 here unfortunately.)
 
i used to have a M11X R2 as well

i cannot lie, performance wise, M11X R2 outperformed MBA 11 ( both in games and work intensive ), well it is obvious anyway

but as Kettlecorn said

the one and only thing that killed me was the screen quality and resolution

i mean, when i compared it next to even my MBP from 2007, the M11X screen is like a piece of crap

then i compared it with my cousin's newer MBP, and at that point, i snapped and sold my M11X to my friend the following week, lol

but other than that, you all must agree that M11X is pretty sweet
 
Twe Foju said:
[...] but other than that, you all must agree that M11X is pretty sweet
Click to expand...

Absolutely. So far it's been the only non-Apple laptop that had me thinking of going Windows (or a hackintosh setup if that's possible).

impulse462 said:
[...] a lot of people like to do work with computers other than just stare at them. For 600 dollars, the M11x isn't that bad of a deal at all.
Click to expand...

For someone like me who is strictly a "one computer guy" who prioritizes portability, it's a great deal.

In the end the weight, thickness and its looks (mostly when opened, Alienware's shells are less drastic looking nowadays, thankfully) was what detracted me from buying.

I realize that these are tools but computers are nearly part of our furniture nowadays so design *is* a factor for me, albeit not as weighty as other factors. For the MBA the design choice kind of justifys my vanity with its diminuitive size, which to me means productivity where ever I want (when ever I finally get that 11" MBA that is).

But I'll continue to keep an eye out for M11x news (now that the R3 is out of the bag). I love the concept.

EDIT: Looking at the PR-shots from Engadget I have to say the R3 looks quite sober, though I'd be glad if there was a choice to de-colorize the horrible keyboard/speaker lights.
 
Last edited:
wow, that Alienware m11x is fugly.

I know people say Apple products are expensive but but look at how beautiful the Air is!
 
MonkeySee.... said:
wow, that Alienware m11x is fugly.

I know people say Apple products are expensive but but look at how beautiful the Air is!
Click to expand...

Why bother? It's not for human anyday. It's an ALIENware

Maybe fugly for us, but beautifull for some space creature out there lol
 
blipmusic said:
EDIT: Looking at the PR-shots from Engadget I have to say the R3 looks quite sober, though I'd be glad if there was a choice to de-colorize the horrible keyboard/speaker lights.
Click to expand...

There is, they can be any colour you like, pretty much, or dimmed or turned off completely using the Alienware AlienFX app.

HTH,

Colin
 
Obviously, in terms of performance the Alienware will outperform the MBA, but in terms of portability the MBA totally trumps the Alienware. And at the end of the day these are supposed to be ultra-mobility laptops due to their size and niche target, so I'd say that the MBA is a far better balanced machine.

In fact, in my opinion the MBA 11" (and 13" for that matter) is the best laptop in the market right now for those looking for a reasonably powerful yet ultra-portable solution.

Plus the Alienware is thick and ugly as heck!
 
I've got a 13inch MBA (October release) and M11x which I just got a few months ago pretty cheap. I take the Air almost everywhere with me and leave the M11x at home unless we're heading out to the mountains or the shore. The 13 stays connected to a 27inch Cinema Display and the M11x to a 23 inch Samsung monitor at home. I don't game as much as I used to and actually really prefer console gaming to PC's these days but the M11 is a pretty capable machine and when I need to get a fix, have no complaints.

I admit fully that having the luxury to own both is nice and I've been striving for years to get a Mac that could do both but is small. I'd like to be done with PC gaming all together, but can't seem to let go. On the flip side, I cannot see myself ever going back to a desktop computer. The flexibility the air provides is what I've wanted for a long time and OSX is where I prefer to live my life.
 
Last edited:
The refreshed 11 inch alienware will put the air to shame.

here is a review http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Alienware-M11x-R3-Gaming-Notebook.51236.0.html

Here are the specs of it. Link http://www.dell.com/ca/p/alienware-m11x-r3/pd

Its amazing that they could get that graphics card inside that little thing and 16 GB of RAM. The battery lasts 7.5 hours when surfing the web and up to 12 when idle. Course it does weigh a ton compared to the Air. Costs $999 for the basic edition.

Processor

Intel® CoreTM i5 2537M (1.4GHz/3MB cache)
Intel® CoreTM i7 2617M (1.5GHz/4MB cache)

Memory

4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
6GB DDR3 at 1333MHz
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz

Video Card

2048MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT430M
1024MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT430M

Display
11.6 inch display (1366x768)

Hard Drive
Up to 750GB5 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)
Up to 256GB5 Solid State Drive SATA hard drive

Ports, Slots & Chassis

System Dimensions
Height: 32.7mm (1.29 inches)
Depth: 233.3mm (9.19 inches)
Width: 285.7mm (11.25 inches)
Starting at Weight2: 2.0 kg (4.4lbs)

External Chassis Connections
(1x) IEEE 1304a (4-pin) Firewire Port
(1x) RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
(2x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports
(1x) Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Port with PowerShare technology
(1x) Display Port
(1x) HDMI 1.4 Audio and Video Output
(1x) 3-in-1 Media Card Reader
(2x) Audio Out 1/8" Ports
(1x) Audio In / Microphone 1/8" Port (retaskable for 5.1 audio)
(1x) Security Lock port

Battery Details
High Capacity 8-cell Lithium Ion (63whr)
 
The M11X has always been tempting, but I'd hate to be seen using one in public or work or college. Just so ugly :/
 
cirus said:
Its amazing that they could get that graphics card inside that little thing and 16 GB of RAM. The battery lasts 7.5 hours when surfing the web and up to 12 when idle. Course it does weigh a ton compared to the Air. Costs $999 for the basic edition.
Click to expand...

Do you actually realize just how thick the M11X is compared to Air?

they might be small, and 11 inch, but they are not thin

i will bow to Dell if they can fit all those into a laptop as thin as the Air
 
Twe Foju said:
Do you actually realize just how thick the M11X is compared to Air?

they might be small, and 11 inch, but they are not thin

i will bow to Dell if they can fit all those into a laptop as thin as the Air
Click to expand...

I do realize that (see my post above you). You do have a point. The M11x is obese and the air is almost anorexic (really thin which is good). I personally have always found screen size to be more of an important factor when looking at the portability of a notebook (this is just my opinion) than weight. When you carry around more than 25 pounds of stuff (like I do) you can hardly feel one or two more.

At 1.3 inches thick that thing is a brick. But it will still fit in a similar sized case. It will be easily three times as powerful and has better battery than the 11 inch air. But so ugly...
 
Beaverman3001 said:
The M11X has always been tempting, but I'd hate to be seen using one in public or work or college. Just so ugly :/
Click to expand...

Yea I wouldn't carry it around in public often, though I wouldn't carry around a Macbook Air either (I'm just too lazy lol), but it looks like something that would be great for trips if you're a heavy gamer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back