Alienware Gaming Laptops

Laptops have evolved over the years, going from a tool for businessmen, to becoming something that consumers demand. As they have changed markets, new types of laptop have emerged, such as netbooks, which fill a particular niche. When discussing the evolution of laptops, many people will focus on those aforesaid netbooks, as proof of people wanting cheap laptops more than anything else, but there is another niche which has had an impact on the market and where the word 'cheap' cannot be realistically applied.

That niche is gaming laptops, and in that arena, there is one brand name which is more synonymous with powerful machines than any other. That brand name is Alienware.

There is a very good reason for this: Alienware produce what are easily amongst the most powerful laptops on the market (they also make high-end desktop PCs), and their core focus has always been gaming, ever since they were founded in 1996. As such, Alienware laptops have a reputation for including features which are not even found in most desktop PCs, such as integrated Dolby surround sound and very high-end graphics cards.

Possibly one of the most important things to happen to Alienware, as a company, was its purchase by Dell, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the manufacturer. As such, this allowed Alienware to tap into the supply chain, the purchasing power and the economies of scale that Dell has, reducing their operating costs and allowing them to extend their market from six to thirty-five countries. In return, Dell phased out their own range of XPS gaming laptops, replacing them in the high-end sector with Alienware machines.

The current range of Alienware laptops exemplifies exactly what it is about these machines that makes them so beloved by their users and has made them such an industry icon. Their industrial design is strikingly unique, with an angular, distinctive body, as well as red lighting around the casing, and an illuminated keypad. This fits in perfectly with their science fiction-inspired business image. One of their previous gaming laptops available in the 'Ripley' case (named, of course, after the main character of all four Alien movies).

In short, when it comes to gaming laptops, there is undoubtedly one king of the hill and it is, without a doubt, Alienware. Their hardware, combining cutting edge technology, new and powerful processors and Dell's typical reliability has allowed them to dominate the gaming laptop market with ease. They are powerful, perceived as being cool by consumers (a vitally important factor) and, in terms of high-end gaming experiences, they deliver. In the desktop PC market it is said that most dedicated gaming PCs are built to spec by the user themselves with the user swapping out components as new and more powerful ones become available. Desktop PC gaming is undoubtedly the home of custom PCs but, for gaming laptops, Alienware take the crown.

There is, of course, one factor which may put all but the most dedicated gamers of, however: the price. Put simply, Alienware hardware is expensive.