Introducing the “I LOVE THIS LAPTOP’s” Arch-Nemesis

Actually this awesome machine and my PREVIOUS “Top Dog”, The DELL XPS-Studio-1640, aren’t even in the same Ballpark much less “playing the same game” (pun intended).

This “King of the Hill”  Mobile Desktop category gaming platform is, by a huge margin, simply the most formidable computer that I’ve even owned. And, having been a computer professional since 1967, I’ve built my fair share of computers from the ground up.

My last computer purchase was also a Laptop category (The Dell XPS-Studio-16. See review of that computer on this same site) and is also a very nice machine, but not what I would really categorize as a Mobile Desktop. The Dell is light and petite in comparison, and can literally be picked up pinched between a thumb and forefinger. The M17x is challenging to pick up with both hands. Just to illustrate the point, imagine lugging around a 15lb+ frozen turkey, everywhere you went, as a computing device.

In all fairness to the M17x though, it’s designed to be user maintainable/upgradeable, and can be configured to have some of the most powerful and advanced options obtainable in no other Mobile Desktop. You don’t just cram all the power of this Uber-Laptop into a case (even an all Aluminum shell such as this) and expect it to be diminutive or a lightweight. Buy something else if you want ease of portability or are not up to a little physical exercise.

But if you appreciate raw power, hang onto your socks, ’cause this baby ROCKS! Short of an all out full sized gaming platform, look no further. This machine will chew up and spit out anything that you can throw at it, and is not just limited to games. Games are often the ultimate stress on all aspects of your overall equipment though. I’ve yet to find a really demanding game, configured for all the settings “maxed out”, that will make this machine even get warm to the touch. Prior machines have often gotten downright HOT and even painful to rest my hands on. The M17x has some impressive fans, but they aren’t usually on at all. With extremely heavy demands they can get fairly rowdy sounding, but actually only for a short period of time. Even at full tilt, the noise level is not all that distracting at all.

Quality of design and construction is Excellent, in fact the best I’ve ever encountered by a wide margin. Aesthetically, this machine is absolutely gorgeous, that’s the only way to describe it and not mince words. From it’s full sized keyboard, with a very solid and pleasing feel, to it’s real glass full side to side designed display the overall quality of design and impressiveness oozes from every pore. The display is rock solid in stability, geometry, and sheer visual impact. Multiple areas of the total package and keyboard are individually selectable and configurable in a wide range of backlit color choices.

Even the aluminum case itself can come in an attention grabbing Anodized option called Nebula Red.

Available optical drives include a DVD/CD burner, a drive that will also play BluRay discs and a final upgrade to one that includes a BluRay burner. The included optical display (screen)  is a 17-inch WideXGA+ which displays 1440 x 900 pixels (900p). That screen can be enhanced by configuring your unit with an optional 17-inch WideUXGA RGB LED backlit screen displaying 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution (1200p).

Keyboard zones alone can all be set to individual color selections for easy identification. Even the aggressive grill and fan outlets can be configured in your choice of color schemes. The grillwork being very reminiscent of an alien space craft or some exotic race car. From the crispness of the display quality, the typical and expected Alienware styling motif,  and the configurable lighting color schemes this machine simply cannot be ignored by anyone in its proximity. Do not leave this computer unattended for even a second in a crowded location like an airport terminal or neighborhood coffee shop.

Not only can you adjust the colors of the badges on the back & front, the mouse trackpad, the ‘grillwork/headlights’ (also front fans and front firing speaker ports), you can also set the keyboard to display up to as many as 4 colors at the same time.

When considering an extreme gaming computer, the focus of your attention should always be on the graphics card setup and options (if any!). The M17x comes standard with the awesome 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD-4870. You can optionaly upgrade to Dual boards with Crossfire, or Dual HD-5870′s with Crossfire. This will support outrageous gaming requirements or amazing multitasking.

Ports are plentiful and ALL are easily accessed from the sides of this beast. I would have liked at least one of the USB ports to have been on the rear, so that my wireless mouse dongle weren’t so “out in the breeze”. But I view this a very minor Nit, on a very short list.

Of more importance to me is a port for both Firewire (ieee 1394) and eSATA. These ports are just not as prevalent on many laptops to suit me. Also 3 discrete audio outputs speaks loudly to me. For some unknownst reason to me (lack of availability of parts?) a BluRay option on the DVD/CD drive was not available as an option during the configuration phase of my unit while specifying my desired optional equipment.

Speaking of the configuration phase, let’s move on to the “not so good” side of this impressive beast, the bottom line price. As you might expect none of Alienware’s computers are inexpensive, especially when you start selecting the high end “good stuff”. Base price for this unit is $1799. But why bother? If you’re like me, and have committed to “the absolute best to offer”, why skimp?

The base machine comes with the Intel® Core™ i5 520M 2.4GHz (2.93GHz Turbo Mode, 3MB Cache). Other Optional CPU choices top out with the phenomenal Intel® Core™ i7 920XM 2.0 GHz (3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache). This is currently the most powerful Mobile CPU option obtainable in any machine currently available on the planet! This single upgrade option alone will pump up the base price  by $1050 all by itself.

Here’s the way I configured my “Beast”:

Nebula Red – Special Edition – Anodized Aluminun
Intel Core i7 920XM 2.0GHz (3.2Ghz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)
6GB Memory (1 x 2GB, 1x 4GB DDR3)
17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)
Dual  1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4870 with CrossFireX
256GB Solid State Drive
Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
8X DVD+/- RW Dual Laver Drive
Intel Ultimate N Wifi Link 6300 a/g/n
500GB, 7200 rpm SATA-II HDD
3yr Extended Warranty, in Home Service (After Remote Diagnostics)

My total bottom line price $4,994.00 before taxes
Also, before adding on extras like an additional power supply (just in case one of my pups thinks the cord on this machine is “extra tasty”. AND the carrying case designed to handle this Dynamo. Word to the wise — Many aftermarket carrying cases will NOT work, either can’t handle the weight of the M17x OR it’s proportions.

In Summary:
If you’re a very serious gamer, chances are that you’re already considering an Alienware computer. The Alienware branding is at or near the top of any aficionado’s Best of the Best list. The M17x gaming laptop puts their already legendary desktop power into a Mobile Desktop format, even though in a somewhat heavy and bulky package.

Anyone who breaks out this Uber-Laptop and starts competing in the hottest new MMORPG is going to be the envy of everyone and anyone around. My personal vote? Go for it! This is my favorite of favorites, of ANY computer I have even laid my hands on, I’ve not a single complaint. I LOVE THIS MACHINE!!

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

I’m REALLY liking the latest vs of Vista. It’s everything that Vista SHOULD HAVE BEEN, but wasn’t!  But that’s what the early releases of Windows are like.

Windows7 is VISTA polished to a beautiful sheen. It’s MUCH cleaner, crisper in it’s operation, and leaner too! Leaner, meaning that it requires much less in the way of “computer hardware requirements”. This will become important to you who are considering purchasing NETBook style computers. They currently come configured ONLY with Window XP. The reason for that is VISTA will not run on them. The hardware demands for VISTA are greater than the NETBooks can supply. CPU speed, Memory, Hard disk sizes, are all below the requirements for the NETBooks. But…..  Windows7 is LEANER!! And it WILL run on the NETBooks!

NETBooks are now being shipped with Win7 installed instead of being limited to only Windows XP.

Around an August timeframe, they will be selling with Windows7 pre-installed.

In the meantime, if you want to “view” what Windows7 is all about go to the following link to see a lot of amazing videos from Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/ . I LIKE IT!!

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

Yes, there really is Wi-Fi inside that tiny little card. I think it’s going to change the way people take, save and share photos. The Eye-Fi™ Card comes with everything needed to make it simple to set up and connect to your home Wi-Fi network. After you set it up, place the card into your Digital camera and start capturing photos and videos. It stores pictures like a regular SD card, and then uploads your photos automatically as soon as you return to your home network. All you have to do is turn the camera on. Uploads photos automatically from the Eye-Fi™ Card inside your camera. The built-in Wi-Fi connects to your home network.

Built in Wi-Fi helps you organize and share your photographic memories. Specify where you want your photos and videos sent. Select the Wi-Fi networks it can use. Then just turn on your camera to effortlessly transfer photos and video. No cables!

Automatically uploads pictures from your digital camera to your PC or Mac via 802.11b/g WiFi

OVERVIEW

Are the family reunion videos still in your camera? You can effortlessly share your memories with the 4GB Eye-Fi™ Share Video card. It uses your home Wi-Fi network to automatically upload photos and videos straight from your camera to your computer and to one of over 25 popular photo sharing websites, like Twitter, Flickr, Facebook or Picasa.

Easy Set Up
Upload photos automatically to your computer wirelessly!

In just a few minutes, you’ll be ready to share your memories while they are still fresh. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Register your Eye-Fi card
2. Pair the Eye-Fi Card to your Wi-Fi network
3. Choose a sharing web site (if you want)

Now start taking photos! That’s all there is to uploading your photos and videos wirelessly with your existing camera.

Your Eye-Fi Card will now upload new photos & videos you take to your computer and your favorite sharing web site (even if your computer is off).

Technical Details

* Wi-Fi Security: Static WEP 40/104/128, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK Mac and PC Compatible
* Stores photos and videos like a standard memory card
* Wireless upload of photos and videos via Wi-Fi to your PC or sharing, printing, social networking or blogging web site, even when computer is off
* Upload photos and videos wirelessly from over 10,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the nation
* Automatically adds geographic location information (geotags) so you can easily find and organize your memories

Share Video 4GB + Wi-Fi

Requirements and Compatibility

Eye-Fi cards automatically deliver photos to Mac, PC and the Web

* Eye-Fi cards work with 802.11b, 802.11g and backwards-compatible 802.11n wireless networks
* Eye-Fi software works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X (10.4 and 10.5)
* Eye-Fi software works with Internet Explorer (Windows), Firefox (Windows and OS X) and Safari 3 ( OS X 10.4 -10.5)
* Eye-Fi cards require an Internet connection for setup and a wireless router with DHCP enabled for wireless transfers
* The Eye-Fi cards work with over 700 camera models that use SD or SDHC memory cards.

Compatibility has been tested (by the manufacturer) with cameras from all major camera brands. See below for manufacturer specific information.
Please note that 4GB Eye-Fi Cards (4GB Share Video, 4GB Explore Video and the Eye-Fi Anniversary Cards) are all SDHC format cards. Because SDHC works differently than standard SD cards, this new format is not backwards compatible with legacy SD format cameras. 4GB and above SDHC cards can only be read by SDHC cameras. Please refer to your camera owners manual or your camera manufacturer’s website to check to see if your camera supports SDHC memory cards.

Note: Konica-Minolta cameras are not supported. Sony and Olympus cameras do not accept SD memory cards.

* Canon
* Casio
* FujiFilm
* HP
* Kodak
* Nikon
* Panasonic
* Pentax
* Polaroid
* Samsung
* Sanyo
* Sealife

Canon
Eye-Fi is compatible with Canon SD format models.
Casio
Eye-Fi is compatible with Casio SD format models.
FujiFilm
Eye-Fi is compatible with FujiFilm SD format models.
HP
Eye-Fi is compatible with HP SD format models. Exceptions: Photosmart e327.
Kodak
Eye-Fi is compatible with most Kodak models. Exceptions: EasyShare C330, EasyShareC613, EasyShareC643, EasyShareC713, EasyShareC813, EasyShareC913, EasyShareC1013, EasyShare CD33, EasyShare CW330, EasyShare C875, EasyShare P850, EasyShare DX 6440, EasyShare DX 6490, EasyShare DX 7490, EasyShare DX 7590, EasyShare M340, and the EasyShare M1063.
Nikon
Eye-Fi is compatible with Nikon SD format models. Exception: Coolpix s51
Panasonic
Eye-Fi is compatible with Panasonic SD format models. Exception: Lumix DMC-FX37
Pentax
Eye-Fi is compatible with most Pentax SD format models. Exceptions: Optio S4i, Optio S5i, Optio 450, Optio 550
Polaroid
Eye-Fi is compatible with most Polaroid SD format models. Exceptions: t737, a520
Samsung
Eye-Fi is compatible with most Samsung SD format models. Exceptions: L77, NV24HD, TL34HD.
Sanyo
Eye-Fi is compatible with Sanyo SD format models.
Sealife
Eye-Fi is compatible with Sealife SD format models.

Product Line Information

Home 2GB $49.99

When’s the last time your vacation photos made it out of your camera? Effortlessly save your photos with the 2GB Eye-Fi Home Card. It has built-in Wi-Fi and uses your home Wi-Fi network to automatically upload your memories to your computer.

Share 2GB $59.99

OVERVIEW

No time to share photos with friends and family? Effortlessly share with the 2GB Eye-Fi Share card. It uses your home Wi-Fi network to automatically upload photos straight from your camera to your computer and to one of over 25 popular photo sharing websites, like Flickr, Facebook or Picasa

Share 4GB $79.99

OVERVIEW

Are the family reunion videos still in your camera? Effortlessly share your memories with the 4GB Eye-Fi Share Video card. It uses your home Wi-Fi network to automatically upload photos and videos straight from your camera to your computer and to one of over 25 popular photo sharing websites, like Flickr, Facebook or Picasa. No cables. No hassles. No kiddi

Explore Video 4GB $99.99

OVERVIEW

Love traveling? Are your last trip’s awesome memories still in your camera? Effortlessly upload and share your photos and videos from over 10,000 Wi-Fi HotSpots with the 4GB Eye-Fi Explore Video card. Get a lifetime of automatic geotagging so you can easily find and organize your memories later. And like the Eye-Fi Share Video, it can also use your home Wi-Fi to upload photos and videos to your computer or to one of over 25 popular websites.

Pro 4GB  $149.99

OVERVIEW

Streamline your workflow. Enjoy the freedom of Ad Hoc connection capabilities and RAW uploads, plus the best of Eye-Fi Explore, including geotagging, HotSpot Access, selective transfer, and Wi-Fi photo and video uploads to your computer and to one of over 25 online website

Purchase at Best Buy, Frye’s, Amazon (and other online locations)

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

SAMSUNG NC20

12.1″ UltraBrite WXGA (1280×800) Display, 1.3+ GHz VIA Nano U2250 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 5400 Rpm SATA 160 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery,

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with SP3

Black (NC20-21GBK) – from $549 (or less online)

SAMSUNG NC20 is the new full size Netbook which balances  mobility and convenience. It has a 12.1″ WXGA (1280 x 800) wide screen display like normal 12.1″ notebooks and a larger keyboard.

Shop online, surf the web and chat. Weighing only 3.3 lbs. and with 1 GB of DDR2 RAM (single slot, but easily upgradable to 2 GB), the NC20 Netbook gives you the freedom to accomplish more on the go. Enjoy images filled with bold, vibrant colors on a glossy LCD screen. Yet the NC20 Netbook is an affordable solution for all your online needs.

What will really make this system sing (or virtually ANY Netbook) is to replace Windows XP with Windows 7! Netbooks come with XP installed because they don’t have the “UMPH!” for Vista. Windows 7 is leaner and meaner (in many ways), having significantly lower Hardware requirements than the “bloated” Vista version of Windows. I’ve been using Windows 7 for a couple of weeks now and I LOVE IT!!

PROs:

A 97% full size 102key keyboard is larger than many Netbooks. Better than usual Netbook RAM and 800Mhz FSB (Front Side Bus) with 1MB CPU L2 Cache, make it faster then a typical Atom (Intel) setup. Then there’s the great screen with a very nice resolution for its size.

Battery life is better than modest and more than what’s expected with just over 7 hours with everything on max brightness settings.

Built in 1.3 Megapixel Camera and Microphone.

Built in 10/100Mbps LAN and Wireless 802.11b/g (NO “n” folks!).

3 USB 2.0 Ports

VGA Port

1 mic & 1 Headphone mini-jacks

3-in-1 Multi-memory Card Slot (SD, SDHC, MMC)

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Front & Side air vents for better than most cooling

CONs:

Lacks the latest N wireless that everyone is updating to.

The speakers sound fine but don’t really get loud at all.

NO eSATA or HDMI ports

The Samsung NC20′s pros out-weigh its cons by a long shot and is a very nice choice for a classy yet very functional Netbook.

Building on the market-leading energy efficiency of the VIA C7® processor incorporating 65 nanometer process technology, the VIA Nano processor offers up to four times the performance over previous generations, within the same power range, for the ideal blend of powerful performance and energy efficiency for a longer battery life.

Product Released on:  04/30/2009

Samsung’s NC20 stands out from the crowd in two very important ways. First, it’s one of only a handful of 12-inch Netbooks. Secondly, it’s the first Netbook tested with Via’s Nano CPU, intended as an alternative to Intel’s very  popular Atom processor.

The Atom is found in virtually every other Netbook, so it’s always good to see some competition, and the new Nano managed to tie with Intel, and even beating it in some benchmark tests. Keep in mind though that the Nano was powering a larger screen with a higher resolution.

I’m concerned that the NC20′s 12-inch size, which blurs the line between typical Netbooks (and I’m even hesitant to use that term because of its 12-inch display!) and more full-featured ultraportable laptops. The key to Netbook satisfaction is keeping one’s expectations realistic, and with a larger screen and keyboard, the NC20 looks and feels more like a traditional Laptop. Even so, as all Netbooks do, it labors somewhat with multitasking and video streaming.

As most 12-inch Laptops are high-end ultraportables built around expensive ultralow voltage processors, you may be expecting a slim, highly designed system. But instead you get a thicker, heavier system with a plastic chassis that looks and feels like a larger version of the Samsung NC10 (10.2″ Display with a 1.6Ghz Atom processor).

This low-frills chassis has a comfortable keyboard with a slightly shortened space bar. The large touch pad is a big improvement over the ones I’ve seen on smaller 10-inch Netbooks. There are no media-control or quick-launch buttons, which, while I wouldn’t expect them on a Netbook, are common on more traditional 12-inch Laptops.

The 12.1-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280×800 native resolution, which is the same as you’d typically find only on a 13- or 15-inch Laptop! That lets you view more of a Web page than the 1,024×600 resolution I’ve seen on most 10-inch Netbooks. Even though it’s the right resolution for watching 720p HD video content, the system showed typical Netbook-style stuttering when trying to stream HD content.

More important is the 1.3GHz Via Nano CPU, which is this system’s main selling point. Nano is based on the x86 architecture, meaning it can run the same software as chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices…Nano may deliver better performance than Atom in some cases.”

The Via Nano holds its own against the Intel Atom. Only in multitasking tests–which has never been kind to single-core CPU powered Netbooks–did the Atom perform notably faster than the Nano.

In pratical use there isn’t any real difference between using an Atom-powered Netbook and the Nano-powered NC20, which indicates that this new CPU could easily find acceptance as an alternative to the widely used Intel CPU.

Alternative Systems worth taking a look at:

HP 2133 Mini-Note
Windows Vista Business Edition; 1.6GHz VIA C7-M Ultra Low Voltage; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB VIA/SG3 UniChrome Pro II IGP; 120GB Seagate 7,200rpm

Acer Aspire One AOD150
Windows XP Home SP2; 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel GMA 950; 160GB Hitachi 5400rpm

Asus Eee PC 1000HE
Windows XP Home SP3; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel GMA 950; 160GB Seagate 5400rpm

Consider also the Samsung NC120
Windows XP Home SP3; 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 160 GB – Serial ATA-150 – 5400 rpm;10.1 in TFT active matrix 1024 x 600 ( WSVGA ); 2.8 lbs aprox $100 less than the NC20; Part of Samsung’s second generation of Netbooks, the N120 offers a generous keyboard and some unexpected audio power.

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition (64bit vs is required for Windows to recognize 4GB+ RAM)

$2148.00 (plus shipping and taxes) and this could be YOURS too! Unfortunately, you can’t just “ditty-bop” into your local Walmart, or even your local Best Buy and pick one of these sublime “puppies” up, it has to be ordered directly from DELL. You CAN, however, configure this computer online and pick and choose the items of your choice. In practice though, it only takes Dell 3-4 days to build, and then can be received overnight, if you want to get it right away.

The DELL XPS-Studio-1640 is one of my most recent “Desktop Replacement” category Laptops. I NEED/WANT/COVET the latest and greatest “HiTech Toys” available dear readers! And this Laptop fills the bill perfectly! It plays BluRay movies flawlessly, and the RGB LED back-lit LCD screen is just GORGEOUS!

I’ve recently upgraded my Windows Vista (Dell factory installed) o.s. with the RC1 version of Windows 7. See more POSTs on Windows 7 coming to this very site!

While the screen is “only!” 16 inches it’s in the “widescreen” format and is only slightly smaller (only in height!) than my prior favorite Laptop, the 17″ TOSHIBA QOSMIO. While the screen is only a “titch” smaller than the Toshiba’s, the outside dimensions are MARKEDLY slimmer all the way around. It amazes me how much “stuff” they can cram into such a diminutive package (15.0″x10.0″x1.25″). There is still enough room for 2 Altec Lansing speakers and a subwoofer! Very capable sound system indeed!

The Samsung NC20 (see Netbook eval on this site) measures in at 11.5″x8.5″x1.2″. It’s sound is “thin and puny” in comparison though.

The QOSMIO is a veritable “tank” in comparison at 16.5″x12.0″x2.5″! It takes two hands to pick up the QOSMIO, yet the Dell Studio XPS-1640 can (quite literally) be picked up by pinching it between thumb and forefinger! To be fair to the QOSMIO, it has excellent sound. It SHOULD with 4 Harmon Kardon speakers AND a subwoofer! The QOSMIO has only a 2Ghz processor, Florescent back-lit display, no Hi-Def DVD, and a smaller Hard Drive! Other than the dimensional differences, and the MUCH greater weight, this is still a pretty nice laptop itself, or I wouldn’t have purchased it.

While I had had the QOSMIO for only a couple of months (it’s my backup computer on the truck now) the DELL is a very welcome replacement. The DELL is quite refined and polished in its engineering and finish. Fine touches abound! The screen has to be seen to be believed, and the back-lit keyboard is a very welcome touch while typing in the darkness of the back of my truck.

And, for you gamers, this is close to being the most capable gaming laptop available. It’s, of course, nothing like a full-blown desktop gaming machine! However, I’ve not found a game yet that doesn’t play well on this mighty Laptop! Crysis (and other quite hardware demanding games of similar ilk) play smoothly, even at higher resolution settings and graphics modes.

I’ve, literally, owned a half dozen Toshiba Satellites (one HP Pavilion, and the one QOSMIO) and this DELL just “shines” in comparison. For those of you though that have only the requirement to get your e-mail, and surf the web, BOTH of these machines are radical overkill. I would suggest getting one of the far more cost effective “new breed” NETBooks. They are not only much cheaper, but they are a much more practical size. And we all know that our real estate in a truck can be very precious indeed!

Customer “Ratings” of this computer at : http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-studio-xps-16?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=corp&~lt=popup#reviews

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

Want to determine how the subject line looks when it’s detached from the body of the text. Also want to test and see if my Gravatar is working on the post, AND to test the placement of a graphic on the Slider at the top of the screen.

Hopefully the results of this test will not be disappointing.

Goodbye for now.

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

© 2010, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.