Alienware's Alpha Is A Gaming PC With The DNA Of A Console -- And It's The Real Deal

Forbes - A funny thing happened on the road between CES 2014 and E3 2014: Alienware went from showcasing a console-esque Steam Machine with unknown internals, to showing a legitimate living room PC with the unadulterated DNA of a game console. Frankly I’m surprised I’m uttering these words, but the Alienware Alpha is the real deal. It’s the system that finally makes PC gaming frustration free for anyone, even PC gaming virgins who don’t have a clue what Steam is.

I don’t make that statement lightly, so consider this: During my time with the Alienware Alpha, I didn’t see a traditional desktop, explorer window, or anything resembling Windows 8.1. So before we talk about what it is, it’s important to rule out what it’s not. It’s not an HTPC (Home Theater PC), nor is it a standard gaming PC stuffed into a compact form factor. It’s a “PC console,” designed from the ground up to offer performance comparable to a system like Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Suppressing Windows

 

The Alienware Alpha boots directly to a streamlined user interface which Alienware designed. It’s clean and clutter-free, with large type and controller-based navigation similar to Steam’s Big Picture. In fact, you can launch into Big Picture from this UI and even execute certain Windows maintenance features. Perhaps best of all, it eliminates certain nags like Windows Updates reminders and imminent restart warnings so that you can stay immersed in your game. Unfortunately Alienware wasn’t allowing photos of the interface since it’s very early in development.   Read More