Back in the Blog (and Alienware Sucks!)
After quite a long break (in part, voluntary) it feels good to be bloggin’ again. The hiatus began as I started a couple weeks of work on my English 201 course for the fall—-a new syllabus and a new website meant lots of reading for possible course texts, drafting of assignments, playing with CSS, then going back to tables in Fireworks and Dreamweaver (Oh! The pain!) because I know how to do it that way. After a couple weeks I felt satisfied with the rough cut of the course and planned to get back to blogging, but disaster struck in the form of a rapidly dying motherboard. The second in as many years! Apparently, I’m not the only with Alienware problems: href=”http://www.badsoftware.com/alienwaresucks/”>Alienware Sucks!.
Coincidentally, I was just beginning to move—-a month long odyssey across the isthmus of Madison—-and had purchased a several hundred dollar, 3-year warranty. I didn’t mind waiting for the laptop to be prepared. The only problem was that getting the laptop back after a couple weeks I only had time for checking email and the weather. However light that computer use may seem, it was enough to cause my power supply to die after a few days. No worries though, Alienware said I could purchase a new one from them for $90. I told them I had purchased a 3 year warranty, and they replied that power supplies were only covered for a year. Sure, I was p.o.’d, but I need my computer. It doesn’t end there.
At first the I was told they didn’t have any in stock and that it would take 2 weeks to get a new one. This was a little frustrating with only 3 weeks before classes. But it gets worst. Eventually, I was told that there were no power supplies available thru Alienware. With a 3 yr old computer, they had discontinued carrying the part. Everyone buys a new PCevery three years, right? Well, maybe Bill Gates and Michael Dell do.
So after many, many hours on the phone with the wonderful staff at Alienware, I luckily found one on Ebay for $55. So I had my computer back a couple weeks before classes began and spent that time getting 201 completed and the CompRhet website updated and a little Madden 2005 played (it was $2.99 at EB Games) because I new I could enjoy some technical diffiuclty-free fun on the Xbox . Yeah, right!
Anyway, I look forward to getting back to the blogs I read regularly and my prelims.
ALIENWARE A CRIMINAL COMPANY
I purchased an Alienware area 51-M 766 Laptop on 05/12/2004 and I paid three thousand dollars for it. It was advertised as a laptop with an upgradeable video card and it was considered to be the top of the line gaming notebook and had with some fantastic reviews winning numerous awards and gained a great deal of recognition from industry professionals and technology experts. The laptop should last many years and the main idea is the video card could be changed or upgraded. I thought I bought the best notebook on the market, but I was sadly mistaken. After a year and half, I called Alienware so I could purchase a new upgraded video card, and I was told that Alienware stop supporting my laptop and my video card. I was also told that I have to purchase a video card from a third party called “Uniwill” if I wanted an upgrade. So I called the third party company but no one picked up the phone and I left several messages and they never called me back. I was very surprised that I was unable to get an upgradeable video card. I was also very disappointed to find that so soon I was unable to get what was so strongly advertised and promised. If this isn’t false advertising and false promises made to customers then I don’t know what else is but afterwards I gave up calling and continue to use the notebook. I never thought I would have trouble with it but on November 23, 2007 the video card completely burned out. I contacted Alienware shortly afterwards to ask them if I could purchase any type of video card that would simply just work (forget about gaming or upgrading) so I could at least use the notebook. Unfortunately Alienware stop supporting and making any type of video card for my laptop, and I was told to call “Uniwill” once again to purchase a video card and once again I called, left messages and I never received a return call. I wonder if Uniwill is a prefabricated company created and owned by Alienware to prevent lawsuits. I also researched the Internet; eBay and tried to see if someone out there had anything I could possibly use, but all I found was a very long line of Blogs, many hate websites with a massive amount of posted threads of complaints of many unsatisfied and unhappy Alienware customers who where ripped off and lied to by a company filled with false advertisements, promises, and deceit. I purchased a three thousand dollar Alienware paperweight, and now I’ve joined a long line of unsatisfied customers.
Comment by thomaslianj — February 26, 2008 @ 4:27 pm