Gamespot said:
Dell buys Alienware?
Source: Rich Brown's latest CNET tech blog post, which cites confirmation from vendors that last week's speculation of the purchase from Voodoo PC president Rahul Sood was right on.
The official story: From Dell: "Dell doesn't comment on rumor or speculation and the Alienware references fit that criteria." And from Dell's supposed acquisition: "At this time, Alienware will not comment on any speculative stories or rumors concerning Dell and Alienware's association."
What we heard: Last week, Sood brought up the possibility of Dell purchasing his high-end gaming PC rival Alienware in a blog post. Though he doesn't cite any sources as to where he heard of the possible purchase, Sood implied it was more than just idle speculation.
In his CNET blog post, Brown says he's received confirmation of the deal from a source at a high-end vendor. That source told Brown he heard the news from a pair of his company's suppliers, and noted that his company has received an unusually high number of resumes from Alienware employees of late.
The acquisition makes sense, too. Dell has made no secret of its intentions to expand into the high-end PC gaming market, but many of its potential customers are bound to feel brand loyalty to smaller outfits that have catered directly to them for years, such as Alienware, Voodoo PC, and Falcon Northwest. Judging from the mixed reactions to Dell's current XPS line of gaming PCs, the company might be well served by buying its way into the market. Purchasing Alienware would not only turn one of its biggest obstacles in the market into its asset, but Dell could likely retain much of the brand's consumer base and reputation by keeping it separate and distinct from Dell.
The other juicy part of the rumor is that Dell doesn't sell AMD systems, but Alienware does. Keeping the Alienware brand separate could allow Dell to traffic in AMD systems while making sure the Dell name continues to use Intel chips exclusively.
Bogus or not bogus?: Are we obligated to stand behind our fellow CNET employee's report? I've misplaced the employee handbook, so this one's a precautionary "not bogus."
Source: Rich Brown's latest CNET tech blog post, which cites confirmation from vendors that last week's speculation of the purchase from Voodoo PC president Rahul Sood was right on.
The official story: From Dell: "Dell doesn't comment on rumor or speculation and the Alienware references fit that criteria." And from Dell's supposed acquisition: "At this time, Alienware will not comment on any speculative stories or rumors concerning Dell and Alienware's association."
What we heard: Last week, Sood brought up the possibility of Dell purchasing his high-end gaming PC rival Alienware in a blog post. Though he doesn't cite any sources as to where he heard of the possible purchase, Sood implied it was more than just idle speculation.
In his CNET blog post, Brown says he's received confirmation of the deal from a source at a high-end vendor. That source told Brown he heard the news from a pair of his company's suppliers, and noted that his company has received an unusually high number of resumes from Alienware employees of late.
The acquisition makes sense, too. Dell has made no secret of its intentions to expand into the high-end PC gaming market, but many of its potential customers are bound to feel brand loyalty to smaller outfits that have catered directly to them for years, such as Alienware, Voodoo PC, and Falcon Northwest. Judging from the mixed reactions to Dell's current XPS line of gaming PCs, the company might be well served by buying its way into the market. Purchasing Alienware would not only turn one of its biggest obstacles in the market into its asset, but Dell could likely retain much of the brand's consumer base and reputation by keeping it separate and distinct from Dell.
The other juicy part of the rumor is that Dell doesn't sell AMD systems, but Alienware does. Keeping the Alienware brand separate could allow Dell to traffic in AMD systems while making sure the Dell name continues to use Intel chips exclusively.
Bogus or not bogus?: Are we obligated to stand behind our fellow CNET employee's report? I've misplaced the employee handbook, so this one's a precautionary "not bogus."
Very intriguing, Im sort of surprised how much DELL wants to get into the gaming books.
