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yankeefan24 said:
and i thought macs were expensive:rolleyes: :D ;) :p

wow. thats all i have to say. wow. they sell it for almost 10 grand. wow.

Yeah, what's up with a computer costing that much money, that's never happened before. :rolleyes: :cool:

 
Alienware = overpriced crap for people with too much money.

Seriously, no one I know - from my Windows friends - would bother with Alienware when they could build a better - or at least the same spec'd computer - for less and have the pride of handpicking components and putting it together themselves.

Go to New Egg and piece something together for less.
 
emaja said:
Alienware = overpriced crap for people with too much money.

Seriously, no one I know - from my Windows friends - would bother with Alienware when they could build a better - or at least the same spec'd computer - for less and have the pride of handpicking components and putting it together themselves.

Go to New Egg and piece something together for less.

Their hardware isn't crap. That's for sure. A little pricey, but it's top of the line stuff. The difference in price probably isn't as huge as you are thinking.
 
I'm sorry, everyone is worked up because a company that from the sounds of it none of you ever bought from "they have ugly cases, they cost too much, there tech support sucks" has gone and been acquired by Dell and your angry because...?
 
dmw007 said:
Even with a 30" LCD included, thats still an awful lot of $$$ for a Windows machine! :eek:

Have you checked the specs though?

4GHz+ CPU.
4 7800 GPUs
10,000RPM 160GB hard drive
7,200 400GB hard drive (just in case you run short)
2GB RAM (sounds a bit stingy to me!)
 
Yeah, and note that only the above spec'ed computer costs $10000. The starting price isn't nearly this expensive. You only get 1 video card and no 30" monitor, that's all.

Mac users always defend Apple pricing by saying that Macs aren't expensive computers if you actually take a look at what the computers include. Well....open your eyes and take a look at what this computer comes with.

Cadkiller said:

For a gaming system, not at all. Visually it says a lot, which is better than minimalist, boring, old people stuff. I don't think Alienware computers look good, and the target market would definitely "say" it was ugly (not cool to say anything from a big company looks cool), but in reality, who wants a gaming system that looks like a PowerMac G5? Maybe someone like you who wants their desktop case to match their aluminium cased LCD, grandpa, but not people who dress and act cool and are young enough not to care.

Airforce said:
Their hardware isn't crap. That's for sure. A little pricey, but it's top of the line stuff. The difference in price probably isn't as huge as you are thinking.

Exactly.

The same people who complain about it costing slightly more than if you were to put it together yourself are the same people who can cook pasta at home for very low cost, and yet go out and order pasta at a restaurant. They're called hypocrites, or MacRumours members......whatever.

Look, I don't know much about Alienware, but I'm sorta tired of the sheep in here who can't think for themselves. People read an opinion posted here a few times, and now you all have the same opinion about everything. So sad.
 
I have to admit i was surprised at the news but the facts are Alienware has very powerful stuff. Alienware for gaming & fun Macs for.....................work(blah)
 
ITASOR said:
I don't really know why anyone would buy an Alienware computer anyway, but, I don't want to start an argument in this thread. :)

Totally agreed. When you buy an Alienware, probably $1K of the total price is for the name.
 
While people can argue whether or not Ailenware made good computers, I think we can all agree that this news sucks. It's just another case of a big dumb corporation buying up a smaller cutting-edge corporation so they can expand the bottom line. Though this may not be quite as tragic, it really reminds me of when Nike bought Converse. Dell has a cheapo public image. They want to improve this so they buy up and coming PC maker Alienware to improve their public image with the youth. Of course they don't stick a Dell logo on it, otherwise people will catch on and stop buying Alienware. It's the same thing that happened to Converse. Now they're made in some stupid Chinese factory by Nike and yet they don't say Nike anywhere on the package. Or how about the Adobe Macromedia buyout. At least they weren't quiet about that.
 
time for apple to take gaming seriously

It is time for apple to start taking gaming seriously.

People want performance computers with all of the trimmings. Alienware pushes the graphics card limits and makes excellent computers.

For Apple to differentiate themselves more. we need Gamers to take it seriously, they are a serious high end type of buyer.

additionally, a performance gaming rig can be used for oh so much more. it is really just a high end rig.

Here is a recent article pointing out that game developers need to pay alot to bring titles to mac, not just the basic game, but for middleware. ie online multiplayer support, or for the underpinning game engine a game may be built on top of. apple needs to cut some deals so that games arent as expensive for development on the mac. and are totally online multiplayer compatible with pc games. not just online gaming community through gameranger.

Gameranger is nice, but it sucks in many ways because of the small macgamer community, it can be hard to find people to play games with. for true gaming power, mac games need to be compatible with their windows same title companions. ie, enemy territory, starcraft, warcraft and more. we need full interoperbility.

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/gameroom/2006/03/middleware/index.php
 
emaja said:
Alienware = overpriced crap for people with too much money.

Seriously, no one I know - from my Windows friends - would bother with Alienware when they could build a better - or at least the same spec'd computer - for less and have the pride of handpicking components and putting it together themselves.

Go to New Egg and piece something together for less.


Thats easy enough to say, but I honestly do not know how to install a 4 SLI 7900s and I don't want to mess up when I try, seeing as it is a multiple-thousand piece of quipment.

Building PCs is for sure more cost efficient, but only for people who know alot about PCs. Regular people want the quality, or at least perception of quality, that major PC makers provide. Granted, someone going to spend 10,000 on a computer is not a regular person and probably should be building their own system...
 
mdntcallr said:
It is time for apple to start taking gaming seriously.

I totally agree. If Apple wants to break out of their 4% they need to focus on gamers. Their hardware is there. They just need to really push these game designers to port the games to Macs. And they need to be good and on-time. Who wants to play a 3-year old game with lousy online capabilities when you can get the new one with all the bells and whistles for a PC?
 
I can't stand the look of Alienware computers, Dell, HP/Compaq...any non-Apple computer for that manner. Apple has the best hardware designs in my opinion, I can't settle for anything less from an aesthetic point of view. I'm very particular with things having to look good, OS and the hardware. Not being anti-Windows, but that stuff gives me a headache to look at.

Just a 'meh' news topic...don't really see this being related very well to Apple and Mac rumors. Guess I don't really have much purpose posting in this thread if I have nothing to say relating to the topic.
 
Don't knock Alienware

Alienware is the closest thing PC users have to a Mac. They are well built from quality components, they are lightning fast, and they are visually stunning. They are huge, too. Do any of you actually believe that the PowerMac G5 is a mini cooper? No! It's a frackin tank and you all love it. Don't knock Alienware, feel bad for them.
 
Felldownthewell said:
Thats easy enough to say, but I honestly do not know how to install a 4 SLI 7900s and I don't want to mess up when I try, seeing as it is a multiple-thousand piece of quipment.

Building PCs is for sure more cost efficient, but only for people who know alot about PCs. Regular people want the quality, or at least perception of quality, that major PC makers provide. Granted, someone going to spend 10,000 on a computer is not a regular person and probably should be building their own system...
Also I've found that many folks who build their own do not include software costs. They bootleg most of it so of course they can build a cheaper PC. When you add the cost of Windows XP, Office, Antivirus, etc., the cost goes up quite a bit. Bootlegging software is so easy with Windows. From scratch in just a few minutes I can find hacks for just about anything. And with a broadband connection, I can DL images of most products. Sad when you think about it.

I also find that when I suggest that these folks should purchase their software, they usually look at me with a distain in their looks meaning why should they purchase software when it is so easy to DL and hack. Unfortunately, my arguments for purchasing software tend to fall on deaf ears.
 
Airforce said:
Their hardware isn't crap. That's for sure. A little pricey, but it's top of the line stuff. The difference in price probably isn't as huge as you are thinking.

I use the phrase "overpriced crap" to be one word ("overpricedcrap") that simply means "overpriced" and not "expensive products of dubious quality." It's a quirk and you guys would not know that of me.

Abstract said:
The same people who complain about it costing slightly more than if you were to put it together yourself are the same people who can cook pasta at home for very low cost, and yet go out and order pasta at a restaurant. They're called hypocrites, or MacRumours members......whatever.

Look, I don't know much about Alienware, but I'm sorta tired of the sheep in here who can't think for themselves. People read an opinion posted here a few times, and now you all have the same opinion about everything. So sad.

I am not being a sheep about this and held this opinion before I was a Mac user. No self-respecting gamer I have ever played with or know has bought an Alienware PC. The only people I know with them are people who have unlimited access to daddy's money.

Example -

I haven't priced them out lately, but when and took a look at the Aurora 7500 which starts at $1829 with the Athlon 3800x2/1GB/250GB/7900GT. Not a bad SLI system.

I went to New Egg and did this -

$109.00 - Lian Li Case
$139.99 - 650w Coolmax power supply
$295.00 - Athlon 64 3800 x2
$194.99 - MSI K8N nForce 4 SLI motherboard
$105.00 - 1GB (2x512MB) Crucial Ballistix RAM (CAS 2)
$329.00 - BFG GeForce 7900GT
$89.95 - Windows XP Home SP2
$96.00 - 250GB/7200/8MB cache Seagate hard drive
$51.00 - Lite-On DVDRW with LightScribe
$19.99 - Microsoft Basic keyboard
$14.99 - Microsoft Basic optical mouse

Total - $1444.91 - $384 dollars cheaper. The Aurora 7500 also does not have a DVD burner, only a DVD ROM and probably does not use Crucial Ballistix RAM, but I threw those in for a comparison of what you could do so you could knock about $50 off for using Corsair XMS RAM instead for $78 and getting a cheap OEM DVD drive which would make the difference over $400. That $400 can almost get you a sweet Dell 2005FPW monitor when it is on sale.

What do you lose by builing it yourself? A whopping 90 day warrantee.

For those who will ask, "What about the software?" well, the Alienware comes with Windows - that's all. No Works, no Office, no AV software. Nothing else. So I spec'd mine that way.

As you can see, I did not go cheap to undercut them. I used high quality components from brands that are typically used by high-end gamers.

I am no Windows hater. I have built and use my home-built nice Shuttle XPC every day for gaming. Alienware is too expensive for what you get. Building a PC is a piece of cake and very rewarding.

As for the pasta analogy, some people like to do things for the satisfaction of doing it. No one makes their own pasta to save a buck. People do build gaming PS for both. It is always cheaper and always more satisfying to build a PC yourself.

Anyone who knows enought to want a system like this generally knows how to plug a few things together to assemble the thing. It is not hard and not for only those who know a lot about PCs.
 
Find out what's in Alienware's computer...
Buy the same/similar...

Then follow simple instructions that come with each part. Mostly, which slot to push said parts in. Building your computer is pretty easy.
 
Cadkiller said:
Personally, I like Alienware product design.

There is also some very nice build your own stuff out there as well.

emaja said:
I am not being a sheep about this and held this opinion before I was a Mac user. No self-respecting gamer I have ever played with or know has bought an Alienware PC. The only people I know with them are people who have unlimited access to daddy's money.
Or daddy who likes serious gaming! :D
 
sushi said:
Or daddy who likes serious gaming! :D

The irony of that is that I am the daddy who likes serious gaming!

I dread the day when my kids as for their own gaming PC. I am such a sucker for technology - LOL!
 
My letter to Alienware PC

Sorry if this is repeated for those who saw my message on MacNN but here's the letter I just wrote to Alienware PC.. It basically bashes them for selling out and turning their company into the Walmarts of the PC World...

Two Whom It May Concern,

I no longer own windows machines as I now own Mac's. However I at one time owned TWO Alienware PCs but this was SEVERAL years ago before you started redesigning the cases to make them cool and edgy.

I am totally disappointed in you all selling out to Dell. You guys have always strived to be unique and cutting edge. Your machines were solid and fast and never skimped on quality or cut corners on cost. However, this has been OPPOSITE of my experience with Dell users (who as a former PC Tech) often had to repair these because of the sub-par parts used in their machines. Dell support also has been non-existent for many of my former clients. Dell is one of the reasons I got out of the PC tech and networking and went into Graphic Design (a mostly Mac world).

I know you all feel this is a coup for you all, a very large vehicle with a ton of cash rolled up to your doorstep and saved you from whatever cost problems led you to accept this offer. However, you by selling to Dell have turned an amazing computer niche into a company comparable to the Walmart's of the PC World.

Alienware will be a distant memory in a few years, after Dell remolds you into something beige and boring, and with crappy equipment and non-existent customer support.

Sincerely
Christopher Powers
 
Wow, this really happened. I read about it on MSN.com several days ago, but the article seemed to be pure speculation.

I used to work with several guys who were mad for Alienware. I have to say they were very nice machines. The ordering process was kind of ridiculous, hopefully Dell will improve on that.

The machines are solid though. Very high end, beatiful graphics and performance. My only beef was that they ran XP. All the problems my co-workers had were operating system issues, nothing wrong with the hardware.

As far as design, I'd rate the machines at No. 2 in the computing world (Apple being No. 1). I felt encouraged about the world when I saw that more companies were paying attention to the physical aesthetics of their PCs.

I suspect Dell will drive Alienware into the ground, steal their customers and Alien-ate a lot of people. But like someone else said, serious gamers are also serious consumers. Someone, maybe that Falcon (Falconer?) company will come up and rescue the gamers from Dull. I think I'll go check out their machines next.
 
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