Review: Buying an Alienware Area-51m 7700 Mobile Computer

When you’re done configuring you can continue to the next two pages where you can choose from optional accessories like batteries, extra storage and printers. After that you add the system to your cart and can continue to check out and pay.

Once the system had been ordered, an email was sent to me with the details of my order. Now all that was left to do is wait very impatiently for my system to get built and shipped to me. In my case it took 3 weeks before my system was built and shipped (the time it takes depends on the system and components that you order). During that time, I got emails from Alienware periodically which notified me of the progress. There is also a section on the website where you can check the status and progress of the order any time you want. From the time the order is placed, it goes through the following phases:

Phase 1: (Order Received)
Your order has been received and is awaiting verification before processing. All online orders must be verified before they can be processed as part of our security procedures.

Phase 2: (Awaiting Payment Processing)
Your order has been verified and is awaiting payment processing. While in this stage we are confirming any credit card and/or payment information for security purposes. Please understand that this phase is necessary as it will protect you the customer from any fraudulent transactions. We observe very strict security guidelines and hope you can appreciate our efforts.

Phase 3: (Payment Received)
Your order has been processed and is currently awaiting the configuration (component) verification phase.

Phase 4: (Configuration Verification Phase)
We are checking your system configuration before we reserve all the necessary components that make up your system. Even though this process already took place when you initially placed the order, we make sure to recheck our real-time knowledge base for any possible conflicts with drivers and/or components.

Phase 5: (Pre-Production Inventory Queue phase)
Your system is now in queue and awaiting inventory inspection and audit.

Phase 6: (Inventory Audit)
The inventory that will be used to custom build your PC has now been inspected. Please be aware that a back-order situation might or might not exist in this phase. If a back-order situation does exist, it should not impede your order’s progress.

Phase 7: (Materials Inspection)
All accessories such as Manuals (if applicable), CDs, cables, etc., that are included with your system have now been inspected.

Phase 8: (Pre Assembly)
Your system is now in queue and waiting to be assembled, integrated and inspected by quality assurance.

Phase 9: (Production: Assembly & Integration)
Your system is being hand-built by an Alienware Assembly Technician. We take great pride in building our systems, as our motto reflects, “build it as if it were your own”. The assembly stage can take some time as all the cabling in the machine is carefully installed and the results are greater upgrade flexibility and thermal airflows. Every assembly technician has been trained and qualified to Alienware Standards. We pride ourselves on not only giving you a high performance computer system, but a piece of art!

Phase 10: (Production: Phase #1)
Your system is undergoing the first stage of the Alienware 200-point quality control process. This stage includes the installation of the operating system, drivers and any applications that are specific to the system you ordered. Our Alienware Integration Technician will also install any demos, benchmark utilities, and burn-in software necessary to correctly monitor your system’s performance. These functions are performed by AlienFactory, a proprietary software designed by Alienware for our valued customers.

Phase 11: (Production: Phase #2)
Your system is undergoing the second stage of the Alienware 200-point quality control process. This is the most crucial stage. We perform a series of grueling tests that push the hardware components in your system to the very limit. This phase is especially important because it is here where the system either passes or fails. If it does fail, it will automatically go to one of our diagnostic technicians to identify and correct any problems before we ship it to you. If the system doesn’t pass our performance metrics, we will build it again from the beginning. Perfection takes time!

Phase 12: (Production: Quality Control)
Your system is undergoing the final stage of the Alienware 200-point quality control process. An Alienware Quality Inspector is in charge of inspecting your machine from top to bottom for any obvious or latent defects. Our Inspectors are seasoned technicians/engineers and are very experienced in the art of perfection.

Phase 13: (Production: Shipping)
Your system is being carefully packed for shipping.

Phase 14: (Order Shipped)
Congratulations, your order has been shipped. We only hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed building it for you.