Alienware Area-51 7500 System Review

[Quakindude]

I think the Alienware computer performed above average for the parts used. Generic ram and 8MB HDD cache aside, this system performed very well.

I've seen quite a few complaints about Alienware customer service recently. While Dell may have bought out Alienware, the product line is still maintained as a separate entity. Sliding over to 8MB HDD's is certainly a cost saving measure that Alienware had best not delve too deeply into. However, the reality is simple. Enthusiasts used to be the predominant purchasing customer of Alienware systems. Folks that either didn't have the time to build or preferred a system with support and warranty coverage for the significant, unenthusiastic "others" (wife and kids or husband and kids depending) drove the initial sales of Alienware. Once Bestbuy started carrying AW computers, the "enthusiast" pre-built buyers moved to other companies like Falcon Northwest and the like.

Now, Alienware is holding onto the enthusiastic, albeit uninformed, "enthusiast" that still thinks Alienware is THE product to own. Alienware moving to cheaper parts is indicative, to me at least, of cost saving measures normally handed down by the Mothership(Dell.) This means that someone in the marketing strategy group has read reports on the experience level of the typical customer and believes that Alienware can get away with cutting some corners.

I'll tell you this though. As the world economy dictates tighter purse strings due to inflation and rising fuel costs, Alienware had best hire on some one that can do more than just read cheap assed market analysis reports. The buying public is going to start really researching every single dollar they spend in the next few years. Here soon, Alienware could find themselves marketed much the same as Gateway found themselves in the late 90's.

No matter how you look at it though, Alienware is still a cut above the major white box makers. This system has an upgrade path that the white boxers simply don't provide while shying way back from the $5K + systems put out by the well known true boutique companies.


Just my humble thoughts on what used to be an outstanding company.

Excellent write-up as always.

[onebxr]

LOL @ babes! That Pauls' better half.
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