Dell dropping XPS, focusing on Alienware -- Dell says no

We've got some news that'll make a PC gamer or two weep: the Wall St. Journal is reporting that as of next month Dell will be dropping four models of XPS performance PCs to focus solely on pushing Alienware. Certainly no surprise though, we've been waiting for this move since they picked the company up back in 2006. Of course, there will be certain challenges, namely how Dell will keep its Alienware brand separate (read: pristine) -- as its done since the acquisition -- yet be able to offer performance PCs on its site alongside the rest of its machines. It's also unclear what will happen to is XPS line of laptops, since those are big sellers as well, but we'll all have to wait patiently for the bomb to drop before knowing for sure what Dell's cutting and what they're not. [Warning: subscription required]

Update: Not true says Dell -- XPS systems and gaming rigs will live on.

[Josh @ May 12th 2008 10:09PM]

Why drop the laptop line - those look so much classier than the plastic-y alienware junk. Sorry - not all of us want a laptop that looks like a glossy alien s***. Besides - the XPS laptops were some of the few dell's with any style at all... Not to mention they were pretty thin compared to the huge alienwares...

[Bizzy @ May 12th 2008 10:24PM]

agree alienware's are ugly and the smug little alien head is lame i would rather see them drop alienware and focus on xps...
my poor m1710 isn't going to have another xps 17incher to replace it in a couple years *tear*

[Aguiluz @ May 12th 2008 10:36PM]

When I order an Alienware, I'm going to pry that alien head off. It looks so annoying.

[tom @ May 12th 2008 10:42PM]

I Agree, not only gamers wanna look cool will purchase high performance computer Alienware. Computer programmers, graphic designer will carry those as well.

It would look suck seeing a glowing green alien head in the office. It just doesn't make the employee look professional.

Plus, not all people like Alien anyway, it creeps me out.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ May 12th 2008 10:47PM]

I believe it should work out this way:

Alienware: Performance Desktops.

DELL: Performance Laptops and the usual DELL fare.

[Mam00th @ May 12th 2008 10:56PM]

The difference between a XPS laptop and an alienware one is that the XPS has style and look far more professional then a stupid looking alien logo

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ May 12th 2008 10:57PM]

May I be the first to say "I like how the AlienWare laptops look" (except for some of the newest ones)

Classy? No, but I don't like classy things.. I prefer sporty/informal

Tired? Yes, it's definitely a tired design... But for those of us who have never had one it still works :-P

-As for AW's quality vs. XPS quality I can't speak because I've never used one of either, will take your word for it..

[rektide @ May 12th 2008 11:34PM]

I have nothing against Alienware's look (god awful freaking hideous pile of plastic crap so what), I do however take issue with their extreme lack of durability, crappy build quality, poor design/usability, and unfrakking believable pricing.

[rektide @ May 12th 2008 11:52PM]

Alienware's weigh a ton, are bloody huge, and cost astronomical amounts. I forgot to tack these on to my other complains: bad durability, poor usability. I suggest trying to customize yourself a decent gaming laptop here, just so you can laugh at the insane price:

http://www.alienware.com/Configurator_Pages/area-51_m15x_ai1.aspx?SysCode=PC-LT-AREA51M15X-AI1&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT

$1500 base
$300 display upgrade
$500 for a video card upgrade ( !!!!!! )
$250 for a real CPU
$150 to meet Assassin's Creeds minimum RAM requirements
$300 blu-ray

I realize gaming laptops arent going to be cheap, but literally $3000 for an OK gaming laptop that weighs half as much and looks half as good as a cinderblock is really pushing it. The XPS laptops were cheaper, lighter, smaller, better usability, more durable, equally performant, looked better, and had far better support.

[blah @ May 13th 2008 12:41AM]

hate me, but i actually love that alien head
i love my xps m1330 too

[Madoc @ May 13th 2008 8:53AM]

I've had an XPS 1210 lappy for almost 2 years now. Small, powerful, stylish and reliable. They better not scrap this one, I am perfectly happy buying the 1330 and future upgrades of this laptop indefinitely.

[tridge @ May 13th 2008 3:43PM]

@rektide:

You have obviously never owned an Alienware. I on the other hand have two of them, both laptops. I believe the build quality is amazing...well, I won't even go into the rest of your comments but say, I disagree.

[MeatyPi @ May 12th 2008 10:10PM]

XPS, I hardly knew ye, oh well Dell blows and forget their shitty Indian customer service "How is english" "Um, I'm sorry was that supposed to be english,because I didn't understand anything you said."

[jdmbo1 @ May 12th 2008 10:28PM]

To be fair, a lot of companies outsource their tech departments to Indian now a days.

[obed1ah @ May 12th 2008 10:48PM]

Dell's XPS and business system support is North American based. Only the consumer lines of business are based overseas.

[Ellianth @ May 12th 2008 11:00PM]

Maybe you should start calling the XPS support number. XPS has a seperate number for only english speaking reps. Usually if you call support for another brand they tell you, "you've reached x, i'll transfer you to the premium xps support line."

[MeatyPi @ May 12th 2008 11:46PM]

low ranked for expressing distaste in outsourcing? you're all monsters, and please read, I said Dell, not their XPS lines, because I was referring only to their consumer lines, which I had a few unfortunate experiences with long ago.

outsourcing ftw! to you fools anyways

[LMLYP @ May 13th 2008 12:22AM]

theres more people in India that speak English than English speaking Canadians.... it would make more sense as a business to have tech support in India .... but who cares about other countries right?

[nikster @ May 13th 2008 2:45AM]

You don't understand what "How is English" means yet at the same time complain about outsourcing? Now _that_ is irony.

I am used to this protectionist Bullcrap from where I grew up, Europe. But in America, it's a new and rather disturbing phenomenon. What ever happened to free markets?

[Arnob @ May 13th 2008 3:14AM]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never had any trouble when I've called dell customer support. Sure they had accents, but they were still easy to understand and they were all pretty helpful. Just treat them with respect and they usually come through.

[Evan @ May 12th 2008 10:13PM]

Perhaps this is why the new Inspiron laptops are re-styled to look more upscale like the XPS laptops... they'll be replacing the XPS laptops!
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/08/dell-inspiron-1435-1535-and-1735-leaked/

[Ace b @ May 12th 2008 10:16PM]

You got a point.But still,it's not a Real xps laptop.

But maybe this will mean clearance sales for us.That would be good.

[rektide @ May 12th 2008 11:35PM]

I dont think they make those with top of the line Geforce mobiles.

[Flashpoint @ May 12th 2008 10:14PM]

It really was overkill to have Alienware and XPS.

Dell's core business comes from producing business/ educational use laptops and desktops. For them to have a special marquee for high performance gaming while simultaneously owning a company that caters to high performance gaming is just redundant.

I'm glad, on a side note, to see HP focusing on capturing the High Performance gaming market from Dell/Alienware. HP machines are designed better so I have no doubt they will succeed.

The XPS machines were probably the best Dell will ever build. I personally don't like the Alienware case designs but, if you are selling me a $3000, liquid cooled, gaming rig which CAN play Crysis in VERY HIGH without shuddering, I'll take the best case design you can come up with.

[Douglas Brace @ May 12th 2008 10:49PM]

A lot of university researchers use Dell XPS desktops. I work at a university as a computing consultant and I probably put together a quote for 3/4 XPS desktops a semester. As of this point, my university doesn't have a buying contract with Alienware and I wouldn't recommend it anyway. The pricetag of a Dell XPS is a lot more affordable than Alienware systems.

[rektide @ May 12th 2008 11:55PM]

I would've killed off the piece of crap alienware systems before I went near XPS. All the XPS machines are INCREDIBLY well done, and come at only a marginal cost added. The Alienware machines are almost universally a bit on the junky plastic side, breakage prone (just search for alienware), badly designed, heavy, and astronomically priced. If anything got axes it should definitely have been Alienwares.

[Dualboot @ May 13th 2008 12:08AM]

I too fail to see how this will work, unless the machines will be branded as Dells, which is not what I'm reading in the article. They mention that HP subsumed Voodoo, but Dell decided to go a different route, leaving Alienware intact.

I own an XPS720 and it is solidly built with all the bells and whistles. I would not buy an Alienware machine, unless they proved to me beyond a doubt that the build quality is identical and the support is of the same caliber.

The only alternative I see is to switch to the Precision line of desktops and laptops. I didn't like the XPS laptop (fugly) and I switched to a Precision 6300 for my laptop needs. It's held up so far, but I do concede it looks more like a research laptop running games, rather than a gaming laptop used for research.

[happy_penguin @ May 13th 2008 3:30AM]

@Flashpoint

I think you've hit the mark quite well on this one. Dell doesn't need XPS and Alienware. But personally I do not like the Alienware cases. I find them to be gaudy in appearance. Regardless, performance is where it's at and however they serve it up it's important. I'm not a gamer so I don't need it, but there is most certainly a need in the market for high performance for those who do use it.

I think they should go for a more simple yet elegant design and (God I hate to say this...) they could take a few tips from Apple. I'm not saying they should try to mimic Apple design, but there is a lot to be said for an understatedly elegant design. It would be an opportunity to "one up" Apple on the appearance.

[Matthew @ May 12th 2008 10:14PM]

First!

[andres @ May 12th 2008 10:18PM]

if by first, you mean first at failing, then yes

[ByronGman @ May 12th 2008 10:19PM]

If you are going to be the idiot who does "First!", at least don't suck at your job.

[MeatyPi @ May 12th 2008 10:19PM]

please jump off a bridge, now!

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 12th 2008 10:49PM]

You were first but we pushed you down. The senior members of this forum have the power to do things like that. Check the next article you try being first on.

If you can be first on the next three articles, I promise to send you a 3G iPhone with Steve Jobs fingerprints on it.

[Mobius_1 @ May 13th 2008 5:34AM]

That is the lowest first ive seen in a while... it takes some skill to be this bad at commenting

[Sameer Surampalli @ May 12th 2008 10:17PM]

If Dell is dropping XPS, I damn well expect the prices of Alienware PCs to drop dramatically. You can buy a similarly equipped XPS hundreds of dollars cheaper than an Alienware of the same class.

[The Engadgeter @ May 13th 2008 7:22AM]

My thoughts exactly. The XPS brand has come to mean premium (yes, premium - at least relative to the rest of the Dell lineup) quality for the cheap gamer. The prices on the 420 and 630 and unbeatable after discounts.

I've always been a fan of XPS, and I'm really sad to see it die :(

[Ninjakamster (PSN: Chin-Poh) @ May 12th 2008 10:18PM]

I really liked the XPS M1210 notebook myself. Very compact and so full of power.

[Nate @ May 12th 2008 10:25PM]

Overall, that was probably the best notebook I've ever owned. I wish I never sold that computer.

[The Engadgeter @ May 13th 2008 9:07AM]

I really miss my m1210 too. The m1330 is nice and all, but vista and horrible heat management be damned!

[Viakenny @ May 12th 2008 10:19PM]

so, will they launch Alienware in Brazil? (even with the absurd price tag, since higher-priced PCs don't have some tax reductions or exemptions that sub-3000BRL-or-so PCs have)

[Khattab @ May 12th 2008 10:22PM]

Finally. The PC as a game device is dead anyways - so why not dropping the whole XPS series? Dell should focus on energy effiecient PCs, Laptops, Nettops and Servers. That's not the future - that's where the present focus is on, whether you look at company or private interests.

[Zelatio @ May 12th 2008 10:37PM]

What planet are you from? PC gaming is as strong as it ever has been.

[Ruben @ May 12th 2008 11:00PM]

WTF?

Crysis sold over 1 million copies. Thats over 1 million people that at least spent 1500 dollars on their PC to play games on (considering what the game needs to be enjoyable). Thats over 1 million possible custom builders. Were not even counting the pirates.

I think PC gaming is doing just fine. 1 million at 50 bucks is still 50 million dollars. Sure, that isnt GTA numbers, but its still decent, considering the added money spent by people just to get that game running on their PC.

Why would companies like Nvidia even bother if they werent making amazing profits?

Console gamers can enjoy their 720P games, and ill enjoy vertical resolution equal to their horizontal.

[ByronGman @ May 12th 2008 11:19PM]

Damn straight Ruben!!!

[Khattab @ May 12th 2008 11:59PM]

Wow.

1 million Crysis sold. That's impressive.

How many Call of Duty 4s have been sold for the 360 & PS3? And how many for the PC?

And didn't Cevat Yerli (Crytek CEO, maker of Crysis) recently stated, that due to pirating-issues the Crysis successor won't be PC-only? And that piracy will eventualy destroy the whole PC-Gaming sector?

Yeah, you're right, he didn't.


http://www.pcplay.hr/modules.php?r=23

"We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis. We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that’s the core problem of PC Gaming, piracy. To the degree PC Gamers that pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more. It was a big lesson for us and I believe we wont have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore."

[L.M.L.Y.P @ May 13th 2008 12:30AM]

EA also said that they were impressed with the 1 million mark....
soo............. EA was happy with the numbers. Crytek wasnt.... sounds like Crytek just wants more money and less work so theyre going the console route. Fine by me, but i warn you that Crysis will look much better than their next release and theyre going backwards .

Anycrap, i still dont see why Dell hasnt changed the Alienware cases... things are awful

[Khattab @ May 13th 2008 3:22AM]

My "Impressive" statement was blank irony. 1m units for a AAA titel like Crysis ist crap. Total crap.

And if they're going backwards graphic-wise - why not? Optimise it for one or a max. of two hardware sets, and A LOT OF PEOPLE will buy it. It's simple math.

Why do you think GTA IV is first published on consoles? Exactly, 'cause it costed 100m bucks to get developed. And TakeTwo, as every publisher who spends horrendous amounts of money, wants to get their investments back and even earn some money.

I'll promise you - if the whole industry doesn't get rid of the piracy issue - bye bye Gaming-PCs. NVIDIA & ATI still earn enough with their console departments.

[El Taco @ May 12th 2008 10:27PM]

NOOO!!!!

I thought the XPS 1530 looked so awesome, and if I were to get a new laptop, that would definately be the one I would get, but now they're replacing it with the overpriced, clunky, un-stylish alienware laptops that you look like a total nerd if you have. Seriously, for a 14-year-old, if your friends see you have an alienware laptop, it looks much more nerdy than a stylish Dell XPS.

[ethana2 @ May 12th 2008 10:35PM]

useragent
Googlebot/2.1
is fail.

Man, those read links don't care if you're google or not anymore, do they ;)
Good riddance to search result litter.

[Dan @ May 12th 2008 10:37PM]

Well if they want their sales to plummit fine. I would only get rid of the desktop line just because they sell less now of days but I would like to keep the midrange stuff since I think the 720 chassis is a nice design. The 420 is simply ugly and the 210 already looks like an Inspiron 510s