Alienware - Steer Clear !
Sep 28 '01 (Updated Oct 06 '01)
The Bottom Line Looks greats! Sounds great ! Buy a system from Alienware ? NO … You will be disappointed if you do.
It was time to get another computer for me and I wanted a system that had the best hardware but also one that was put together as a package well. I have bought from Dell, Gateway, and even smaller places. The bigger places are limited on what you can customize but tend to be more stable systems. The smaller places will get the parts that you want but they may take a while to get everything working with updated drivers and without system conflicts.
The hype about Alienware suckered me in. I believed that they custom built each system and hand tweak them to insure high performance and stability. I thought it would be great that it would already have the latest drivers , CPU was tested and would meet their standard for performance, and even the OS was said to be custom configured. I expected the personalized owner's manual to actually be personalized. What I have gotten is far from my expectations.
Actually, I have still not received everything I ordered which is going on five weeks now. I was told that it would take three weeks when I ordered it. I figured that was because the time that it takes to customize each system must be a lot. I ordered the system from the web, confirmed the order by phone the next day. I called in after a few days when the status never changed on their web site. They said that although the website does not show it, the system was in production and would be on my door step within the three weeks from confirming the order. After the long three weeks had passed, I called again. All I was told was that it was still in production and had not shipped yet. After a few more days, I had a delivery! The problem was that I received the computer but not the monitor and speakers. I expected them the next day for sure, right ? Wrong ! I still have not received them and have called in several times. I have not been able to talk to a manager, but for the third time I have been told that they are shipping them “today”.
Well, on to the actual computer. The case is surprisingly excellent ! Very well built and cabled. Easy to expand and was what I expected it should be, until I turned it on …
They did customize Windows ME for me. The screen saver says “Jeremy”. Isn’t that nice. I would rather them to have gotten the modem to work and the network card. I was surprised that I had to re-install the modem to get it to work. I guess that personal customization stops when they pick the “image” to install on the hard drive to go with the equipment ordered and put your name in the screen saver. So much for tweaking the system then.
The personalized owner's manual is a joke. The following was copied from their website.
In your manual you will find:
· Benchmark Documentation
· Drivers and Hardware Manuals
· Warranty and Technical Information
· A custom Alienware® fUnc Surface 1030 Mouse Pad
· Initial Set Up Diagrams
There are three papers stuck in a pocket that is the packing list and a check off paper where they write down some results for bench mark tests. The rest of the manual is some kind of standard documentation. I guess it is personalized because of those three papers.
They have at least removed the section on their website labeled “Why you should buy from Alienware”. It was a lot of half truths and hype.
One more thing, I asked for an RMA(Return Material Authorization) yesterday because they said that they would not be able to ship the monitor and speakers out for about four days. This is after they told me they were shipping them two other time now. They told me they could do that, but there was a 15% restocking fee. Can you believe that, charging for restocking when they have not shipped it all yet ! I said that they would have to deal with the credit card company on that since they actually still have most of it STILL stocked … Anyway, after some more negotiating, they said that they would ship out the monitor and speaker system FedEx next day. I am not holding my breath.
** UPDATE I received the Monitor and Speaker system the next days as they said. I was surprised !
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tradelair
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