Alienware facts for kids
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Headquarters in 2008
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | October 24, 1996 (as Saikai of Miami, Inc.) |
| Founders | Nelson Gonzalez, Alex Aguila, Joe Balerdi, Arthur Lewis, Frank Azor |
| Headquarters | |
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Key people
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Michael Dell (CEO) |
| Products | Desktops Notebooks Peripherals Monitors |
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Number of employees
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490 |
| Parent | Dell |
Alienware Corporation is an American company that makes special computer hardware for gaming computers. It's a part of Dell, a much larger computer company. Alienware products often have cool designs inspired by aliens.
Alienware was started in 1996 by two friends, Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila. Other important people in the company's early days were Frank Azor, Arthur Lewis, and Joe Balerdi. The company's main office is in Miami, Florida, in the United States.
Contents
History
Founding Alienware
Alienware began in 1996 as a company called Saikai of Miami, Inc. The founders, Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, were childhood friends. They built desktop computers, laptops, and other powerful computers for gaming.
The name "Alienware" was chosen because the founders really liked the TV show The X-Files. This show also inspired the names of some of their first products, like Area-51 and Aurora, which sound like things from science fiction. In 1997, the company officially changed its name to Alienware.
Joining Dell
The big computer company Dell had been thinking about buying Alienware since 2002. Finally, on March 22, 2006, Dell bought Alienware.
Even though Alienware became a part of Dell, it still got to control its own designs and marketing. Being part of Dell helped Alienware a lot because it could use Dell's huge buying power and supply chain. This made it cheaper for Alienware to make its computers.
At first, Dell also had its own gaming computer line called XPS. This meant Alienware had some competition from its own parent company! But by 2008, Dell decided to focus more on Alienware as its main gaming brand. On June 2, 2009, the M17x was the first computer released that showed both the Alienware and Dell brands. This also helped Alienware sell its products in many more countries around the world.
Computer Systems Models
Alienware makes many different types of computers and accessories designed for serious gamers. Here are some of their main products:
Gaming Consoles
Alienware has also made special video game consoles that run on Windows or Windows 10. These are different from consoles like Sony's PlayStation or Microsoft's Xbox because they can also play regular PC games.
- Alienware Alpha: This was the first console-like PC released in 2014.
- Alienware Alpha R2: An updated version from 2016, with newer Intel processors and better graphics cards. It also works with Alienware's Graphics Amplifier.
Graphics Amplifier
The Graphics Amplifier is a special box that lets you connect a powerful desktop graphics card to an Alienware laptop. This makes the laptop much better for gaming, giving it more power to run demanding games.
Laptops
Alienware is famous for its powerful gaming laptops. They come in different screen sizes, from smaller 13-inch models to huge 18-inch ones. These laptops are packed with strong processors and graphics cards to handle the latest games.
- Larger Laptops (18-inch, 17-inch, 16-inch): These are big laptops designed for maximum power. They often have the latest Intel or AMD processors and powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics cards. Recent models include the Alienware m18 (2023) and Alienware m16 (2023).
- Mid-size Laptops (15-inch, 14-inch): These offer a balance of power and portability.
Recent models include the Alienware M15 R7 (2022) and Alienware X15 R2 (2022). The Alienware X14 (2022) is known for being one of the thinnest 14-inch gaming laptops.
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- Smaller Laptops (13-inch, 11.6-inch): Alienware used to make smaller gaming laptops like the M11x and Alienware 13. These were designed to be more portable while still offering good gaming performance.
The Alienware 13 R3 (2016) was a popular smaller model with a powerful Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics card.
Desktops
Alienware also builds high-performance desktop computers for gaming. These are designed to be very powerful and often have unique, futuristic cases.
- Aurora Series: These desktops are known for being easy to upgrade. They come with the latest Intel or AMD processors and powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics cards. Newer models like the Aurora R13 (2021) and Aurora R14 (2021) have improved cooling and cool RGB lighting. The Aurora R15 (2022) offers the newest 13th generation Intel or AMD Ryzen processors and 40 series Nvidia RTX GPUs.
- Area-51 Series: These are Alienware's most powerful and often most expensive desktops. They have unique "Triad" chassis designs and support multiple graphics cards for extreme performance.
The Area-51 R4 (2017) was available with both Intel and Ryzen Threadripper processors.
- X51 Series: These were smaller, more compact gaming desktops.
Headsets
Alienware makes gaming headsets that offer clear sound and microphones for communicating with teammates.
- Alienware AW988 (2017): A wireless headset with 7.1 virtual surround sound and customizable RGB lights.
- Alienware AW510H (2019): A wired headset with 7.1 virtual surround sound, designed for comfort.
- Alienware AW310H (2019): A more affordable wired headset with good sound quality.
- AW920H (2022): A lightweight wireless headset with Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound.
- AW720H (2023): Similar to the AW920H, but with physical buttons instead of touch controls.
- AW520H (2023): A wired version of the AW720H, without wireless features.
Monitors
Alienware also produces high-performance monitors specifically for gaming. These monitors often have fast refresh rates and special features like NVIDIA G-Sync or AMD FreeSync for smooth gameplay.
Alienware uses a simple system to name their monitors:
- The first two letters are usually "AW" for Alienware.
- The next two numbers show the screen size (e.g., "38" for 38 inches).
- The next two numbers show the release year (e.g., "21" for 2021).
- The last letters tell you about its features:
* H = 1080p resolution * D = 1440p resolution * Q = 4K resolution * W = Ultrawide screen * G = Supports NVIDIA G-Sync * F = Supports AMD FreeSync
For example, the AW3821DW is an Alienware monitor, 38 inches, released in 2021, with 1440p resolution, ultrawide, and G-Sync support.
See also
In Spanish: Alienware para niños
- List of computer system manufacturers
- Dell
