I must admit to mixed feelings about the news. I love my Alienware, and the company has been good during the ordering process.
I must admit I have had many Dell computers (twenty or so that I am responsible for keeping running despite the ignorance of their users), and only twice have I had a hardware problem. Both were fixed to my satisfaction. Compare that to Gateway, where I have used one, and will never order from again. My Dell laptop is still running strong after eight years, and only a the inability to run the current version of several programs made me replace it. On the flipside, Dell support has been wanting. I usually use it to convince my boss that I am doing something constructive about a problem so that I can Google for a solution while I'm on hold.
If Dell leaves Alienware alone to function as a distinct business unit, Alienware should be able to function much as it always has, except with a better supply chain and marketing support. Or they can pillage the company and ruin Alienware. It is their choice to make. I see this as similar to how the big brewers have responded to microbrews. Miller tried to pass off their Plank Road Brewing as a small brewery, but micromanaged it and never gave the division a separate identity. So they never made a decent beer, just more Miller. Coors, on the other hand, created Blue Moon and staffed it with the more entrepreneurial members of their company, and gave them the freedom to make better beer. Which they have. In the same way, Dell tried to launch the XPS line for high-end users, but never gave them a life of their own. Purchasing Alienware is their second attempt at getting into this market, and if they have learned anything, Alienware should be left to function much as it has.
So I must remain cautiously optimistic. If Dell stays hands-off, we should see some improvements in Alienware lead times and maybe some cost breaks. If they take a hands-on approach, they may as well just slap a Dell logo on the thing and have it over with.
I must admit I have had many Dell computers (twenty or so that I am responsible for keeping running despite the ignorance of their users), and only twice have I had a hardware problem. Both were fixed to my satisfaction. Compare that to Gateway, where I have used one, and will never order from again. My Dell laptop is still running strong after eight years, and only a the inability to run the current version of several programs made me replace it. On the flipside, Dell support has been wanting. I usually use it to convince my boss that I am doing something constructive about a problem so that I can Google for a solution while I'm on hold.
If Dell leaves Alienware alone to function as a distinct business unit, Alienware should be able to function much as it always has, except with a better supply chain and marketing support. Or they can pillage the company and ruin Alienware. It is their choice to make. I see this as similar to how the big brewers have responded to microbrews. Miller tried to pass off their Plank Road Brewing as a small brewery, but micromanaged it and never gave the division a separate identity. So they never made a decent beer, just more Miller. Coors, on the other hand, created Blue Moon and staffed it with the more entrepreneurial members of their company, and gave them the freedom to make better beer. Which they have. In the same way, Dell tried to launch the XPS line for high-end users, but never gave them a life of their own. Purchasing Alienware is their second attempt at getting into this market, and if they have learned anything, Alienware should be left to function much as it has.
So I must remain cautiously optimistic. If Dell stays hands-off, we should see some improvements in Alienware lead times and maybe some cost breaks. If they take a hands-on approach, they may as well just slap a Dell logo on the thing and have it over with.
