What users want in the M18x R2

[Brabostaan]

I know the reasson behind it but now your talking about a cooler to push air in.

What we want is the notebook fan to suck enough air in, with the current cooling system it wont work, well it will keep the dust out but does not provide enough airflow to keep the system cool. And if it could the fans would be at full blast all the time.

You need a certain amount of airflow, with a filter you are restricting the airflow because that filter has a certain amount of resistance you have to overcome to keep the system cool so you need bigger/faster or more fans to suck in enough air to keep the system cool.

Another thing is maintenance, how often? Since the filters will be very small the frequentie of changing them will be high. If components got damaged cause of heat due to clogged filters who is responsible?
Like I said put a thin sock in front of the air intake, monitor your temps and fan speed.

I really like the idea but I dont think its doable in such a small formfactor.

My native language is not English so its kinda hard for me to explain.

[Hyncharas]

Well the alternative I had to dust filters was pitched on IdeaStorm, but there was mixed interest in that. At the time I didn't know what M18x was going to get connections for, but not having a 5.1 soundcard in it. So I thought about a docking station for Alienware laptops that provided some additional UBS 2.0/3.0 connections, had a built-in Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium and speakers to provide 7.1 and some AlienFX lighting - but what it also had was a thermoreactive cooling system. I even had plans to have HDMI connections as on the M18x to allow support for the smaller laptops.

All Dell/Alienware laptops are the same; expelling hot air from the rear-exhaust vent and the GPU fans as heat is generated by components. Basically the way this works is the air is captured by the docking station via extractors, filling a thin compartment with sealed containers of the compound, while rising heat from the sound system below this is added to the cooling process. Due to the thermoreactive gel, the heat actually creates a chemical reaction and causes them to generate a semi-refrigerated effect underneath the CPU, GPU, the memory rack and hard drive bay. With the cooling system sandwiched in the middle, the resultant effect is the targeted areas are kept cool from the very heat generated after it's been extracted and converted, while any gaming you're performing is output in true 7.1 surround.

Of course now the laptop has connections for a 7.1 headset, but it's still all just an intenal software solution. The "Therliminator" docking station would be designed for the M14x to the M18x and what's demanded by a desktop replacement is proper, hardware-quality sound... they probably won't build that peripheral, either

[SOS4DELL]

Dear Anentropik and all aliens out there,

May I suggest to add to the list of wishes... a much better training, less 'machine answering' like, of the techs?

Yes, I know: maybe I sound like a naive idealist, but I wanted to reflect on the 'painful experience' of chatting / dealing with the techs that so many are complaining about.

After the example gived in this forum by Dell-Bill_B we can believe that it's possible!

[MartinReyes]

I think the quality of their technical support is a separate issue from the R2.

[Axisofevil35]

OLED stands for "Optical Light Emitting Diode", so instead of brodcasting simply light it's creating a small, pixellated image like a desktop icon. The power requirements for that are no different than standard ultra-brightness LEDs for backlit keyboards. They may even use less power because image-data for control schemes are compressed when not being displayed.

To address Anentropik's statement in conserving power output, however, an idea may be to switch off the optical grid while a screensaver is running or it's in Sleep mode, yet keep them functional like an unlit keyset; returning their appearance to view only when the desktop or an application is visible to users (i.e. the screensaver/sleep has been interrupted). That way, the lifetime of the OLEDs are extended before the keyboard needs replacement, as the energy-saving feature prevents them from burning out when users aren't operating the machine, but still have it switched on.

Sorry mate but OLED dose not stand for (Optical Light Emitting Diode) it's actually OLED (organic light-emitting diode)

OLED - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OLED Components

[Bytales]

I rather like the cover glass, it was part of the reason I went with an Alienware. It's an interesting solution to protecting the screen from people who can't help themselves from stabbing their finger ON the screen to point at something. Haven't had this problem with the M18x yet though, apparently since it looks expensive and I'm ready to grab fingers before they make it to the screen.

Still, it's an extra expense that makes no other sense and just adds cost and weight. A recessed screen with matte/glossy options would be great, and a lot easier to remove with a snap-in bezel like the old style.

But the ALIENWARE logo in the glass looks cool too.

1)Cover glass for the screen seems like a very good ideea. My x7200 screen looks so flimsy without it, and if you press it a bit, you have the feeling its going to break down.

What i would like in the R2, and if wiil have this, it will be my next laptop
1)2560x1600 rez. cmon 1080p is old school now. I want more, i need more. And with the latest gen sli 28nm 100w cards, it will be a piece of cake gaming in this rez
2)120 hz screen. Not necessarily for 3d but because i heard it makes a huge difference. im not a big fan of 3d. But having a 120hz 2560x1600 IPS panel, i think there are very little chances we are going to be offered that.
3)Please add another hdd slot. The laptop its so big it can easily fit 3 even maybe 4 2.5" hdd. Since the x7200 a 17" chasis fits 3, why not fit 4 in the m18x wich is bigger and surpass it all the way. That paiered with 4 time oCz octane 1TB will make one hell of a storage rig.
4)This is very important. With the next ivi bridge cpus, and next gen nvidia, please give us optimus for sli. If you do not play, the sli subsystem is powered down, thus allowing the usage of the laptop plugless for more than 8 hours. This is also good for power consumption when not gaming.

I suppose more could be added, but these should not be to hard to do, and would improve the value tremendously, esspecialy if the m18 r2 chassis would be full metal something mg alloy or something.

[SOS4DELL]

I think the quality of their technical support is a separate issue from the R2.

Not at all my pal... it can be part of it as a welcomed improvement... or is it not?

[MartinReyes]

Re-training Dell's support staff, the thousands and thousands of them, is a little bit out there. This thread is about changes specific to the R2. This issue could be brought up in regards to any Dell product. It's out of scope.

[Bytales]

I have seen many ppl having different keyboard needs.
Some want full size, the hell with the gaming buttons.
Some want gaming buttons as is now.
Some may say those are not enough.
Some would prefer a desktop like layout, i bet.
Some would also prefer the split in 2 model keyboard optimizied for typing.

Obviously you cannot please all of them.
But what if you could ?

Why not make the whole keyboard region replaceble?
One would stick it out, sort of like you stick out a video card out of the pci express slot.
And one you do that you have easy acces beneath to the memory slots and mini pci express ports.

Create in the sticking slot a proprietary port that is connected to the mainboard through a pci express x1 buss and also some more power than it is required for a normal keyboard just so that one can create future keyboards that have some features that would draw more power.

Standardize this ''thing'' that one can take out and change, and offer different options for different user.

Make it a little bit thick, perhaps 1 cm thick or so, so that you have place for future developement.
Thus one could offer.
1)Original m18R1 keyboard
2)Full size keyboard with numpad
3)Keboard with more gaming keys
4)Keyboard optimized for typing split in 2 regions
5)Various types of mechanical keyboards
6)And perhaps as keyboard technology advances, and it gets cheaper, OLED LCDs for each key, that would cary symbols that would change according to need.
FOr instance you could have something like this implemented Optimus Maximus keyboard
where the image on the keys changes according to selected in windows language, or according to specific games.
For instance, the buttons WASD would become arrows in a FPS with only a small W, A,S,D displayed in the corner of the arrow.

Thus you would kill 2 bunnies in one shot.
Allow for open customization of the keyboard, and give easy acces to ram and pci express slots.

ANd since this is a pci express based connection of some sort, one can add on the keyboard space different other things, like mini lcds, or fingerprint sensors, or whatever.

Thus everyone would choose the keyboard according to his needs and his budget of course.

That would definetly be something worth of the alienware name, since no laptop on earth has so far such an option.

Constructive comments are appreciated.

[Anentropik]

@All
Please excuse me for time between my last response and this one, I'm extremely busy.

I just want to say that there's no hierarchy for the wishes in the OP, only red one are really better than the others, after that the number in front of each line is here only to facilitate the reading.


@SOS4DELL
"A much better training, less 'machine answering' like, of the techs?"

Sound great but it's not the concern of m18x R2, perhaps you should put this great Idea on IdeaStorm (I will vote for this !)

@Byatles
Don't forget this is a laptop and there's no need for a capability of upgrade for the 10 next years.

1cm more thick !!! Whoo i think the actual thick is at the max, more it would be à desktop If you can accept 1cm more you just have to buy a desktop keyboard and put it on your laptop, don't you thonk so ?

The Idea about an easy way to switch regional keyboard is great and I think it could go on the line that demand a better access to the under keyboard RAM slot. (I will add it when I get time)

I have to go, see you next time