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Maybe They Could Make The Little Alien Head With The Glowing Eyes Look Like Michael Dell
Computers | Mar 28, 06
Dell's recently announced acquisition of Alienware marks an interesting departure from the computer-as-commodity model the firm helped create, and within which the entire industry has been attempting to find a way to preserve margins. The firm itself has been experimenting with "value-added" design, and says it has sold out its limited edition $9,900.00 XPS 600 Renegade, a machine aimed at gamers that comes with a 30" screen, NVIDIA Quad SLI multi-GPU technology and a "True Fire" decorated case by Mike Lavallee of Killer Paint. The price point on such flame-embossed models might be just a smidge too high for the mass market, so enter Alienware, a brand loved by the game set and other consumers of high-performance graphics machines.
An indication of Dell's desire to prevent its generally rectilinear design aesthetic from infecting its new acquisition may be the announcement that Alienware will be run as a stand-alone enterprise with its design team kept intact and in place. Of course, Alienware's approx 200 million in revenue is so dwarfed by Dell's 55.9 billion top line that Reuters quoted a Dell spokesperson as calling the acquisition "financially immaterial". Alienware has always been a premium brand, and it's not clear yet to what degree Dell's marketing muscle can expand sales of so costly a set of computers. Perhaps Dell can bring economies of scale to Alienware's production, lowering prices and expanding sales. But Alienware's new owner would have to do this without ruining the brand's identity, as a member of Alienware's elite gaming clientele may not welcome the news: "Dude, you're getting a Dell!"
Posted by jeffrey.trester (Permalink)
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