I need a new notebook, particularly for my 4 years in college that will start approximately next year. My dad and I agreed that a new notebook would be perfect for a graduation gift. I don't prefer my own car, no thanks, I'm better off commuting.
In the course of a few months I wanted to have an Alienware notebook. Why? Because they are so kick-ass outside and inside. Like an expensive Ferrari, it's built specifically for you, which is better than those netbooks being sold at the nearby mall. They have the beauty outside and the beast inside, which is awesome. I'd want an Alienware for my own, but I don't think my dad and his wallet would agree.
I like my computers personalized. I built my desktop PC, and since it's quite impossible to build your own laptop (unless you're a super nerd), I'm gonna have to get some people to build one for me.
Recently I was just viewing laptops at iBuyPower and realized that Alienware were overpricing their notebooks for a bit. Ok, maybe not a bit but a quite lot. I don't know if the price of the components have skyrocketed or if Dell's acquisition of Alienware caused it. I blame the latter. Most parts today, especially the GPUs, have gone down in price. The ATI Radeon 4870 512MB has decreased its price at least 10% in the course of a few months. Same with the Nvidia Geforce 9800.
At iBuyPower, you can buy a notebook as powerful as Alienware's for almost 25% percent off. Almost exactly the same components, however, you don't get those Alienware eye candy such as lights, illuminated keyboards, and a name plate underneath your notebook. But those don't matter anyway. I'm not gonna go on college LAN parties at midnight anyway. And if I'm gonna go write papers late at night I don't really need an illuminated keyboard since I have a degree in Touch Typing already.
So in comparison, A 15.4-inch iBuyPower Battalion 101 CZ-9 Ultra Notebook versus an Alienware 15-inch Area-51 m15x.
iBuyPower Battalion 101 CZ-9 Ultra Notebook
Pros
- Price. You can get a good config for a little more than a thousand dollars.
- Just as powerful as Alienware's.
- Can still stand out from a lame crowd of Acer and Dell notebooks.
- They look light and sleek. I think they should be easy to carry around.
Cons
- There's some features in an Alienware notebook that you can't find here (e.g. illumanted keyboard, lighting)
- Don't stand out as much as Alienware
Area-51 m15x
Pros
- Lots of customization options.
- You can amp your notebook to beyond the power of a regular gaming notebook.
- Has that cool, badass look.
- It totally stands out from a lame crowd of Acers and Dells. And probably HPs too.
Cons
- The price. Paying $1400 to have a good gaming notebook doesn't sound like a good deal.
- I don't think they ship to the Philippines.
- Heavy and bulky. I don't want to carry nine pounds everywhere I go in the campus.
So there it is, my personal pros and cons of the two gaming notebooks.
WTF!! WHY JUST A FIFTEEN INCHER?
Well dipshit, in case you're not reading the first two paragraphs, I'm buying a gaming notebook for college. I can't bring my huge desktop PC along, so I'll settle with a laptop. A 15.4 inch is the largest you can go for a notebook that you can casually bring anywhere and to place on your lap. A 17-incher would be too large and heavyset.
Oh, and note this. I'm not going to buy a notebook right now. I'm just weighing the differences between Alienware and iBuyPower. I'm gonna buy a new notebook after I graduate so I can use it to the fullest once I get to college, without the trouble of the technology being obsolete or the batteries weakened already.
UPDATE: Shit. They don't ship to Asia. :(
