Alienware and other crap!
 

This annoys me, not that I lose sleep over it or anything, but the people that do this should know better. They should know that they're getting ripped off. People buy these systems thinking that they're getting some sort of amazing gaming system that will spank the competition, while in all honesty that fat kid next door with a shoe box as his computer's tower probably has a higher 3D mark score.

Alienware, Falcon Northwest, and the other Uber computer systems out there are nothing more than flashy cases and plexiglass panels. I know so many people who get these Systems and shell out mad stacks of cash to get something that I can build for $300-$500 less.

If you're thinking about getting an alienware system please read this first.

Alienware, and the rest suck for these reasons:

1. They are an ordinary computer with a flashy case and some extra glitter paint.

2. They charge you at the very least $300 more than the components are worth.

3. As soon as ATI or Nvidia releases a new driver and you update, it's no longer an Alienware system, now it's using the same drivers as everyone else.

Here is what you do. . . Go online to pricewatch.com and get all the components there! Go to an online retailer and buy a computer case. There are lots of stores that offer fancy "pre-modded" cases that look just as good as alienwares cases. Now take all the junk and put it together. It's not that hard, and get a friend to help if you're really lost.

Now you have a cool computer, with $300-$500 that you can spend on hookers, or throw at strippers.

Just because I can't afford an Alienware comp., I definitely don't think they "suck". I can't afford an Escalade either, but I don't think they suck, either. Not everyone has to worry about money, so what is wrong with them buying Alienware?

It's not a matter of being able to afford them, it's just that the company's are misleading their naive customes into thinking that they are buying the "ultimate machine" when in all reality they're just buying a regular computer with a candy coating.

I've talked dozens of people out of them because they think that if they spend the extra money on one of these systems they won't go obsolete as fast or they will run faster than all other systems out there.

When people know more about them then they realise that they're just wasting money for the exact same product everyone else has.

I don't think Alienware sucks, but I would never buy from them. I wouldn't buy ANY prebuilt system. I builds 'em myself. I can't always afford the fastest components, but I'm always sure that I will have a speedy, reliable system. The last pre-built that I bought was a Sony VAIO P2 266MHz. $1700 w/o monitor! And it was a POS. I've been thinking about selling computers that I would make, but everyone seems to want performance for $400. lol.

I think its our obsession with the way things look not that way they work. People are just like that, if its a flashy pc it must be good. Just like case modding, if someone with no computer knowledge see's a modded case thats awsome its going to be the best pc to them because its flashy and looks like it can kick ass in specs.

I don't think Alienwares suck, I just wouldn't waste that much on a pc. The prices they bring it up to is just crazy but some people have money to burn

Support. Its a question of support. You will notice that most people capable of fixing their systems dont buy them, they build them. Those who cant fix their systems want to be able to call someone up and get their machine fixed when it breaks, they dont want to learn how to fix it. Its the same reason why corporations will pay so much money for things that you thing are ridiculous (for example, my job pays about $1000 for a 17" sony trinitron monitor that you can buy for $250--but if this monitor <i>ever</i> breaks, it is replaced immediately and free of charge).

Sometimes its worth paying more to have someone there to fix your shit when it breaks.

And you could buy last years car models for 1/3 the price. Statisticly a car loses a 1/3 of it's value the minute you drive it off the lot and another 1/3 in the first 1.5 years. That doesn't stop people from shelling out cash to stay ahead of the joneses.

Rememeber that people like that are the cattle that keep the economy moving and we should be thankfull for their ignorance.
After all, buyer beware.

Sorry if i sound a little harsh, but their is always a basic level of any economy being carried by any given population, most usually the least educated portion. sad but true.

##edit##
That's true, support is the other reason. Support is an enormus cost to any company and will often cost more than the hardware. It's one of those few examples nowdays where you get what you pay for.

Alienware is a business, they aren't in business to bulid computers for what it costs them. They do it for profit. They are not deceptive about this. What they are doing is legal and ethical. They are not ripping anybody off, they provide exactly what they say they will provide, for the price they quote. If Joe Consumer thinks it's a fair price, then he pays it. How does that make them suck?

I personally love their systems. The fact that they offer dual processors and near top of the line compontents (I'll admit that some of them aren't), they still offer a very competitive system. Also, they offer a reasonably priced water cooling system. I think they're great computers. The price is steep, but if I had money to blow, I'd get one as a fun computer.

I would never buy an Alienware myself, but that's only because I can build the same $3,110.00 system for about $900.00 by doing a little research. And tech support? I'm my own tech support. Besides most of the parts in home built computers have warranties.

I don't think they suck for making a profit, but they do suck for PEOPLE IN THE KNOW. I'm actually kindof jealous of them for realizing that the general public follows form over function when it comes to technology.

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...ight=alienware more discussion there if you want.


and if i had a choice, i would definately build one more pc.

Why don't you offer to build them an uber computer for cheaper?

So, if you were to take the components of these systems, put them together, QA test them, deal with shipping, and provide tech support, all for some other person and do this as your job, how much would you charge that person? My guess is that it would be around $300-$500.

Sure, Alienwares are incredibly overpriced, but it's not as simple as going to Pricewatch and buying the cheapest part. Never, ever buy parts from companies listed on Pricewatch unless you check their rating on http://www.resellerratings.com

I honestly wouldn't buy anything from a company that has a rating less than 8 out of 10. There's a reason NewEgg has an incredible rating (9.8 out of 10): their RMA service. If they ship you a defective item, it gets sent back ASAP and you get your damn money back. It's as simple as that. There are other companies out there (lots of them) that do NOT offer refunds after you spent $500 on a new video card. There are tons of companies out there that offer 30-day return policies in which they mean it takes 30 days to get a refund. There are companies out there that will send you a MDI hard drive after you ordered a Western Digital Caviar, then have the MDI fail after a week. Never, ever buy anything from a company that is not rated well. It's not worth saving money if the pieces don't work and you have no way of returning them.

I've ordered about $2,000 worth of computer parts from NewEgg in the past year. Guess what? I've RMA'ed every single piece of it back. Yes, I've sent it all back, simply because there were problems with the hardware. Hell, I ordered TWO GeForce FX 5900 Ultras for $500 each, and BOTH of them came broke. This is what makes a company stand out on the Internet: Both cards came to my house in 3 days with standard shipping, both were broke, both were RMA'ed, and a week later I had my money back. There aren't many companies out there that will do that for you, but NewEgg does. They strive for excellence in one major field: return services. Find a company with great return services and you're set.

I'll still order from NewEgg simply because of their great RMA service. Hell, even considering I've returned $2,000 of merchandise to them. That's where it counts, though: I was able to return it quickly and without hassle.

-Lasereth

i bought a motherboard from newegg arrived doa twice, i returned it , it cost me around 80 in shipping, probably because i had it overnighted, or maybe theyve changed policy..

alienwares have come down a lot in price , thats why i bought the sager instead, similar hardware, a lot cheaper, but the recent prices are pretty close.

of course you can apply any of what you said to just about any name brand, people like flashy names and marketing works, its not likely to change any time soon.

sorry, i just think the cases look dead sexy

Lasereth, sounds like you have terrible luck with computer parts. I haven't recieved any defective boards yet, but if I did, I would call the manufacturer and hit them up for some free goodies after a replacement.

i would much rather build my own systems, unless they are free like the 1.8 P4 dell i am on right now... i love free stuff

Yeah, I'm constantly amazed by Alienware & others that offer high concept, low value (not quality) computers. A little research, and you can definitely save a lot of cash!