Alienware Invasion

The Alienware shows up in -- gasp! -- decent packaging.

Most computers ship in a box suited for Orange Crush. Not the Alienware. The machine arrives in a reusable black shipping container that holds not only the PC, but a handy system configuration sheet and what has become the ultimate luxury -- real live system backup discs.

(You have to wonder about the health of the larger PC industry if the mainstream vendors need to save $1.75 on two CDs; but that's what has happened. System discs are long gone from H-Ps and Dells.)

Beyond the packaging, the m5550 is done in an attractive metallic silver with black accents. Yes, there is what I called Mr. Alienface, the Alienware logo, plunked right on the cover; but he (she? it?) is only an inch or so high and comes with a cute blue backlight. So I wasn't repulsed.

And the m5550 stood up to the ultimate design test: I did not feel like an idiot carrying it.

I schlepped the Alienware out to Detroit for a little playoff baseball. (I wanted to see for myself whether the once-lowly Tigers could bring $200 million of Yankee offense to its knees. They could.)

Not only was I not embarrassed by my m5550, I got props while in the Northwest terminal from some University of Michigan grads hanging out nearby. I always love looking cool to the kids.

As a computer, the m5550 is solid; it felt a bit more finished and upscale than a similar Toshiba or H-P. The 15.4-inch extended graphics array screen was excellent; bright and clear for a portable. I also liked the feel and carry of the keys.

My Alienware came configured with all sorts of goodies: dual processors; 1 gigabyte of random access memory; 256 megabytes of graphics cards; and plenty of connectors, including an S-video output that turned the m5550 into a serviceable DVD player.

I won't bore you with the details, but the m5550 stood up to every conceivable data test for both office and Internet. Game play seemed decent, though be warned: my gaming reviews hail from the full 20 seconds I can last in Doom before I die.

	It's No Coverup

But -- you knew there'd be a but -- the Alienware flames out trying to be a media device. Like all other laptops, the unit sorely lacks in movie quality; picture and sound are awful. High-definition imagery from iTunes looked like it came from my waterproof camera. And even basic midmarket DVDs such as "The Wire" looked like something from a child's play camera. Blacks were bad, colors were washed out. And the aliasing? Ick!

Also, you can expect indifferent battery life from the Alienware. My unit only worked for little under two hours at maximum efficiency -- the result of all that processing umph.

Nevertheless, despite its limits, I give the Alienware m5550 the thumbs up. Think of it as the anti-Mac: a more expensive computer with fashion and flair, but one that is not limited by lack of software and other issues that plague Apple (AAPL) computers.

And, honestly, for the average user looking for style and performance, the Alienware is cooler than a Mac.

Take that, Steve Jobs.

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