Friday, November 21, 2014

Alienware's Alpha: Gaming Console or PC?

Is it a gaming console, or a PC? Alienware, the video gaming focused brand owned by Round Rock-based Dell, has rolled out a new, PC gaming console called the Alienware Alpha, which combines Windows 8.1 with a console form factor and a set of gaming focused software enhancements. Alienware said today that the new console is in pre-order, and is directly aimed at "next generation" consoles. The new device goes head to head with such devices as the PS4 and Xbox One. Alienware's new console--although based on a Windows PC--boots directly into a special user interface called the Alpha-UI, which enables gamers to navigate everything on the machine without a mouse or keyboard. The new device is packed with a number of bundled games, and can even be used to run standard PC software. The new device starts at $549.