Switch to Alienware?

[black-bean]

has made me consider going to the dark side and switching to... gulp... Alienware.

you went to the dark side if you go MBP!!!!

Alienware isn't just about flashing LEDs, and ostentatious/vulgar/absurd looking laptops, but also about build quality and Dell's support behind it. M18x/M17x R2 metallic chassis is BEAST, beats the crummy plastic chassis found on R3/R4 and most other laptops. Also Dell's support and customer service I find to be top notch, find another company that will exchange your unit after 3-4 repairs.

i personally prefer plastics, they're lighter and more flexible, plus you don't get static shocks to your fingers and hand every now and then.
and isn't the m17x R3/R4 rubberized and not just plain plactics?
i don't think the majority of ppl think alienware as vulgar/absurd looking

[Shox]

If the AW is 300-400 above the Sager then you will have no problem getting them down. Show proof that you ordered it and tell them that you are annoyed that you have to wait so long but you don't think it would be worth 300 more to get the Alienware just because your getting it quicker. They will probably get you down to around $100 above the price of the clevo. I'd pay the extra 100 for Alienware. Next day tech support (which may not have been good too you in the past... I would consider it a once off problem. Dells support has been good recently so that shouldn't be an issue any more.) They do look better than a Clevo (I'm not picky on looks but I would take the alienware over a clevo) & they have a decent backlit keyboard and speakers.

I think you would have a bit more reassurance going with Alienware, especially if you get the accidental warranty.

[black-bean]

dude m17x is 17" while the np9150 is only 15" and price difference at only USD300/400??? should be a no brainer which to choose.

[Vahlen]

dude m17x is 17" while the np9150 is only 15" and price difference at only USD300/400??? should be a no brainer which to choose.

I actually prefer the 15" to the 17" for desk space/portability reasons, but that aside the prices differences between a 15 and 17inch is at best $100 ($60 in sagers case). My worry is more focused on getting it at the right price/time since I am extremely constrained in terms of budget and somewhat limited on time. I did actually email Allan a while back since he and his team seemed to be very friendly/helpful in their forum post, he forwarded the email to another team that would contact me but it's been a while so . Calling is going to be my last resort as I attempted that a few times before going with the Sager and was basically given the option of paying full price or go elsewhere (2 of the reps didn't even know what Sager/Clevo was......).

I seem to just have bad luck when it comes to Dell, and that is something which I would like very much to change!!

Alienware isn't just about flashing LEDs, and ostentatious/vulgar/absurd looking laptops, but also about build quality and Dell's support behind it. M18x/M17x R2 metallic chassis is BEAST, beats the crummy plastic chassis found on R3/R4 and most other laptops. Also Dell's support and customer service I find to be top notch, find another company that will exchange your unit after 3-4 repairs.

I wish I could be as enthusiastic/confident as you are about the build quality a support offered by Dell, but with SO many people having really awful experiences combined with my own horror story it's tough to imagine . Now I realize the bad experiences are touted about more than the pleasant ones, but when your about to drop almost $2,000 on a product anything negative gives cause for concern.

I'm really on the fence about giving Dell one last shot, or wait to make a significantly less expensive purchase in the future........idk.....

[Prasad]

Agreed. I share the same sentiment. I'd rather have a relatively portable but powerful 15.6" machine, as opposed to the Alienware offerings with the ATI 7970M GPU. However, given the current scenario, this is being less and less likely.. :/

[black-bean]

I actually prefer the 15" to the 17" for desk space/portability reasons, but that aside the prices differences between a 15 and 17inch is at best $100 ($60 in sagers case).

shame really, AW replaced the M15x with the crappy M14x, regardless, when i configured both np9170 and aw m17x r4 with exactly same configurations and asked price quotes directly through resellers, i found the price differences of USD150 (more expensive on the AW and both after discounts).

in the end, i could only say buy something you won't regret the next day/ week and don't buy what you don't need.
regardless of which brand you choose, both sager/clevo and aw makes awesome laptops.
for me, i ordered aw in the end because warranty and service wise, dell is much easier to access in my current location than sager/clevo.

[Guswut]

I wish I could be as enthusiastic/confident as you are about the build quality a support offered by Dell, but with SO many people having really awful experiences combined with my own horror story it's tough to imagine . Now I realize the bad experiences are touted about more than the pleasant ones, but when your about to drop almost $2,000 on a product anything negative gives cause for concern.

I'm really on the fence about giving Dell one last shot, or wait to make a significantly less expensive purchase in the future........idk.....

The most important factor to any decent Dell purchase is to make sure you get a nice long warranty. That's also normally the area that the sales rep. can give you the most savings.

[GTO_PAO11]

Can you upgrade your warranty when you receive your unit?

[katalin_2003]

Can you upgrade your warranty when you receive your unit?

You can purchase aftermarket warranty from Dell, but it's advisable to get it at the same time with your system order.

Adding it later can be significantly more expensive.

[GTO_PAO11]

I already paid my item. How much is it and can you use that warranty for free upgrade?