# Is this laptop unacceptably unprofessional-looking? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501 "2011-01-13T19:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/21 "2011-01-14T13:18:12Z")
IMO, beyond maybe some teasing and/or admiring, no one will care. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/22 "2011-01-14T13:55:33Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > … a couple of weeks ago I bought one of those huge stickers they sell to “pimp” laptops, specifically a brokenish Union Jack (makes me think of the Sex Pistols) on a black background (matches the laptop’s case)… Can you get one of these stickers in “neutral” and cover the alien outside with it? ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/23 "2011-01-14T13:56:54Z")
Or, even better: get your company logo, print it onto an adhesive (at a copy shop) and show to everybody else how much you identify with your company! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/24 "2011-01-14T14:04:06Z")
It does depend on your organizational culture, but if the question is being asked, it means that likely the culture isn’t one full of lawyers and garumphy old CEO’s. I say go for it. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/25 "2011-01-14T14:29:27Z")
It looks cool. God I thought you were going to post a photo of something pink with bunnies on it! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/26 "2011-01-14T14:32:37Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Or, even better: get your company logo, print it onto an adhesive (at a copy shop) and show to everybody else how much you identify with your company! 😃 Back when I had a corporate laptop, we went from “everybody must stick his or hers business card to the laptop issued, for easy identification” to “no business cards on laptops, so they can not be identified as belonging to this company”. I bought a sticker of the coat of arms of my homeland, in the biggest size I could find it, and slapped it on the cover. Made for easy identification of the laptop as “mine” without screaming the actual owner and the possibility of trade secrets. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/27 "2011-01-14T15:21:50Z")
I saw the Alienware laptop on Big Bang Theory last night. Go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/28 "2011-01-14T16:07:29Z")
Just posting (from an m11x, in fact) to confirm that the keyboard backlight and other coloured lights can be adjusted and also turned off (and also made pink and to flash on and off at all times). Plus, there’s a little alien head on the front that has a glow around it that indicates the battery status (charging, discharging, or full), the head itself is the power button, and the eyes flash when the harddrive is being accessed. Totally not unprofessional. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/29 "2011-01-14T16:19:13Z")
Missed the edit window, but I also wanted to confirm that the machine is totally bitchin’, and comes highly recommended. I do all my game playing and developing on mine. It lacks an optical drive but otherwise it’s one of the most full-featured things you can get in the 11" form-factor (and indeed, I believe to find any other laptop with graphics that equal or surpass the m11x’, you have to go all the way up to 15"). My colleagues are generally jealous, but as mentioned, probably depends on the industry. 🙂 For reference, it’ll generally happily run anything that’s been ported to the consoles (and look quite a bit prettier doing it). I play a lot of Left 4 Dead 2 and it runs it happily at max settings. It’s not exactly future-proof gaming-wise, and the Optimus tech (for automatic switching between graphics for gaming purposes) is occasionally fiddly and annoying, but you can’t have everything. Actually, possibly the cheaper model has manual switching instead of Optimus, anyway - they only added that when they revised the hardware the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/30 "2011-01-14T17:09:22Z")
I can’t imagine anyone having any problems with it. However, I work in a creative field (and I don’t care what other people think of my stuff) — so make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/31 "2011-01-14T19:18:10Z")
> [@Dinaroozie](#): > > Just posting (from an m11x, in fact) to confirm that the keyboard backlight and other coloured lights can be adjusted and also turned off (and also made pink and to flash on and off at all times). Plus, there’s a little alien head on the front that has a glow around it that indicates the battery status (charging, discharging, or full), the head itself is the power button, and the eyes flash when the harddrive is being accessed. Totally not unprofessional. 🙂 Thanks, **Dinaroozie**! This is very helpful to know. I’ll probably buy the Core 2 Duo version. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/32 "2011-01-14T19:28:49Z")
I like the special $599 US on the 11" model. I am ‘this’ close to ordering it. I don’t need any extra stuff. I just need a personal laptop for some recreational use. I don’t appear to be missing anything. Am I? Before I lose my mind talking to customer service, I can have one of these puppies for 599, and it comes with a charger and wireless… right? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/33 "2011-01-14T19:57:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That “Alien” on the front still sticks out like a sore thumb, though. What’s your minimum specs and maximum price? We’ll find what you need, guaranteed. I agree. It would be noticed and your cred would be knocked down a peg unnecessarily. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/34 "2011-01-14T20:06:50Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Why must The Man and his rules bring me down so? Can you honestly say that anything goes in office decorum. You’re computer is more like a goofy tie with LED lights. You could be wearing a $3000 suit and your appearance lives and dies with the tie. If you can find a model that doesn’t have alien eyes and can shut off the day-glow keyboard then that’s you’re office computer. All the better if you can get a docking version of that so that you’re not plugging and unplugging it all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/35 "2011-01-14T20:17:59Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I like the special $599 US on the 11" model. > > I am ‘this’ close to ordering it. I don’t need any extra stuff. I just need a personal laptop for some recreational use. > > I don’t appear to be missing anything. Am I? Before I lose my mind talking to customer service, I can have one of these puppies for 599, and it comes with a charger and wireless… right? Yes, but with no bluetooth, only 2 gigs of RAM, and only a 160 gig hard drive. It also doesn’t include shipping. Upgrading to bluetooth, 250 gig hard drive, and 4 gigs of RAM (and tossing in shipping) brings it closer to $800 total. Still a good deal, IMHO, if you want a small and capable gaming machine. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/36 "2011-01-15T00:03:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > You’re computer is more like a goofy tie with LED lights. Perhaps we just have really different taste on this, but are we talking about the same laptop? The m11x looks like [this](http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/03/alienware_14.jpg) from behind. It’s not _that_ ludicrous, is it? Maybe a little abstract alien head is less sensible than a little abstract apple or whatever else, but it’s not like the OP’s hauling a giant oil-cooled window-in-the-side neon-tubing monstrosity into work or something. Oh wait, sorry - my brain somehow blocked out the rest of your post. 🙂 Yeah, with all the keyboard lighting and stuff switched off, it’s pretty understated. The flashing harddrive eyes on the front are very subtle though, ridiculous as that sounds - nobody would notice unless they were basically sitting at the computer. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/37 "2011-01-15T17:47:16Z")
Anybody who knows anything about computers would know (about) this computer. Granted, if I saw you with it I would know you were probably heavy into gaming, as that is the target consumer niche that I have seen. So if you don’t want to be known as the video game freak, that might be an issue - but as far as a functional, computer workhorse, it is a fine machine. Plus, who cares? It all comes down to what you can produce. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/38 "2011-01-16T02:49:23Z")
Warning about small laptops: This spring, I bought a mini from HP. It was small, can’t remember how small. At any rate, I tried to download Windows Office, and I wasn’t able to. Why not? Because, the monitor on it had too small a…well, I can’t remember. At any rate, to download many programs, your monitor resolution, or some such, needs to have a certain amount of something on it. That struck me as madness, but, that was the situation. The mini only had the option of the one size, so, I was forced to download Open Office (which is great, but, WO was absolutely essential for my job.) At any rate, to the OP: I can see it being to close a call. In my job, everybody has laptops, but there, nobody gives a hang if anybody else dies spitting blood, or eating cake. If you are in a conservative type environment, leave off the aliens. best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![Allthegood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Allthegood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allthegood)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/39 "2011-01-16T06:07:55Z")
No. Oh, cover up the alien skull with a low-key sticker of some kind if you’re worried about what stuffy people might think, but otherwise it looks fine. I’m posting to this thread primarily to thank you for pointing out to me that there are keyboards available with lighting around the keys. Love it! This means I could type in the dark! ---
**Author:** ![Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picard_Kills_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501/40 "2011-01-16T16:21:09Z")
Have you tried playing a video game on an 11" laptop? The new wide screen ones are significantly smaller than the older more square looking screens. I have an 11" dell laptop, which I just replaced with a 14.5" HP laptop, and I would guess the height of the screen is about the same. Also, the Sony vaio z appears to be a pretty powerful machine, and still looks professional IMO. If it were my office, I would wonder why one of my employees needs a work computer from a company known for their gaming machines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-laptop-unacceptably-unprofessional-looking/567501.md?page=3)