Gaming

I recall a time not so long ago I sat in the line at Quakecon and marveled at the gaming rigs devout fans brought with them to the BYOC. Some people's systems were stock Dells, some folks had gargantuan XPS systems and Alienware ALX's, and some folks had huge monstrosities apparently created by their own two hands. It was a gaming convention, and these folks were gamers. Power was their main concern, not portability. Like many aching backed attendees, I longed for the day when portability wouldn't necessarily be sacrificed for power in a gaming hardware.

I'm happy to announce that day has finally arrived. You can now own the first genuine mobile gaming solution on the planet: the Alienware M11x!

You may have seen the announcements at CES, or seen us give away 4 of them before you could buy them, or even seen the video I shot with Katie on Engadget. Now customers in the United States, Canada, the UK, France and Germany, Japan and other parts of Asia can order the M11x soon.

Here's a good overview of what you can expect from the Alienware M11x from Bryan Dezayas and Frank Azor from the Alienware team:

I saw that Scatmanbrandt asked whether the M11x could drive an external monitor... yes, through HDMI, DisplayPort or VGA, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M supports resolutions up to 2560x1200. I had a chance to catch Lenard Swain, one of the lead engineers on the M11x project, on camera last time I was in the lab. Check it out:

A quick rundown of what you can get on an Alienware M11x:

• Up to an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor
• 1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M graphics solution
• Up to 8GB DDR3 1066MHz Memory
• Up to a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, or a 256GB solid state drive
• An 11 inch WLED High Definition widescreen "edge-to-edge" 720p display

All this hardware in a machine that weighs about 4.5 pounds, this system truly redefines portability in gaming. I expect to see more than a few of these next time I go to Quakecon, or the next time I hit a LAN party.

For more details you can go to www.alienware.com/m11x.

CES has come and gone, but Dell's announcement to launch the world's most powerful 11" gaming laptop seems to have created quite a buzz in the blogosphere. During the show, the M11x won CNET's coveted "Best of CES" award in the gaming category. Shortly thereafter, IGN awarded the M11x with its own Best of CES award for "Best Computer." It is undeniable that the M11x's small form-factor is a big leap for PC gaming, especially when it can play hardware-intensive games like Crysis flawlessly. Beyond gaming, the M11x is like the Mighty Mouse of ultra-portable computing, making it a great option for students and professionals who like to play as hard as they work.

Since the M11x coming soon, I thought it would be interesting to give a little background on it. When I joined Alienware in 2005 (about a year before Dell bought Alienware), I remember hearing whispers in the hallway about a small form factor concept called "Phantom." At the time, the best gaming notebooks were equipped with desktop processors and traditional desktop gaming (with a monitor, mouse and keyboard) reigned supreme. As much as Alienware's engineering team wanted to bring "Phantom" to market, the reality of the situation was that the technology needed to develop the platform wasn't available at the time. For example, CULV processors hadn't hit the market yet and digital distribution, through avenues like Steam, hadn't reached prime time, which made optical drives a necessity. Alienware has always had a long history of innovation, so I knew that I'd hear more about the mysterious "Phantom" when the time was right.

Fast forward to 2010 and "Phantom" is almost here in the form of the M11x. Recently, I had a chance to play with a pre-production unit at Dell's engineering lab in Austin and was beyond impressed with its ability to play Left 4 Dead 2 with ease. 

With Dell, the Alienware brand continues to push the envelope in terms of design and performance, and the M11x is no exception. The original Alienware mantra of "built by gamers, for gamers" still holds true today and Dell's decision to make "Phantom" a reality is a game changer (pun intended!). The official launch is right around the corner, so stay tuned!

I may have missed going to CES this year, but it’s been difficult to miss the buzz about the upcoming Alienware M11x. When it is released, it promises to forever change the face of the mobile gaming landscape. It’s not surprise that it’s created the stir it has.

Amidst the buzz we’ve been quietly giving away M11x’s to folks since the announcement. We’ve had three drawings so far, with 2 of the winners confirmed.

The confirmed winners are:

• John A. of Van Buren, AZ
•  Andy S. Of Orlando FL

With that in mind, there’s only 1 left to give away. Check the M11x web page (or click on the image below) to fill out the sweepstakes entry form to throw your name in the hat. Don’t miss your chance to pick up one of these bad boys for free.

By far the most common question I get about the M11x is when it will be available. The answer: sooner than you think.  Prepare to be invaded.

Ah, the chaos that is CES. And I mean that in a good way... it's like the Super Bowl of gadgets and new technology. For those that haven't been reading Direct2Dell recently (or haven't seen Engaget's live blog from Dell's CES 2010 press event), we've already shared some details on a couple of our new products—the redesigned Mini 10 (available for order now on Dell.com) and the Dell Android-based smartphone that will make its way to customers in the U.S. in the first half of this year.

Speaking of things that will ship later this year, we used our time at CES 2010 to show off a 5-inch tablet concept (see below—click on it to see a larger version, or check out this Flickr photo set to see a few more). More details later. Update:  More great pics of the concept device over at Pocket-lint.com.

With that, I'll shift gears to talk about new products that will be available in a short time. Many of these products will be sporting new processor technology from Intel in the form of i3, i5 and i7 processors  (desktop or mobile version, depending on the product).

For now, here's the CliffsNotes version of these new products. You can click on any images in this post to see larger versions, or check out this CES 2010 Products set on Flickr.

Alienware M11x

• The Alienware M11x is a sub-$1000 notebook that demonstrates the graphics power of a 15-inch laptop in an 11-inch form factor.
• It lets you play all of your games and media content, whether at home or away, at HD 720p resolution.
• The Alienware M11x is the best mix of power, performance and portability that we've brought to customers.

Alienware OptX AW2310 23" 3D Full HD Widescreen Monitor

• The 23” Alienware OptX AW2310 enables intense stereoscopic 3D effects on hundreds of PC game titles with NVIDIA 3D Vision technology.
• Price for monitor is $499 (NVIDIA 3D Vision Kit not included).

Update: For those who are interested, here's a promotional video of the OptX AW2310 monitor from our YouTube channel.

Alienware M17x, M15x

• The M17x, the most powerful 17-inch gaming laptop in the universe, now offers Intel Mobile Core i7 processors combined with dual graphics to deliver extreme frame rates at HD resolutions while maxing out game settings.
• The M15x delivers exceptional HD video and audio editing, 3D animation and high-end PC gaming.
• M17x start at $1,799 and the M15x start at $1,399.

Inspiron 14, 15, 17

• Redesigned Inspiron laptops full-featured and ideal for on-the-go media consumption.
• Now with new, thinner chassis, 16:9 aspect HD displays, SRS Premium Sound.
• Available today with new turbo-charged Intel Mobile Core i5 processors starting at $849.
• Systems featuring the Intel Core i3 processor will be available later this month, starting at $569.

Inspiron 580, 580s

• Ideal for consumers looking for great, high-value desktop computers.
• Best-selling desktop line gets a boost from new processors, and many models may be personalized with color choices. Prices start at $269.

Studio 14, 15, 17

• Refreshed Studio laptops feature Intel's Mobile Core i5 and i7 processors and are perfect for sharing photos, music and videos with friends and family.
• Portable Studio 14 available in North America later this month with prices starting at $699.
• Studio 15 has high-definition, 15.6-inch LED widescreen design and is rich with multimedia technology, like True HD resolutions that show off content, starting at $849.
• Studio 17 features beautiful 17.3-inch display, with enhanced audio. Prices start at $949.

Studio XPS 8100

• It's a great multi-purpose desktop computer that has the power to handle just about any multimedia task you can throw at it.
• Replaces Studio XPS 8000 with juiced-up Intel Core i5 processor technology, new theater-quality THX TruStudio PC sound and cutting-edge design. Prices start at $749.

Update:  Here's a highlight video from Dell's CES 2010 press conference from the Palms hotel in Las Vegas.

At Dell, we work to design laptops that bring powerful performance and features, offer personalization options that matter and we’re glad to see someone else recognizes that. What Laptop, a mobile computing magazine for laptops, netbooks and smartphones in the UK, last week announced the winners of their What Laptop Mobile Computing Awards and Dell claimed the top spot in four different categories. We’re proud of these, because the Mobile Computing Awards are solely voted for by What Laptop readers.

Best Gaming Laptop 2009: Alienware M17x

It’s been a great year for the Alienware brand, and winning Best Gaming Laptop 2009 for the Alienware M17x is just the cherry on top. According to What Laptop: “With cutting-edge power, a feature-packed specification and a stunning, anodised aluminium chassis, the M17x is not only your favourite gaming laptop of 2009, but maybe the best we’ve yet seen.”

Best Laptop for Power & Features 2009: Dell Studio XPS 16

The Studio XPS 16 was recognized for “Delivering some of the most powerful performance on the market, alongside comprehensive storage, HD features and a sleek and stylish design.”

Best Ultraportable Laptop 2009: Dell Adamo

Launched in 2009, it is a huge win for the  Adamo by Dell brand to be recognized in this category. According to What Laptop: “Its superior craftsmanship, impressive attention to detail and great usability are only the tip of the iceberg of this stylish ultraportable.”

2009 Editor’s Choice Award: Dell Studio 15

Our mobile multimedia machine, the Studio 15 was awarded the most notable award of all by the editors of What Laptop themselves: “Rarely does a laptop impress us enough to become the benchmark against which all other machines in its market are measured, but Dell’s Studio 15 is the exception.”

We were also recognized with second place wins for the Inspiron Mini 10 in the Best Netbook category, Alienware M17x in the Power & Features category, and Dell as Best Laptop Manufacturer of 2009!

A huge thank-you to everyone who took the time to vote!