That stupid alien head..

Alright, the m11x seems awesome to me, and I'm quite interested in getting one.. but the main issue I'm having is the juvenile design. I need to use my laptop for work, giving seminars etc. I'll feel retarded with a glowing alien head staring down my audience..

So.. anyone have any bright ideas for how to cover up/replace the alien head on the back of the laptop? As far as I understand it's not even possible to turn off the lights to that one?

Brian

 

I guess you can put a sticker over it or something.

 

its not even light. The "light" your referring to is the brightness of your computer. The brighter your computer is the more the head glows.

 

I was kind of surprised myself to see that Fn+Print Scrn/Alien FX killed everything but the alienhead light. I guess maybe because the head is the power and HDD access indicator. My dad's desktop doesn't even have a power indicator or hard drive light on the case- I forgot to install one when I built it.

I suppose killing the AlienFX would help though. At least it would only be one light then.

 

Relax and don't worry. The world is made of far less "very serious people" than you think. And the "very serious people" who evaluate your work by the cover of your notebook are in serious need of some vacation and a "alienhead" in their laptops

These are the very serious people

 

I understand your sentiment. I'm in a very conservative industry, and the alien head was definitely an issue for me, as well.

I went with Laptop Skins Schtickers Shop Create Participate, the matte black one:

Solid Laptop Skin - Black

At 20 bucks it was a little pricey. However, it worked perfectly for my m11x. It is the exact color of the laptop, and if you're any farther than right up next to it, it looks like it's part of the original computer.

They claim that they cut it for you, but it arrived for me in a standardized size, likely their smallest. I had to measure and cut off a little bit, but it otherwise went on perfectly and looks great, despite it being a bit of a finger-print magnet.

I would highly suggest it. When I'm with colleagues, it just looks like a small black laptop.

 

Just get a Microsoft office sticker on the alien head, then at night you can take it off and go into gaming mode!!!

 

dont buy the laptop....? lol sorry had to xD

 

How about getting a sticker made up to look like a/your business card to go over it? This doubles as a means of contacting you if it gets lost and someone scrupulous finds it.

 

I work for people who would possibly question somthing like that as well but i didnt care and took it in to a meeting for notes & a small presentation. The bigwigs loved the m11x & commented on the neat lighting/desgn. Made me wish i had a couple for sale.

 

I find it hilarious that people get worried about an Alien head but no one thinks twice about a much more noticeable and annoying glowing Apple logo.

 

Exactly. Besides, an alienhead is just an apple bitten twice...
In a biblical perspective, it is more spicy and will therefore make more subliminal success with the female audience

For the unbelievers...

 

I was looking for this reply.. lol

If you're not playing games with it, don't get the laptop.

And I think the alienhead looks better than the dell logo or the "TOSHIBA" text or the "VAIO" on the cover.

 

haha. nice one.

 

I believe you can take the head off, I think you can at least

When you do you can put something solid behind it to block the light from the LCD

 

That's like feeling bad you have a Ferrari hood ornament on your sports car.

 

I really don't see the huge problem with the alien head on the PC. Is having computer logos such a huge problem in a business environment?

 

I would think it depends on what type of business it is. Which now makes me curious as to what type of environment he's working in. I can't think of any where a small logo on a laptop would be such a big deal. Oh well, pull the screen apart and put some electrical tape on the back of the lcd where the logo is..... problem solved.

 

Go buy a mac.

 

I can think of one. If he worked for another laptop company, that alien head might be an issue. That's like a microsoft worker using a macbook; not allowed.

 

I'm actually not in a line of work where it's explicitly a big deal. In reality, some people would probably think it's kind of funny, and that's it. But the fact is, I would find it embarassing, and that's what I want to avoid. I might try one of the skins..

 

I'm pretty sure a company like that would supply you with a laptop as a demo if your job was to give seminars, so that you advertise for them and not other companies.

 

you can put a sticker on it. maybe a sticker of your company's logo so that it will just seems like your promoting you company.

 

Duck (Gaffa) tape.. sorted
Or a sticker.

 

I dont get it either.

Ive given presentations to some big clients (Kraft, Campbells Soup, Tyson Foods) and the CFO at Campbell's was seriously impressed with my M11x. I had him surfing the AW site looking at one...

 

What's there to be embarrassed about the PC? Do you try to hide the fact that you game to everyone while you are at it? This is kinda like being afraid to date because you have a beater for a car. Wear the Alienware badge with pride!

You can run Windows on Mac.

 

^Despite its widespread yet still growing popularity, gaming is still looked down upon by many people. Eventually it'll have a status similar to other forms of entertainment like movies, tv, and music, but it's not there yet.

 

Stop being shy! alien head gets you girls.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/515386-m11x-cute.html

 

Yeah, except Apple decides to screw with everyone who does and put stupid drivers so the battery lasts 1-2 hours on Windows and 5 hours on a Mac.

 

I am surprised many don't understand the issue with having an Alien head on a professional use laptop. If that sort of thing did not matter then no one would bother to wear suits for interviews, policemen would not have uniforms and we would all go to work dressed as clowns.

 

My laptops too sexy for my work, too sexy for my work, soooo sexy it...????

 

I think that comparing an alien head logo on a laptop to dressing like clowns to go to work is ridiculous. Suits also have logos, and policemen wear a logo too called a badge. Saying that gaming is looked down on is one thing, but most of those people probably don't know what Alienware is or that its a gaming laptop. I would also make the argument that gaming laptops are the highest quality, so I still fail to see the big deal. I could understand if the logo was 6" tall and strobed different color lights.......

 

When I had my M11xR2 (stealth black) during a meeting, I had fairly nice comments about it, many were curious about the actual brand of laptop I had... but overall, I don't think people was looking at me thinking "gosh, what a kid with his alien head logo..."

As a matter of fact, I could argue that a half-eaten, fully glowing apple on a underpowered and expensive laptop is more childish than a barely lit alien head.

...and when it comes to the unavoidable question "what's the hardware you got in there?", and you start with the 8Gb of DDR3, 7200RPM hard disk and dual-core i7, then they typically STFU ;-)

 

I made my own alienware sticker out of a wallpaper and pasted it over my acer logo. It looks really childish and amateuristic but I love it

If I ever graduate and become a teacher, i'll also be using an Alienware in front of class ^^

 

I don't associate aliens with kids or immaturity. Instead I associate aliens with a higher standard for technology. What does it matter, I'm going to school for game development.... People in my industry will love it!

 

I had the same problem. And I can tell you, that it is NOT a problem for one reason: Nerd cred.

I work in enterprise software sales, and I was worried about the "juvenile" implication of Alienware. But then my coworker made a convincing argument that made me bring it into a meeting one day. He said:

"Look. You get paid because people have the perception that you know what you are talking about. You can bring in a business laptop like a Dell, and that's fine. But you bring in something flashy like an Alienware, and it turns heads. People *WILL* ask about it. And when they do, tell them 'I like having the best toys. And when it comes to my laptop, nobody makes a better toy than Alienware.'"

I tried it in one meeting (with AlienFX off, of course), and never went back to my Dell Latitude. Some people noticed, some people didn't. The ones that did notice said something. And I got nerd cred. Never underestimate the value of nerd cred. It instantly makes people think that you know your stuff.

 

I wouldn't go that extreme. I'd say it's like wearing a wacky, eye-catching tie to an interview, or wearing something that's a bit less drab to work. In a way it's a good thing since most people will get curious and would want to talk about it. It's a great conversation starter and it shows a bit of personality in a such a mundane environment.


And another thing, generally people that can recognize an Alienware will automatically think that you know something about computers. That's something that I didn't notice much until kent made a comment about it.

 

Or if some one makes a comment about you owning this laptop, you can explain to them that it is the most powerful 11.6" notebook on the market while still getting great battery life and multimedia/entertainment while traveling.

If you can't come up with an impressive answer then you've got bigger problems. Being embarrassed about a silly laptop? You need some self-confidence, it will really help you out in other areas of this job you're worried about.

 

If your job requires or implies you need to be frugal a boutique system might not go over as well.

That said, I dont think like that and when people ask you can answer with what appeals to gamers or suits. The suits around me are rather impressed or at least understand why *I* would want one. Nobody assumes or asks about games.

 

I agree with Surfxombie the laptops too sexy lol for any type of use.

and i also agree with sfrrsman64 if you hate the alienhead so much Just don't buy it there are many overpriced laptops with horrible presentation and looks out there in the market.

 

Where can I get an ailenware tie to match my netbook, and shoes with alien pattern tread (compass in the heal too pls).

 

it is a gaming laptop and you don't have to worry about what people might think about the alien-head when you play in a meeting

 

lol

Maybe it's time to move your meetings to Stormwind?

 

cover it with black electrical tape

 

You guys are nuts. Show some self-confidence.

"Why did I buy Alienware? I bought it because it offered the best performance in the smallest package. I can create and run presentations that would barely run at all on a standard laptop, and I'm able to have as many things open as I want without any system slow-downs."

Don't be worried about what other people think. If anything it will open the doors for you to promote yourself as the "I know what I'm doing, and I like to get my work done fast and efficiently" type.

Not a bad thing. The only way it could look bad on you is if you put your tail between your legs and whimper.

 

I've always thought fruity looking devices were more childish than otherworldly ones.

BUT what do I know?

 

you can't change the front alienhead color in the m11x right?

 

Nope. It actually gets its lighting from the screen itself.

 

It is unlikely that anyone but a fellow gamer would identify alienware with gaming. The m11x is actually pretty nice looking in my opinion. When I see an alienware laptop it brings to mind a corvette or ferrari, not a toy.