Dell just announced that it is indeed acquiring Alienware:
"Today we signed a definitive agreement to acquire Alienware to further expand our portfolio of high-performance PC solutions. Alienware is a successful, high-growth company with a highly respected brand.
Dell’s XPS products and Alienware’s products complement each other to address a wider range of enthusiast and high-performance PC customers. The acquisition of Alienware will enhance our commitment to customers seeking extreme performance. Overall, customers benefit from us offering a wider choice of products in this category, including the best performance, product options and value. We believe that Alienware and Dell have excellent cultural alignment, as both companies were founded on the direct business model.
"Alienware's products are an excellent complement to Dell's own line of high-performance computers designed for gaming, enthusiast and media content customers. In addition to offering high-quality, high-performance products, Alienware has tremendous brand appeal with consumers and creative business professionals," said Michael Dell, chairman.
"Alienware has a legacy of success designing the highest-performance PCs using bleeding -edge technologies and innovative industrial design," said Nelson Gonzalez, CEO of Alienware. "We believe that Alienware will realize significant advantages from Dell's world-class supply chain and operational efficiencies. They will allow us to continue to satisfy our core customers with the most innovative and highest-performing PCs, and ultimately extend the reach and appeal of the Alienware brand."
According to several sources, the buyout may not be completed for a few months. More on this as information becomes available.

didn't they deny it not longer than a week ago saying their xps line already fits the bill?
pfff PR stuff...
This was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time untill Dell realized that they had to earn or become a part of the gaming industry, i didn't think that they would "acquire Alienware" but i guess this is a good thing (in a way).
Ha!
Nothing like using a snazzy looking design to sell more.
For all we know dell will be getting rid of their xps line and make the alien ware line the equivalent to the xps.
They don't have to change a darn thing actually.
From the press release itself
"Dell said Alienware will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary following completion of the transaction and will maintain its own product development, product marketing, sales, technical support and other operations as well as brand. The management and founders of Alienware will continue to operate the company as a standalone unit of Dell."
They'll keep the Ailenware division around long enough for the press attention to die off, and then :poof: no more seperate division. Downsizing, you know. So sorry, had to do it for buisness reasons, you understand.
But I don't care. I'll never buy a DELL box becasue I can make myself my own custom rig any time I want. Since I built it myself I know it's exactkly what I want it to be. No big box PC maker can beat that, so they can all go to hell as far as I care.
CNet reports that AMD processors will be sold in their systems still.
Good move for the customers? I dunno... Dell makes good deals and Alienware are usually overpriced
I was saying "BOOurns" ;=)
XPS line from dell will not shut down, if they did so, dell will become a cheap brand and so people will not attach quality to it.
Just kidding... :p
Last edited by yodat on 23 Mar 2006 - 07:16
It's bold, daring and unique.
But, a little more on topic with GoldenSheep, Alienware market themselves as "the best of the best", selling exclusively stupidly overpowered computers that a non-PC gamer, such as myself, would rarely ever push.
All in the angle.
But we need a company Alienware for people that just want to buy a good gaming PC and don't mind paying a little more for it. For the rest of us, there's newegg.com for parts to build our own.
I don't understamnd what the **** you're saying, but the phrase rolls off the tounge to easily it MUST be proper english, right?
The point is it makes no sense so you
1) Don't fix the typo
2) Dont explain what you mean.
Last edited by minnow_trap on 23 Mar 2006 - 15:13
I posted this on the BPN and my thread got locked for being bogus... Funny how its on the front page now.
(Granted, there was already a thread about it too that I missed)
so like some people said above... "who cares" ... cause for us people who build our own pc's we KNOW where getting "quality" components ... although i do have to admit the pc i got from alienware was pretty solid and to this day it's still pretty good considering it's 5 years old.... but i should have built that one and saved a wod of cash lol.
-----------
my new pc specs are...
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2ghz) CPU
ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe Motherboard
BFG Geforce 7900GT 256MB graphics card
1GB Crucial DDR3200 (400mhz) Ram
250GB Western Digital 16MB cache hard drive
Antec SLK3000-B case
Enermax Liberty 500watt power supply
etc etc
i ran prime95 on it for 17hours30minutes straight and no errors (it never showed a error i just stoped it at the 17hour30min mark) ... so that proves i got a stable pc.... but right now i dont have the 1GB of crucial ram yet im still waiting on it ... right now i used the old ram i got from my old pc in this new pc (crucial 2x 256MB = 512MB DDR2100 266mhz)
you built a computer in 2006 that is better than an Alienware from 2001? gee how ya managed to do that?!
Jokes aside, I build all my PC's but I really see no harm in purchasing a well built PC ( abit overpriced ) with solid warranty , just pay deliver and use.
oh and congrats on the new machine
The purchasing by DELL shouldn't justify any reason NOT to buy an Alienware unless you are A) Like me knowing that Alienware is overpriced and if you know how to do it yourself, make an equally good computer and save a lot of B) One of those stupid religious guys who think giving money to Dell somehow is 'evil'
They still sell pcs branded as Compaq. Just check the website.
nothign is changing. alien ware keeps there tech support, everything. The only thing that changes is where the profit goes.
"Dell said Alienware will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary following completion of the transaction and will maintain its own product development, product marketing, sales, technical support and other operations as well as brand. The management and founders of Alienware will continue to operate the company as a standalone unit of Dell. "
thats from the press release wich is linked to in the article above.
Nothing like killing your competition by cannibalizing them