Traveling overseas - would it be a bad idea to bring my M15x with me?

Hey guys!

I would like your opinion regarding my matter...

I'll be going on a vacation to Indonesia on early may. I'm sure i'd have nothing to do at times in Indo - so I decided that I want to bring my lappy with me. I could at least entertain myself by playing some online / offline games when I'm bored, y'know?

The thing is, after researching further into it - there's a lot of articles online which stated that a lot of laptops get stolen when it is being passed onto the x-ray machine at the security checkpoint. There was even a story that I recently read where thieves worked in pairs; one of them will distract you, and the other will grab your lappy...

Well... as ya'll know: alienware laptops ( especially M15x / M17x ) stands out a lot. Thieves know for a fact that it is an expensive laptop. I'm pretty sure they would attempt to steal my laptop if they saw it... cause' you'd have to grab your laptop OUT of the bag and place it into one of the bin before it goes through the x-ray machine. ( well, at least here in the US; not sure about other countries. )

So yeah, bad idea or no? please post your opinion / suggestion.

Thanks!

- Roxy

 

I have taken mine all over Asia with me, the only problem that I realized is it gets a tad heavy lugging it around KL International it's a huge airport and the luggage collection is a good distance away so be prepared for a workout!

 

I've taken my M17x to Canada and America a few times. Nothing bad has ever happened.

You'll always get horror stories about everything. Statistically, something has to go wrong with everything eventually, and when it does, usually people make a lot more noise about it than when something goes as it should.

 

The only problem I think would be the weight. You'll have a higher chance of getting it stolen if you put it in the Orion Backpack. If you have it in an inconspicuous bag, no one will take it. Like Serephucus said, people always voice when things go wrong and never when things go right because...things happened fine, what is there to talk about? I've flashed around a MacBook pro at an airport and things were fine. The best you can do is stay cautious and take out some travel insurance if things really go to pot.

 

Sorry, double post.

Editing fail.

 

I've dragged mine all across south-central Africa for the last 6 months and it's still with me. Just keep your wits about you and you'll have no problems. And Widezu has a very good point about the bag in which it's kept. I carry mine in a beat up backpack and nobody gives it a second glance. Your luggage is much more likely to be targetted by thieves if you're carrying a laptop bag or a briefcase. And I don't think anybody will be stealing it from the airport security x-ray... That sounds like an urban myth to me.

Oh and, I know it's pretty obvious but I feel compelled to say it: DO NOT put it in checked baggage. If it doesn't get stolen it WILL get smashed. Every flight I've taken in the last 6 months (been well over a dozen now) I've carried my laptop as hand luggage. The longhaul flight from UK to South Africa only allowed me one item at 6 kilos, so I took my laptop and absolutely nothing else. Small price to pay for peace of mind.

OH AND! Only at Heathrow was I asked to remove the laptop and run it through the x-ray in a tray. But then security in Africa is pretty damn slack. I've had a knife in my hand luggage on several occasions. Regardless, do you still have the dust cover / cloth slip thing that came with the laptop? Coz you can leave it on when you put it in the tray and nobody will even see your laptop.

But honestly, don't worry about it. Nothing is going to happen in transit. If it does you can send me the bill for a new one!*

*Terms and conditions apply.

 

Personally, I would say leave it at home or with someone you trust. But that is just me. Cell phones have internet and the m15x is not a small notebook.

 

what kind of question is this? lol its a laptop not a dog... just dont drop it and it will be fine!

 

Here's a couple of things I do when travelling:

1) Put the laptop in a nice Neoprene sleeve with cushioning on the inside.
2) Put a BIOS and startup password
3) Remove the hard drive and keep it in another part of my bag
3) Remove the battery and keep it in another part of my bag

If someone wants to steal it, they'll steal it, no matter what you do, but at least this way it makes it harder for them. I really wouldn't worry about anything happening in the U.S airports. Can't speak about foreign countries though.

 

Just don't lose sight of it and you'll be fine. It's not like someones gonna beat you up and steal your laptop in the middle of the airport.

 

Leave it at home and enjoy the adventure el natural...

S

 

I am posting on my m15x from the middle of Afghanistan... oh and it charges fine on international plugs, no need for a power converter.

 

Ok thanks guys for your opinion.

I decided that I will bring my lappy w/ me. Besides, I will be traveling with my family so I realized that I shouldn't be worrying so much since they can keep an eye on it while it passes through the xray machine.

That and... I'll always carry it with me and watch over it... so yeah

Silly me.

 

Alot of good points were made above:
1-Never put your laptop in check in luggage, always take it as hand-carry, I made a mistake of putting it with my baggage and when I opened it up after getting off the plane the screen was cracked and several other parts were unusable.
2-Its very unlikely that a situation like would every happen, and as long as you keep laptop in a plain bag thats not attention grabbing like an Orion backpack or a $200 Swissgear laptop travelbag or something like that, then you will be fine

 

if your laptop is stolen is always nice to know who was the a-hole who did it, specially if it got stolen in your country, and for that I have a program that even takes a picture with the integrated webcam of the thief or the person who bought the stolen laptop so you can give it to your authorities to help them catch the btard , heres a link:

Open source anti-theft solution for Mac, PCs & Phones – Prey

 

Is it dangerous to carry Alienware laptop in Alienware Orion Backpack? If I am not mistaken, the bag only has 1 Alienhead logo, with no Alienware words. It should not be attraction-grabbing, should it?

 

Just a taught, NEVER EVER check in your laptop! As Laxxi said earlier, it WILL be smashed. My dad works at the cargo sector in Malaysia's Airline carrier, and its horrible. They just throw in the bags into the airplane but thats still ok. Worse, they throw down the bags into the trolley thats waits below the hatch! That will seriously smash ur lappy if it survive the first throw.

 

I wouldn't say it's dangerous as such. At the end of day, when you're travelling on unfamiliar turf theres always a chance of your bags getting snatched provided you don't keep your eyes open. Furthermore, you'd be amazed at how unknown the Alienware brand is in the big wide world. Honestly, I've only met two people since I got the thing (about 18 months ago) who had actually heard of it. So I wouldn't say the backpack would attract attention because of the badge. People won't go "amg, he's got a $2000 computer in there!", but they'll probably see it as a very unique and unusual backpack, which will be more likely to draw attention than the knowledge of it's contents.

Yeah, I've heard some shocking stories in the past. Somebody even suggested that they play games to see how far they can throw your stuff once it leaves your sight. I guess some guys just don't take pride in what they do. I bet they have a good laugh while they smash your stuff to pieces. Ha. My cousin came up from South Africa a month ago and she brought a dozen bottles of wine with her... in her checked luggage... I'm telling you, when we picked her up it looked like she had a body in her bag, there was red wine leaking out from every possible exit. It was kind of funny to be honest.

 

Something strikes my memory as far as the different types of power outlets and AC Adapters, perhaps someone can elaborate on this (between the US/Europe) aren't there different standards for power outlets or something?

 

There are but bricks are designed to work within a regulated percentage of power so I think it should be fine. If it was that different, plug adapter makers would get no money at all.

 

Interesting...never heard of that lmao. Gonna try it on myself just to see if it works

 

Or you can do the best alternitive and get a M11x for traveling. Works Great!

 

M15x is too heavy to travel with imo...

 

I honestly don't understand how people can think it's too heavy, though maybe I'm just used to it as I carry it everywhere.

 

I'm leaving for Greece today...I'll report back with results... Really guys, it's a laptop and not that big and heavy, it's meant to be taken with you. I've traveled with bigger machines, like a Gateway FX and an Aurora m9700. This thing is not that bad. The checkpoints where you have to take out the laptop still aggravate me though, but what can you do?

 

Yassoo Kostaki

 

yiasou filaraki

 

always keep an eye at the x-ray, no problem in china, japan, uk, don't know others

 

Where in elatha are you?

 

I'm in the leave it at home and bring a netbook camp.