Dell's XPS systems resurrected, WSJ is Judas

Oops, looks like the Wall Street Journal was getting a bit of ahead of itself calling for the end of Dell's XPS lineup. While Dell will definitely "invest like crazy" in its Alienware brand, XPS systems and indeed, XPS gaming systems "will remain an important part of our gaming product portfolio." There won't be an early phase-out of the XPS brand as reported by the WSJ. So there you have it, Dell XPS, resurrected after just one day in the tomb. Michael Dell truly is a savior.

[Via c|net]

[The Apple @ May 14th 2008 7:37AM]

Yay, if i ever go PC, im getting an XPS, Alienware is 10,000,000 times more expensive.

[Flashpoint @ May 14th 2008 8:12AM]

I got a Hewlett Packard Core2Duo Quad with 4MB RAM, and a Geforce just so I could play CRYSIS.

Whole thing cost me just a lil less than $2000

[Pedro Remedios @ May 14th 2008 8:15AM]

Flashpoint, you mean 4GB right? :P

[The Apple @ May 14th 2008 8:28AM]

@ Pedro

No, he could mean 4MB, I reckon that could handle Crysis.

:-)

[tom @ May 14th 2008 8:32AM]

$2000 w/ 4 GB of ram, talk about inflation LOL Psss...you got jeeped!

The Apple - if you can spend on XPS, you have many to choose from, HP blackbird or even custom built.

[The Apple @ May 14th 2008 9:42AM]

@ Tom,

I Mentioned XPS as one of my many choices, used XPS to compare to Alienware, if anything I probably would go with Custom Built.

Usually cheaper, more options, but No warranty :-( but i can service computers anyway... Easy

[Sporkinum @ May 14th 2008 10:20AM]

I was checking into machines for work from HP and Dell that would support 2 video cards for XRay use. Much less expensive to get a Blackbird ($2801) than one of their workstation class machines. But to add to that, an XPS ($1854) was about $1000 less than a Blackbird.

Best yet would be to build our own, but obviously, the hospital IS dept would not want to do that.

[Kurian @ May 14th 2008 12:30PM]

LOL, stop conning yourself into thinking your saving money by buying an XPS instead of Alienware. They are both overpriced.

Assemble FTW.

[The Engadgeter @ May 14th 2008 12:57PM]

ahh... all the "will it play crisis?" and "my system already plays crisis" garbage is starting to get annoying

Just because you can get it to run does NOT mean that you have a very powerful system. Getting it to run at high res with all the bells and whistles means you have a very powerful system, as it is the high res and bells and whistles that make a game really look that much more realistic.

XPS systems are a great deal even when you consider them alongside building. The margins on these computers are extremely low after discount because the market demands it to be so, and Dell has the resources to translate economies of scale to discounts for the end-user

I don't really see why Dell wants to tarnish the Alienware brand that they have left so pristine up until this point. Don't cheapify Alienware, just make XPS better. Dell could be doing a better job to show Alienware is part of Dell so some of the Alienware aura rubs off on Dell, but don't tarnish the Alienware brand...

[conor @ May 14th 2008 3:02PM]

still cheaper than apple! 3 grand for the entry mac pro?

[Jose Luna @ May 14th 2008 7:56AM]

yes.......... My XPS branded gaming PC lives on, i was kinda bummed out to hear it was gone, I honestly thought Dell was dumb for killing it, im glad it was just a RUMOR. I bought mine for gaming, yet i never game on it, its has just become such a fast and dependable and classy computer. Plus those new cases look real nice.

[Jherez @ May 14th 2008 7:59AM]

I knew it, I mean they just released the 730. It would be a waste of a ton of resources to axe it so quickly

[Mr.Tech @ May 14th 2008 8:00AM]

Dell is currently using both Alienware and XPS technology on both of their system but they should only focus on one area of research. I think having two departments is too much of an hassle. The XPS/Alienware line isn't going to get any better if you balance them out 50/50.

[JJV @ May 14th 2008 8:43AM]

Well if the XPS is the cheaper not as god version, then i think it is fine. Its basically like a product line up. Alienware > XPS > Regular Dell.

[Ellianth @ May 14th 2008 9:40AM]

They should have never bought alienware.

[Kurian @ May 14th 2008 12:31PM]

What friggin "Technology"??! They haven't invented any shit. All they do is put together some parts and charge you a nut.

[Dualboot @ May 14th 2008 1:56PM]

From a purely business perspective, the acquisition of a company that specializes in a specific type of machine does make sense. You don't want (or have the luxury of time) to reinvent the wheel, so you buy the technology, IP, expertise, etc. This is done on a daily basis (e.g. pharmas).

What did not make sense is that Dell left the company intact and continued to churn our both the XPS and the Alienware models. Alienware was/is considered high end bleeding edge, overpriced and with poor customer support. Dell is considered less bleeding edge, more price sensitive and with better support. A marriage would be more appropriate.

Consider simply folding Alienware into the Dell website. You're not just buying a "Toyota", you're buying a "Lexus". It has better components (read OC and bleeding edge), but it is supported by our warranty, the same level of customer service and looks great...

I'm keeping my 720 until this mess gets cleared up. I personally won't buy from Alienware, unless I know I'm calling Dell and my Dell sales rep (I'm in academia) is willing to support/sell both brands...

[Jonathan @ May 14th 2008 8:02AM]

I agree just picked up a XPS 630 and its better than I could have hoped for. Great gaming performance at a reasonable price for sure. At least the 630 is a bargain for the average consumer.

[pbaco @ May 14th 2008 8:16AM]

Dell is Deal! thats what I say. They have something for evryones budget.

Xps is great stuff. the next gen stuff from dell comming in a quarter or 2 will be even cooler.

[BradVT @ May 14th 2008 8:20AM]

Yeah, it just wouldn't make sense for them to get rid of the XPS desktops. They would only be left with two different inspirion desktop models to choose from if they did, and they definatly need more product differentiation than that. Man, differentiation is a big word.

[benjesuit @ May 14th 2008 8:30AM]

I don't think the WSJ got anything wrong except that they probably weren't suppose to release that part of the story. i.e. Dell dumping the XPS gaming series sooner rather than later.

Dell's PR had to come out and "reassure" the high end buyers that they're not buying an obsolete soon to be discontinued system if you purchase one now.

[shanoboy @ May 14th 2008 8:35AM]

Yay for overpriced PCs!!!!!!

[Rudiger @ May 14th 2008 9:50AM]

Makes sense not to dump the XPS brand.

XPS resides in a comfortable place between "value" Inspiron and "high-performance" Alienware. Those three tiers capture much of the consumer market.

[psychomas @ May 14th 2008 10:58AM]

Yay!!!!! I'm a big fan of the XPS 420! The XPS Gaming range is way overpriced, so too is Alienware. But I guess those will attract the enthusiasts with the bucks. XPS 420 is great in the UK, A base unit alone - Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16 GHz, 2GB 800Mhz RAM, 512MB ATI Radeon 3870 for £688.99 inc VAT and Shipping!! sickk!!

[Aprime @ May 14th 2008 11:01AM]

Engadget has succesfully alienated its non-christian readers. :D

[x7ea @ May 14th 2008 1:19PM]

I thought it was funny. Making fun of myths held to be true is cool. I'm just waiting until we can joke about Muhammad without getting threatened with jihad.

[xB Owner @ May 14th 2008 1:23PM]

Dell needs to keep the XPS lineup to have a real "Entry Level Gaming System" available to customers. I'm sorry, but $1600+ for an entry level AMD Alienware just doesn't cut it. And as has been mentioned here before, Dell's styling is typically a little nicer than Alienware.

I still think the Gateway FX7026 is the best buy in a true entry level system from the major companies right now. $1099 gets you a Core2Quad 9300, 4GB Ram, 320GB (x2) hard drives, and an NVidia 8800GT. A comparable system from HP will run you at least $200 more. From Alienware you are looking at around $1900. Dell offers up the 420 in similar configuration at over $1500.

Its all but impossible to beat the Gateway price in a pre-built system with a warranty. And it is actually quite competitive with many home built systems of the same spec. There are drawbacks like a cramped case, and lower watt power supply, but I guess the money has to come from somewhere.

[Enki @ May 14th 2008 3:27PM]

Looks like Engadget was getting a little ahead of itself reporting the death to XPS line as well as the WSJ.

[YoMomma @ May 14th 2008 3:36PM]

thanks godness, i will known earn some cash to buy me a xps m1530.

[redleader158 @ May 16th 2008 11:00PM]

Dell's daterape has ruined Alienware.
Dell should burn in hell! They copy off Sony (M1330 to SZ, One to VAIO desktop thing)
Go Sony!!!

Sony Vaio SZ650N/C: T7500, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 8400GS
(For my 13th birthday)