Even a creature from outer space should know you can't buy a good review on HEXUS

[slave_labor]

I had to chuckle when I saw all of this. Maybe you can't buy a good review but you sure can get a lot of free publicity. As any celebrity knows, even negative PR still puts the name before the public.

Of course AW trades off their name and charges a premium for it. How many people would complain about a Rolls Royce or a Bentley that you could buy a faster car for the money? Who could fault their marketing department for sending gear where it is likely to get the best reception?

I highly respect Hexus and probably trust what I read here more than most everywhere else. The objectivity and depth displayed here are truly a cut above almost every other hardware site I have been exposed to. I am kind of surprised you let this type of thing bother you. On the other hand I believe it's good for you to persue it if you believe it will ultimately have a positive effect. I seem to remember a similar flap involving a premium memory manufacturer and a number of sites not too long ago. After the dust settled, not only did they begin to take a negative column in stride but actually started to listen to the feedback and try even harder to improve their products, service, etc. I am talking about OCZ which everyone respects today more than they ever did.

The only thing I really have to say is "Keep up the good work!" to both companies. Here's to even greater things in the future.

--TomS

[Whiternoise]

Serves em right for being high and mighty imo. Alienware have been up there backsides for a while - this was waiting to happen.

[spud387]

and I apologise to spud387 for calling him/her naive[/B]. I even put it in bold. OK?

Thank you for the apology, but I guess no one really read the first sentence of my post.

Ok I am quoting someone from a forum where i regularly read. Here is his insight on the subject:

[stmok]

Well, I side with Hexus on this one.

Reviewers are the only people that let the end-users know what's behind all that Marketing fluff and such. They're the line that helps the end-user decide, as well as help the manufacturer with any early issues. (say if the BIOS is buggy for a pre-production mobo). Reviewers are also the people I talk to when I have something of curiosity about a product that they've reviewed.

I don't care if its some "mis-communication". The point is, Alienware left the impression that only positive reviews deserve reviews of future products. That's just plain wrong. If a product is crap, expensive, or underperforming, no amount of marketing is gonna help. Punishing the reviewer for pointing out the obvious doesn't change anything...Other than bad publicity for the company involved.

I hope Alienware and Hexus resolves this in a mature, adult/professional manner. (even though I don't buy Alienware solutions).

[MSIC]

Sorry to be late to the discussion, this one passed me by at the time (all of a few days ago!).
Anyway, I in general support the approach that hexus has taken. However I strongly disagree with the language used by Paul Dutton

i’m of the view that it would be manifest to any right thinking person that you have behaved like a moron,

Not professional or mature

you should not contact anyone at HEXUS again. no reply is necessary, or wanted

Not a good idea.
I can see no circumstances in which terminating lines of dialogue is a good idea. On a more serious level, you only have to look to the middle east at what happens when two cultures dont have good lines of dialogue, and the hope that arises when they begin to speak again.

I do not buy Alienware products, and they perhaps are not very good (value for money). But to refuse to allow people to speak/write is wrong.

Hexus needs to change their viewpoint on this issue immediately.

[nichomach]

Thank you for the apology, but I guess no one really read the first sentence of my post.

I did read it; this is why I refer to "the poster", "this poster" and "this person" in my original response.

[Bob Crabtree]

It might, perhaps, be instructive for people to check out this blog on Wired, headed, Alienware and Hexus.net mudwrestle over reviews.

How so?

Well, you might think, like me, that this piece by Michael Ansaldo had some kind of ulterior motive and wonder what that motive might be.

[Steve]

I'm not a stooge of Alienware, don't have one and won't buy one. But I would think about it if I decided I needed a top end gaming pc, not that's it's a bargain, hey it's Alienware guys!!! You were expecting not to have to pay extra? Sheeesh. Why would I think about spending money on an Alienware? Because I'd rather spend the money than spend the time (as I currently do) doing it myself.

Hi Jenny. In response to your above statement, I'd like to refer to a line from our Alienware 7500 review:

there are better and cheaper alternatives to the Alienware Area-51 7500. Now if the price was to drop to, say, £2112...

Building your own isn't a necessity, because there are alternatives to Alienware out there, for those who wish to choose them.

[Aurhinius]

Well you can't please everyone but I think we can safely say that more people do not agree with you Jenny than do agree.

Maybe I am just cynical but industry at a whole is full of people like alienware that try to manipulte people in to positions to get what they want. That kind of crap needs to stop because there is a lot of niave people out there that don't read between the lines.

Hexus at the end of the day is only trying to give their opinion on things and we can only take it as their opinion. For me it has made me respect those who work at Hexus more because they had the balls to stand up for what they believe in. So many people like to have a whinge in the background but when called to account have nothing to say.

honestly I think someone in alienware got a little carried away with their corperate muscles and thought giving them a good flex would do the trick. Sadly it didn't impress and rightly too. Is this something we can attribute to alienware as a whole? No probably not but then your PR people should not be coming out with this stuff as they are the ones representing your company.

[cjs150]

I am a bit late to the debate but...
Hexus' emails were unnecessarily inflammatory, you do yourself no favours with that tone.
Alienware were wrong, the marketing guy was clearly trying to put pressure on you, you were right to resist and publicise that fact. Alienware have recognised that they have made a mistake (no doubt the marketing guy has been dealt with appropriately!), now the two of you kiss and make up. I want to see more reviews of Alienware products, I know they are expensive but they are beautifully put together.

PS Jeremy Clarkson got the same treatment from GM a few years back when he rubbished the Vauxhall Vectra so you are in good company

[Bazzlad]

I think Hexus were totally fine in their response.
They review hardware. They gave a substandard review, the company they reviewed stated they wouldn't send anything else.

THAT'S UNREASONABLE.

I love Hexus, and fair play for being the whistleblowers. Alienware is overpriced fancy packaged hardware. People know this, and if you don't, you do now.

As stated, the Hexus response was perfectly in line with the Alienware response, and to be honest, a lot more mature and business like than a lot of people would have replied with.

Fair play Hexus.

[MSIC]

To clarify my own opinion, i think that the general intent of what Hexus did was correct, but not the specific way it was done.
Do keep up the good work, but I hope all at Hexus staff do take something from it.

[bazmail]

"A great deal of effort is required to ensure that the reviewer’s requirements are met"

They should be no more or less difficult than meeting the requirements of the customer. After all thats the whole idea.

At no point was any decision made not to send further review systems to HEXUS

So I must have imagined the email i read yesterday then?

Similarly, it is not now and has never been Alienware policy or practice to, “only submit products to publications which will write nice things about ‘Alienware’.” Any statement suggesting Alienware takes that type of approach is simply untrue.

I'm no lawyer but he's just called he's just gone and called one of his staff members a liar.

HEXUS has an obvious and laudable commitment to journalistic integrity.

hmmmm....

Their dedication to the topic explains the somewhat emotional exchange following the comment that,

No I think its more easily explained by Alienware's attempts to prevent Hexus from doing their job to the utmost of their abilities without being pressured to corrupt their end product. I too would react quite emotionally if someone tried to tred on me like that.

This most recent email stinks of "wardrobe malfunction" type excuses.

[tmcmulli]

Late to the game here as well, but might as well throw in my hat. While both sides showed some very childish behavior, I find it strange that anyone was surprised by AW's response.

Not being too familiar with UK journalism, I'll keep my comments to how things work out in the states. As my brother used to tell his writing staff at a major L.A. Newspaper a few years back: "Writers are filler between ads".

Now before you all start flaming me, know that I'd originally been quite upset by this comment. The reality is, companies spend their money where they get the best press. Similarly to how I shop in certain stores or shops, I choose to spend my money where I'm treated better. Do I really think the salespeople like me more in my chosen stores? Of course not, they're just better at hiding their feelings.

The point is, there are no regulations on journalism in this country, just a loose "code of ethics" that is violated on a daily basis. The media is largely manipulated, and I dare say, without the writer's knowledge. I think we have many great writers who are altruistic in their endeavors, but their editors, and ultimately employers are not so.

Shame on AW, but I'm not surprised, Shame on HEXUS for losing its temper. You were baited, and took the bait.

[Skiver]

I think Hexus were totally fine in their response.
They review hardware. They gave a substandard review, the company they reviewed stated they wouldn't send anything else.

They refused a request to send a g80 system, if the machine was the previously critcised one with just the upgraded gfx card then logically the new review would just be about the card or it might repeat the complaints about the price of the first review, why should alienware do hexus a favour and send them a system in that case?

As stated, the Hexus response was perfectly in line with the Alienware response, and to be honest, a lot more mature and business like than a lot of people would have replied with.

What emails did you read, the alienware one was fairly direct, but at no time did the marketting guy call hexus a moron, publish private correspondence or demand not to be contacted in the future.

[bazmail]

fixed

I think Hexus were totally fine in their response.
They review hardware. They gave a good review of a substandard system, the company they reviewed stated they wouldn't send anything else.

THAT'S UNREASONABLE.

I love Hexus, and fair play for being the whistleblowers. Alienware is overpriced fancy packaged hardware. People know this, and if you don't, you do now.

As stated, the Hexus response was perfectly in line with the Alienware response, and to be honest, a lot more mature and business like than a lot of people would have replied with.

Fair play Hexus.