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Due to time constraints, Alienware was unable to include all questions received for the Episode 1 videocast. The following questions are representative of frequently asked questions submitted by visitors to the AlienNetwork site. In some cases, questions were consolidated due to a common theme and cover topics beyond those that were addressed in the first videocast.
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Question:
Is Alienware going to be releasing an AlienGUIse theme manager for Windows Vista soon?
Answer:
Yes – we do have plans to release a new Alienware AlienGUIse for Windows Vista, we love to do customized themes and do plan to offer this by the next quarter.
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Question:
When will the curved monitor be on sale and how much will it cost?
Answer:
We’re targeting the end of this year or Q1 of 2009 to have the Alienware curved display available. Pricing has not been determined yet.
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Question:
Why is there no liquid cooling on the new system?
Answer:
All of the desktop models feature liquid cooling as an available option. Our Area-51 7500, Area-51 and Aurora offer this as an option. Our ALX desktop is also overclocked, which usually requires increased cooling support – as such, our ALX comes standard with liquid cooling.
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Question:
Why do you not offer XP on your new technology systems?
Answer:
Because we deal with cutting edge tech, we often have to decide quickly on what technology to offer and how soon to offer it. This is also true with the latest and greatest operating system, which is Microsoft Vista. Different operating systems pose different challenges when validating a system. We prioritize one over another to make it available for customers. We are working on providing XP for all systems.
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Question:
What are Alienware’s plans to develop docking stations?
Answer:
Currently, there are no plans to develop a docking station.
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Question:
What can be said about the future of the desktop as laptops continue to provide almost desktop performance? Is it worth investing now in desktop machines?
Answer:
Though interest in notebooks is increasing, desktops will continue to have a future – not only as a proving ground for new technologies, but as a source for greater computing power. It’s always worth investing in a desktop if you are planning to upgrade your machine’s components in the future. Desktops have a greater upgradeable factor than notebooks. As notebooks become more powerful, so will desktops; there will always be a performance gap between the two. For a longer life and upgradability, a desktop is a worthwhile investment.
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Question:
Will the Area 51 m9750 ever support the Geforce 8800m graphics card? If no, is this because of a technical limitation or a corporate decision?
Answer:
No, due to technical limitations. For those who are looking for the GeForce 8800m, we have the Area-51 m17x now available.
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Question:
When is Alienware going to be available outside the US?
Answer:
Alienware products are offered outside the US. In fact, currently, our products are offered in the UK, Germany and France as well as in the Pacific Rim regions. We are looking to expand into additional regions around the globe, particularly where the PC gaming market is thriving. Starting soon, we’ll have an expansion of activity into Canada.
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Question:
How is Alienware planning on differentiating itself from the rest of the boutique vendors, especially considering that more and more of them appear every year? Also, how come it takes so long to integrate the latest technologies into your computers? An example being NVIDIA's new GeForce 9-series graphics cards: after they were announced, I saw no products from you showcasing these new technologies. As a company marketing itself as on the bleeding edge of computer-gaming high-tech, how do you plan on fixing these shortcomings in the future?
Answer:
Alienware distinguishes itself by providing customers with specific exclusive features and customer support. In addition to hand-building our systems with cutting-edge hardware performance components, we also offer proprietary tools such as Command Center, Alien Adrenaline, Alien Autopsy and OS customization, all packaged in a unique design. We have the ability to bring products to market quickly and provide the unique, boutique experience with the strength and support from our parent company Dell.
Regarding the integration of new technology, Alienware offers the ability to configure and customize high performance systems, which means we must test and validate all variable combinations with the different configurations offered. It takes time to ensure that a new part is validated on all configuration possibilities, Sometimes it means we must work through issues with providers and/or wait until we have the latest drivers and updates to complete some validations. We ensure quality testing, offering our customers the best possible components with stringent Alienware validation and testing.
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Question:
Will Alienware produce and sell Alienware branded/designed MP3 players again in the near future?
Answer:
We have no such plans at this time.
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Question:
Will Alienware ever open a store in Canada, or more specifically Vancouver?
Answer:
Yes – Alienware systems will soon be available in Vancouver, Canada. Keep watching for an announcement on that in the near future.
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Question:
Does Alienware ever plan to change the look of its Desktop and Laptop Cases? I mean, I know you’ve added some small additions to them like light placement and all, but do you ever plan to change it?
Answer:
The Area-51 m15x and the Area-51 m17x notebooks are both grounds-up designs that are brand new You can be sure that whatever we design in the future, Alienware products will always offer a unique look, feel, performance and overall user experience.
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Question:
Does Alienware plan on releasing any smaller laptops such as a 14" or 13" or ultraportables in the coming year?
Answer:
Alienware always pushes the limits of the best technology available, and currently, that form factor can’t support the type of advanced technology and performance we demand for our machines. Dell does offer smaller form factor notebooks, the XPS m1330 and XPS m1530, that address the demand for a great portable notebook.
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Question:
Why are your systems so expensive?
Answer:
Considering what you get when you purchase an Alienware PC, our systems are a great value. Along with the latest hardware, we offer a custom, hand-built unique grounds-up design machine. The quality testing to ensure performance, the exclusive Alienware features such as Alien Autopsy and Alien Adrenaline and the latest technology all factor into how much the system will cost. For example, the latest Intel processor alone is approx. $1,600, so the large expense is directly related to having the best performance out in the market.
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Question:
Why aren’t there any Alienware retail stores?
Answer:
Alienware is always looking for the best way to provide our customers with access to our products, which means we are exploring a variety of retail opportunities. We anticipate that we will offer Alienware systems in retail stores in the future.
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Question:
I have noticed that the selection of Alienware has decreased drastically. It used to be that you could select from about three styles of laptops and then in that selection you could select about three starting points. Is Alienware going to release more product and selection? Or will it be like this from now on?
Answer:
We have not decreased our product offering, rather, we have made it easier for customers to shop. We offer the Area-51, Aurora and ALX desktops, and we have available the Area-51 m15x and Area-51 m17x, which is a compelling selection of performance notebooks. Offering a more simplified breakdown of systems benefits the customer, helping them to find exactly what they are looking for in a quick and uncomplicated manner.
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Question:
Is Alienware currently working on compatibility with 64bit systems? When can we expect this to be released?
Answer:
We do see the industry making the shift to a 64bit OS soon; however, currently the industry as a whole isn’t ready for 64 bit. There isn’t enough support for 64bit content, software or peripherals at this time.
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Question:
Any plans in the future to introduce a machine built for video editing?
Answer:
Video editing systems need a high-performance CPU, and plenty of fast memory, both of which are components required for gaming. Because our gaming-focused machines carry the highest-performing components in the industry, video editing is just another task that can be done with ease on our systems.